XYQuartet second best Italian band (nusica.org)

Il 2018 comincia bene per nusica.org

XYQUARTET

è secondo classificato tra i gruppi italiani ai TOP JAZZ! 

 Il celebre sondaggio della rivista Musica Jazz ha premiato XYQuartet

come secondo miglior gruppo italiano. 

Grazie a Musica Jazz e ai giornalisti e critici che hanno apprezzato la nostra proposta!

Intanto siamo pronti a ripartire, più energici che mai, con XYQuartet per un tour europeo che ci porta in Slovenia, Austria (Vienna), Ungheria (Budapest), Germania, Polonia e Lussemburgo.

Seguiteci e ascoltate i nostri cd (liberamente scaricabili!) sul sito di nusica.org 

A good new year beginning for nusica.org

XYQUARTET 

2nd best band at TOP JAZZ referendum!

The popular Top Jazz referendum - engaged since 1982 by the oldest italian Jazz Magazine, Musica Jazz - awarded XYQuartet as the second best jazz band in Italy. Thanks to Musica Jazz and to the journalists and critics who appreciate our proposal!

Now we are ready for the new  XYQuartet European tour towards Slovenia, Austria (Wien), Hungary (Budapest), Germany, Poland and Luxembourg.

Stay tuned and listen to our cds (you can download for free on nusica.org website)

Voro García Quintet - Live at Jamboree (SEDAJAZZ RECORDS 2018)

"Muy afortunado me siento al poder reunir esta banda de ensueño para tocar mis últimas composiciones y poder grabarlo en uno de los clubes de jazz más emblemáticos de España como es el Jamboree de Barcelona.

También he contado con el aporte de uno de mis técnicos de sonido preferido: Jorge Pérez. Este valenciano cuenta con una experiencia nacional e internacional muy extensa e interesante.

Tengo la suerte también de haber contado con Antonio Porcar, para las fotografías que se incluyen en el disco. Los diseñadores gráficos son los mismos que diseñaron mi último proyecto (guillotinaestudio.com).

Grabado el 10 de agosto en el Jamboree durante el festival de jazz de MasiMas.

Muchas gracias."

Voro García

1 A la luz

2 Bones

3 Salto al vacío

4 Ibiza Gris

5 Hell Glammer

6 Samba pa tri

7 Stablements

Voro Garcia, trompeta

Chris Cheek, saxo tenor

Peter Bernstein, guitarra

Dee Jay Foster, contrabajo

Jorge Rossy, batería

Quin Kirchner - The Other Side of Time (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

We are so thrilled to present what Peter Margasak has dubbed “The first great jazz record of 2018.”

“The Other Side Of Time” is the debut album from Quin Kirchner, a drummer, composer & sound explorer from Chicago. A consummate sideman, Kirchner has been heard performing & recording with countless musicians in the diverse Chicago music scene including groups led by Jeb Bishop, Greg Ward, Paul Giallorenzo, Bill MacKay, Ryley Walker, Rob Clearfield, Dave Miller, Nick Mazzarella, Nate Lepine, Dave McDonnell, Keefe Jackson and the bands blink., Health&Beauty, NOMO, In Tall Buildings & Wild Belle.

With “The Other Side Of Time,” Kirchner creates a cross-genre, wide-spectrum exploration through his sonic personality. It includes original compositions, spontaneous improvisations, and solo drum pieces alongside interpretations of classics by Sun Ra, Andrew Hill, Charles Mingus, Paul Motian, Phil Cohran & Arthur Verocai. Joining him in his working band is an assemblage of Chicago luminaries – Jason Stein, Nate Lepine, Nick Broste, Matt Ulery & Ben Boye.

Beautiful double LP pressed at Third Man Pressing in Detroit, with Stoughton tip-on gatefold jackets and absolutely stunning artwork from Damon Locks (Eternals, Exploding Star Orchestra, Trenchmouth, etc).

1. The Ritual 11:04

2. Brainville 03:48

3. Crossings 03:39

4. Drums & Tines Pt 1 03:51

5. Wondrous Eyes 10:36

6. Limbo / The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers 08:21

7. Resounder 03:16

8. Together We Can Explore the Furthest Beyond 04:13

9. Mumbo Jumbo 05:15

10. Flutter 01:35

11. Karina 04:59

12. Drums & Tines Pt. 2 06:07

13. Armageddon 14:12

14. Ripple 02:21

15. Self-Portrait In Three Colors 03:18

Quin Kirchner - drums, percussion, kalimba, sampler, wurlitzer

Nick Broste - trombone

Nate Lepine - tenor saxophone, flute

Jason Stein - bass clarinet

Matt Ulery - bass

Ben Boye - piano on Together...

Recorded at Minbal & Future House in Chicago, IL

Engineered by Nick Broste, Benjamin Balcom & Quin Kirchner

Mixed by Nick Broste at Shape Shoppe

Mastered by Peter Andreadis at All City Mastering

Produced by Quin Kirchner

Artwork by Damon Locks

All compositions by Quin Kirchner (BMI) except

Limbo written by Andrew Hill

The Shoes Of The Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers & Self Portrait In Three Colors written by Charles Mingus

Brainville written by Sun Ra

Karina (Domingo No Grajaú) written by Arthur Verocai

Mumbo Jumbo written by Paul Motian

Armageddon written by Kelan Phil Cohran

Shakers n' Bakers - Heart Love (February 14, 2018)

In 1968, after years of being one of the most charismatic and controversial characters in the free jazz movement of the 1960’s, the saxophonist Albert Ayler made a recording called “New Grass”, comprised of songs that he had created along with his musical and life partner Mary Maria Parks. These new songs spoke with the directness of the language of R n’ B and Soul music and were produced with a slick sound by Bob Thiele for the Impulse label. This music expresses Albert and Mary Maria’s beautiful vision of a world filled with happiness and universal love. While Albert’s own playing on the record shows the same fire and freedom he exhibited throughout his entire recording career, the album was a departure from the less structured sound of his previously recorded music. This music used the familiar forms of popular music forms to express an ecstatic millennial vision of Heaven on Earth. 

Upon it’s release, the album “New Grass” was subjected to great criticism, most pointedly by some of the people who had championed Albert in his early career and raised him up as a hero of the new jazz. In the magazine “Cricket”, Amiri Baraka and his editors accused Albert of being a “sell-out” who had appeased Impulse Records by making an album that was intended to broaden his appeal to a wider audience. Albert made one more album for Impulse, but within 3 years of the release of “New Grass” he was suddenly gone, the victim of a tragic drowning in the East River. 

The album’s utopian vision and millennial fervor resonate deeply and I have felt for a long time that my group Shakers n’ Bakers was the perfect ensemble to re-visit the rarely heard songs on this recording. In addition to these joyful and visionary songs you will hear some traditional Spiritual songs included here that Albert had previously recorded as well. I have made my case for the connections between the “Vision Songs” of the Shaker religious sect and the music of Albert Ayler in the previous two Shakers n’ Bakers recordings - here I focus only on the second part of that equation, although in the opening recitation you will hear a Shaker text that I uncovered in original manuscript form while doing research in 2013 as a NEH “Summer Scholar” at the NY State Archives in Albany. The opening words of this recording have not been uttered since the mid-19th Century and speak to the power of revelation of the divine through human expression that connects the Shakers and Albert. 

1. Message from Mother Ann

2. Everybody's Movin'

3. Oh Love of Life!

4. Deep River

5. Music is the Healing Force of the Universe

6. A Man is Like a Tree

7. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

8. New Generation

9. Swing Low Sweet Chariot

10. Goin' Home

11. Heart Love 05:08

Shakers n’ Bakers: 

Mary LaRose / Miles Griffith – vocals 

Jeff Lederer – Tenor Saxophone, flute 

Jamie Saft – piano, organ, Baldwin electric harpsichord 

Chris Lightcap – bass 

Allison Miller – drums 

With: 

Steven Bernstein – trumpet, slide trumpet 

Kirk Knuffke – cornet 

Joe Fiedler – trombone 

Lisa Parrott – baritone saxophone 

Special guest on #7 and #9 

Matt Wilson – drums 

And the “Heart Love Singers”: 

Amy Cervini, Mary LaRose, Melissa Stylliano, Toni Seawright, Chelsea McClauren. 

All arrangements by Jeff Lederer ç ledrose music (bmi) 

Recorded May 1 and 2 at Systems Two, Brooklyn NY 

Engineered by Mike Marciano 

Mixed by Jamie Saft at Potterville International Sound. 

Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Sound. 

Shaker “Gift Hearts” created by the women of the Shakers community graciously provided by the Hancock Shaker Village. 

Designed by Guillermo Prado, Eight Point Two studio.

Brandon Lopez / Gerald Cleaver / Andria Nicodemou / Matt Nelson - The Industry of Entropy (RELATIVE PITCH RECORDS 2018)

Each member of this quartet comes from varied backgrounds, so that even I was surprised by the line-up: Matt Nelson (from Battle Trance), Andria Nicodemou (Leap of Faith, Boston-based), Brandon Lopez (for Nate Wooley & Ivo Perelman) and Gerald Cleaver (ever in demand & working with William Parker, Roscoe Mitchell & Joe Morris). Certainly this looks like an odd line-up on paper but it works. Starting with “Not”, this quartet has a calm yet frenzied chamber-like quality. Gerald Cleaver’s ever inventive drums are at the center of the storm which seems to flow quickly, all four members burning tightly together, weaving several strands, pulsating organically. On “Now” things slow down for a more spacious resonance, the careful rustling slowly increasing into a more fragmented, somewhat twisted tapestry. Ms. Nicodemou has only been on the scene for a few years but already has a reputation for playing spirited free vibes in a her own way. 

The interplay between her expressive vibes and the rest of the quartet is consistently engaging, if you listen closely you can hear her inserting some fascinating thematic lines in unexpected places. Tenor saxist, Matt Nelson, another up & coming young reeds wiz is also in fine form, pushing things over the top at times and also creating some strong textural sounds which seems to alter the flow. For those who love free music at its best and most focused, this is a real gem. Truly OUTstanding! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

1. Not 05:58

2. Now 23:26

3. Again 06:39

4. Yet 11:53

Brandon Lopez - contrabass

Matt Nelson - tenor saxophone

Andria Nicodemou - vibraphone

Gerald Cleaver - drums

Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière, Éric Normand, Louis-Vincent Hamel - Brûlez les meubles (2018)

Un rare album de jazz improvisé, ci-produit avec Circum-disc (France).

Le trio Brûlez les meubles est la réunion de trois musiciens aux parcours fort divergeants autour du désir de créer un trio de guitare jazz qui s'iinscrit de façon oblique dans l'histoire du genre. Nourrissant des filliations esthétiques avec de nombreux précurseurs, de Jim Hall à Sonny Sharrock en passant par Abercrombie ou Bill Frisell, le trio se démarque par une indiférence marquée pour les progession harmoniques habtituelles du jazz comme pour les mouvances répétitives et prévilégie des lignes mélodiques à l'harmonie indéfinie (harmolodie?) et des riffs inciisifs.

1. L'affaire digitale 03:48

2. Le bonheur 04:51

3. Éminence 07:09

4. Hypothèse 02:14

5. Chaîne de montagnes 05:55

6. Lacet défait 03:40

7. L'addition des sommets 04:21

Louis Beaudoin-de-la-Sablonnière (guitare)

Éric Normand (basse électrique)

Louis-Vincent Hamel (drums)

Daniel Levin / Chris Pitsiokos / Brandon Seabrook - Stomiidae (DARK TREE RECORDS 2018)

1. Photonectes Gracilis 05:00

2. Eustomias Trewavasae 07:55

3. Chauliodus Danae 02:21

4. Neonesthes Capensis 04:57

5. Opostomias Micripnus 08:20

6. Photostomias Atrox 02:02

7. Echiostoma Barbatum 07:34

Daniel Levin: cello

Chris Pitsiokos: alto saxophone

Brandon Seabrook: electric guitar