Jun 5 2016
Recommended: Baeshi Bang, revisiting vintage K-pop
An interesting project I’ve encountered is from Paris-based quintet Baeshi Bang, who have put out a couple recordings that dive into the songbook of 1960s K-pop crooner Bae Ho. Between their two recordings, a 2014 release and one that just came out in April of this year, Baeshi Bang find a range of expressions for the Korean pop singer’s original works. Some tracks hit a modern Parisian jazz sound, which lays on the melody thick with heavy ambient attributes while counterbalancing it with tempos that punctuate the beat to get the point across. Then there are tracks that drawl out a heavily sweet pop music influence, and possess a personality that’s shiny and bright. And then, interestingly, there are tracks that exhibit a classic Motown R&B groove or an Ennio Morricone cinematic flair that flirts with surf rock. There is also an instance where some electronics and effects blend into a classic late hard-bop period piece, when long strides were being made by artists into free and spiritual jazz forms of expression. The use of traditional Korean instruments like the gayageum and non-traditional like the French horn add even more texture to this intriguing music.
The range of expressions is likely to guarantee that some tracks will sit better with your ears than others. That’s something that can be said about most projects by most bands, but this quintet’s willingness to vastly expand their perspective on the original source of their inspiration increases the likelihood of that effect. It was something I encountered myself. That said, there were several tracks found in their output that I really took to. Add that to the interesting theme of the project, and, well, I really wanted to post something about this project.
They’ve got a new album out, Vintage K-Pop Revisited, released on the Buda Musique label. Their first album, Old School K-Pop Revisited, was a Self-Produced recording released back in 2014. The two albums share some compositions, but it does appear from available information found online that they are different renditions recorded in separate years.
The personnel are: Etienne de la Sayette (tenor sax, flute, clavioline, gayageum), Victor Michaud (French horn, electronic organ), François Chesnel (piano, hohner bass), Loïc Réchard (guitar) and Stefano Lucchini (drums).
There’s all kinds of opportunities out there to listen while deciding whether to purchase the album.
Here’s an embed of some album tracks off their newest release, which you can find on the Buda Musique Soundcloud page…
You can listen to more music on the Baeshi Bang Soundcloud page as well as their Bandcamp page (linked to below).
Also, on the Baeshi Bang site, they have a page where you can listen to their versions and the Bae Ho originals side-by-side, which is pretty cool. Here’s a LINK to that page.
You can buy their first album on Bandcamp (LINK).
Their most recent album is on Amazon (LINK).
And here’s a nifty video with an album track from their latest. The song is called “Ilchul,” but it also seems to be called “Sunrise” on the album…
*****
What makes the 
I don’t know if they use the term “slush pile” anymore, but back when I was actively sending out queries of my own to publishers and agents to get them to take a look at one of my fiction novels, the backlog of unsolicited manuscripts would get thrown onto a (literal) stack of other such manuscripts… termed, industry-wide, the “slush pile.” Every now and then, a junior editor or agent would randomly pull a manuscript off the pile and give it a read just to see if a little gem had walked through the door unbeknownst to everyone. It was pretty much a Hail Mary for both author and editor/agent/publisher alike.
Rather captivating session from guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Nate Friedman (plus guest Ben Schmidt-Swartz sitting in on one track on tenor sax). More post-rock than post-bop, their approach to song structure is to merely hint at a catchy melody then watch variations of it quickly spread like hot gossip. And this leads to the album’s winning characteristic, which is the duo’s ability to maintain cohesion-in-the-moment as they navigate a meandering path. That kind of focus on the immediacy of things is why it’s so very easy to get lost in these songs and not really care where you or it is going. Nice addition of acoustic guitar for some sonic balance. Also, it’s refreshing when a musician/band enters the room, says only exactly what they’ve got on their mind, then immediately turns off the lights. This album gets that accomplished in under thirty minutes, and is stronger for its succinctness.
Gotta say, I always appreciate when musicians use their debut to relate all the Big Ideas that have been bouncing around in their heads in the lead-up to their inaugural session in the drivers seat. If they’re even remotely up to the task, it typically renders an album that has all kinds of little surprises and bursts of inspiration. It also tends to lack cohesiveness and its share of potholes along the road from first note to last. That, however, is a big part of the fun. And besides, when a musician steps up the plate on their debut, you’re more concerned with their stance and that they’re taking decent cuts… not the box score. On his debut, pianist Michael Malis definitely gets in his share of quality swings, and this fun recording has more than its share of inspired moments and surprises. There’s some straight-ahead (both old- and new-school), some avant-garde and free moments and some passages that dive into classical areas… and he pretty frequently switches things up between those forms of expression within the duration of one track. Definitely worth checking out, and a promising sign for future projects. Joining the pianist are bassist Ben Rolston and drummer Stephen Boeghold.
A pleasant set of songs that anchor themselves to the heart of a melody and never wander too far from that central place. Guitarist Vierset was aiming for the singer-songwriter action on this recording, and some covers of Nick Drake, plus some originals inspired by some favorite musicians are what comes of it. The originals are far better than the covers, though that’s gonna have most to do with the extreme difficulty of providing a new view of the Drake originals. But overall, it’s a nice, laid-back set of tunes that’s easy to ease into. Joining the guitarist are soprano saxophonist Mathieu Robert, cellist Marine Horbaczewski, bassist Yannick Peeters and drummer Yves Peeters.
Plenty of expressiveness from this duo + 1 set from saxophonist Emiliano Vernizzi, pianist Alessandro Sgobbio and drummer Nick Wight. Each tune seems to begin as a tightly wound ball, and sometimes the trio lets it come apart in wild, dramatic directions and other times they keep things pulled in tight and wrapped around a fiery intensity. When they go with the former approach, the song is typically straight-ahead modern with indie-rock influences, and when they go with the latter approach, it’s a chamber jazz sound. It’s the latter category that marks the strongest tracks, but the shifting between the two states of volatility and solemnity go along way to binding the album up into something exciting and satisfying.
The counterbalance of warm tones and a mournful delivery are what gives this five song recording its appeal. Trumpeter Pedersen, alto saxophonist Linsey Wellman, double bassist Joel Kerr and drummer Eric Thibodeau maintain a nice and easy pace that doesn’t hold back on generating some serious feel. Thick, tangled harmonies are the album’s strong point, but unraveling them with the occasional blast of dissonance adds a delightful bit of contrast at some well-placed moments. Also, bonus points for constructing an EP that remains focused while still providing the space for the artists to flesh ideas out as they happen.
The quintet
Jun 6 2016
A rundown of some good stuff on the For Tune label (Part One)
For Tune recently set up shop on the Bandcamp site, which really opens up their catalog from a retail perspective for many of you, and so to celebrate, I’m going to be pointing out many of the recordings that have grabbed my ear over the years… including one, at the very end of this column, that’s from an ensemble that allegedly was the inspiration to start the For Tune label in the first place.
Let’s begin…
Pulsarus – Bee Itch
Released in 2014 on For Tune.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Dominik Wania Trio – Ravel
Released in 2013 on For Tune.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Mary Halvorson Trio – Ghost Loop
Released in 2013 on For Tune.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Obara International – Komeda
Released in 2013 on For Tune.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Waclaw Zimpel Quartet – Stone Fog
I wrote a whole lot more about this album when it first came out.
Read more, listen and follow the links (LINK).
*****
Power of the Horns – Alaman
It earned the #28 slot for this site’s Best of 2013 list.
I wrote a whole lot more about this album when it first came out.
Read more, listen and follow the links (LINK).
*****
And there’s gonna be a couple more similar columns hitting upon the For Tune catalog coming up, so be sure to check back in often.
In the meantime, a great resource on Jazz from the Poland scene, check out Maciej Nowotny‘s excellent site Polish-Jazz Blogspot (LINK)
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2013 Releases, Jazz Recommendations - 2014 Releases • 0