Republic of Jazz: May 24, 2018

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Uuskyla Øgrim & Berg - Oslo Hærverk (SIMLAS 2018)

The formation of the power impro trio Uuskyla Øgrim & Berg towards the end of 2016 was merely three weeks later followed by the release of their first album Ullr. A concert at the Gothenburg club BrÖtz in October the same year was recorded, initially not for release, but when Gunnar Backman at Brakophonic Studios managed to repair the rather rudimentary recording (done with a mic on a Zoom recorder placed in front of the drum set) the concert was released on the album called LAIV. Several months later the trio was invited to play at Kafé Hærverk in Oslo. The three Scandinavians had at this point proven their ability to create music from the near-to-nothingness of the instant here and now, using their combined musical luggage and a strong sense of freedom. So here comes five "tunes" or "stretches" from that inspired evening in front of an enthusiastic Oslo audience.

1. Tlaxkon 12:42

2. Stay Peaceful 11:42

3. Ofilikki 06:21

4. No Temple No Homes 07:46

5. Close To Closed 09:00

Peeter Uuskyla drums

Tellef Øgrim guitar

Anders Berg bass

Jihye Byun - Mai a Mi (2018)

Lyrical, peaceful and beautiful ballad ‘Mai A Mi’

Funky jazz blues ‘Blue blahblah’

Fresh modern and lyrical original ‘Mint Green’

Unique organized arrangement ‘Con Alma’

3 more her style of colorful original music

Jihye Byun is a Korean-born pianist, composer, and arranger. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Keyboard Performance from Musicians Institute. In 2015, she won a grand prize at Stanley Clarke Scholarship Competition. And she is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Jazz Performance at William Paterson University.

1. Mai a Mi 06:25

2. Blue Blahblah 05:14

3. Mint Green 06:40

4. Con Alma 06:22

5. On Friday 05:41

6. Circle 06:41

7. March 15th 05:24

Jihye Byun Piano

Michael Webster Tenor Sax

Marcus Mclaurine Bass

Nick Dekens Drums

Eunhye Jeong - Chi-da (May 26, 2018)

The motive of the recording is my art name Hyun Gok 玄曲 given by my Pansori teacher Il-dong Bae. Hyun means ‘black (mixed with dark red)’, ‘mystery of universe or the invisible principle of life’. Gok means ‘curved’, ‘curve’ and ‘song’. I’ve contemplated on Hyun Gok for about three years, trying to understand its meaning and to realize that in my musical creations. Hyun Gok brought my attention to the moment of beginning - rather similar to the idea of singularity - and the silence before the music manifests.

Chi-da is a verb in Korean meaning ‘hit’, and ’play’ a percussive musical instrument in a musical context, the action of playing, hitting to resonate/make/produce sounds. The contemplation on this very action is where the entire music was rooted and grown from in this record. All takes/pieces were created spontaneously out of the unsprung seeds of ideas buried in my mind over time, except Mysterious Valley, an existing composition of mine, which I re-constructed as improvising. The end result was 23 tracks in total; about 3 hours in length and I selected 13 tracks that spoke to me as I listened every day for about a month.

In this record, silence is not just a part of music but the essence and the source of where music is created from. It is also an invitation to a deeper listening. The action of Chi-da happens in time. It is where time meets the space, creating and marking the presence of present with weight.

Eunhye Jeong

1. Flesh and Bone 10:38

2. One Bears Many 05:09

3. Five Petals 07:03

4. Mysterious Valley 06:14

5. Dance Alone 05:24

6. The Dialectical Two 04:08

7. Beginning 03:10

8. Collapsing Stars 06:34

9. Nal Ssi 06:20

10. Ulda 05:16

11. Pictures of You 03:33

12. Weigh On 06:55

13. Running Planets 03:26

Tobias Meier / Dalia Donadio / Berni Doessegger - A Linear Thought (WIDE EAR RECORDS 2018)

"A Linear Thought" came about over a period of two years, in several stages and between many breaks, during which the work could rest. To graphic and contentual sketches of composition, there came a solitary voice, which eventually became word. "A Linear Thought" tells of intimacy and universality, of the voice as a primal personal organ for communication and emotion, and of the voice as an instrument common to all people.

1. A 03:19

2. B 03:18

Tobias Meier - composition

Dalia Donadio - voice

Berni Doessegger - words

Recorded 2016 in Basel and Berlin

Mixed by Alex Huber

Mastered by Hannes Kumke

Graphic Design by Studio Eusebio

Wide Ear Records, WER034

Released on 7inch Vinyl, 45rpm

COLD VOODOO - AB+ (WIDE EAR RECORDS 2018)

For many years Tobias Meier and Silvan Jeger have been collaborating in various projects. As Cold Voodoo they explore the tension of physical presence and exhaustion on one hand and of an external perspective and serenity on the other hand. This contradiction is already implied in the group’s name and emphasised in their newly released record AB+. The album points soberly to the two sidedness of the medium and moreover the red plastic of the cassette and the title of the record, that can be read as blood type, alludes to a certain „blood-kitsch“. This comparision is developed in the cover art of the digital release, where the Ls and Os of the group’s name on the back of the cassette generate a mesmerizing array of ones and zeros, picturing the dense, shimmering netting, wich the two musicians open up on this record.

1. A+ 16:03

2. B+ 14:22

Tobias Meier alto saxophone

Silvan Jeger bass

Recorded 2017 in Basel (CH)

Mix : Silvan Jeger

Master : Hannes Kumke

Graphic Design : Tobias Meier

iety - hope you were covered up (WIDE EAR RECORDS 2018)

In society, worlds collide. Composition on improvisation - Sterility on emotion - Uncontrolled energy sallies on celebrating the details. The fusion creates an independent sound with strong gravitation. Each individual fills the space that it deserves or enjoys the tension of the void, and the sprinkling of the sun brings speed and clarity. Probably not, but it sure would be cool.

1. 9433 02:21

2. hope you were covered up 04:44

3. kick etüde 03:38

4. ophelia 05:23

5. waterfall glancing in a morning sunrise 03:31

6. plakat yves 04:42

7. dada (dap) 03:47

8. petrol 08:50

Elio Amberg tenor sax

Laura Schenk piano

Amadeus Fries drums

Big Bold Back Bone - Emerge (WIDE EAR RECORDS 2018)

Big Bold Back Bone’s newest release - the third recording (Wide Ear Records - WER028) is titled "Emerge" and is the musical twin of the recently released CD / LP "In Search Of The Emerging Species" (Shhpuma Records - SHH032).

The recording was made during the same studio session in Lisbon. In contrast to the slow, almost eerily concentrated sound stream epic with the 42-minute piece "Immerge" on "In Search Of The Emerging Species", "Emerge" looks like an antiepos. Seven pieces between 3 - 8 minutes covers the disc. Self-contained improvisations presented in an aesthetically impressive Big Bold Back Bone language.

A consequence of the fact that the musicians of the band Marco von Orelli, Luis Lopes, Travassos and Sheldon Suter, worked together for almost 10 years and maintain a continuous exchange.

In contrast to the twin, this music seems less radical, but more catchy, but without losing any sense of urgency, as if Big Bold Back Bond Bones deliberately left seven fork-paths on "Immerge" unheeded, in search of ... in "Emerge" to investigate in a fascinating way!

1. Silent Stream 06:26

2. Sealust 06:50

3. Tidings 07:03

4. Facing Extinction 07:55

5. Tentaculita 03:16

6. Mergulhador 06:42

7. Ground Found 05:21

Marco von Orelli - Trumpet, Slide Trumpet

Luis Lopes - Electric Guitar and Objects

Travassos - Electronics

Sheldon Suter - Prepared Drums

Matthias Tschopp Quartet - Untitltled (WIDE EAR RECORDS 2018)

My first contact with the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat was at an exhibition of the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland. It was overwhelming - powerful, expressive, rich in colours and drama, full of serial and aleatoric components, motives, improvisation, and numerous references to Bebop and Hip Hop.

It took me almost a year to translate Basquiat's work Untitled into music. I applied the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to the tonal range of the baritone saxophone, in order to generate melodies out of the countless words I found in the picture. I composed musical fragments on selected elements of the painting, collected information about Howard Hughes, bought Charlie Parker records and an old tape recorder, tried to find the original soundtrack of the comic hero Human Torch and looked for ways to integrate genius and madness, life and death in a piece of music.

The result is Untitled Part I, a suite of musical events that can last nineteen to ninety minutes; recorded live at Shedhalle Zug in March 2017. More info...

1. Untitled Part I - Eroica 05:36

2. Untitled Part I - Nothing To Be Gained Here 06:02

3. Untitled Part I - Receiver 04:10

4. Untitled Part I - Billie's Ear Wax 05:28

5. Untitled Part I - Codine vs. Morphine 01:57

6. Untitled Part I - Howard Hughes 07:00

7. Untitled Part I - Sky 03:10

8. Untitled Part I - Black Teeth 04:11

9. Untitled Part I - Brown Head 01:19

10. Untitled Part I - Words 01:07

11. Untitled Part I - The Human Torch 06:03

12. Untitled Part II - Mark Rothko 03:59

13. Untitled Part II - Jackson Pollock 03:51

14. Untitled Part II - Friedensreich Hundertwasser 04:16

15. Untitled Part II - Rolf Winnewisser 06:29

Matthias Tschopp baritone sax

Yves Theiler piano

Raffaele Bossard bass

Alex Huber drums

Tim Daisy - Configurations (RELAY RECORDINGS June 1, 2018)

Tim Daisy is a Chicago-based percussionist and composer working in the fields of improvised and composed music.

He has performed and recorded original music for modern dance, sound installations, film, and improvised music ensembles of various configurations since 1997. Tim also owns and operates Relay Records, documenting much of the creative work he has been involved with in Chicago and abroad since 2011.

Tim helps curate the weekly OPTION series at Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago. The programming explores contemporary perspectives on improvisation and composition in a ‘salon’ format, enabling local, national, and international artists to publicly discuss their practice and ideas as well as perform.

2. Sonic Feels 03:42

3. The Echo Song (For Arthur Russell) 03:04

4. Wood 03:09

5. Wire 02:28

6. Alloy 01:56

7. The Wobbly Insect 04:27

8. Sunday Afternoon 02:58

9. LED 03:13

10. Red And Orange 03:10

11. Static Points 03:53

12. Names 01:52

Solo compositions and improvisations performed by Chicago based percussionist and composer Tim Daisy

Selected instruments recorded in various combinations including: drums/marimba/ Califones/metal percussion/bass xylophone/transistor radios/bells/chains/sticks/malletts/brushes

Recorded live, without overdubs :)

All compositions by Tim Daisy (ASCAP)

Recorded on May 4th, 2018 at Madhouse Studios Evanston, il

Recorded and mixed by Dave Zuchowski @ One Room Studio

Cover photo by Tim Daisy

This is Relay Records 022

Lou Levy - I m Old Fashioned (FRESH SOUND RECORDS 2018)

Issued in 1983 as The Kid s Got Ears , this album is one of the best and rarest that legendary Chicago pianist Lou Levy (1928-2001) recorded during his long and successful career. Guess I ve been lucky in music, he smiled. It seems like I was in the right place at the right time all my life, getting to play with Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey, Terry Gibbs... And then, of course, there were the great vocalists I ve worked with Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Frank Sinatra...

Levy s attack is rapid-fire and many-noted, while his left rumbles at the chord progressions. His playing was known for its smooth sophistication and subtle swing. From the way I play, I suppose you could say that Bud Powell has been my biggest influence. Art Tatum s approach to harmony certainly influenced me too. It was so... so rich. But, of course, there are many other pianists I have great admiration for. Oscar Peterson, for instance. Naturally, other instrumentalists made a great impression. Certainly, Charlie Parker. And Dizzy, Miles, and Al Cohn.

There s a reason I m Old Fashioned gives title to this album. Levy admitted to have a soft spot for this tune. I did that solo. I figured maybe I could handle that since it s my favorite tune. And it is a beautiful effort indeed. Be it solo, in a duet with bassist John Heard, or in a trio with drummer Shelly Manne, Levy shows his remarkable blend of lyricism and swing at each step. A model of taste, where the execution goes hand in hand with the creativity of this vastly underestimated pianist.

01. High On You (Al Cohn) 3:41

02. I Won't Dance (Kern-Hammerstein II-Harbach) 4:24

03. I'm Old Fashioned (Kern-Mercer) 4:33

04. Limehouse Blues (Philip Braham) 5:34

05. Take the ‘A’ Train (Billy Strayhorn) 5:15

06. Estate (Martino-Brighetti) 4:38

07. I'm All Smiles (Mickey Leonard) 5:16

08. You Say You Care (Styne-Robbins) 4:01

09. Wait 'Til You See Her (Rodgers-Hart) 2:45

10. Ding, Dong, the Witch Is Dead (Arlen-Harburg) 2:43

All tracks previously issued as “The Kid’s Got Ears!” (Jazzizz JIR 4002)

Lou Levy, piano

On #1,4,6,8: John Heard, bass; Shelly Manne, drums

On #2,5,7: John Heard, bass

On #3,9,10: Lou Levy, solo piano

Recorded at Sage & Sound Studios, Hollywood, November 27 & 28, 1982

Recording engineer: Jim Mooney

Original recordings produced by Jim Brown

Liner notes: Jordi Pujol / A. James Liska

Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol

Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered

Matyas Gayer Trio - Never Ending Story (FRESH SOUND NEW TALENT RECORDS 2018)

01. Lullaby of the Leaves (Petkere-Young) 7:23

02. We'll Be Together Again (Fisher-Laine) 5:55

03. Stranger in Paradise (Wright-Forrest) 6:00

04. Never Ending Story (Matyas Gayer) 6:58

05. Confirmation (Matyas Gayer) 6:28

06. Nocturne in Eb Major (Frederic Chopin) 6:51

07. Song for Mulgrew (Matyas Gayer) 6:05

08. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Lerner-Loewe) 6:15

09. Blues for Bud (Matyas Gayer) 6:24

10. One for Kenny (Matyas Gayer) 6:09

11. All God's Chillum got Rhythm (Jurman-Kahn-Kaper) 4:34

Arrangements by Matyas Gayer (#1,2,3,5,6 & 11)

Matyas Gayer (piano)

Matyas Hofecker (bass)

Pete Van Nostrand (drums)

Recorded at Urban Recording Studio, Trieste, Italy, July 31 and August 1, 2017

Sound engineer: Fulvio Zafret

Mixing & mastering: Roman Schwaller

Photography: Lucija Novak

Design: Daniel Ludvig

Produced by Matyas Gayer

Executive producer: Jordi Pujol

David Ambrosio - Four on the Road (FRESH SOUND NEW TALENT RECORDS 2018)

David Ambrosio, originally from the New York area, currently resides in NYC where he works as a freelance musician and educator. He leads the David Ambrosio Trio and David Ambrosio /Russ Meissner Sextet and is the co-leader of two collaborative bands, Grupo Los Santos and 40Twenty, as well as being a part of many groups including George Schuller’s Circle Wide, the Matt Renzi Trio, Eri Yamamoto Trio and the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra led by Jim McNeely. He has also performed with such jazz greats as pianist Kenny Werner, Buddy DeFranco, George Garzone, Joseph Jarmon and Ralph Alessi.

With degrees in Classical composition and Jazz performance, David has a broad musical palate which only became intensified by some unique travel experiences in past years. In 2001 he had the opportunity to perform in Cuba with Grupo Los Santos and Max Pollack's Rumbatap as well as to work with Afro/Cuban folkloric music and dance ensembles. Soon after that experience his interest in Afro/Cuban Bata drumming began and, consequently, for the past six years has been studying Bata with master hand drummer Carlos Gomez. On numerous occasions he has toured in Central and South East Asia on behalf of the US State Department as a performer and clinician. He has performed and recorded with members of Uzbekistan's Folk Instruments Chamber Orchestra Sogdiana and Kyrgyzstan's most acknowledged folk musicians.