Jazz Recommendations

Here is some very good new music

Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble – The Lullaby Project (Tapestry Records)

Felipe Salles doesn’t have to come at you with a hard sell on his latest.  The comforting sighs of melody and soothing waves of harmony are plenty evidence of his intent to compose for jazz orchestra the Brazilian lullabies of his childhood.  Even when his ensemble lets loose a surge of intensity, there’s always a sense of goal=sweet dreams.  The whole album is gorgeous, but good god, that fourth movement is stunning.  Music from NYC.

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Andrew Hadro – For Us, The Living II: Marcescence (Tone Rogue Records)

This is the second release in Andrew Hadro‘s For Us, The Living series, and, really, the important point to let sink in is that this is seriously engaging music.  Sometimes the engagement is how a ballad gets the listener to sink into its embrace, and sometimes that engagement comes via a riveting dialog, full of lyricism and vivid imagery.  The same could be said about the initial recording, which I still enjoy playing from time to time.  The theme of the two recordings is a focus on living composers, and that’s always thrown me a bit, since the first in the series was mostly Hadro originals.  The current installment swings the ratio in the other direction (including comps by Wayne Shorter, Sean Pentland, Chris Cheek, and Julian Shore… who also performs on the newest), and seems more in line with the intent.  Included among the renditions is a cover of Radiohead’s “Faust Arp,” and I don’t care how many of you groan god, do we really need another Radiohead cover? my answer is always yes, we do.  The frequency of occurrence in no way negates how much loveliness available to jazz musicians to suss out from a Radiohead tune.  There’s also a cover Bill Frisell’s “Throughout,” which as any casual reader of this site knows, that’s the fastest way to get my attention.  The act of recognizing a new jazz songbook of modern standards is an intriguing concept, and seems like the kind of thing that could bring a sense of cohesion to a modern scene that is (wonderfully) unconstrained and fragmented in its forms of expression.  The idea of one original included among those composed in the modern era appeals to me; it’ll be interesting to see if Hadro continues in that direction.  Music from NYC.

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Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile (Impulse Records)

Though justifiably attributed as a focal point of the resurgent London music scene, the thing of it is, Shabaka Hutchings creative trajectory covers more geography than just one locale.  The latest from Sons of Kemet is a testament to that, and this is something measured by its sonic perspective as well as one political.  The rhythmic dialogues are like points on a map, marking a journey between cities, countries and continents.  The album and song titles are a shout across the bow, simultaneously undercutting the idea of royal lineage and lofting up an alternate suggestion of who is the true royalty of these times.  But transcending the intriguing underpinnings of this album is how supremely joyful the music is.  The tuba of Theon Cross is just as responsible for the delightful rhythmic bounce as the cast of drummers who contribute, and the guest vocalists add some heat to the affair along with additional saxophonists Nubya Garcia and Pete Wareham.  Music from London.

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Rafael Thomaz Septeto – Ainda dá tempo? (Tratore)

This is just a gorgeous session from guitarist Rafael Thomaz.  A unity of Brazilian, classical and jazz, his septet brings out the beauty of each melody, and lets the harmonies shine like the heavens opening up for all to see.  There are some interludes spread throughout, and their introspective nature is a nice contrasting element.  Flutist Cesar Pereira, oboist Tiago Marques, clarinetist Alexandre Ribeiro, saxophonist Bruno Cabral, bassist Henrique Tarrason and drummer Fabio Augustinis join Thomaz on this lovely recording.

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Here is some very good new music

Steve Swell – Music for Six Musicians: Hommage à Olivier Messiaen (Silkheart Records)

It says it right there in the title:  Six musicians.  And, yet, every time I’ve sat down to write about this album, I do another google search to confirm that, in fact, Steve Swell did not invite an orchestra to perform on this recording.  This music is dense, yet precise, like staring down at the intricacy of a microchip.  It’s also rich with textures, a kaleidoscopic explosion of sound that is difficult to absorb in its totality.  The difference between the states of volatile dissonance and comforting melodicism are a fine line, and it’s a quality that behaves as a unifying force.  The NYC-based trombonist is joined by alto saxophonist Rob Brown, violinist-violist Jason Kao Hwang, cellist Tomas Ulrich, percussionist Jim Pugliese and Robert Boston on both piano and organ.  This music is immense.

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Yoni Kretzmer’s New Dilemma – Months, Weeks and Days (OutNow Recordings)

I didn’t fully appreciate the furious blasts of avant-garde dissonance that leads out this recording until it slowly receded into a lovely harmonic bliss of chamber music.  This jazz improv-chamber session from Yoni Kretzmer’s New Dilemma hits all the right notes, but how it all unfolds is why this music is so damn charismatic.  Just outstanding.  New Dilemma is tenor saxophonist Yoni Kretzmer, violist Frantz Loriot, cellist Christopher Hoffman, bass clarinetist Josh Sinton, double bassist Pascal Niggenkemper and drummer Flin Van Hemmen.  Music from Brooklyn, NY.

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Jesse Peterson Quartet – Man of the Earth (Ears & Eyes Records)

There’s an infectious enthusiasm to the debut from Jesse Peterson.  But above and beyond that effusiveness are the thick melodies and rhythmic engagement that possesses an anthemic nature.  When you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, this is the album you go have a beer with to get your spirits picked back up.  The drummer is joined by saxophonist Adam Scheit, pianist Jorn Swart and bassist Andrew Schiller.  Music from NYC.

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Auziņš/Čudars/Arutyunyan – Baltic (Self-Produced)

The title-track on this curious recording from the trio of saxophonist Kārlis Auziņš, guitarist Matīss Čudars and drummer Ivars Arutyunyan digs into a blues riff and milks it for all its got.  It’s addictive and it’s seductive and it’s the kind of track that can rope a listener in and not let them go.  But it’s those pieces where dissonance comes in sudden bursts and the concept of song structure isn’t one given much regard when the album shines its strongest.  It’s an odd album with an odd sound, and it’s got a magnetic personality.  Music from Riga, Latvia.

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Evan Salvacion Levine – Mestizo (Shifting Paradigm Records)

There’s a pleasant, breezy atmosphere to this trio session from bassist Evan Salvacion Levine, guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Andrew Green.  Pointed melodies are delivered with a casualness that almost belies their sharp precision.  That alone is pretty compelling, but the charm of the recording radiates from the rich rhythmic dialog the trio develops along the way.  That person you know who is just so amicable and easy to like and gets along with everyone?  This album is the sonic equivalent.

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Here is some very good new music

CLT Trio – Every Second is a Blues (Self-Produced)

The CLT Trio come out strong with the minimalist expressions, so that even later when they ramp up the volatility to a boiling point, there remains a sense of a dark, quiet night where the silence is interrupted only by the occasional chirping of crickets.  What’s more, double bassist Casper Nyvang Rask, pianist Lars Fiil and drummer Terkel Nørgaard have given seven separate improvisations a remarkable cohesion.  The pieces each have their own personality, but the flow from one to the next are like consecutive hours all belonging to the same day.  Music from Copenhagen, Denmark.

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The Marie Goudy 12tet – The Bitter Suite (Self-Produced)

The blast of harmonic warmth generated on this large ensemble session is by itself worth the price of admission, but it’s the subtle ways that Marie Goudy guides musicians to delicately weave their individual sounds into the flow of Jocelyn Barth’s vocals that represents the winning quality of The Bitter Suite.  Also, Charlotte Alexander’s contribution bolsters my argument that there’s simply not enough French horn on modern jazz recordings.  Music from Toronto, Ontario.

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Adison Evans – Meridian (Self-Produced)

There’s a straightforward expressiveness to the latest from Adison Evans that is seriously refreshing.  There’s nothing over the top on Meridian.  It’s got some tunes that groove, some that gently sway, others that bop along, and even some classical influence here and there… but all of it falls within the expected range of a modern post-bop recording.  But the saxophonist attains a certain feel with each note, the way some orators can make everyday words ring with a greater meaning and force to drive their point home.  That’s what Evans, her sextet and guests do on this solid recording.  Music from NYC.

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Noah Preminger & Rob Garcia Dead Composers Club – Chopin Project (Self-Produced)

It’s Frederic Chopin whose name graces the compositions on this session, but it’s not always obvious. That’s a big reason for this album’s charm.  Some interpretations move with a solemn tone where others have a casual swing, while some turn the heat way way up.  In truth, not knowing the album’s inspiration or source material doesn’t become an obstacle to enjoying this recording simply on its own merits.  Tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, guitarist Nate Radley, bassist Kim Cass and drummer Rob Garcia offer up music that is often subtle, except those sudden moments when its revealed for everything it is.  I keep returning to this album throughout the year, and each time it’s a reminder of how affecting it is, like how photographs can return the emotional impact of the original experience.  Music from NYC.

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John Christensen – Dear Friend (Shifting Paradigm Records)

There’s a real sense that John Christensen was locked into a melodic inspiration on this session.  Right from the start and all the way through ’til the end, there’s an implication that every note is just an individual facet of one vision, and the bassist is simply examining it from every angle.  Aside from a satisfying sense of cohesion, the end result is music that is absorbing in that same way that staring into the depths of a clear lake can lock the attention endlessly in place.  The bassist is joined by pianist Johannes Wallmann, guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Andrew Green.  Music from Madison, WI.

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