Search Results for: max johnson

Jan 20 2017

This Is Jazz Today: Trio Repelente, Low Kick Collective, Vera-Menares-Lecaros, Josef Leimberg, The Flash!

 

 

Trio Repelente – Ao Vivo Pra Ninguém (Self-Produced)

Even while moving at a high rate of speed, Trio Repelente finds a way to create a hypnotic atmosphere.  This vibraphone-bass-drums trio doesn’t develop a melody so much as take a single melodic idea as far as the horizon stretches, but never forget its origins.  It’s why solos mesh seamlessly into their framework no matter how volatile they may grow, and it’s why there isn’t so much space between the pretty moments and the dissonant ones.  All three musicians gets their voices heard and in any number of ways, so it’s just as easy to call this a drummer’s album as it is a bassist’s recording or a vibraphone session… they are all in the spotlight, individually and in unison.  Worth noting that the drummer, Mauricio Takara, is a member of the São Paulo Underground, which has earned plenty of kind words on this site.  And this trio, too, is music from São Paulo, Brazil.

Your album personnel:  Mauricio Takara (drums), Rodrigo Hara (bass) and Victor Vieira-Branco (vibraphone).

No artist site | Listen | Available at:  Bandcamp

 

Low Kick Collective – II (Self-Produced)

The raw enthusiasm from the Low Kick Collective is pretty damn infectious.  Sax, drums and an electro bayan all combine for this duo into a sonic form of gasoline.  A melodic riff is all they need to launch themselves into space.  Sometimes they hang their hat on layers of repetition and other times the music is at the mercy of sheer randomness.  They slow things down for one track, and while it’s plenty enjoyable and all, the music is at its best when the trio lights a match under it.  And all of it is seriously fun.  Music from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Your album personnel:  Anton Ryazanov (tenor sax, electro bayan, guitar) and Ekaterina Shapovalova (drums).

Artist site | Listen | Available at:  Bandcamp

 

The Flash! – Siła (Hevhetia)

There’s some punk rock attitude to the modern jazz stylings of The Flash!  The trio hits the gas pedal and takes off, yet each track exudes a thick lyricism that is as catchy as the pace is thrilling.  And fun, very fun.  The kind of music that can knock you over and draw a smile in the same breath.  The trio slows things down on “Smutny Sławek,” and the music gets a little flat, loses that bright electric energy that powered them along on the up-tempo pieces.  In another strange turn, “Kurt Cobain at Disco” utilizes the melody of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to launch into a groove.  It’s odd, but in an amusing way, and definitely rises to the level of fun the trio builds from the very first note of this very fun album.  Music from Krakow, Poland.

Your album personnel:  Sławek Pezda (tenor sax), Kuba Dworak (bass) and Max Olszewski (drums).

Artist site | Listen | Available at:  Bandcamp

 

Vera, Menares, Lecaros – La Rueda del Tiempo (Discos Pendiente)

Nifty guitar trio session where the feel is nicely laid-back, even when the temperature spikes for a time. Guitarist Nicolás Vera, bassist Pablo Menares and drummer Félix Lecaros switch between originals and covers (Monk, Johnson) on this intimate session, and the sense is always an even mix of the old and the new.  The slower pieces have a dreamy, intoxicating presence that’s pretty appealing, but it’s when the trio lights a fire under a song that the album shines strongest.  Just one of those nice straight-ahead sessions that are a staple of every well-fed music library.  Music from Santiago, Chile.

Your album personnel: Nicolás Vera (guitar), Pablo Menares (double bass) and Félix Lecaros (drums).

Artist site | Listen | Available at: Amazon – eMusic

 

Josef Leimberg – Astral Projections (World Galaxy)

Nicely updated version of 1970’s jazz-funk fusion.  More electro- than acoustic, more easy-going groove than melodic intensity.  If you were looking for a next-step album from your 1970s Lonnie Liston Smith jazz-funk recordings, this would make a pretty decent option.  The stronger tracks are the ones where the rhythm section does something more than march in place, but even those don’t do anything to prevent this album from being the kind of music for kicking back on a weekend afternoon.  The cover of Miles Davis’s “Lonely Fire” is when I got sold on the album.  The guest vocal on “Echoes of One” clinched it.  Music from L.A.

Your album personnel: No personnel listed

Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon – eMusic

*****

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

Feb 28 2016

This Is Jazz Today: Fred Frith & Darren Johnston, Jeremy Lirola, PJ5 and more!

 

BitW square avatarThis 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.

And we can be just as thankful that all of this music we’re bringing to light today spans a vast horizon of different sounds and approaches and expressions, displaying both the depth of the modern scene but also providing a little something for every type of music fan, no matter what your preferences were coming in.  And those preferences, they’re likely to be altered a bit by today’s selections.  So, on that note…

Let’s begin.

*** Album of the Week ***

 

Fred Frith & Darren Johnston – Everybody’s Somebody’s Nobody (Clean Feed)

Fred Frith Darren Johnston - Everybody's Somebody's NobodyA 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

*** Also Featured This Week ***

 

Jérémy Lirola – Uptown Desire (La Buissonne)

Jeremy Lirola - Uptown DesireA 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  eMusic – Bandcamp – Amazon

*****

Pippi Dimonte 5tet – Hieronymus (FonoFabrique)

Pippi Dimonte - HieronymusA 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  eMusic – Bandcamp

*****

PJ5 – Trees (Gaya Music)

pj5 treesKind 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

Rudd/Saft/Dunn/Pandi – Strength & Power (RareNoise)

Roswell Rudd - Strength and PowerA 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.

No artist site | Buy:  Amazon

*****

Mosaico Collective – Entreacte (WhatAbout Music)

Mosaico Collective - EntreacteNifty 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic

*****

Bartosz Dworak Quartet – Polished (Hevhetia)

Bartosz Dworak polishedEasy 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 Adam Baldych).

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

Rhythm Future Quartet – Travels (Self-Produced)

Rhythm Future Quartet - TravelsNaming 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.

Artist site | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

Camila Meza – Traces (Sunnyside)

Camila Meza - TracesThere’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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  eMusic – Bandcamp – Amazon

*****

Leon Røsten Trio – Interpretations (Self-Produced)

Leon Rosten InterpretationsThis 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

*** Other Albums of Note ***

Thomas Lüthi’s Biwak – Springfall (Unit Records)

Thomas Luthi's Biwak - SpringfallSolid 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.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

Renee Rosnes – Written in the Rocks (Smoke Sessions)

Renee Rosnes - "Written in the Rocks"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.

Artist site | Sorry, no audio | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

David Haney – Stix and Stones (Slam Productions)

David Haney - "Stix and Stones"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.

No artist site | Sorry, no audio | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

Herlin Riley – New Direction (Mack Avenue)

herlin riley - new directionDrummer 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.

Artist site | Sorry, no audio | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

 

Have a great time digging through the list!

And remember, it’s simple:  You like what you like.

Cheers.

***

By • Jazz Recommendations - 2016 releases • 0

May 2 2013

Steven Lugerner Dectet – “Live at the Bunker”

 

Steven Lugerner - "Live at the Bunker"Following the release of his duo debut recordings Narratives and These Are the Words, and in between two separate touring stints, multi-reedist Steven Lugerner felt a need to work on a new project in that period of down time.  Deciding to expand on the personnel and arrangements from the line-ups he had been working with, he ended up with a dectet and a set of compositions to match.  Following a series of rehearsals, they went into the recording studio for one session… which became Live at the Bunker.

I first became familiar with Lugerner right around the time he first released his two debut albums.  Both received mention in my Best of 2011 run-down, and both still deserve it.  Two different albums, a septet and a quartet session, each with different personnel, and each having different sounds (Narratives a storytelling demeanor and These Are the Words an argumentative one), and both articulating impressive creative visions… particularly astonishing in light of the debut status.  And Lugerner has a new release out soon, For We Have Heard, so I didn’t want this particular release to perhaps get lost in the crowd.  No overdubs or editing, it’s a single performance that serves as another photograph of the development of Lugerner’s sound and vision.  That, and it’s just a fascinating little album.

Your album personnel:  Steven Lugerner (bass clarinet, soprano & alto saxes), Matt Marantz (tenor & soprano saxes), Jonah Parzen-Johnson (baritone sax), Stephanie Richards (trumpet), Natalie Cressman (trombone), Angelo Spagnolo (guitar, banjo), David Scanlon (guitar), Glenn Zaleski (piano, Wurlitzer), Matthew Wohl (bass), and Max Jaffe (drumset).

Of immediate impact is the inclusion of banjo on this recording, and the doubling up with guitar.  Opening track “Bells & Whistles” offers up an enticing juxtaposition between the quaint rustic chatter of banjo and the assertive voices of saxes and brass, sections that quaver like sunlight on a calm breeze and others that skitter happily along.  Even those times when saxes and brass join forces, the expressions are languorous and bewitching, doing nothing to dispel the tune’s congenial ambiance.

But that doesn’t last throughout.  “Cardboard” takes a few departures into different territories.  What starts out a peaceful tune descends into avant-garde territory.  The clash of sounds does a remarkable job of mimicking a forest thick with the sound of wild birds… an effect that instills a meditative calm at a dissonant moment.  Wurlitzer offers a shimmery response to the combined roar of saxophones.  Eventually the tune takes another turn, this time into more conventional territory, before eventually ending up from where it began.

“Maaria” opens with the howl of saxophones and the rattle of banjo across the floor.  A haunting tune, though not necessarily threatening.  It slowly morphs into a lullaby that dreams of becoming a ballad.

“Spectrophobia” hammers the melody down in place, then slowly taps it gently throughout the remainder of the song.  Light on its feet and twisting up and quickly unwinding, it gives the sense of motion standing in place, and shares a neighborhood with the forward-thinking music of Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors.

The album ends with “Alondra,” a composition from Lugerner’s Narratives.  Both that version and the one here are enchanting and warm, but the original was often cloaked in dim moonlight and the current rendition is content standing in sunlight.  Lugerner gets the dectet to warp the notes and scar the edges, and the song’s unpolished veneer brings out fascinating details from the composition not evident in the original.

Really, just an enchanting album.

The album is Self-Produced.

Jazz from NYC.

Available only as a digital release on Lugerner’s Bandcamp page.

*****

Narratives

And here’s a LINK to my recap of Lugerner’s Narratives.  It’s not too extensive; I was just getting this site up and running, and trying to give a rundown of the best stuff that 2011 had to offer.  I’m also kind of nervous to re-read (or point out) any of my writing from back then, but I’m linking to it anyways.

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2012 Releases • 0

Dec 23 2011

Jazz New Releases: Week Ending November 15, 2011

Tiny Review recs of new jazz releases, featuring:  Arun Ghosh, Tito Carrillo, Corey Wilkes, Hal Galper Trio, David Budway, Kaimaki, and Ramsey Lewis.

*****

The following is sort of copied from the weekly article I write for emusic.com, giving a rundown of mini-reviews of interesting jazz new releases.  Once I get caught up on the older recs (of which there are five installments), I’ll post them once a week, adding some artwork and extra links and modifying the text a little bit.  When I write the mini-reviews initially, I’m under a serious time constraint, but now I’ve had time to listen more closely to the music and think about it, so some of the reviews will change, but some may not.  They were initially called “Jonah’s Jazz Picks”; the reason why is not a complicated story or a long one, but sufficient banal to just overlook.

This was the fourth installment of my recs.

 

Hey, again.

Well, it was probably unreasonable to hope that the avalanche of new jazz releases would continue for a fourth week in a row. After joyously being greeted by over twenty five pages of new jazz releases each of the last handful of weeks, this week’s Freshly Ripped didn’t bury me alive. Of course, the flip side to a smaller offering is the time in which to savor the new discoveries. Case in point…

 

Arun Ghosh, Primal Odyssey

Very happy to be able to lead off with a new Indo-jazz release, and a strong one at that. Generally speaking, Indo-jazz is Indian music when the seed of the song is planted, but which sprouts from the ground in the form of jazz improvisation. What often results is a joyous music that is right at home in dark smoky jazz clubs. In addition to Arun Ghosh’s clarinet, other instruments making an appearance include bass clarinet, sax, double-bass, and drums, and they layer atop one another in wondrous long sonorous drifts of sound, propulsed by a rhythm section that takes command of the listener’s foot. If you only buy one jazz album this week, this should be it. Highly recommended.

02 Unravel by Arun Ghosh

08 Damascus by Arun Ghosh

Released on the Camoci label.

Album can be purchased on emusic here.

 

Tito Carrillo, Opening Statement

It’s a story line that jazz fans encounter from time to time… long-time session player finally records an album under his or her own name. I can’t help but cheer that effort and hope it works out. Being a team player is a noble calling in any field, but in jazz where the performance of the various pieces in the ensemble can create a whole so much greater than the sum of its individual parts, I can’t help but want to cheer on the underdog who steps out from the bandstand and into the spotlight for the first time themselves. Of course, when the result is an extraordinarily strong album like Tito Carrillo’s Opening Statement, cheering takes a backseat to listening. This is straight-ahead jazz, though it might be a mistake to describe the development of the tunes as linear. Each song takes a round-about path from first note to last, giving the songs a sense of adventure even when Carrillo’s trumpet is giving sound to a standard series of notes. This was an album that had me already looking forward to his next.

Released on the Origin/OA2 label.

Album can be purchased on emusic here.

 

Corey Wilkes, Kind of Miles: Live at the Velvet Lounge

A nice live set from trumpet player Corey Wilkes covering a set of Miles Davis tunes. Wilkes has a strong position in the Chicago jazz community, being a member of the AACM as well as receiving the honor of sitting in with the Art Ensemble of Chicago following the passing of long-time member Lester Bowie. Performed at the historic Velvet Lounge, Wilkes does more than just run a standard cover set, though. With four tunes running between 15 and 26 minutes each, he gives his group time to explore and expand on Davis’s original themes. Especially rewarding is their take on “Yesterdays”, which builds on Davis’s take (of, originally, a Jerome Kern song), building oh so slowly and drawing out every drop of emotion from the notes. Equally intriguing is the ensemble’s mash-up of Davis’s “So What” and Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place.” This is definitely a live album; you can hear the sounds of the Velvet Lounge throughout the album. Fortunately, it adds to the ambiance of the album experience rather than detracts. This album won’t be for everybody, but there is a large contingent of jazz fans who need to buy this. Me, the samples compelled me to buy it.

Unsure if this is self-produced or not.

Album can be purchased on emusic here.

 

Hal Galper Trio, Trip the Light Fantastic

Jazz piano vet and highly regarded educator, Hal Galper offers another solid recording to his lengthy discography. Galper has a very identifiable sound, not sure I can adequately compare him to anyone. The way in which he strings notes together, it always leaves me with the impression of falling down a flight of stairs without ever leaving my feet… a controlled cohesive randomness that’s just a wee bit dangerous and could prove fatal. With Jeff Johnson and John Bishop on bass and drums, Galper’s trio puts out a strong recording, and the Origin label continues to impress with their selection of talent.

Released on the Origin/OA2 label.

The album can be purchased on emusic here.

 

David Budway – A New Kiss

The always reliable MaxJazz label gives session vet David Budway a platform for his debut A New Kiss. Accompanied by a strong line-up that includes (among others) Marcus Strickland, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Eric Revis, and a guest performance by Branford Marsalis, Budway delivers a warm set of contemporary numbers. Well, except for the final track on the album that brings guitar and keyboards into the mix for a nifty tune with Arabic stylings. Neat end to a very enjoyable album.

It appears that the album can be streamed on David’s myspace page.

Released on the MaxJazz label.

The album can be purchased on emusic here.

 

Kaimaki – Mataroa

Ridiculously pretty album.  Kaimaki is a French quintet of sax, piano, drums, bass, and vocals. Shimmering melodies sway gently in place as sax flutters just overhead, entwined with intermittent vocals. Engaging, yet uncomplicated. Just a series of beautiful songs. A promising debut recording, which appears to be Self-Produced.

Album can be purchased on emusic here.

 

Ramsey Lewis – Take Another Look

Putting out recording number eighty with Take Another Look, Ramsey Lewis , a jazz icon, revisits some of his favorite compositions with his Electric Band. Ramsey’s music these days is pretty mainstream, perhaps lacking the sound that beboppers and modern jazzers alike prefer, but, for me, Ramsey’s immense talent has always transcended that. Some of his early jazz-R&B fusion albums, like the fun Sun Goddess, in which he collaborates with members of Earth, Wind, & Fire, fit into that personal category of “Albums With A Sound That I’m Not Into But Listen To All The Time Anyway” (my personal categories have always been especially verbose). I highly recommend poking around his discography, since there’s something there for everybody to like.
Ramsey Lews – Living for the City by hiddenbeach

Released on the Hidden Beach label.

Album can be purchased at emusic here.

 

I think that’s where I’ll call it a wrap for this week. I hope you find some cool new music.

Cheers.

-Dave

 

Here’s some language to protect emusic’s rights as the one to hire me originally to scour through the jazz new arrivals and write about the ones I like:

“New Arrivals Jazz Picks“, courtesy of eMusic.com, Inc.
© 2011  eMusic.com, Inc.

My thanks to emusic for the freelance writing gig, the opportunity to use it in this blog, and the editorial freedom to help spread the word about cool new jazz being recorded today.

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2011 Releases • 0

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