Mar 1 2016
Recommended: Tom Beckham & Brad Shepik – “Flower Starter”
Time and again, I’m mesmerized by the lovely pairing of guitar and vibes. I love the way vibraphone’s icy elegance and guitar’s radiant warmth mesh conflicting qualities into a singular characteristic. I adore the way in which the two instruments are able to exist in both melodic and rhythmic states simultaneously, and the appealing similarities in how it manifests. And I’m transfixed by the sense of perpetual motion, of an endless dance these two instruments can conjure up when locked in conversation. Flower Starter, the 2015 release from guitarist Brad Shepik and vibraphonist Tom Beckham gets that instrumental collaboration all alone in the spotlight where it’s appealing facets and enviable connectivity points can shine brightly.
Opening tracks “Rumor” and “Medium” have an airy ambiance, as the endless possibilities for melodic expansion are carried away on rhythmic currents as varied as sunlight glowing on the surface of a river, whereas “Duet One” takes a more methodical approach to motion, and the dividends paid are the greater detail in which the melody is shaped and expanded. And all three, with their airy motion and melodic depth, are strongly reminiscent of a previous collaboration on Brad Shepik’s excellent 2011 quartet date Across the Way.
Title-track “Flower Starter” is about as gorgeous as a song can get. It begins with one melodic thread, then proceeds to unravel it and unleash a seemingly endless cascade of reflections of that original statement. “Episode” works a thick line of melodic thought, but lets little tangles and filaments peel off from the center. The groovy “Blues Inside Out” adds a playful touch to the recording, as well as structure to its up-tempo mode. “Duet 2” is a conversation parsed together from crossed wires and intertwining lines of communication, and the meaning is found in the emergent patterns. “Duet 3” is a catchy little song.
Just a beautiful album.
Your album personnel: Brad Shepik (guitar) and Tom Beckham (vibraphone).
The album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more album tracks at the artist’s Bandcamp page (LINK).
Learn more at the album-dedicated site (LINK).
This site has earned its reputation for featuring under-the-radar albums from the new Jazz releases bin, but I’m not sure we’ve published a This Is Jazz Today column that was dominated by as many truly obscure acts. This is a good thing, and goes to show that there are always new, exciting albums to discover in the passage of a single week.
A very cool duo collaboration between guitarist Frith and trumpeter Johnston. Switching between moments of sharp dissonance and those of sublime beauty, the duo sculpts misshapen curiosities and endows them with some seriously arresting features. Frith’s guitar, one moment, could be kicking out streaks of flame and then without warning suddenly adopt the most personable twang. Johnston, for his part, shows no inhibition to similar transitions in tone and temperament, and just because he’s contemplative and serene one moment, don’t be surprised when suddenly his trumpet takes on a playful bounce or a furious shout. Look, this is avant-garde, free improv, and I’m not gonna pretend that this kind of thing is up most of your alleys… but Everybody’s Somebody’s Nobody is one of those instances where you want to invest some time in exploring this area of the jazz landscape. Frith and Johnston achieve a seamless line of communication to marvel at, and it reaches a plateau where you don’t necessarily have to understand the language they’re speaking to allow yourself to become happily immersed in it. Yes, a track like “Scribble” is a series of acerbic passages… aggressive, not pretty. But this same method of communication also yields a Miles Davis In a Silent Way tranquility on the track “Standard Candles.” So, spend some time with this one, because there’s a reason it’s been named Album of the Week and it might very well be one of those exceptions to your rule.
A strange and curious recording from the quartet of bassist Jérémy Lirola, pianist Jozef Dumoulin (who doubles up on Fender Rhodes and electronics), alto saxophonist Denis Guivarc’h and drummer Nicolas Larmignat. Sometimes it’s a serenade by moonlight, sometimes it’s a modern funk-jazz, sometimes it’s a disassembled avant-garde, but often it brings these and any number of other odd forms of expressions into the fold all at once. There’s a sense of tunes not quite snapping into place, and it’s those inexact points of contact and out-of-synch fusion that makes the album so compelling. Because, strangely, it all works out in the end… a sort of disjointed cooperative. There are some jaw-dropping moments when streaks of melody break through the clouds of dissonance and conflict. This is just one of many reasons to scoop up this compelling album.
A very cool personality all throughout this session. This quintet of Pippi Dimonte (double bass), Marco Vecchio (alto & soprano sax), Simone Salvini (trumpet), Alessandro De Lorenzi (guitar) and Nicola Benetti (drums) switches between expressions of classic bop, modern post-bop, Latin, and jazz-funk, and despite flitting around the various jazz sub-genres, it ends up creating a cohesive album that shines pretty brightly no matter what the influence of the moment is. While the modern post-bop tunes are arguably the most compelling, it’s those that dive into thick grooves that will elicit the most smiles. A fun album, and perhaps this week’s wild card.
Kind of a quirky personality to this one. The quintet of guitarist Paul Jarret, tenor saxophonist Maxence Ravelomanantsoa, trombonist Léo Pellet, bassist Alexandre Perrot and drummer Ariel Tessier (plus a bunch of guests on additional wind instruments) adopt an indie-pop modern jazz blend, with a greater weight to the former over the latter. What results are some very tuneful moments broken up by fun little changes in cadence and direction. Nice mix of contemplative passages and spikes of hyperactive cheerfulness. There are several moments on this recording where I just stop what I’m doing and sit there transfixed by the music.
A striking and wildly expressive session from the quartet of trombonist Roswell Rudd, pianist Jamie Saft, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Balazs Pandi. On trombone, Rudd throws punches crisply, taking the shortest distance to the chin, but when he suddenly unleashes the most gentle melodic yawn, the whole sonic universe suddenly swivels to an entirely new perspective. This is a hard-charging album, but the quartet switches things up between dense walls of dissonance and strategically placed openings to let the conversation hang in the air briefly before getting batted across the room for yet another quick pursuit. Pandi and Dunn generate an impressive thunderstorm that, at times, left me awestruck, and it’s the way that Saft often dances between their raindrops with some elegant piano lines that really drew me in. But when you boil it all down, it’s the wild show of personality that represents the album’s winning trait.
Nifty straight-ahead session from the trio of pianist Matias Muñoz, bassist Jorge da Roca, drummer Joao Veira, though expanded greatly with the addition of cellist Mariano Camarasa, guitarist Dani Perez, saxophonist Pintxo Villar and trumpeter Pol Padrós. Nice ebb and flow to patiently exhaled melodies and wildly expressive solos. There’s a couple vocal tracks that break up the album’s continuity a bit, but those are just small speed bumps for an album that offers up all kinds of get-up-and-go music to lift you outta the malaise of a nine-to-five day. Worth noting that several of the guest musicians have made their mark on this column with other projects, too, so if you like what you hear on this one, you have some names to keep exploring.
Easy to like sophomore recording from violinist Bartosz Dworak. He and his quartet (drummer Szymon Madej, pianist Piotr Matusik and bassist Jakub Dworak) run through a set of originals that highlight the violin’s ability to set off an array of fireworks dramatics while still treating each melody like delicate china. The quartet finds a nice meeting point between modern jazz, Polish folk and pop music. Some of the more intense moments are to be found in those passages when piano and violin transition between solos… the shifts in emotional tone are seriously riveting. I can’t say with authority whether this is a thing or not, but this site has highlighted a number of Polish violinists who’ve made a successful home in modern jazz. I mention this just in case this album floats your boat and you’re looking for more (begin with 
Naming themselves after a Django Reinhardt song is a pretty good indication that the quartet of violinist Jason Anick, guitarist Olli Soikkeli, guitarist Max O’Rourke and bassist Greg Loughman are gonna dive head first into a Gypsy Jazz repertoire. On their sophomore release, though, they’re working in a bunch of original compositions. It’s the kind of thing that tends to breathe fresh air into the life of a particular form of expression since, inevitably, the kind of present day music the modern musicians surround themselves with is going to influence the music… no matter how much they may strive for a traditional sound. That happens here for sure, because even though many of the tracks echo the music of the past, a song like title-track “Travels” breaks from form, and the result is a gorgeous sigh of melody over and over and over. There’s also a rendition of the Beatles’ “Come Together,” which has its moments, but something about it tells me that it works even better in a live setting. Plenty here to enjoy.
There’s an appealing pop music delivery to vocalist-guitarist Meza’s newest. When the music veers into Latin Jazz territory, the album really shines bright and exudes all kinds of personality. On the other hand, Meza does justice to the Jon Brion tune “Little Person,” giving it a nice undercurrent of frailty. Sachal Vasadani guests on one track, and his deep vocals match very nicely with Meza’s lighter tones. Jody Redhage’s cello adds a similar, equally essential contrast, too. A very strong cast on this album with pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Matt Penman, drummer Kendrick Scott and percussionist Bashiri Johnson. Worth throwing out there that Meza also does some nice work with trombonist Ryan Keberle… something to keep a look out for.
This enjoyable recording from pianist Røsten reels you in with thoughtful melodies and solos that really take their time to breathe. Even the up-tempo passages take a pleasantly methodical approach to playing out, and often are tied back into that original melodic statement at any number of points of intersection. Joining the pianist are soprano saxophonist Seb Silas, cellist Andrea Rocha, bassist Leo Geller and drummer Ollie Futcher. The tone is mostly a contemplative one, but they occasionally break out of their reveries with some easy-to-like pop influenced tunes. Good stuff.
Solid choice for someone looking for some tenor saxophone action. This nifty trio session of saxophonist Luthi, bassist Arne Huber and drummer Claudio Strüby displays strong lyricism regardless of whether the tenor is flashing its teeth or showing its potential for a delicate nature. Bass and drums each get their voices heard, but this is definitely one for when you want tenor sax to sit in the spotlight.
Terrific session from pianist Rosnes, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, saxophonist Steve Wilson (who doubles up nicely on flute), bassist Peter Washington and drummer Bill Stewart. Yet another Smoke Sessions release that just resonates like sunlight on the water’s surface, and yet more proof that straight-ahead jazz is just as exciting as those forms that reach out for the fringes. Starts out with a bang on “The KT Boundary” and doesn’t let up.
An interesting session from pianist Haney, in a serious of duo collaborations with drummers Han Bennink, Bernard Purdie, Giovanni Barcello, Jimmy Bennington and Marvin “Bugalu” Smith. Tunes work a range between (relatively) straight-ahead and out to the fringes of the avant-garde. It’s pretty easy to get a feel for the conversations occurring, and that lends the music some intimacy.
Drummer Riley definitely plants his feet squarely in the territory of the old-school, but just like so many of those classic Blue Note recordings, it sounds as fresh and vibrant as if it just came out of the recording studio yesterday. The drummer is joined by trumpeter Bruce Harris, saxophonist Godwin Louis, pianist Emmet Cohen, bassist Russell Hall, plus guests Pedrito Martínez and Mark Whitfield on, respectively, percussion and guitar. Some swing, some Afro-Cuban, but mostly that classic hard bop sound that can light up the room.
It’s a compelling sophomore release from 
We’re really getting into the thick of it now. It’s to where there’s just not enough time or space to account for all the great new jazz recordings we’re discovering. As it is, this week’s batch of recommendations is gonna keep all of you busy for awhile… or, at least, until we come up with another This Is Jazz Today for you in just one week’s time.
Outstanding album by the quintet of trumpeter Sebastián Jordán, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, guitarist Nicolás Vera, bassist Pablo Menares and drummer Félix Lecaros. Melodies as thick as clouds and as limitless in the imagery their loveliness incites. Recorded live at January 2015 performance at the Thelonious Jazz Club, the sounds from the crowd and the city bleed into the audio, which, in fact, just add to the personableness of the recording and the intimacy of the music. The up-tempo tunes are all you could ask for if you’re looking for a thrilling ride, but it’s when this ensemble patiently works through a tune that it bleeds all kinds of feel. Emotive and substantive and sincere… this straight-ahead modern jazz session is the kind of reminder that an old form of language can sound brand spanking new in the present day. This was a strong week of new releases, but it was still an easy decision to name this Album of the Week.
This album absolutely floors me. With Wayne Wallace’s jazz quintet as its core and joined by La Orquesta Sinfonietta, this large ensemble session incorporates both Afro-Latin and Afro-Caribbean jazz with an orchestra environment… an army of strings, brass, reeds and percussion. Most appealing is how the ensemble meshes the Latin, chamber and jazz elements into one vision while allowing the different influences to shift their weight, each emerging as needed in varying strengths… it creates a sense of constant motion, of sands blowing back and forth on the shore occasionally washed over by the incoming tide. Their rendition of “Afro Blue” is going to remain on my playlist for a very long time. And that intro with the heavy strings? It could warm the entire North Pole.
Just a wonderful recording from the long-time working trio of guitarist Roberto Lubambo, bassist Nilson Matta and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca. Some bossa nova, some Brazilian samba and a whole ton of richly textured rhythms and thick, warm melodies. Of their many amazing qualities, the thing I find consistently enjoyable from this trio (and, actually, their separate projects) is their ability to express Brazilian music in a fully integrated bop delivery system. There’s a sense of three layers… the Brazilian influence, the bop influence and then the combined effect of each element emphasizing everything so great about its counterpart. Another thing I enjoy about these musicians? The strong musicianship offered up without melodrama or unnecessary fireworks or a pushy look-at-me attitude. Cool, calm and confident in their expressions of creativity. Top shelf music.
A nice balance of connecting with both heart and head on this duo collaboration between pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs and bass clarinetist Maarten Ornstein. There’s a certain intimacy to this music that makes it easy to embrace, but this is also very cerebral music in that it challenges you to analyze the emergence of its beauty as much as it simply allows you to just sit back and appreciate it for what it is. Renditions of Monk’s “Misterioso” and “Little Rootie Tootie” allow for some playfulness, contrasting nicely with tracks like “Lucky” and title-track “Unspoken,” with their thick imagery built for vivid daydreams. And then there’s the catchy song “Rehavi” with its simply delightful melody that dances with a bit of a flair for fun and formality, bringing together the album’s two qualities into one expression.
A strangely alluring album from the trio of trombonist Brett Sroka, pianist Sam Harris and drummer Shawn Baltazor. Rooted in ambient minimalism, this electro-acoustic project has an appealing drifting behavior, but the use of electronics, effects and prepared piano give it all kinds of texture and character and weight. Melodic fragments possessing a jaw-dropping beauty emerge from the cloudy fog of improvisation and formlessness, and this is the source of the album’s undercurrent of tension and outward expressions of beauty. Thankfully, they mix in some upbeat tunes to keep the serenity in check and to keep the ear guessing. I’ve been addicted to this recording since the very first notes introduced themselves to me.
Nice straight-ahead session from the quintet of tenor saxophonist Fowser, trumpeter Josh Bruneau, pianist Rick Germanson, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Jason Tiemann. The album starts out with some hesitant steps, but gains its footing a couple tracks in. The cool blues of “Filling in the Blanks” drawled out with a nifty casual attitude, the hard bop of “Off the Path” with it’s warm embrace and willingness to show it has some teeth are the first indications that the album is gaining some momentum. The ballad “Hanging On” finds the right balance between a light touch and emotional weight and the way “Brick’s Tune” is able to maintain a groove while hyperactively bouncing off the walls echoes the Blue Note Records classic hard bop era. This is the kind of album that grows on ya… imperceptibly at first, but then in great leaps.
I’ll admit right up front that when I’m presented with a solo bass recording, my default position is one of skepticism. This holds true even when it’s a musician like MOPDTK member Moppa Elliott, who has plenty credibility in my eyes. But his new recording is massively hypnotizing. He finds the sweet spot between rhythmic engagement and melodic enchantment. Perhaps no better example of his craftiness on this recording is the track “Sequence Eleven,” where he goes from snow flurries to extended growls to playfully songlike strokes of arco to a gentle, quiet landing that’s practically a drone with a hint of dissonance. Not all tracks go through quite so many changes, but even the tracks that stay steady are just as mindful of the rhythmic-melodic tipping point that marks this intriguing album.
The thing about this recording from the quartet of alto/soprano saxophonist Sendersky, guitarist Romano, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Matt Kane is that, from a compositional standpoint, it’s a relatively straight-ahead recording, but the wrinkle of Romano’s acoustic guitar provides the music the most lovely airy ambiance, so that even during the up-tempo burners, there’s a sense of delicate grace. That goes a long way and resonates a lot stronger than perhaps my words will sufficiently illustrate. But the balance the acoustic guitar provides the thicker presence of saxophone and bass-drums rhythm section really elevates this album up a notch.
The duo collaboration between violinist Tobias Preisig and drummer Alessandro Giannelli is out on the fringes of anything resembling jazz. It’s also a very fun and very cool album. Heavy on the electronic effects and offering up all kinds of thick melodies and deep grooves, the two of them jam out on one enjoyable track after the other. I’ve covered Preisig previously. If you want to hear something a bit more straight-ahead from him, read up on Drifting (
Emphatic duo collaboration between pianist Melford and clarinetist Goldberg. Different tones of conversation are adopted throughout, though each tune displays an eloquent vocabulary and an abiding sparseness… even when the conversation grows most lively. Clipped phrases and high kinetic energy typically rule the day here, but then they exhale out a track like “Moonless Night,” and all that hyperactivity is cloaked by the imagery of a gentle breeze flowing over forest leaves. “Chorale” isn’t representative of the bulk of the recording, but it will end up on your “early morning music” playlist. It’s built for a sunrise.
Recorded live at the 2015 Jazz Festival Bern, this nifty recording nicely highlights how varied and nuanced this ensemble can get. Just enough pop influence to be catchy, just enough minimalism for a touch of introversion, just enough folk for a salt-of-the-earth demeanor and all the abounding warmth and massive sound you could ask for from a big band. Vibraphonist Matt Mainieri and drummer Peter Erskine guest.
A seriously enjoyable debut from drummer Ishiwaka, whose ensemble sticks mostly to a straight-ahead sound, though sometimes it brings a classic swing and sometimes a modern post-bop edge. One of the many interesting things about this recording is how Ishiwaka suddenly breaks a song down and guts it, as if he were dissecting the anatomy of a bop tune during the performance… then quickly puts it back together as if nothing had happened. They also mix in some freer interludes and some milder nu-jazz fusion tracks (think: Brian Blade Fellowship’s contemplative moments or Pat Metheny’s ambient tunes) and those provide some nice differentiation to the more boisterous tracks. By way of example, “A View From Dan Dan” is about as pretty as it gets.
You gotta appreciate when a young artist takes a huge swing on his or her debut, regardless of how it ends up. On pianist Diego’s Alba, he makes pretty good contact, and the result is a sprawling set of tunes that hit various forms of Latin Jazz, flamenco and modern jazz. There’s straight-ahead tunes fit for any solid piano trio recording, and there’s some fusion tracks that take advantage of a studio’s ability to add electronics and effects, and there’s songs that fall in line with established traditions of folk music. It can be a bit dizzying the way Diego shifts between forms of expression, but that’s part of the fun. Neat album.
Apr 4 2016
Recommended: Pierre Perchaud, Nicolas Moreaux and Jorge Rossy – “FOX”
And as with past collaborations between these artists, there is a balance between those tracks where the melody is drawn with thick lines easy to glean and those where melodic ideas are merely hinted at and it’s the strong imagery left in their wake that allows the tune to become fully realized rather than the particular geometry used for shaping.
The dreamy melodicism of “Paloma” leads out with the latter characteristic, and its execution is one that provides the shortest path to heartbreaking beauty. “Strange Animal” charts a similar course, but its foundation is built on the slow generation of intensity.
Tracks like “Moon Palace” and the skittering title-track “Fox” run with the former approach of clearly defined trails of development. But even in these instances, the trio provides small doses of the dreamy melodicism that other tracks are awash in.
But perhaps the album’s strongest tracks are those that incorporate both elements in (relatively) equal amounts. Would “And I Love Her” radiate with as much emotion were it weighted more toward its crisp melodic delivery or, conversely, the shimmery twang of guitar or the gentle hush of drums whispering fervently? Or how about the insistent murmur of “Vol de nuit” and how it straddles the line between late night ballad and urgent message?
The album ends with a slight return of the opening track with “Paloma Soñando.” Perchaud’s voice on acoustic guitar is no less captivating than his initial sonic pictorial on electric, though where the electric was an agreeable choice for a warm hello, the acoustic is the perfect note for the equally warm goodbye.
Go get this album.
Your album personnel: Pierre Perchaud (electric & acoustic guitars), Nicolas Moreaux (bass) and Jorge Rossy (drums).
Released on the Jazz & People label.
Listen to more album tracks on the label’s Bandcamp page.
Available at: Bandcamp | Amazon
For you eMusic people, the album isn’t available for sale on the site currently, but the label does have a presence there, so it might arrive eventually.
Like this:
By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2016 releases • 2