The Safety Net

Feb 4 2017

Recommended: Ivan Valentini – “Light and Darkness”

 

There’s a compelling folk-jazz expressionism on the 2008 release Light and Darkness that, had it been left alone, would have made for a seriously enchanting album.  But saxophonist Ivan Valentini couldn’t leave well enough alone, and by guiding his quintet to perpetually deconstruct each of these tunes, he created something far more fascinating.  With Alberto Capelli and Paolo Botti adding guitars, banjo and cello to the mix, the music retains a rustic charm and often provides a jolt of electricity, to boot.  Melodies are warped and re-shaped with an odd geometry, as if inspired by Salvador Dalí.  The cadence of each piece is often quite conversational and brisk.  The developmental arc of each piece rarely ends up in a place that its beginning might have foreseen.

“Be Bop” flirts with a classic sound, but it’s more inference by rhythm section than it is embracing an approach; That the tune eventually shifts into a healthy folk-jazz form of expression only accentuates this impression.  Sometimes Valentini’s quintet lives at one extreme for the duration of an entire song.  The title-track “Light and Darkness” sits in bop territory, whereas “Gatta Ci Cova” is firmly situated in avant-garde territory.  And then there’s the evocative “Linda’s Mood,” a rare bit of contemplation on a track that is typically bursting with life.  But the album’s normalcy is embodied by opening track “Sottane Emiliane” and the way it utilizes the unexpected as one would a craftsman’s tool.

This album was recently uploaded to Valentini’s Bandcamp page, which is how is got onto my radar nearly ten years after its release.  I’m happy for the opportunity to get this seriously intriguing, extremely enjoyable recording onto your radars now, too.

Your album personnel:  Ivan Valentini (soprano & alto saxophones), Enrico Lazzarini (double bass), Alberto Capelli (electric & acoustic guitars), Andrea Burani (drums) and Paolo Botti (viola, banjo).

This Self-Produced album was released in 2008.

Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Modena, Italy.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic

By • Jazz Recommendations, The Safety Net • 0

Jan 6 2017

Recommended: John Clark – “I Will”

 

At some point, it’s very likely you’ve heard the music of John Clark.  The French horn player has recorded and performed with musicians that hit every point along the vast spectrum of expressions that comprise the Jazz lineage.  The first time I heard Clark perform was a winter afternoon in Denver.  I brushed the snow off my jacket and felt the welcome embrace of heat just inside the doorway of Jerry’s Record Exchange, a great music shop on Colfax Avenue, just east of downtown and the 16th Street Mall.  Of the many excellent music stores in Denver back in the 90s, Jerry’s was my main stop when it came to feeding my music addiction.

Jazz had got its hooks in me years earlier, but the shop owner, John Loquidis, always had plenty of new artists and albums to recommend at me.  A NYC beat poet who could tell back-in-the-day stories about Sonny Rollins and Eric Dolphy, John was always happy to steer me to music that had brought him happiness, too.  He played music over the store’s stereo, and as I made my way to the new arrivals section, he put on a new CD.  It grabbed my ear immediately.  It had a cool locomotion for a cadence and it had hints of spiritual jazz to accompany its large ensemble classical influence.  I was hopping in place to the music, and only a little bit of my activity was to get the warmth back into my feet.  I was seriously digging this music.  And then all of the sudden, it hit me.  That melody I was hearing… it was John Coltrane’s “India.”

I turned to look at John, and as I approached the front counter, I asked, who is this?!  He picked up the CD case and said, “John Clark.  It’s his new album.”  He handed me the case for I Will.  As John told me that Clark was a bad-ass French horn player that all kinds of jazz musicians hired when they wanted some classical music influence, I noticed on the songlist that Clark also did a cover of Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin” and there was an intriguing 3-part “96th Street Sonata.”  John was in the process of mentioning an ECM Records release when I looked up and said, “I’m buying this.”  He chuckled and said I was the third person who’d bought the album after hearing it over the store speakers.  I had no difficulty believing that claim.  It’s been twenty years since I first heard it, and even now when I hit the play button, the music fills me joy and euphoria and hopefulness.

The rest of the album I enjoy just fine.  That three-part “96th Street Sonata” displays a punchy attitude, and keeps the focus on its cadence.   A rendition of “My One and Only Love” takes the aspirations of a ballad to heart.  “Bad Attitude” swings plenty, but throws some left hooks for good measure.  The rendition of “Airegin” is plenty fun, especially in the way Clark’s French horn and the tuba of guest musician Bob Stewart pinball notes off one another while straddling the line that separates melodic development and rhythmic support.  And the title-track “I Will” is a standout tune.  A mid-tempo piece that serves up some heat as it paints a gorgeous melodic scene, it possesses a blues streak that isn’t far removed from some of Mark Knopfler’s soundtrack works.

When I pop this CD into the player, I keep it in for the duration.  But there’s no doubt it’s that amazing rendition of “India” that keeps the dust from ever accumulating on this must-have recording.

Your album personnel:  John Clark (French horn), Bruce Ditmas (drums), Alex Foster (tenor & soprano saxes), Pete Levin (keyboard), Mike Richmond (bass) and guests:  Trevor Clark (sitar), Stanton Davis (trumpet), Chris Hunter (flute, alto sax), Ryo Kawasaki (guitar), Howard Johnson (bass clarinet), Bob Stewart (tuba) and Dave Taylor (trombone, bass trombone).

Released in 1997 on Postcards Records.

Jazz from NYC.

Available at:  Amazon

You can also buy the music directly from John Clark at his label site, Hidden Meaning Music.

By • Other Writing, The Old Stuff, The Safety Net, These are songs that I like • 2

Aug 14 2016

Recommended: Quinsin Nachoff – “Horizons Ensemble”

 

Quinsin Nachoff - "Horizons Ensemble"Saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff has a new album out, and it’s comprised of personnel and an edge reflective of his current NYC digs.  But back in the day, he was still living in his native Toronto, and it’s interesting to see how his 2006 release Horizons Ensemble also reflects a sound that matched his surroundings.  And, yet, even as some things change, there are those essential components that speak to the constancy of life even as those things inevitably change around them.  Nothing about the chamber jazz session of Horizons Ensemble is typical from track to track, mirroring only itself, yet expansive in a way that’s elemental.  Opening “Bogardus Place” paints a gorgeous field of harmonics and draws the melody like a river running through it, while “Desert Landscape” maps out hostile terrain that can be traversed only with darting percussive motions and winding melodic curls.  And then there’s “Glacial Lake,” where harmony and melody are inseparable, of the same earth and air.  The album takes to the air with “A River Remembers Rain,” which floats with a forward motion, an autumn leaf cradled by a stiff breeze.  That stiff breeze breaks off into multiple crosscurrents with “Cartoons” and then expands into the fury of the storm with “African Skies” for the final dramatic moments.

It’s a gorgeous album.  That beauty, however, also possesses substantial edge.  And where Nachoff chooses on this earlier recording not to draw any blood, his 2016 release Flux is not so restrained.  There’s more to come regarding Flux, but for now, enjoy this early view of Nachoff’s work.

Your album personnel:  Quinsin Nachoff (tenor & soprano saxophones), John Taylor (piano), Ernst Reijseger (cello), Nathalie Bonin (violin) and Pamela Attariwala (violin).

This Self-Produced album was released in 2006 (or, perhaps, 2008).

Listen to more album tracks at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Jazz from the Toronto scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic | CDBaby

By • Jazz Recommendations, The Safety Net • 0

Jan 18 2016

Recommended: Stefan Bracaval – “Insight Inside”

 

Stefan Bracaval - "Insight Inside"The thing that I found most appealing about Insight Inside was how this music possesses both a lighthearted joy and a real sense of gravitas.  This 2009 release from flautist Stefan Bracaval reminded me more than a little bit of the late Don Pullen’s final recordings with his African-Brazilian Connection ensemble.  They, too, had an evocative presence and a sunny disposition, blended in different regional folk influences, and even had ensemble member Carlos Ward taking a nifty turn on flute.  Bracaval captures the spirit of those lovely Pullen recordings on his way to serving up a seriously captivating album.

“Folkdance” opens things with that tone right from the start.  The absorbing conversational style of the rhythm is just as addictive as the finely woven melodic threads that run through the length of the tune.  “Arcadie” slows things down to the speed of a Spring breeze on a lazy afternoon, whereas title-track “Insight Inside” maintains the same speed but takes on the personality of moody skies rich with dark clouds and a hint of rain.  At the other end of the spectrum, “Children’s Game” gets things up tempo and a straight-ahead true blue jazz sound.

And then there’s the intriguing oddball track… a rendition of Nick Drake’s “Riverman.”  Bracaval, as much as anyone in recent memory, really captures the somber beauty of Drake’s music.  Worth noting that Nick Drake was known to incorporate flute into his songs, so it really shouldn’t be that surprising that a flautist would have some success with the Drake songbook.

Just a real enjoyable recording that I wanted to get on your radars.

Your album personnel:  Stefan Bracaval (flute, bass flute), Hendrik Braeckman (guitars), Werner Lauscher (double bass) and Mark Lehan (drums, udu).

Released in 2008 on Prova Records.

Listen to more album tracks on the Prova Records Bandcamp page.

Available at:  Bandcamp | eMusic | Amazon

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2009 Releases, The Safety Net • 0 • Tags: ,

Sep 5 2015

Free Download: Wayne Horvitz – “Monologue: Twenty Compositions for Dance”

 

Wayne Horvitz promoFor some time, I’ve been wanting to write a series of columns about one of my favorite musicians, Wayne Horvitz.  Aside from the typical scarcity of time, the unexpected problem I encountered was how to present the material.  The question of how to structure a column(s) idea was more troublesome than I realized in the days before I first began this site.  Thankfully, Wayne Horvitz has just provided the method to accomplish this.

In honor of his 60th birthday, of which 35 years has been spent recording (and releasing) his music, Wayne has announced that he will be giving away a free track once a week for the entire year.  That’s fifty-two songs to add to your library as you begin (or continue) to explore his wonderful catalog.  He mentions in the announcement that some of this material was either previously unavailable or released in a limited format, so even if you, like me, have amassed a huge collection of Horvitz’s music to date, there are likely going to be items that we haven’t yet encountered… not to mention those projects which we can rediscover with the spotlight clearing the dust from their surface.

And me, I’m going to write something about every one of those downloads after each is released.  Now, keep in mind, those tracks will only be free for the week of their release… so be sure to check in here often.  Also, you can stay up to date on the status of these free tracks by following Wayne on his Facebook page and also on Twitter.  He’ll be releasing these tracks each Tuesday, so as far as the current free track goes, you have only a couple days to get to it.  So, about that free track…

Let’s begin.

 

Wayne Horvitz – Monologue: Twenty Compositions for Dance

Wayne Horvitz - "Monologue"So much of the music of Wayne Horvitz has a cinematic quality to it, eliciting vibrant, sharp imagery, and voiced with a definitive point of view not unlike the framing of a storyline plot.  Even the casual music listener, once exposed to enough of Horvitz’s music, will begin to recognize his singular form of expressionism.  Horvitz has been involved in a vast array of projects, and many of them manifest with very different sounds, but the more that Horvitz’s fingerprints appear on a particular recording, the easier it becomes to recognize the music as belonging to him.  His solo project resulting in the 1997 release Monologue: Twenty Compositions for Dance definitely fits that bill.

Horvitz has a long history mixing modern jazz, folk, rock, pop and classical with an arsenal of electronics and effects.  It’s remarkable that he’s able to avail himself of so many influences and conjure up a piece that rings with such clarity.  These pieces, even those that behave more as sonic vignettes than they do “songs,” they have very clear lines of definition and are colored and shaded in ways that allow the nuance and detail to shine as brightly as the boldest, broad strokes.

Of great appeal on Monologue is how Horvitz fuses ambient, introspective passages with the harsh, industrial personality of electronics and effects.  Opening track “Shehechianu” gets right to the heart of this approach with its mix of short melodic bursts from piano juxtaposed against the sizzle and burn of electronics.  “Hand Over Fist” also mines this vein, with its free form piano landing squarely against the dissonance of electronic effects… no less active and random than their acoustic counterpart.

The focus on motion is especially evident in tracks like “Brand Spankin’ New,” with its infectious exuberance and playful bounce, as well as tracks like “Duke” and “The Kiss,” which aren’t so much love songs as they are the embodiment of supremely romantic moments spent slowly dancing into the late hours of the night.

Some of the pieces present a single face, allowing one aspect of the music to shine strongest.  “Doo Wop” is all about the contemplative keyboard, of a tranquil place covered with grey skies.  And “Portsmouth Stories” arrives a similar place, but it’s bathed in a cold moonlight.  “Down” is awash in effects, and somehow draws out a melody from within its cloudy exterior.

Monologue presents a curious beauty and a cryptic personality that is slowly revealed over time, but doesn’t create an obstacle to appreciating the former by making the latter quality inaccessible.  For those of you just now becoming acquainted with the music of Wayne Horvitz, it’s a great introduction to both the sound and spirit of this musician, and to those who have been long-time fans, it’s a nice reminder of the compelling nature of his music.

Your album personnel:  Wayne Horvitz (piano, keyboard, harmonica, electronics & effects) and Ed Pias (percussion).

Download the free track by using the embedded audio player above or direct from Horvitz’s Bandcamp page.

Released on Cavity Search Records.

Available at:  eMusic | Bandcamp | CDBaby | Amazon

 

By • Artist Overviews, Free Music, I Listen To All Of This, The Safety Net • 0

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