A few months ago, an album was recorded in New York that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The pre-release featured several tasty tracks, and its evocative cover image also intrigued. The stars were aligned for a significant album, and so it was. How could it miss with pianist Michael Cain, guitarist Keith Price and drummer Pheeroan akLaff?
It is one of those albums that jazz lovers, whatever their taste, are bound to enjoy. The cover art was prophetic, as its soft golden light and evocative silhouette figures characterised the music perfectly. It is an album to be played through, then played again, and each listening will delight. There’s a sense of place (or should I say places) evident, as the titles reference far-flung locations, but the most important maps traversed are those engraved on the human heart.
‘O’Neil’s Bay’ (Price) is lovely – a bluesy Americana-fused number. The bay in question is familiar to me, nestled against New Zealand’s forest-clad Waitākere Ranges–a hidden bay accessible only on foot. Price lives nearby and has captured the mystical essence of that wild, unspoiled coastline, keyboards, guitar and drums painting with sound.
Another track has the intriguing title ‘Poetry Legroom Okinawa Children’ (akLaff). It unfolds like a miniature suite, adding layer upon layer. Cain’s keyboards arpeggiate over Price’s shimmering chords; the mesmerising drums adding to the feeling of suspension. Like every track that unfolds, you sink inside, holding the moods carefully so as not to spoil the moment.
With ‘Solodos’ (Cain), you understand why Cain is such a well-regarded pianist. The history and the wonder of his music are encapsulated there.
In an album of gems, ‘Waxing Gibbous’ (Cain/Price) is the kicker. Underneath the tune’s languid minimalism, endless aural vistas unfold, displacing time and space into the eternal now. Never has spoken-word poetry been so carefully encapsulated, and the open-hearted colourist drumming of akLaff astounds.
All three musicians have written tunes for the album, and while their approaches differ, they drink from the same creative well. There are no burners, although a quiet intensity is evident as the meditative moods draw the listener into beguiling atmospheric worlds. We live in an era of madness, and albums like this are exactly what we need to assuage our battered senses. Shifting Paradigm Records Bandcamp and streamers.
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
Darren Pickering’s third Small Worlds album, ‘Three’, is a welcome addition to the earlier volumes. While it follows the successful formula developed in volumes one and two, it sounds fresh and endlessly explorative. Throughout the album, snaking lines float, dreamlike, over repeating patterns and carefully layered grooves. Out of this comes the quartet’s cinematic sound. Jazz and cinema are twin arts as they evolved together, often feeding from the same well of resonance. Because of that focus on imagery, you can get inside the sound and experience it on many sensory levels. Listening to this is like watching a great movie – in a theatre – on a rainy day.
This is a superb quartet; unsurprisingly, after two previous albums, they are hyperaware of interplay. This is particularly important in an album like this, as the soundscape is so open. The liner notes indicate they have equal input into the artistic direction, which makes sense; the democratised approach is evident. This is jazz for our times, probing but gentle and unashamedly open to influences.
As with the first two albums, the tune times vary in length, enhancing the listening experience. Nothing is extended beyond its natural endpoint. Like the written word, contrasts like this punctuate the ebb and flow. There are small, meaningful solos, but they are skillfully interwoven into through-composed pieces.
Immediately noticeable is Pickering’s touch, and the underlying digital or analogue wizardry never overwhelms. While often understated, his pianism shines throughout. Pickering is a thoughtful composer and writes to his strengths.
Guitarist Heather Webb is pitch-perfect throughout, her sound is so distinctive, with lines that fold effortlessly into the mix. Her avoidance of anything showy or unnecessarily loud marks her as a mature player. I wish more guitarists understood this. The same can be said for the drummer Jono Blackie and bass player Pete Fleming. Both blend into the mix, thus enhancing the music, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
The rainy day groove is particularly evident in ‘Soft Life’. With Webb running her silken lines over Pickering’s synthesised arpeggiation, and the measured, but perfectly placed, beats like slow-dancing footsteps. And the faster-paced ‘Tauhou Waltz’ has a similar vibe. The album maintains this flow, touching on various moods, but always speaking in a calm voice. The album can be accessed from Rattle Records or Bandcamp. https://darrenpickeringsmallworlds.bandcamp.com/album/three
Under Ocean (Chris Cody/Charlie Tait)
I have long been an enthusiast for Chris Cody’s work, and his two latest releases, each different from what went before, enhance an already impressive discography. Cody has a gift for examining cultural intersections. He gathers events and places, past and present and puts them under a musical microscope, always leaving us with a sense of what it means to be human.
‘Under Ocean’ is a fresh approach with electronic enhancements and a duo format. The album traverses mental and physical landscapes in unexpected ways and, in doing so, expands not only Cody’s repertoire but the boundaries of improvised ambient-style music. The album is co-led by Charlie Tait, a multi-instrumentalist, sound designer and engineer. Tait is no stranger to sonic creations like this, and the resultant cross-fertilisation of jazz, classical, and ambient electronic music is fascinating.
There is an increasing imperative for improvising musicians to create music like this as a reaction to the realities of our overly commercialised modern life, to examine our interior landscapes or the natural world. It also reacts to the ugliness that intrudes on the quieter spaces. They combine new and old musical technologies to good effect, as evidenced in the atmospheric opening track, ‘Salt’, which contrasts with ‘Rumble’s’ free playing and the melancholic ‘Lost World’, bringing different moods together as a satisfying whole.
Mountain to Sea (Chris Cody)
Landscape itself is a featured guest artist on most of Cody’s albums, as his writing always conveys a strong sense of place. I am not referring to specific geographic locations, although they sometimes feature, but to something deeper – cerebral. Cody has a gift for inviting introspection, and as we listen, we examine our relationship to the landscapes and regions he evokes. It is the first thing you become aware of when listening to his albums; ‘Mountain to Sea’ is no exception.
His compositions and arrangements impress here, but his thoughtful playing is also notable. His lines and voicings convey an instinctive lyricism, an organic sound that has always defined him. The tunes contain nostalgic echoes, but speak of hope too, a heart-on-the-sleeve musical humanism. And, as in previous albums, he conveys more with less. There is ample room for his bandmates to shine, and they do. The care and loving attention each one brings to the project is evident. It is no wonder the unit sounds so good when you consider the musicians, a mix of veterans and younger players, but all exemplary: bass player Lloyd Swanton (a member of The Necks who appeared in Auckland recently) and who appeared on an earlier album ‘The Outsider’ (reviewed recently on this blog), and Sandy Evans, an acclaimed saxophonist on the Australian jazz scene, and lastly Tess Overmyer, a gifted young Australian alto saxophonist, presently based in New York.
‘Mountains’, a ballad, opens with Ellingtonian chords that speak of grandeur, followed by two beautiful solos, lifted to further heights by bass lines that never intrude, but soar like a raptor. Similarly, ‘Quiet’ reminds me of Evan Parker’s opening on Kenny Wheeler’s ‘Sea Lady’ (Music for Large and Small Ensembles). Ripples, bird calls, lead into an elegiac anthem for the natural world, a place not separate from humankind, with alto, tenor and soprano perfectly balanced, drawing from the same musical well. This is also evident in ‘Dream’.
As with previous albums, Cody’s daughter Maya has created marvellous cover art.
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
The artists profiled here have some things in common. Both have Swiss heritage, work in countries other than the ones they were born in and take a fearless approach to improvising. They are separated in years and in experience but not in their approach. Both seek to extend the language of improvised music and have something interesting to say.
Alex Ventling ~ The View
This is a beautiful duo album; it will stay with you if you listen with open ears. It is fresh and original but snatches of the tradition are still evident, nestling in the compositions. From the opening track, ‘Spiders Steps’, Monkish elements creep in, as jagged spidery lines evolve into a gentle swing. The tune is perfectly rounded. It says a lot and yet does so concisely and simply. It is the perfect beginning for a superb album. Ventling’s pianism is evident throughout, but strikingly so in his resonant ‘In the Mists’. Good pianists know what to play and when, but gifted pianists understand how to sculpt sound and curate even the decaying chords. There are synths but they are used in ways that never once spoil the acoustic mood. That is so on ‘First Train to Finse’ which features guest artist Kim Paterson on trumpet. How lovely to hear him again in this ‘Silent Way’-like setting.
It is an album of surprises as the moods shift constantly. Importantly, they do so without once breaking the flow. Out of it all shines a radiant simplicity, a ‘mysterioso’ simplicity. One blended with oblique Monkish references and a northern European sensibility, a very Nordic soundscape, evoking open spaces, where the music breathes.
With Ventling is a gifted drummer, Phelan Burgoyne. He is the perfect foil for the pianist as he is a master of subtlety. He possesses an acute sonic awareness and understands how to work in the spaces between the notes. He is especially attuned to the harmonic possibilities as he adds his textural touches. This is a masterclass in colourist drumming and I cannot imagine any drummer doing better. He is co-credited as a composer, a collaboration which goes back years. Their synergy is evidenced in every minute of this recording.
This is a very mature album for a musician embarking on his musical journey. The album was released by the Trondheim label Sonic Transmission Records and is available on vinyl and digitally via Bandcamp (or the streamers).
Nik Bärtsch Ronin ~ Spin
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin has been around since 2002, established following his earlier Ritual Groove Music album (2001). Since then Ronin has released 9 albums with cultural and musical influences scattered throughout; the most obvious being Steve Reich, John Cage and Morton Feldman. He was a drummer before he was a pianist and intricate rhythmic patterns and cycles are evident in everything he does. The other important influence is his abiding interest in Zen Buddhism and taken as a whole, those influences have coalesced, resulting in a unique musical path. His style has been dubbed Zen Funk, but it is improvised music of the highest order and the band has been delighting Jazz critics and Jazz-festival-goers for many years. His seven ECM albums brought him wide critical acclaim.
‘Spin’ works the rich seams opened in earlier albums. This band adheres to its minimalist principles while introducing freshness and open exploration. I have always been drawn to mesmeric or trance music, and this music is, but the tunes also invite quiet reflection. There is freedom within constraints, and that appeals to the heart and intellect.
The first track, ‘Modul 66’, was composed to showcase bass player Jeremias Keller, who recently joined the band. This highlights a subtle shift in emphasis, without changing the ever-present groove. The deep grooves are especially evident in ‘Modul 70-51’ which is mesmerising. A pulse that pulls you deeper into the music without once dulling the senses. This is achieved by surprising chordal and modulation shifts which function like Zen surprises. This is apparent in ‘Modul 40’ which is endlessly inventive.
The way this band works together is extraordinary, moving the emphasis mysteriously as they dance around each other like voodoo priests. It was recorded live at the Big Ears Festival, so ‘Spin’ should be enjoyed in one listening; each ‘module’ informs the next. I recommend that you listen with headphones or in a quiet room. It would be a shame to miss the subtlety. Nik Bärtsch (piano, Keyboard), Sha (bass clarinet, alto saxophone), Jeremias Keller (bass), Kasper Rast (drums). ‘Spin’ is self-released and available on Bandcamp or the streamers.
Other Recommendations to Check Out.
Rob Luft and Kit Downes are artists I have profiled before. Both appear on an interesting album by vocalist Paula Rae Gibson. The album, ‘The Roles We Play To Disappear’ has been referred to as ambient, electronica, and Avante-jazz. It seamlessly embraces many genres and is evidence of how improvised music is growing in multiple directions. Albums like this bring fresh audiences and that is a healthy thing. It is refreshing in these days of awful commercial music to see artists forging uncompromising artistic paths. It is available as a CD or download from Bandcamp.
Rob Luft and Elena Duni recently met with Manfred Eicher to discuss a new ECM release. This is welcome news as the first two releases were stunning. I interviewed Luft during lockdown and have reviewed his albums often. If you haven’t done so already check them out. My review of ‘Lost Ships’ is on this site at http://www.jazzlocal32.com/?s=Luft
Alex Ventling and Kim Paterson recorded on Ventling’s recent tour through New Zealand. ‘Conversations’ is a lovely standards album and is available on Spotify.
One of my favourite Jazz musicians Chris Cody (Sydney/France) has just released two interesting albums. The first is ‘Mountain To Sea’ with Sandy Evans, Tessie Overmyer and Lloyd Swanton. The second and most recent is ‘Under Ocean’, co-credited to Charlie Tait, an ambient improvised album conjuring powerful images. An interesting development from an artist who never fails to please. More on this soon.
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
Aaron Parks’ latest album, ‘Little Big III’, is the third in a series titled Little Big and his fourth album featuring a guitarist. The album (and series) also expands the soundscapes and ideas explored on his successful first Blue Note release, Invisible Cinema (2008). It is an album with a big heart which embraces the listener with rich textures and a tapestry of gorgeous melodic lines. Parks is highly regarded as a pianist and composer and never appears to rest on his laurels, reaching further with each new recording.
The band is in perfect sync, and each player is given the space they deserve. Parks’ compositions are always compelling, but they reach for the heartstrings here. There is considerable technical mastery, but a sense of humanity strikes you most. The tune titles tell you this, ‘ Locked Down’, or ‘Heart Stories’, inviting you into an expansive and unfolding narrative. It feels like a story of our times, but one reminding us of the beauty we may have overlooked amidst the turmoil.
Parks is a distinctive pianist who has never had trouble finding the best musicians to accompany him. Jazz lovers in Aotearoa New Zealand can rightly feel proud in this regard. ‘Invisible Cinema’ and ‘James Farm’, featured bassist Matt Penman. On Little Big 111 and the two earlier iterations, we hear guitarist Greg Tuohey (who first recorded with fellow Kiwi Penman over twenty-five years ago). Tuohey’s playing is magnificent and, along with his bandmates, he contributes tunes too.
The sharing of the compositional duties has yielded riches. Parks has a distinct style; his tunes are as compelling as they are memorable. I particularly like ‘Flyways’; a pulsating ostinato chant that frees the drums and bass, while the breathtaking melodic lines soar. There are four Parks compositions, all interestingly different. Oriental references are evident in ‘Delusions’ while the lovely ballad ‘Ashé’ has a wistful, folkish vibe.
Three tunes are Tuoheys, expanding the palette to include funk and Americana. His tune ‘Willamina’ is a joy, it is here in particular that you hear what a great guitarist and composer he is. It evokes tumbleweed towns and gentler times; memories we hold onto lest they slip from our grasp. Bass player David Ginyard Jr’s ’Little Beginnings’ has a beguiling loping pulse and uses a larger palette, to great effect. The drummer, Jongkuk Kim, is new to me, crisp, imaginative and impressive. I hope there is a Little Big IV in the wings. ‘Blue Note Records ~ available in stores and by streaming.
Hania Rani (Hanna Raniszewska)
I subscribe to jazz author Ted Gioia’s Substack posts, as all improvised music lovers should. In a recent issue, Gioia highlighted a handful of modern Polish improvisers he suspected would be unknown to audiences outside of Northern Europe. He particularly liked Hania Rani, who he described as his new favourite pianist.
There is something ethereal and achingly beautiful about her music and everyone who stumbles across it, feels like they’ve uncovered a secret. What initially strikes you as a few simple fragments of melody on repeat, is music for deep listening. Underlying the ostinato phrases are endless changes, finely wrought. She layers and loops while catching her listeners in a silken web of sound; sometimes reaching inside a grand piano, using an upright piano for percussion and adding small digital effects. It is an ever-expanding pedal point over a pulsing drone which may be the key to its appeal. She magics up something complex and deeply satisfying, crafted out of simplicity. As if that were not enough, she also sings beautifully.
Although not a household name, she gets 7 million views for her YouTube clips, performs at the Louvre and has appeared in an NPR Tiny Desk concert. I have included a clip from a recording she made in Studio 2 in Warsaw, a favourite venue due to its acoustic properties. Sometimes the best things are hiding in plain sight. This is improvised music, but genreless, touching on classical, Jazz and house, but somehow free of those confines.
Rani mainly records for Gondwana Records with seven albums released. It is worth checking her out on YouTube.
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
The two albums reviewed feature musicians from Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand. The first is by guitarist Callum Allardice, an award-winning musician with an impressive résumé. The second is an EP by vocalist Ella Dunbar-Wilcox (Ella Sophie), her first release.
Elementa ~ Callum Allardice
Elementa is a fine album and Allardice’s best to date. With this release and with this band, he has found the perfect vehicle to showcase his astonishing guitar fluency and compositional chops. He is known for crafting fine charts and melodic compositions and has won the APRA award for best jazz composition three times, but here, he shines as a fully rounded guitarist at the top of his game. There is no mistaking the lineage he arises from, Rosenwinkel and Moreno, and this album sees him vying for a place alongside those who extend that vocabulary, like Charles Altura or Gilad Hekselman.
Allardice’s supporting musicians are well-known in the Trans-Tasman music scene. The quartet includes accomplished Australian pianist Luke Sweeting, respected Australian-based Kiwi bassist Thomas Botting, and a tasteful drummer Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa from Wellington. These musicians have previously collaborated with Allardice in groups such as The Jac and The Antipodeans, and are familiar figures to jazz audiences in New Zealand.
His accompanying musicians will be familiar. A lineup of Trans-Tasman stalwarts who have played alongside Allardice before in bands such as The Jac and The Antipodeans. The Australian pianist, Luke Sweeting, is a familiar face to jazz audiences in Aotearoa, as is the Australian-based Kiwi Thomas Botting, a respected bass player. The tasteful Wellington drummer Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa rounds out the quartet.
There is a lot to like here, with the first track, ‘Stone Eyes’, setting up the rest of the album nicely (embedded). It has an otherworldly quality, and like the title track, it reveals Allardice’s remarkable technical skill as he spins out his mesmeric lines. His tone is inviting and warm. The guitarist is virtuosic throughout, but never just for virtuosity’s sake, and this is the clearest indicator of his maturity as a player. Also of note is a fine solo by Sweeting on ‘Odyssey’.
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The album is on the Australian Earshift Music label and will be released shortly. It can be purchased via the artist’s website or from www.earshift.com
Ella Sophie ~ Almost Love
‘Almost Love’ is the first release EP by Ella Dunbar-Wilcox (Ella Sophie), a New Zealand vocalist, pianist and composer. She is studying for her Masters on the West Coast of America after completing a BMus at the New Zealand School of Music. When I played the album, it was hard to believe that I was hearing a first release. You could add this to a playlist of well-known Jazz vocalists and it would fit in perfectly. The approach is old school, but in the best way, as she interprets by subtle means, making the tunes her own.
The album is mostly Song Book ‘standards’, but her original, ‘Take a Clue’ is a fine composition and fits in nicely. Taking a more traditional approach has paid off. There is an ease, a certain cool, teased out by her playful phrasing and minimal but deft touches of vibrato. Much of that is technique but there is much more on display here. She draws you in, conveys intimacy as she tells a story and makes you a believer. Embedded is ‘I’m Old Fashioned’.
She is receiving airplay in her home country and elsewhere and her voice has been compared favourably to some iconic jazz vocalists. When I played the EP, Anita O’Day and even Blossom Dearie came to mind, with that hint of playfulness in her sound and phrasing. She is also a pianist, but she has engaged a pianist and some LA musicians for this album, and they are just right for her. The other musicians are Alex Frank, Ryan Shaw, Josh Nelson, Talley Sherwood, Ben Burget, and David Donnelly.
‘Almost Love’ was released by ‘TriTone’ and is available digitally on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
One of the most pleasing formats in Jazz is the B3 trio. It endures because it has warmth and groove in equal proportions and it makes us happy. To unleash the full potential of the B3 a bass pedalboard must be used, and this difficult-to-master art is increasingly rare. There are hands, knees and feet, all doing different things, there are two keyboards and a bewildering array of sliders and knobs to be coordinated. On the new Music Soup album we not only have a skilled pedaling-organist in Evgenia Karlafti but on two tracks a guest pianist (Kym Purling) is added into the mix. This adds to the complexity, as three chordal instruments can clash and crowd each other out; so skilled musicianship and the right compositions are called for. That is what you get with ‘Upbeat Mood’.
The guitarist, Nestor Demopoulos, co-founder of the trio with Karlafti, can power up the groove with solos reminiscent of Pat Martino, Grant Green or Paul Bollenback. His tone is a warm embrace and his comping urges the soloists to greater heights. The other trio member is drummer Vagelis Kotzabasis and his contribution nicely rounds off the core trio. They respond to each other throughout, enhancing the swing feel by their interplay. It is particularly evident on the opening track, ‘Korean Apartment’, a masterclass in Groove.
There is variety throughout, but all of the tunes are imbued with a sense of intimacy—the sort you might experience in a small Athens Jazz club on a balmy summer night. Unsurprisingly, Music Soup has come to the attention of notables like Tony Monaco and Pat Bianchi, the latter supplying liner notes for the album. The tunes are all originals by Karlafti and Demopoulos, except for Burt Bacherach’s ‘The Little Red Book’. The album can be purchased as a CD at www.musicsoupband.com or accessed on streaming channels.
Personel: Evgenia Karlafti (B3 organ), Nestor Demopoulos (guitar), Vagelis Kotzabasis (drums) with Kym Purling (piano – tracks 3 & 6) and Henry Gergen (trumpet track 8).
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and a poet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
Earlier this month ‘Blue Note in My Suitcase’ was released by B3 Master Michel Bénébig. It is his sixth album and his first with a Jazz orchestra. The album hits the groove spot immediately, and as you listen you realise what a perfect pairing Bénébig’s B3 and the Le Grande B3 Orchestra is, aided convincingly by Lachlan Davidson’s lovely arrangements. The charts are well constructed, giving free rein to the soloists and never overwhelming the organ. Davidson is a respected Australian arranger, teacher, band leader and multi-instrumentalist and his influence is strongly felt here.
It is always a pleasure to hear Bénébig’s in-the-pocket playing but with an orchestra like this charging the atmosphere, he digs deeper than ever into the groove. The ten tunes on the album are excellent groove vehicles, all written by Bénébig, with Davidson credited as co-composer on ‘Try To Explain’. I have always appreciated Bénébig’s writing but he has excelled himself here.
The opener ‘Alenka’s Mood’ is warm and funky, immediately infecting you with its slinky rhythm. It offers up a promise which is fulfilled throughout. As you work through the tunes you are drawn back to the days when infectious danceable music like this was loaded onto jukeboxes and played in steamy groove joints pulsating with dancers. The music brings a smile to your face and fills you with joy and, like his earlier ‘Shuffle’ album, you will reach for it repeatedly. Joining him is Bénébig’s daughter Lucia who is responsible for designing the album cover and creating animation for a promotional YouTube clip. I have posted the YouTube cut ‘Black Cat’ from the album.
A time-honoured B3 big band tradition is followed here, featuring 13 horns which lends considerable heft to the rhythm section. It would be easy to drown out soloists and to eclipse the organ with a behemoth like this but the soloists get plenty of room to shine, and shine they do. The album is available now on Spotify and a vinyl edition is on the way for audiophiles.
Mick Fraser (trumpet 1), Shane Gillard (trumpet 2), Gianni Mariucci (trumpet 3), Rob Planck (trumpet 4), Roger Schmidl (trombone 1), Ben Gillespie (trombone 2), Jessica Jacobs (trombone 3), Adrian Sherriff (bass trombone), Lachlan Davidson (alto sax 1/flute 1/sop sax), Rob Simone (alto sax 2/flute 2), Anton Delecca (tenor Sax 1/clarinet 2), Paul Cornelius (tenor sax 2/clarinet 1), Stuart Byrne (baritone sax/bass clarinet), Jack Pantazis (guitar), Gideon Marcus (drums), Michel Bénébig (A105 Hammond organ Leslie 147), Phil Noy (recording engineer), Lachlan Carrick (mastering Engineer), Lucia Bénébig (front cover art)
~Random Delights~
Sambandha: Heartcore For Nepal
Recently, I received a press release from colleague Arlette Hovinga. The project outlined was the vision of Mikaela Bokova, the manager of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s independent music label, Heartcore Records. The object was to raise money for disadvantaged children in Nepal, and on board for this recording are an impressive list of jazz and world music luminaries: John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gerald Clayton, Kit Downes, Anmol Mahara and Dinesh Pun. Sambandha was written by combining two traditional Nepalese folk tunes, and it’s performed by the 20-piece children’s choir Bokova organised while running a music workshop at Mangala School, Babiyachaur, Nepal.
The revenue from the release will go towards buying the children’s musical instruments. In your browser or here, click on heartcore-records.com then once opened, locate Sabandha and purchase your download (5 Euros). It can also be purchased in Bandcamp. Please pass on the word and enjoy. I play this often. You will also find a delightful video on YouTube on the making of this by typing Heartcore for Nepal Sambandha. There is a deficit of joy in today’s world, but giving to those in the greatest need is a sure way to top up the supply.
Skilaa: Tiger In The Water
The cut I am posting is tagged ‘psychedelic R&B’ and the descriptor is intriguing. Everyone featured in this band is an accomplished jazz musician and it shows. Boundaries have been deliberately blurred until a new, fresh kind of music emerges, which catches your attention because it is familiar but not familiar. The concept, compositions and delightful artwork are those of vocalist Chelsea Prastiti. Her boundless energy is evident here. In Aotearoa, it is not unusual for Jazz-trained musicians to make inroads into Indie-Rock, Soul-Funk and Indie-Pop and do it well, even better (think The Beths). Skilaa will be a band to watch. The band are Chelsea Prastiti (vocals, compositions, artwork), Tom Denison (bass), Adam Tobeck (drums), and Michael Howell (guitar) with guest vocalist Crystal Choi (recorded by Callum Passels).
The ‘Astounding Eyes of Rita’ – Trio Natalino Marchetti, Francesco Savoretti, Mauro Sigura
I have previously posted on Mauro Sigura, an oud improviser. He recently sent me this clip of his trio featuring oud, with accordion and percussion. The tune is a well-known composition by Anouar Brahem, ‘The Astounding Eyes of Rita’. Improvised music like this is prevalent across the Mediterranean region and deserves a wider audience. This is such a lovely tune and so beautifully realised here. Mauro Sigura (oud), Francesca Savoretti (percussioni), Natalino Marchetti (fisarmonica). Recorded in Rome.
Before I became aware of the trio albums, I was already familiar with the Ingi Bjarni Quintet through his Tenging album, which I can only describe as extraordinary. Tenging is an album of breathtaking beauty and invention, evoking an ECM aesthetic. I love to hear musicians who boldly tell unique stories and flirt with the unexpected. There are many things to like about this album, such as the folksy, often Slavic-referencing modal melodies, the minimalism and the way the tunes are structured, often atypically. The essence of the group is especially evident in the title track, “Tenging”.
There is excitement but also a sense of space and calm. Throughout, the music fully engages the listener. They are all excellent musicians, achieving a unity of purpose that is rare in a young band like this. The Norwegian trumpeter Jakob Eri Myhre has a Nordic edgy breathiness about his sound, and the Estonian guitarist Merje Kägu is just marvellous. My first encounter with this Quintet was as a 7VirtualJazzClub judge. Guitarist Merje Kägu was a knockout during that clip, a Nordic version of Mary Halvorson.
Fragile Magic, the trio album, will be released in March. Advancing the concepts explored in earlier trio releases. Here, the bass, drums and piano achieve perfect balance. As with the larger ensembles, the players breathe the same musical air. The interplay is of the highest order. The compositions often arise from Satie-like minimalism and build on that, expanding the themes. Here, the exquisite touch, a feature of Skúlson’s playing, is accentuated. The pianist can also adopt a more percussive approach, contrasting his gentle minimalism.
Ingi Bjani (full name Ingi Bjani Skúlson) is a celebrated musician in Iceland. Now, the wider Jazz world is starting to notice. His trio albums and quintet are the best known, but he has an established quartet and performs in a duo and solo. He attended the F.I.H. School of Music in Reykjavík, Den Haag Royal Conservatory in the Netherlands and undertook a Jazz Master’s in composition at Oslo and Copenhagen conservatories. His mentors have included many notables, including Aaron Parks and Anders Jormin. If you are new to his work, start with Tenging” and take it from there.
The musicians on Fragile Magic: Ingi Bjarni Skúlson (Piano), Bárður Reinert Poulsen (bass), (Faroe Isles) and Magnús Trygvason Eliassen (drums). Bandcamp, {Spotify ~ (sample track)}
The musicians on Tenging: Ingi Bjarni (piano, compositions), Jakob Eri Myhre, Merje Käju (guitar), Daniel Andersson (bass), Tore Ljøkelsøy (drums) ~ Ingi Barjani Quintet is available on Bandcamp @ https://ingibjarni.bandcamp.com/album/tenging
Flicker & Polar Bird ~ Andrea Keller (Australia)
Andrea Keller’s recorded output is bold, engaging and original. This album is no exception. “Flicker & Polar Bird” is a double album and her twenty-third release as a leader. The album is the result of her time as the Coombs Creative Arts Fellow in 2022 and also features various commissions undertaken between 2010 and 2022.
The first disk, Flicker, has a deliciously melancholic feel. Not one of weighty sadness but the pleasant melancholia of Shakespeare: ‘A melancholia of mine own…a sundry rumination of my travels. Flicker is just that, as Keller reflects and reimagines older works and places them alongside new compositions. Composers like Keller arouse deep emotions in a listener, aided by pianistic minimalism and the judicious use of open sonic textures. The relationships between pieces are carefully thought through, as are the musicians she chooses to realise her visions. Completing the trio is John Mackey, a superb tenor saxophonist and Miroslav Bukovsky, the trumpeter who appeared with Keller on The Komeda Project album. Completing the complement of musicians are two six-piece string sections (Canberra & Sydney) and two voices.
The second disk, “Polar Bird”, brings in the voices of Rachel Toms and Liam Budge, reciting a poem, singing wordlessly and reading prose. The addition of human voices is in keeping with the overall vibe, as they blend into the mix. The vocalists are instruments. Everything on these albums invites a deeper listening, as the beauty of the playing and the compositions stir varying emotional responses. Anyone who follows Keller will know to expect originality and excellence and how nice hearing an E.E. Cummings poem intoned so beautifully.
The trio musicians are Andrea Keller (compositions, arranging, piano), John Mackey (tenor saxophone) and Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet). All of Andrea Keller’s albums are available on Bandcamp in digital, CD or vinyl formats @ https://andreakeller.bandcamp.com/album/flicker-polar-bird
Devotion ~ Muriel Grossmann (Spain)
When I saw an invitation to review Devotion in my inbox, I listened, intrigued. It halted me in my tracks; how had I not been aware of this musician before? What started as layered electrically-tinged grooves morphed into spiritual jazz and referencing other genres as it seamlessly navigated pulsing vamps. What appeared at first to be a classic groove unit was that, but also something else entirely. During the first track, “Absolute Truth”, pulsing and unhurried, the groove mesmerises; then Muriel Grossmann winds her way into a solo that builds its momentum and wows you. From there, we hear one stunning solo after another, amazingly cohesive, considering that each soloist takes a different approach to effect.
It’s hard to know how to unpack a cornucopia like this. It doesn’t feel like a studio album, but it is. Imagine descending a flight of stairs to find yourself in the jazz club of your dreams. A heady zone that affects you at the molecular level as the music and vibe wash over you. The tunes captivate one by one, great compositions, but also the ideal vehicles for collective and individual improvisation. I love a good groove unit, but it has been a long time since I was this blown away by one. There are echoes of Lonnie Smith, Pat Martino and Pharoah Sanders, but the album stands steadfastly on its merits. It borrows echoes from the past and creates something uniquely new.
Grossmann is a multi-instrumentalist with nine instruments credited, and out of this comes the expansive sound. The listener quickly realises that her compositions and the various textures under her fingers elevate the extraordinary soundscape. All of that, and they can swing like crazy. The musicians: Muriel Grossmann (tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, flute, percussion, tambura, upright bass, kalimba, harmonium), Radomir Milojkovic (guitars), Abel Boquera (Hammond B3 organ), Uros Stamenkovic (drums). This double album available digitally, on CD and vinyl, through Bandcamp @ https://murielgrossmann.bandcamp.com/album/devotion-2
“In Green” EP ~ Taylor Griffin (Aotearoa/New Zealand)
“In Green” is a groove-based EP due to be released around now. A debut album written and produced by Taylor Griffin, a drummer from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland and co-produced by well-known Auckland Jazz musician Nathan Haines. The title track, “In Green”, opens with an inviting piano segment, played against background club chatter, shortly after dropping you into a deep and pleasant groove. The rest of the album flows nicely from there, maintaining the groove of the opening track.
The album oozes the warm sounds of summer with its danceable urban groove feel. The laid-back vibe and accessibility are the result of well-constructed compositions and the skilful integration of vocal lines woven into the instrumental mix, a clincher for me. The vocalese of Rachael Clarke, Saia Falou and Griffin is perfect, complementing and blending with Nathan Haines’s airy flute lines and soprano saxophone. The playing is tight and the mix is just right, everyone sounds good.
This is a fine debut release for Griffin. The band: Taylor Griffin (drums, compositions, percussion, vocals, arrangements), Leo McMenamin (Keyboards), Robert Picot (guitar), Guy Harrison (trumpet synths), Charlie Isdale (alto and tenor saxophone, flute), Geoff Ong (guitar, bass), special guests Nathan Haines (flute, soprano saxophone), Michal Martyniuk (Rhodes, synths).
JazzLocal32.com was rated as one of the 50 best Jazz Blogs in the world by Feedspot. The author is a professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association, a Judge in the 7VJC International Jazz Competition, and apoet & writer. Some of these posts appear on other sites with the author’s permission.
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