Jazz Recommendations

Aug 9 2016

Recommended: Behn Gillece – “Dare to Be”

 

Behn Gillece - "Dare to Be"There should be a law that compels every vibraphonist on the jazz scene to record one album per year with a guitarist.  Of the pool of possible combinations, the marriage of those two instruments is one of the happier pairings there is, and this holds true whether the form of expression is one that stretches out to the fringes of jazz or if the music plants itself dead center in jazz territory.  The newest from vibraphonist Behn Gillece falls in the latter category, and his Dare to Be match-up with guitarist Nate Radley is yet further evidence that a law is not an unreasonable demand.

The up-tempo “Signals” moves at a frenetic pace, with drummer Jason Tiemann and bassist Ugonna Okegwo providing all the rocket fuel they can get their hands on, but nothing about that stops Gillece from a patient lyricism to accompany Radley’s speedy guitar lines.  And when trumpeter Bruce Harris charges down the center of “Drought’s End,” Radley and Gillece exhibit their combo’s dexterity by circling around and meeting at the other side of the solo.

But the album’s best personality shows on the less conventional tracks.  A rendition of Bobby Hutcherson’s “Same Shame” has an alluring melodicism to go with a nervous tempo, and both vibes and guitar take advantage of the resulting conflict of emotional tones.  Opening track “Camera Eyes” opens dreamily, and very much suits the tranquil sighs from both vibes and guitar.  The chipper “Live It” pushes all-in on the sunshine with a catchy melody and a tuneful attitude.

Aside from the slow blues of “Amethyst” and a cover of Johnny Mandel’s “A Time for Love,” this is an album consisting primarily of burners.  And considering how up-tempo tunes bring out the best from vibes and guitar in their (potential) dual role as melodic voice and rhythmic support, it’s not an unwise strategic decision to adopt.  Similarly, scooping this nifty recording up also falls under the category of “wise decisions.”

Your album personnel:  Behn Gillece (vibraphone), Nate Radley (guitar), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Jason Tiemann (drums) and Bruce Harris (trumpet).

Released on Posi-Tone Records.

Jazz from NYC.

Available at:  Amazon

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2016 releases • 0

Aug 7 2016

Recommended: Le Tigre des Platanes – “Disappearing”

 

Le Tigre des Platanes - "Disappearing"The track “Disappearing/Keep the Sharks from your Heart” might be the best example of what the quartet Le Tigre des Platanes is capable of.  The groove is thick and heavy and could conceivably be used as a weapon for blunt force trauma, but damn, that melody is made for dancing and leaping off a stage and the soundtrack for high-speed car chases.  Catchy and ferocious, both.  And that, actually, is the best way to sum up their 2013 release Disappearing.

The unison of the brass-reeds front line often sounds like a single, diversified instrument, yet their presence gives the impression of twice their number.  And when they add keyboards and synths to the mix, the rhythm section of acoustic bass and drums latches right onto that and takes the quartet for a spin.

Even when they slow things down on “Spooning” and let the groove sway more than charge, there’s always gonna be one instrument (in this instance, baritone sax) that leaps forward and clears the path ahead.  The exception that proves the rule is the formless “Without Warning, His Heart Stopped Beating,” which is the rare time the quartet discards its focused forward momentum for individual wandering from the song’s center.  And while it’s nice to have that track for a little differentiation, the spirit of the album is found in tracks like opener “From the Top of the Mountain,” which should play from alarm clocks everywhere to get the world out of bed every morning.

A very fun and exciting album.

Your album personnel:  Piéro Pépin (trumpet, bugle, keyboards, voice), Marc Démereau (baritone & alto saxophones, synthesizer, voice), Mathieu Sourisseau (acoustic bass) and Fabien Duscombs (drums).

Released in 2013 on the Mr Morezon label.

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

Jazz from the Toulouse, France scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2013 Releases • 0 • Tags: , ,

Aug 6 2016

Sometimes guitarist Mike Lorenz reminds me of 1980’s Bill Frisell, and that’s alright by me

 

Mike Lorenz column topI haven’t exactly held back when it comes to expressing my adoration for the music of Bill Frisell.  It was guitarist Frisell, pianist Thelonious Monk and bassist Charles Mingus that first catapulted me into the first real stages of immersing myself in all things Jazz.

As with any artist of any medium who is truly dedicated to their craft, Frisell’s prevalent sound has changed over time.  New visions are formed, new avenues are explored, the perpetual conversation between the artist and him-herself never truly ends.  The artist changes, and thus, so does the manifestation of their creative pursuits.  I’m glad Bill Frisell doesn’t sound like he used to, but there are times when I listen to one of his older album, and it triggers a wistful thought about how an album might sound today if he were to somehow revisit those older voices.  Asking that would be like asking an artist to time travel, to go back to how they were back then, because, really, that’s the only way to recapture those moments in any kind of genuine fashion.  So, we listen to those old albums of how the artist was, and in a way, it’s almost as if we are traveling back in time, because naturally those older albums conjure up memories of when we purchased the album, when we first listened to it, and all of the ways that music stamped its mark on the timelines of our lives.

However, another way to vicariously relive those moments is when a different artist bottles up something similar as they, too, go on their own personal path of creative development.  Guitarist Mike Lorenz is currently one of a small handful of guitarists I go to when I’m craving some of the 1980s Bill Frisell sound.  Back then, Frisell was working with a mix of potent ambient drone and a hard precision as if he were wielding the melody like a blade.  Albums like 1983’s In Line and the excellent comp of that period, Works, were two staples of my early-morning listening routine.  I loved how they could lull me into an abiding sense of serenity even when the music rose up and attacked.  The music was massively contemplative, even when it surged up and roared.  From his digs in Bethlehem, PA, Mike Lorenz has been doing the same for on his latest recordings.  You should know about his music.

Let’s begin…

 

Mike Lorenz – Riverside

Mike Lorenz - "Riverside"The latest release by Lorenz is a live recording from a performance at the 2015 Riverside Jazz Festival.  One of the essential elements of Frisell’s 1980s sound was how he transformed an ambient drone into waves of dissonance.  Opening track “E Minor” launches right into that approach.  A completely improvised piece, it begins as a murmur, then gradually spikes the intensity up higher and higher.

Bassist Justin Sekelewski and drummer Kevin Ripley lock into Lorenz’s flight patterns.  Ripley is plenty talkative on drums, which really needs to be the case, because it stops the drone passages from ever becoming sleepy and it also helps frame the context of the more explosive moments and mitigates the risk of guitar ever coming off as unnecessarily screechy.  Sekelewski shifts between melodic subtitles to Lorenz’s guitar and rhythmic reinforcement and misdirection to drums, depending on which way the melody blows.  It’s a lesson in the way subtlety can move mountains.

“Paragraph” is a lively tune, but its hazy melodicism maintains a sense of mystery, and, also, prevents it from developing into straight-ahead tedium.  Frisell’s more lively tunes often gave the impression of running through a thick fog.  Both “Paragraph” and subsequent track “Marie” hit that sweet spot, with the former focusing more on the running motion and the latter with an emphasis on the ephemeral presence of the fog.

The fourth and final track on this EP is “New One for Ornette,” and this time the trio leads right out with the furious side of their drone-roar spectrum.  And yet, even here, the thoughtful phrasings and the scaling of intensity between the trio members combine to present an introverted side of things even when they’re unleashing sheets of flame.  And, from the album’s contemplative opening notes and up to these final moments, the slow build of intensity leads to a satisfying conclusion to a very nice recording.

Your album personnel:  Mike Lorenz (guitar), Justin Sekelewski (bass) and Kevin Ripley (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

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

Available at:  Bandcamp

*****

Mike Lorenz – I Am Watching My Day Slowly Disappear

Mike Lorenz - "I am watching my day slowly disappear"Lorenz has the same trio on his 2015 studio recording I Am Watching My Day Slowly Disappear.  And as opposed to the potent tranquility and controlled fury of Riverside, this set of tunes drowns in distortion and scatters in random motions and has a thick, smoky presence.  It also has plenty in common with Frisell’s 1985 release Rambler.  The song “Paul Motian” (who, coincidentally or maybe not so coincidentally, was the drummer of these Frisell recordings) speaks to the heart of this form of expression.  On this, it’s especially appealing the way Ripley’s drums keeps circling rapidly around the slow footfalls of Lorenz’s guitar, while the bass of Sekelewski fills in the shadows in between.

For the edge, “Everything’s On, All the Time” flashes sharp teeth and those precise melodic phrases become distorted growls, as do the pairing of “Phase Phrase” and “Phrase Phase.”  And when the trio strays closer to the calmer side of town, “Marie 1” and “Marie 2” find a perfect balance of tranquility and hyperactivity.  The melody and motion feed off one another, their contrasting qualities enhancing the subdominant elements in each.  It’s also the kind of thing where both a cerebral and emotional connection can be made concurrently.  “Marie” also made an appearance on Riverside, and hopefully that composition theme will be a recurring thing throughout Lorenz’s discography.  It’s also nice to witness that Lorenz’s sound is omnipresent whether in the studio or a live setting, that this sound is innate to him and not to the whims of a one-time improvisation or studio manipulation.  It’s also fine music.

Your album personnel:  Mike Lorenz (guitar), Justin Sekelewski (bass) and Kevin Ripley (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

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

Available at:  Bandcamp

*****

Mike Lorenz – Of the Woods

mikelorenz_ofthewoodsThis does not sound like Bill Frisell, not even a little bit at any time.  However, Of the Woods was my introduction to the music of Mike Lorenz.  It was included on one of my very first recommendations columns when I first came on board eMusic for their 17 Dots blog.  It’s basically a straight-ahead modern jazz recording.  There are times it sounds like it’s going to enter the nu-jazz territory of Brian Blade Fellowship, but then it returns to a more conventional sound.

When I revisit this 2011 recording years later, I still find its moody ambiance, crisp melodies and how it occasionally goes wandering off from a structured path more than a little enjoyable.  And while it doesn’t fit with the Frisell 80s theme, it’s definitely an album I’m happy to recommend.  It’s also nice to hear a comparison between Lorenz’s later trio recordings and this earlier, quintet session.  What stands out to me is that, with the trio sessions, it’s the way the trio converses that’s the highlight, whereas with the Of the Woods quintet, it’s more about the topic of those conversations.  As with any story, sometimes the best part is the tale and sometimes it’s the way the tale is told.

Your album personnel:  Mike Lorenz (guitar), Mike Cemprola (alto sax), Matt Mitchell (piano), Brian Howell (bass) and Matt Scarano (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

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

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic

*****

Mike Lorenz column endAnd the albums recommended above are only a few of what’s available.  Be sure to check out Lorenz’s other stuff.

Link Summary:  Artist site | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

 

By • Artist Overviews, I Listen To All Of This, Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases, Jazz Recommendations - 2016 releases • 0

Aug 5 2016

Recommended: Gadadu – “And I See Night”

 

Gadadu - "And I See Night"The strength of And I See Night lies is in how the quintet Gadadu commingles its different elements.  Nothing sits plumb and the ratios are never consistent or equal, and there is a grand sense of nothing quite snapping into place as neatly as it could, and it’s from this place of seeming muddled confusion that all kinds of personality springs to the surface.  This is a state where no flaws exist, because everything new simply adds definition and character to a place where intrigue already rules the day.

Some tracks roll out a mainstream groove and lead with a pop song attitude.  The sunny “Someone” skitters along, even with the loping melodicism adding a nice bit of anticipation for when the final note hits the ground.  And “Everytime” gets a charge from a casual delivery interrupted by sudden spikes of intensity.

And then there’s tracks like the gorgeous “Project Runway” and “Corpse,” where strings and trumpet sweep in and take the album into chamber territory and a straight-ahead jazz with strings expression.  But even here, the quintet veers away from the well-traveled road with some staggered cadences and a willingness to let melodies trail off into slightly divergent flight paths.

But then there’s the tracks where the quintet amplifies the odder personality traits.  “Strangeties” has an alluringly hazy melodicism compounded by striking harmonics, and together they shake off the burden of form.  It’s a song that lives in the moment and that’s the best place to find its beauty.  And when it’s not zigzagging the melody back and forth, “Oceansmell” shimmers like sunlight on a rippling pond.

The thing of it is, it’s not like this album heads off into avant-garde or experimental territory.  This lighthearted, quirky music orbits common forms of expression.  But the quintet’s eagerness to warp these expressions into unconventional shapes, to go all-in to make everything just a little bit different, the cumulative effect of those oddities resonates with an impressive strength.  It also results in a seriously engaging album.

Your album personnel:  Hannah Selin (vocals, viola), Nicki Adams (keys, vocals), Pat Adams (trumpet), Dan Stein (double bass) and Moses Eder (drums, percussion).

The album is Self-Produced.

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

Jazz from NYC.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases • 0

Aug 3 2016

Recommended: Ethan Helm – “The Spoon”

 

Ethan Helm - "The Spoon"The Spoon is kind of all over the place.  It’s a quality that lends the album its charm, and the main ingredient in what makes it so compelling.  There’s also a logic to it all.  The recording came about as the endcap for saxophonist Ethan Helm in pursuit of his graduate degree, and one of the goals was to encapsulate the diverse influences of his teachers and mentors and collaborators from this period.  The process of learning and development and creative expansion and definition never truly end, but it’s not difficult to imagine that this was a time for Helm to be especially audacious in branching out and experimenting and checking out the lay of the land and his position upon it.

So there’s tracks like “Proteins” and “Folk Noise” that offer flurries of free improv fierceness, and there’s tracks like “3” and “010414 3 #2” that add heavy infusions of indie-rock melodicism, and there’s tracks like “C’mon” and the two-part “Spoon” that situate themselves far closer to modern jazz’s center, and there’s “Goodness Owl” which flirts with a Nordic Jazz impressionism, and then there’s tracks like “Exposure” and “Wifi Glen” that just sort of do their own thing.

But despite its sprawling landscape obliterating any whiff of cohesion, there is an appealing flow from one track to the other, which indicates a special attention paid to marrying one song’s ‘goodbye’ with the next song’s ‘hello.”  And though the range of expressions is wide and varied, there’s a hint of patterns with how they’re rolled out in bundles of threes and fours, so that the changes in tempos and tones and influence radiate a certain expectancy not unlike the motion of the ocean’s tides.

It’s a curious album, and it’s pretty easy to get hooked on it hard.

Your album personnel: Ethan Helm (saxophones), Noah Berman (guitar), Adam Kromelow (piano) and Nathan Ellman-Bell (drums).

This Self-Produced album is released under Family Cow Recordings.

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

Jazz from NYC.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | CDBaby

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases • 0

« Older Entries Newer Entries »