Sunday, October 22, 2017

EABS - Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda) ASTIGMATIC RECORDS 2017



EABS "Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda)" - An Eastern-European response to the Jazz Renaissance

The growth in popularity of jazz music in recent years has been described as a renaissance or new chapter for the genre. Attracting new audiences has seen a growth in acclaim for international artists including Kamasi Washington & The West Coast Get Down collective or BadBadNotGood. This resurgence has also been felt within british jazz scene. Musicians such as Yussef Kamaal, Shabaka Hutchings, Ruby Rushton, Nubya Garcia or Moses Boyd have put a new stamp on jazz music by fusing elements of classic jazz with modern sounds. Polish septet, EABS applies a similar philosophy to their music, blending traditional Polish Jazz with sounds from other genres, thus creating a new and personal interpretation of modern jazz.


EABS debut album entitled “Repetitions (Letters To Krzysztof Komeda)” is a dedication to Polish Jazz legend Krzysztof Komeda. This album is an analysis of conscientiously selected compositions by Komeda between 1962-1967. EABS explores some of Komeda’s lesser-known compositions featured in ballet etudes, movies, short films, documentaries, animations and compositions illustrating Polish poems recited in German. 

Carefully chosen compositions, the background of the movies for which the music had been written and Marek Pędziwiatr’s lyrics all add up to “Repetitions” being some kind of a concept album about the condition of the human soul in the 21st century. The questions one may ask might be similar to those which could have been asked by the artists witnessing post-war debris: will history come full circle? Lack of knowledge, flourishing idiocracy, aggression, aiming for conflicts, shortage of community spirit and love may lead to another doomsday. Perhaps we simply aren’t able to see the impending doom now… Just like in a poem by Czesław Miłosz, “A Song on the End of the World”, to which Krzysztof Komeda wrote “Waltzing Beyond”. 


EABS have created their unique compositions by employing an approach exercising the idea of “reconstruction from deconstruction” where sampling and looping are merged with jazz improvisations. The injection of hip-hop, jungle, funk, gospel and electronic music add a futuristic tone to the tracks. However EABS have made a conscious decision to ensure their nod to Komeda enables the spirit of the Polish Jazz to remain alive. Michal Urbaniak another Polish Jazz legend is the only guest on the album. His violin can be heard on the track “Free Witch And No Bra Queen/ Sult”.

1. Knowledge (Introdukcja do Etiudy Baletowej) 04:08
2. Perły i Dukaty XIV / Repetition 10:55
3. Private Conversation VIII 06:16
4. Niekochana 05:07
5. Pingwin VI 07:18
6. Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult ft. Michał Urbaniak 05:52
7. God is Love (Bariera XIII) 04:59
8. Step Into the Light (Wiklinowy Kosz) 10:54
9. Waltzing Beyond (The Song on the Day the World Ends) 03:48


Marek Pędziwiatr - piano, synths, vocal
Vojto Monteur - guitar
Paweł Stachowiak - bass
Jakub Kurek - trumpet
Olaf Węgier - tenor sax
Marcin Rak - drums
Spisek Jednego - turntables


Uwe Oberg / Rudi Mahall / Michel Griener - Lacy Pool__2 (LEO RECORDS 2017)


Lacy Pool is a small group of musicians whom Uwe Oberg picks to unlock Steve Lacy's compositions. Why no bass? Uwe Oberg: "That never was a question. I wanted the band to function unlike a jazz quartet and it should not have a soprano sax. Now Lacy's pieces were mine and ours, and it got easier and easier, everything fell into place. The clarity, the repeating motifs, the collage approach, the deconstruction, the flow. What fun!"

Deadline
Cliches
Trickles
Field (Spring)
Blues for Aida
Ladies
Jazz ab 40
Dreams
Troubles



Gilles Barikosky - Weeping Willow (2017)


Mathias Levy - Revisiting Grappelli (JAZZ FAMILY 2017)


Avec talent et audace, Mathias Lévy renouvelle la tradition du violon jazz en réactivant l’héritage de Stéphane Grappelli grâce à un disque enregistré à la Philharmonie de Paris, sur un violon ayant appartenu au maître disparu voici vingt ans. Quel musicien le premier a-t-il fait swinguer Bach, enregistré aussi bien avec les Pink Floyd que Yehudi Menuhin, contribué à l’invention d’un jazz sur instruments à cordes, partagé le studio avec Coleman Hawkins et Oscar Peterson, signé la musique du mythique film Les Valseuses et fait le tour du monde avec son « violon pour tout bagage » ¡Stéphane Grappelli ! Autrefois star mondiale, de nos jours un peu négligé, le violoniste est pourtant l’un des rares Français à s’être fait une place parmi les « grands » du jazz. La postérité est ingrate, elle a ses lacunes et ses injustices et relègue parfois dans l’ombre des hommes qui devraient occuper une large place dans notre mémoire. À 35 ans, le violoniste Mathias Lévy, lui, n’a pas oublié Stéphane Grappelli. D’abord, parce qu’il lui a procuré ses premières émotions de jazz et lui a transmis la sensation virale du swing. Ensuite, parce que Grappelli est celui qui, le premier, a permis à son instrument — le violon — de se faire une place au sein du jazz, grâce au tandem fabuleux qu’il formait avec Django Reinhardt au sein du fameux Quintette du Hot Club de France. Deux bonnes raisons à ses yeux de célébrer son importance et de s’inscrire dans sa descendance : « Revisiting Grappelli ».

« On peut dire que Grappelli était dans une position de pionnier et non d’aventurier, souligne Mathias Lévy. À la différence de Django, il n’a pas nécessairement recherché ce truc de la modernité qui veut qu’un artiste doive absolument évoluer. Certes, il a moins évolué dans son style que Django mais n’oublions pas que cette manière d’envisager le jazz, c’est tout de même lui qui l’a inventée et qu’elle reste, de fait, porteuse de modernité ! » 


1 Alyson 06:02
2 Valse du passé 04:28
3 Marno 04:43
4 Giboulées de mars 05:37
5 Wish You Were Here 04:46
6 Denise 01:08
7 Concerto en Ré Mineur pour deux violons 05:41
8 Souvenir de Willingen / Rolls 05:01
9 Milou en mai 04:54
10 Evelyne 03:12

Mathias Lévy : violon
Sebastien Giniaux : guitare sur 1,2,3,4,5,8,9 et violoncelle sur 6,7.8
Jean Philippe Viret :contrebasse
François Salque : violoncelle sur 7,8


Best World Music Album: "Neotolian Song" by Neotolia (INTERROBANG RECORDS)


To stream the entire album, watch music videos, read reviews, request a free CD,
and more, please visit: 


MUSIC VIDEOS:

Aruán Ortiz's "Cuban Nocturne" Shipping Now (NEW VELLE RECORDS)


We are very proud to be shipping our fifth record of our Second Season.
Jazz pianist's Aruán Ortiz's Cuban Nocturne is a beautiful tribute to the music that started Arúan on his musical journey.


Cuban Nocturne

"These songs became a reflection on the music that saturated Aruán’s childhood, a repertoire for the most part, perhaps surprisingly, he has never played before.  As Aruán weds his singular genius for improvisation to the classical repertoire of his homeland, what emerges is an investigation of selfhood.  It’s the sound of a man balancing and synthesizing the elements of his musical identity." excerpted from the liner notes by Elan Mehler



Our last record in our Second Season set is from legendary bassist Rufus Reid.  This is an original set of music from Rufus featuring his trio along side of the acclaimed "Sirius Quartet."  Rufus's writing for strings is startling in its originality and beauty. 


Season Three is now available for pre-order!  We are so excited about this line up next year.  Skulli Sverrisson and Bill Frisell, Steve Cardenas, Lionel Loueke, Andrew Zimmerman, Francisco Mela, Jason Palmer...featuring Dave Douglas, Thomas Morgan, Kris Davis, Kevin Hays and many more.... 


"If I’m beginning to sound like a broken record with my praise for the by-subscription releases from Newvelle Records, blame the people responsible for these LPs, which consistently rise to the top in terms of music and sound."  Guy Lemcoe, The Audio Beat


John Patitucci Trio Featuring Yotam Silberstein and Rogerio Boccato  
Kevin Hays and Lionel Loueke Duo 
Jon Cowherd Quartet featuring Steve Cardenas, Tony Scherr and Brian Blade 
Chris Tordini Trio featuring Becca Stevens and Greg Ruggerio 
Aruán Ortiz revisiting the music of the great Cuban classical composers
Rufus Reid Trio with Steve Allee and Duduka Da Fonseca and featuring the Sirius Quartet 

All of our cover and interior photographs for Season Two come from the astonishing French Collective Tendance Floue.  Our Recording Engineer on all six records is the incomparable multi-Grammy winning Marc Urselli.  Mastering engineer is the brilliant Alex Deturk .  Jim Hoppin and Sarah Enid Hagey shot lovely video for us at these sessions.  All video editing is by the award-winning Ben Chace.  Jordan Kleinman shoots all our studio photos.  Our web team is run by French genius Aymeric Auberger.  Social Media management by Jessye Mehler.  Newvelle is run by:  Elan Mehler and Jean-Christophe Morisseau