Self-Produced

Jan 26 2020

Best of 2019 #37: Muriel Grossmann – “Golden Rule”

 

John Coltrane’s “India.”  I could live in that moment forever when Coltrane returns to the melody after a wild divergence.  The way in which meditative drones and chaotic upheaval live in a state of unison within the same piece, and often expressed at the same time, is the kind of miracle that exemplifies humanity at its best.  The spiritual jazz phase of Coltrane’s creative trajectory is a personal favorite, and I am not nearly alone in that regard.  It was a time when an addictive melody could exist in harmony with dissonance and a driving tempo, and despite Coltrane’s prodigious recorded output, the saxophonist still didn’t leave us with enough of it.  Thank god there are musicians who seek to capture that sound and exist in a similar place.

On Golden Rule, Muriel Grossman captures it about as well as anyone I’ve ever heard.  She gives it her own voice and imbues it with a life that speaks to the present day, but it fills an emptiness in the soul that’s existed since Coltrane moved onto more avant-garde territories and, eventually, moved on to another plane.  But, truly, Coltrane never dies, because music like this is timeless, and the way Grossman creates it, the manifestation is the stuff of life.

Your album personnel:  Muriel Grossmann (soprano & tenor saxophones), Gina Schwarz (bass), Uros Stamenkovic (drums), and Radomir Milojkovic (guitar).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Ibiza, Spain.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon

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Jan 23 2020

Best of 2019 #48: Colunia – “Zéphyr”

 

It’s hard not to fall under the spell Emilie Chevillard’s chromatic harp.  It possesses such a distinctive sound, and simultaneously stands out from and blends in with the other instruments.  It is that way a single tongue of flame can draw the attention from within a fireplace, even as it draws the other flames in close.  And this is true of the 2019 release from Colunia, where the heat of the flames and the way they dance amongst one another possesses a hypnotic effect while, simultaneously, keeping the listener bolted upright.  The conversational chatter from drummer Florian Chaigne, the arresting melodicism of saxophonist Gweltaz Hervé, the deep hum from bassist Emeric Chevalier, and guests on woodwinds and strings, all come together with a dazzling brilliance that makes the singularity of the fire far more resonant than any individual flame.  But all the same, this is one more example of a growing base of evidence that harp needs to be included far more often in a jazz setting.

Your album personnel:  Emilie Chevillard (chromatic harp, konnakol), Florian Chaigne (drums, konnakol), Gweltaz Hervé (soprano, alto & baritone saxophones), Emeric Chevalier (double bass), and guests: Linda Oláh (vocal), David Chevallier (guitars), Geoffroy Tamisier (trumpet), and Thomas Jacquot (sitar).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Nantes, France.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon

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Jan 22 2020

Best of 2019 #52: Synestet – “Les Usures”

 

The music is menacing at its most serene, smiling at its most furious.  The counterintuitive tones of Synestet result in colorful explosions of melody and rambunctious rhythmic dialogues, and a constant hum of electricity throughout, as if tapped into the heart of the city.  Even when the quintet of bass clarinetist Hélène Duret, tenor saxophonist Sylvain Debasieux, guitarist Benjamin Sauzereau, double bassist Fil Caporali and drummer Maxime Rouayroux dive deep into contemplation, it’s made understood that this is merely a temporary condition before volatility strikes yet again. That abiding uncertainty is what drives this album and makes it so much damn fun.

Your album personnel:  Hélène Duret (clarinet, bass clarinet), Sylvain Debasieux (tenor sax), Benjamin Sauzereau (guitar), Fil Caporali (double bass), and Maxime Rouayroux (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Paris, France.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp

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Jan 21 2020

Best of 2019 #55: Paulo Gomes – “MAP + Chris Cheek”

 

Paulo Gomes’ Guerra e Paz was one of the very best things to come out in 2017.  How it unleashed immaculate melodies and let them wander freely off to the horizon created the sense of an epic journey while keeping the listener immersed simultaneously in the present microcosm of melodic expression.  It was also a nifty example of how the cadence of the new jazz era has altered dramatically from the swing and bop days, while its reliance on a well-crafted melody as a base foundation is as relevant today as it was when John Coltrane was creating mad vortexes of sound circling around the gorgeous melody to “My Favorite Things.”  On his 2019 release, Gomes adds saxophonist Chris Cheek to the mix.  The fourth installment from his MAP ensemble, Paulo Gomes documents the music performed from two separate concerts:  One at the Rivoli Theater and the other at the Coimbra Conservatory of Music.  It goes a long way to showing that the electricity generated by the ensemble in the studio carries seamlessly to a live setting, and that the addition of new personnel just amplifies the charge of the music to even greater heights.  There is no way any of this striking music should be falling under the radar.  It is just too damn good.

Your album personnel:  Paulo Gomes (piano), Miguel Moreira (guitar), Miguel Ângelo (double bass), Acácio Salero (drums), and Chris Cheek (saxophones).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Porto, Portugal.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp

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Jan 21 2020

Best of 2019 #57: Chelsea McBride’s Socialist Night School – “Aftermath”

 

Composer Chelsea McBride has previously received warm words on this site for her modern take on the big band recording.  She has deftly shrugged off the gravitational pull of jazz past and how a big band jazz album should sound.  Much like counterparts Darcy James Argue, Brian Krock, and Ben Cottrell, McBride incorporates modern influences and approaches, and pretty much annihilates all preconceptions of what the big band medium should be, and, instead, illuminates what could be.  Her 2019 release Aftermath is the stronger, cohesive grand vision that previous recordings flirted with.  The impression of a running narrative exists throughout, and the eccentric flourishes have settled into the body of the compositions so that their personality shines strong without blinding the listener to all else.  Aftermath is one of the best big band recordings of 2019, and a reason to be hopeful that the medium will continue to evolve, and thrive, as we dive into 2020.

Your album personnel:  Chelsea McBride (tenor sax, conductor, composer), Colleen Allen (soprano & alto saxophones, piccolo, flute, alto flute), Naomi Higgins (soprano & alto saxophones, flute, alto flute), Alison Young (tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet), Patrick Smith (tenor & soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet), Conrad Gluch (baritone sax, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, alto flute), James Rhodes, Justin See, Tom Upjohn, Kaelin Murphy (trumpets, flugelhorns), William Carn, Aidan Sibley, Jill Richards (trombones), Nicholas Sieber (bass trombone, tuba), Alex Samaras (voice), Chris Bruder (piano), David Riddel (guitar), Steven Falk (acoustic & electric basses) and Geoff Bruce (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Toronto, Ontario.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Cool album cover artwork by Arthur Ikuta.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Amazon – Bandcamp

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