Nov 22 2018
The Round-up: Being there
Here is some very good new music
CLT Trio – Every Second is a Blues (Self-Produced)
The CLT Trio come out strong with the minimalist expressions, so that even later when they ramp up the volatility to a boiling point, there remains a sense of a dark, quiet night where the silence is interrupted only by the occasional chirping of crickets. What’s more, double bassist Casper Nyvang Rask, pianist Lars Fiil and drummer Terkel Nørgaard have given seven separate improvisations a remarkable cohesion. The pieces each have their own personality, but the flow from one to the next are like consecutive hours all belonging to the same day. Music from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
The Marie Goudy 12tet – The Bitter Suite (Self-Produced)
The blast of harmonic warmth generated on this large ensemble session is by itself worth the price of admission, but it’s the subtle ways that Marie Goudy guides musicians to delicately weave their individual sounds into the flow of Jocelyn Barth’s vocals that represents the winning quality of The Bitter Suite. Also, Charlotte Alexander’s contribution bolsters my argument that there’s simply not enough French horn on modern jazz recordings. Music from Toronto, Ontario.
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Adison Evans – Meridian (Self-Produced)
There’s a straightforward expressiveness to the latest from Adison Evans that is seriously refreshing. There’s nothing over the top on Meridian. It’s got some tunes that groove, some that gently sway, others that bop along, and even some classical influence here and there… but all of it falls within the expected range of a modern post-bop recording. But the saxophonist attains a certain feel with each note, the way some orators can make everyday words ring with a greater meaning and force to drive their point home. That’s what Evans, her sextet and guests do on this solid recording. Music from NYC.
Artist site | Buy: Amazon
Noah Preminger & Rob Garcia Dead Composers Club – Chopin Project (Self-Produced)
It’s Frederic Chopin whose name graces the compositions on this session, but it’s not always obvious. That’s a big reason for this album’s charm. Some interpretations move with a solemn tone where others have a casual swing, while some turn the heat way way up. In truth, not knowing the album’s inspiration or source material doesn’t become an obstacle to enjoying this recording simply on its own merits. Tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, guitarist Nate Radley, bassist Kim Cass and drummer Rob Garcia offer up music that is often subtle, except those sudden moments when its revealed for everything it is. I keep returning to this album throughout the year, and each time it’s a reminder of how affecting it is, like how photographs can return the emotional impact of the original experience. Music from NYC.
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John Christensen – Dear Friend (Shifting Paradigm Records)
There’s a real sense that John Christensen was locked into a melodic inspiration on this session. Right from the start and all the way through ’til the end, there’s an implication that every note is just an individual facet of one vision, and the bassist is simply examining it from every angle. Aside from a satisfying sense of cohesion, the end result is music that is absorbing in that same way that staring into the depths of a clear lake can lock the attention endlessly in place. The bassist is joined by pianist Johannes Wallmann, guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Andrew Green. Music from Madison, WI.
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There’s a fireplace warmth emitted by the guitar-bass-drums trio Red Planet, and it’s a quality of their music whether the tune be a post-bop or folk jazz piece or an adaptation of something else altogether. There’s an icy precision to the way that pianist Bill Carrothers delivers a melody, and this is true if it’s framed by a conventional jazz structure or something freer and disembodied from a typical format. Together, on Red Planet with Bill Carrothers, those opposing characteristics take on a complementary relationship, and the result are dreamy tunes with stark outlines. What’s remarkable about this recording is that this inimitable sound carries with the same strength whether they are performing an original composition or something by Coltrane or Monk. This is not in-your-face music. It’s warm and welcoming and often quite beautiful. But it’s singular personality makes a huge impression, stamps itself into every note, each phrase, and it’s why the memory of the songs continues to linger long after the album is over. Just outstanding.
This low-key affair is nonetheless extremely engaging. The duo of drummer Andrew Cyrille and tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry aren’t creating songs so much as giving extended life to interludes and fragmentary ideas. There’s an intimacy to this session not unlike music, heard clearly, drifting out from a window as you stand on the sidewalk below, transfixed by every note. A few tracks raise their voice a bit, but for the most part, this is music that keeps to restrained, thoughtful expressions.
Considering how melodic this album is at heart, it possesses an unusual gruffness, abrasive even at times. 
There’s an appealing contrast to the soaring melodies and the stomping boots tempos, as if all the uplifting feelings of hope and love were balanced out by a pragmatic understanding that life can be hard and often is. That a parallel can be drawn between this album’s sound, the first from Naftule’s Dream in quite a while, and their contributions to the Radical Jewish Music movement of the 90s, in which they infused a heaven & earth feel to their updated take on traditional Klezmer music, adds both to the intrigue and the signposts of how they’ve developed over the course of time. Those songs on Blood that take on a drifting ambience are plenty alluring, but their substance is locked in by the edgier pieces with punctuated rhythms that possess, in their way, a dancing flow.
It’s not just that there’s a pleasant flow to the newest from soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, but that it traverses a series of compositions that bubble with excitement and energy. Her previous recording, 2013’s excellent Sixteen Sunsets, staked out territory in the serene and the sublime. But with Early Americans, this is get-up-and-go music, and based on the exuberance they apply to the rhythmic attack, both drummer Bobby Previte and bassist Mark Helias seem perfectly content with Bloom’s choice of tone and tempo. But what shouldn’t get lost in all this talk about energetic music is that the music retains a sense of intimacy, an intimation that the music, though not striving to introduce an atmosphere of tranquility, is sure to maintain a nearness to it all the same.
So I’ll just admit right up front to having little objectivity when it comes to covers of John Barry’s theme to the movie Midnight Cowboy. It’s one of my favorite soundtracks to one of my favorite movies, and since guitarist Dave Stryker did a very nifty rendition of the song, heavy with a cool blues and an easy-going ambiance, well, that’s why his new album of pop music covers is getting a mention in today’s column. He hits upon a couple by Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, others by The Isley Bros. and Prince (among other well known tunes). Those tracks where a cool groove is the method to move, everything shakes out just right. However, when the pace picks up, like on a cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” it’s not quite as successful. That said, none of this stuff is straight-up note-for-note cover songs, and that deserves plenty of credit. Also, you’re not gonna go wrong with a line-up of Stryker, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, organist Jared Gold and drummer McClenty Hunter. Basically, Stryker is playing with a Posi-Tone Records house band.
Nov 24 2018
The Round-up: There was nothing to do except for what I always did
Here is some very good new music
Steve Swell – Music for Six Musicians: Hommage à Olivier Messiaen (Silkheart Records)
It says it right there in the title: Six musicians. And, yet, every time I’ve sat down to write about this album, I do another google search to confirm that, in fact, Steve Swell did not invite an orchestra to perform on this recording. This music is dense, yet precise, like staring down at the intricacy of a microchip. It’s also rich with textures, a kaleidoscopic explosion of sound that is difficult to absorb in its totality. The difference between the states of volatile dissonance and comforting melodicism are a fine line, and it’s a quality that behaves as a unifying force. The NYC-based trombonist is joined by alto saxophonist Rob Brown, violinist-violist Jason Kao Hwang, cellist Tomas Ulrich, percussionist Jim Pugliese and Robert Boston on both piano and organ. This music is immense.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Yoni Kretzmer’s New Dilemma – Months, Weeks and Days (OutNow Recordings)
I didn’t fully appreciate the furious blasts of avant-garde dissonance that leads out this recording until it slowly receded into a lovely harmonic bliss of chamber music. This jazz improv-chamber session from Yoni Kretzmer’s New Dilemma hits all the right notes, but how it all unfolds is why this music is so damn charismatic. Just outstanding. New Dilemma is tenor saxophonist Yoni Kretzmer, violist Frantz Loriot, cellist Christopher Hoffman, bass clarinetist Josh Sinton, double bassist Pascal Niggenkemper and drummer Flin Van Hemmen. Music from Brooklyn, NY.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Jesse Peterson Quartet – Man of the Earth (Ears & Eyes Records)
There’s an infectious enthusiasm to the debut from Jesse Peterson. But above and beyond that effusiveness are the thick melodies and rhythmic engagement that possesses an anthemic nature. When you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, this is the album you go have a beer with to get your spirits picked back up. The drummer is joined by saxophonist Adam Scheit, pianist Jorn Swart and bassist Andrew Schiller. Music from NYC.
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Auziņš/Čudars/Arutyunyan – Baltic (Self-Produced)
The title-track on this curious recording from the trio of saxophonist Kārlis Auziņš, guitarist Matīss Čudars and drummer Ivars Arutyunyan digs into a blues riff and milks it for all its got. It’s addictive and it’s seductive and it’s the kind of track that can rope a listener in and not let them go. But it’s those pieces where dissonance comes in sudden bursts and the concept of song structure isn’t one given much regard when the album shines its strongest. It’s an odd album with an odd sound, and it’s got a magnetic personality. Music from Riga, Latvia.
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Evan Salvacion Levine – Mestizo (Shifting Paradigm Records)
There’s a pleasant, breezy atmosphere to this trio session from bassist Evan Salvacion Levine, guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Andrew Green. Pointed melodies are delivered with a casualness that almost belies their sharp precision. That alone is pretty compelling, but the charm of the recording radiates from the rich rhythmic dialog the trio develops along the way. That person you know who is just so amicable and easy to like and gets along with everyone? This album is the sonic equivalent.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: Brooklyn (NY), Ears and Eyes Records, Evan Salvacion Levine, Ivars Arutyunyan, Jesse Peterson, Kārlis Auziņš, Matīss Čudars, New York City, OutNow Recordings, Riga (Latvia), Self-Produced, Shifting Paradigm Records, Silkheart Records, Steve Swell, The Round-Up, Yoni Kretzmer