Mike Downes - Root Structure (ADDO RECORDS 2017)

Featuring four of Canada’s top jazz musicians – Mike Downes (JUNO Award winner 2014), Robi Botos (JUNO Award winner 2016), Ted Quinlan (JUNO nomination 1998) and Larnell Lewis (Grammy Award winner with Snarky Puppy 2017), “Root Structure” explores lyrical compositions with a deep underlying structural integrity. Mike undertook an extensive study of large ensemble writing (including the work of Gil Evans and Maria Schneider), culminating in a Master’s degree in composition and the release of his recording “In the Current,” (Addo Records, 2014) featuring a 12-piece chamber jazz ensemble. Inspired by new approaches to form, structure and the interweaving of improvisation and melodic development, Mike brought these ideas into his latest quartet recording.

From Mike Downes – “In music and life, I’ve always been interested in what lies beneath the surface: the underlying structures that hold everything together, the strength that resides deep down. The music in this recording was composed and performed in this spirit.”

"5/5 - This album is as close to perfect as it is possible to get and fully warrants its rating here. Buy it!"  Alan Musson, UK Vibe

“One of the most intriguing and innovative small group jazz recordings of the year” Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, theWholeNote

“Simply beautifully-written repertoire. Downes’ traversal of the ten songs is spellbinding…” Raul da Gama, Toronto Music Report

“The new album is amazingly good, the music well composed, the redemption completely eminent and the whole thing so absolutely listenable… compositions and improvisations flow naturally, organically, and it makes the experience special.”  Ivan Rod, Danish jazz critic

“Mike has produced a beautiful new record that shows the great playing of these heavyweights but also Mike's tremendous compositions.” JAZZ.FM91 First Listen

“Root Structure is, as stated, a world class recording from beginning to end… the album presents ten wide-ranging compositions primarily written by Downes and executed with exceptional musicality by the quartet” Textura

“The music soars with melody and lush solos along with powerful rhythmic foundation… Jazz versions of classical tunes are common, but this group’s interpretation of a Chopin’s Prelude shows how such a crossover should be done…” Keith Black, The Winnipeg Free Press

“Mike Downes' "Root Structure" has everything a jazz lover looks for in a record: outstanding compositions, tight ensemble play and dynamic soloing. "Root Structure" demands repeated listens with constant rewards.” Ron Steeds, CKCU-FM

“A super tasty quartet date that's sure to bring him another Juno, this bass ace is incapable of letting you down. By all means, put this winner on your list.” Midwest Record

“They swing or they quietly reflect, they expand tunes or play with tightness and precision...The title tune is also funky and catchy..." KUCI.org 88.9 FM

Momentum

Heart Of The Matter

Miles

Moving Mountains

The Raven

Root Structure

Flow

Pre- Prelude

Prelude And Variations

Matter Of The Heart

Mike Downes: bass

Ted Quinlan: guitars

Robi Botos: piano, keyboards

Larnell Lewis: drums

Mino Lanzieri - Endless (FILIBUSTA RECORDS 2017)

“Endless” è il nuovo capitolo discografico firmato da Mino Lanzieri, puro talento della chitarra jazz tricolore. Al suo fianco, per questo progetto, due colossi statunitensi del calibro di Reuben Rogers (contrabbasso) e Gene Jackson (batteria). Il disco consta di otto brani, fra cui “Unconventional mind”, “Endless” e “Media luz” frutto dell’ispirata vena compositiva del chitarrista campano, mentre “Fee fi fo fum” (Wayne Shorter), “Shenandoah” (tradizionale), “The things we did last summer” (Jule Styne), “Ting for Ray” (Reuben Rogers) e “Playing love – Solo” (Ennio Morricone) completano la tracklist. “Endless”, quarta traccia del CD, rapisce immediatamente l’attenzione, sin dalle prime battute. L’eloquio di Lanzieri è energico, tensivo, ricco di spunti armonici interessanti. Rogers cesella un solo particolarmente intenso, impreziosito da una fascinosa cantabilità. Il tema di “Media luz” esalta il genuino senso melodico di Mino Lanzieri. Qui l’incedere del chitarrista è ornato da un verace spirito narrativo. “Ting for Ray” è un accattivante brano mid-tempo. L’elocuzione improvvisativa di Lanzieri è sostenuta da un timing incalzante, pregna di maliarde blue notes. Rogers si esprime attraverso uno sfavillante senso dello swing.

“Endless” è un album che coniuga sapientemente modern jazz e contemporary jazz, in cui regna un assoluto equilibrio e un consolidato interplay.  Mino Lanzieri, brillantemente coadiuvato dai suoi due formidabili compagni di viaggio, racconta e descrive la sua musica con sincerità e toccante generosità, senza mai trincerarsi e celarsi dietro tediose e pleonastiche sovrastrutture. Stefano Dentice

1 Unconventional Mind (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 4:46

2 Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 3:56

3 Oh Shenandoah (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 3:48

4 Endless (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 6:18

5 Media Luz (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 5:57

6 The Things We Did Last Summer (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 7:18

7 Ting for Ray (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 5:14

8 Playing Love (feat. Reuben Rogers & Gene Jackson) 2:57

Mino Lanzieri (guitar)

Reuben Rogers (bass)

Gene Jackson (drums)

Tomas Fujiwara - Triple Double (FIREHOUSE 12 RECORDS 2017)

Bandleader, composer, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara possesses a musical dexterity that could go unnoticed if not for its ripple effect. He has brought his rhythmic and compositional imprint to a wide variety of settings – as a member of the collective trio Thumbscrew (with Mary Halvorson and Michael Formanek), in a long-standing duo with Taylor Ho Bynum, and as a supporting member in groups led by Bynum, Halvorson, Matana Roberts, Tomeka Reid, Amir ElSaffar, and Nicole Mitchell. While these collaborative efforts could define and sustain him, a more ambitious musical intelligence emerges on closer inspection.

1. Diving For Quarters 11:00

2. Blueberry Eyes 05:58

3. Hurry Home B/G 03:32

4. Pocket Pass 02:46

5. For Alan 08:00

6. Love And Protest 07:43

7. Decisive Shadow 05:52

8. Hurry Home M/T 03:21

9. Toasting The Mart 04:02

10. To Hours 06:20

Tomas Fujiwara – drums

Gerald Cleaver - drums

Mary Halvorson – guitar

Brandon Seabrook - guitar

Taylor Ho Bynum – cornet

Ralph Alessi - trumpet

Mary Halvorson Quartet – Paimon: Book of Angels Volume 32 (2017)

After thirteen years and thirty-two CDs Zorn's expansive Book of Angels project is now complete! This final installment presents the last ten unrecorded compositions from Masada Book Two and the variety, drama and lyricism is just as strong as the very first volume. Mary Halvorson, a long time Masada fan and one of the most acclaimed guitarists of her generation leads a dynamic quartet featuring Miles Okazaki, Drew Gress and Tomas Fujiwara. The music is intense, wild and incredibly varied, a beautiful and fitting conclusion to this historic Masada series, hailed as one of Zorn's best!

1 Chaskiel

2 Beniel

3 Ruhiel

4 Dahariel

5 Yeqon

6 Uzza

7 Verchiel

8 Jesodoth

9 Phul

10 Rachmiah

Drew Gress: Bass

Tomas Fujiwara: Drums

Mary Halvorson: Guitar

Miles Okazaki: Guitar

Roberto Bottalico - Alter & Go (FILIBUSTA RECORDS 2017)

Quando la Musica diventa Cuore per un’altra Musica prende vita l’Anima di un Jazz in Eterno Divenire: “Alter & Go” è nel battito travolgente  di un Hard Bop privo di reliquie mainstream e libero di ripensare la Coscienza Alternativa che fu straordinaria controcorrente negli anni in cui lo Stile sembrò cristallizzarsi nelle tante forme accondiscendenti nei confronti del nascente grande affare dell’industria musicale, del tutto esterne all’Anima Blue e all’Umanesimo della Creatività innovativa della fine degli anni 50 e della prima metà dei 70.

All’interno di questi riferimenti, privo di certa bulimia Free e talora nelle direzioni del Progressive Rock di Soft Machine e King Crimson, “Alter & Go” è leggibile nel “siamo altro e per questo suoniamo”, come nel “Raal” di in un AlterEgo attento all’impulso ascendente di John Coltrane (al quale tutti dobbiamo essere grati) e nelle Blue Notes mosse da un vento futuro che disegna Melodie ampie e coinvolgenti, colori vibranti e forti nei Soli “a cuore aperto” dell’interessante compositore  Roberto Bottalico al sax (“What’s”) e di Tiziano Ruggeri alla tromba (“Intermission Riff”), emotività distoniche di ballads sospese (“Aka Waltz”) o crepuscolari (“Song for Mat”), variando in modo originale sincretismi Funk (“A.plays with B.”) per poi comprendere il nodo centrale dell’altera stranezza del Genio solitario ed egocentrico di Thelonious Monk (“Well you needn’t”), maestro d’improvvisazione e sciamano d’invenzioni armoniche cui, a giusta ragione, il Quartetto rende omaggio facendo appello all’istinto primitivo delle dissonanze, inseguendo suoni che con agilità fuggono nella piacevolissima apertura dinamica del calore cromatico di Augusto Creni alla chitarra e nel nitore espositivo di Pietro Ciancaglini al contrabbasso e Pietro Fumagalli alla batteria.

In tutta sincerità: a noi il Jazz piace così, spontaneo com’ è nella sua natura storica, memore dei Maestri e sempre libero di disegnare innovazioni e luci estemporanee, poiché ciò che al di fuori ne resta è spesso noia e apatico tran tran. Fabrizio Ciccarelli

1.Alter & go

2.What’s

3.Raal

4.Aka waltz

5.A.plays with B.

6.Song for Mat

7.Well you needn’t 

8.La ballata dei gufi gemelli 

9.A.plays with B.

10.Intermission

Roberto Bottalico : sax tenore, composizione(eccetto 7:Th.Monk, 10:R.Wetzel)

Pietro Ciancaglini: contrabbasso

Augusto Creni: chitarra

Pietro Fumagalli: batteria

Tiziano Ruggeri: tromba in “La ballata dei gufi gemelli” e “A. plays with B.”