Aug 16 2016
Recommended: Konrad Bogen Trio – “United”
This is one of those albums that’s exuding all kinds of cheerfulness, so that no matter what it gets into, the music is gonna be plenty likeable. United switches between old-school blues strolls and modern jazz harmonic binges, and those transitions, whether seamless or jarring, is a big part of the fun. For three of the album’s five tracks, this happens within the duration of each song. It’s particularly fascinating how it plays out on “In a Bus,” which mashes up conflicting expressions out of the Red Garland and Esbjorn Svensson schools of music, yet binds them up by their shared melodic bonds, solemn and serene when not pouring dramatically from the mouth of the bottle. But then there’s also the old vs. new of subsequent tracks “Over the Rainbow” and a Kendrick Lamar cover of “These Walls.” Parked bumper to bumper, and yet the trio finds a way to keep a sense of cohesion throughout.
The trio is led by pianist Konrad Bogen, a young musician from Germany who seems to have his hands in a number of different projects. This is a promising sign of things to come. Also, worth noting that he’s got this EP on his Bandcamp page set to Name Your Price, which should provide some extra incentive to check this music out.
Just really easy to like this one.
Your album personnel: Konrad Bogen (piano), Mischa Frey (bass) and Samir Böhringer (drums).
The album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more album tracks at the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Jazz from the Konstanz, Germany scene.
Available at: Bandcamp
Saxophonist 
Recorded at a 2014 performance at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club, this live set, led by trumpeter 
The different influences that color Dreamy Train populate the album as would movie characters, each with their own distinct personality. The tango shades on title-track “Dreamy Train” and the disco flirtations on “Katrina” and the Arabic folk of “Dubka” and the hot jazz of “La Faux” and the chamber music of “MMT” and tracks like “Blue Soda” that incorporate all of these elements and more in varying strengths and ratios all have prominent roles in this cinematic soundscape from the quintet Taxídi. In many ways, perhaps the best ways, it takes the classification of World Jazz to heart, and attempts to bring as much of the planet’s musics into the quintet’s embrace.
Aug 17 2016
Recommended: Puzzlebox – “A Place To Be”
This is music that can shift seamlessly between states of lightheartedness and ferocity. It’s music that can drift peaceably and then suddenly, in what seems like an uninterrupted exhalation, jump up in joyful exultation. The opening tracks “Half Remembered Theme from a Film Noir” and “Ronan’s Dream” are practically descended by blood from the 1960 James Clay classic recording A Double Dose of Soul. Clay showed on that recording how flute could command a huge presence without resorting to shrill dramatics and unnecessary fussiness, that the flute’s light touch and hazy presence were complementary attributes that only needed a spark to give the impression of a flame. On A Place To Be, Stan Slotter clearly grasps that concept, and it’s why his solid trumpet passages are eclipsed by his outstanding performance on flute.
“6:25PM” adds some edge to the melody. It doesn’t cut deep, but it’s sharp enough to draw a little blood, and the tempo stomps more than bops. And after the ethereal presence of the flute in the previous tracks, it’s nice to hear the trombone step up and growl. The higher intensity continues with the up-tempo burner “The Invisible Redux,” adding some Latin rhythms along the way so that the trip isn’t all about speed, but grace, too. “Hair of the Dog” digs into a thick groove and thicker blues. And all of this stuff swings.
I typically stick to only new releases on this site, and rarely stray further back than a couple years from the current spot on the calendar, but when I encountered this terrific recording, I had to shine the site’s spotlight on it.
Your album personnel: Keith DeStefano (bass), Mark Allen (baritone sax), Maxfield Gast (alto & soprano saxophones), Steven Gokh (tenor sax), Joe Falcey (drums), Anam Owilii-Eger (piano), Stan Slotter (trumpet, flutes) and Larry Toft (trombone).
The album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Jazz from the Philadelphia, PA scene.
Available at: Bandcamp | CDBaby | Amazon
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2010 Releases • 0