Thomas Florin 4tet - Weather Has Time (2016)

Intégrant l’impétuosité de notre époque à la tradition de la musique de Jazz, l’univers du quartet contribue à sa manière à l’infatigable avancement de cette musique intense. 

Avec sensibilité et conviction, ces quatre musiciens proposent des performances énergiques et fiévreuses, riches de développements improvisés. 

Ils suivent la tradition de formations emblématiques du Jazz Moderne, comme le Second Grand Quintet de Miles Davis, le quartet de John Coltrane, et d’autres musiciens chers à leur coeur. 

Ce projet est initié par Thomas Florin, qui, pour ce nouveau groupe, a souhaité travailler avec des musiciens d’exception dont il admirait la musicalité et avec lesquels il partage des affinités certaines. 

Le répertoire actuel du groupe a suivi une démarche compositionnelle originale. Depuis quelques années, Thomas Florin a développé une méthode personnelle de composition consistant en des « re-compositions » ou « re-arrangements » de pièces existantes. L’idée est de choisir un groupe ou un compositeur, et de prendre ses oeuvres comme base de création de nouvelles compositions. 

Cette méthode a su créer une étonnante cohérence de la musique et des surprises, amenant des pièces aux antipodes de leur atmosphère initiale. 

Après avoir choisi Bill Evans pour le répertoire du Thomas Florin Septet en 2013 et 2014, c’est Weather Report, groupe emblématique de Fusion, que Thomas Florin a choisi pour la musique du quartet. 

Si le nom du set actuel du quartet, Weather Has Time, a évidement été inspiré par Weather Report, la musique que propose le groupe n’a souvent plus grand chose à voir avec les pièces originales, du moins dans son esthétique. L’intérêt est également pour les connaisseurs de reconnaitre ça et là les éléments survivant à la « transformation ».

1. La Nuée 07:31

2. Weather Has Time 06:09

3. Pilum 06:56

4. Liar 03:56

5. Le Requin Baleine 06:13

6. Trois Secrets Pour Un Vieux 08:53

7. Xin Dao 03:12

Released April 8, 2016 

Thomas Florin p+compo

Manuel Gesseney as  

Ninn Langel cb

Francois Christe dms

Recorded and mixed by Antoine Estoppey, Blend Studio 

Mastering by Renaud Millet-Lacombe 

Cover by Antonio Vizcaino

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Arnito - Ekut (2016)

Arnaud FILLION-ROBIN « Arnito » is a french guitar player, versatile musician and composer. His style integrates various influences and techniques derived from flamenco, jazz, classical and folk. He travels around the world to share and feed his passion for music. His authenticity and artistic exchange’s quest took him from malian villages to indian ground, through andalucian gypsy’s community.

In addition to his large live and studio experience (more than a thousand of concerts, 13 self-products albums, and dozens of various styles recording sessions ), Arnito proposes diverses artistic, creation and teaching project, to transmit his particular vision of music.

​Arnito gives solo concerts on 7-string guitar. He's also performing with various bands formules (duet, trio, quartet...)

Musicien, compositeur et arrangeur français aux multiples facettes, Arnaud FILLION-ROBIN « Arnito » parcourt le monde pour partager et nourrir sa passion. Son style regroupe diverses influences et techniques dérivées du flamenco, du jazz, du classique et du folk. Sa quête d’authenticité et d’échanges artistiques l’a mené des villages maliens aux terres indiennes, en passant par  les communautés gitanes d’Andalousie. 

Outre les milliers de concerts et jam-sessions à son actif et son investissement en studio (13 albums autoproduits et participation à une douzaine d’autres en tant qu’invité, dans différents styles), Arnito propose différents projets de création ou pédagogiques pour transmettre sa vision de la musique et favoriser les échanges culturels et humains.

Arnito présente un programme de concert en solo sur une guitare à 7 cordes, ainsi que différentes formules de groupes (duo, trio, quartet...)

Arnito : guitares, percussions, violoncelle, saz, oud, basse, banjo, voix

Naz Aksoy-Fillion : voix (5,8)

1. Klejmaik

2. Eop

3. Esboço

4. Dulce Locura

5. Ciel Pourpre

6. Lucioles

7. Istanbul

8. Spirale

9. Ilham Perisi

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Ciel Pourpre

Yoshiaki Okayasu (Trio & Quartet) - Live at Island Cafe (2016) CD 1

Una agradable sesión en directo

DISC1

01. Dear Old Stockholm

02. Will You Still Be Mine

03. My Romance

04. Just Squeeze Me

05. Take The “A” Train

06. C Jam Blues

07. The Things We Did Last Summer

Yoshiaki Okayasu (Trio & Quartet) - Live at Island Cafe (2016) CD 2

Yoshiaki Okayasu, guitar

Keiichi Yoshida, piano

Teiji Sasaki, bass

&

Toru Abo, tenor sax

DISC 2

01. Blue Bird

02. Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid

03. When I Fall In Love

04. La Petite Mambo

05. Falling In Love With Love

06. The Preacher

07. Good Bait

08. Trio

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Galen Weston - Plugged In (2015)

Plugged In represents a type of sonic exploration; a two-year journey I took with my yellow Stratocaster, my ES-335 and many other beloved instruments. Drawing inspiration from many of my favourite jazz and instrumental rock influences, I spent hours taming the howling of vintage Big Muff’s, cleaning tape heads on old echo machines, and tweaking the tone knobs on my classic Marshall and Fender amps...all in the simple yet constant search for that perfect tone. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I have.

Galen

An accomplished and refined player from Toronto, guitarist-composer Galen Weston cuts a wide stylistic swath on his long overdue debut as a leader. From his singing six-string work on the urgently funky "Bensonite", his mellow lyricism on the graceful "The Yellow Guitar," to his soulful expression on the gorgeous "Song for Daphne" and his unapologetic chops showcase on “Tasteless,” Weston wails with rare conviction and facility throughout Plugged In.

Accompanied by veteran Toronto session players: David Woodhead on fretless electric bass; Al Cross on drums along with versatile keyboardist Matt Horner; Richard Underhill on alto sax and Rick Lazar on percussion, the guitarist carves out some fresh new territory on this eclectic six-string manifesto.

Recorded at his beautifully-crafted, state-of-the-art Rose Room Studio in Toronto, Plugged In represents Weston’s return to guitar after following a lengthy period of running an internet business he founded. Now, after four years of dedicated woodshedding, he finds himself on the other side of the glass, cast in the performer’s spotlight. "I am on a mission to catch up from the years I lost with music," he explains.

His auspicious debut kicks off with "Funk Opus #2," a lyrical number that shows the influence of Texas guitar hero Eric Johnson. "I first heard Eric on the radio when I was working nights stocking shelves at a retail store," he recalls," and it definitely altered my life. "His affecting ballad "Song For Daphne," named for his youngest daughter, has already gained much attention on Facebook and SoundCloud. This tender number showcases Weston’s warm, inviting tone and expressive playing along with some potent testifying on the alto sax from Underhill.

"Bensonite" is a nod to one of Weston’s main jazz guitar influences. "The core of this piece started with George Benson in mind but morphed during the process to a bit of Larry Carlton style," says Weston. "It’s a fun song to play, particularly the samba outro." An infectious groover colored by Lazar’s churning percussion work, it has Horner switching to electric piano as Weston delivers some impassioned licks. This energetic number closes with a lively batucada jam that has the sound of cuica mingling with assorted Brazilian percussion.

"The Yellow Guitar(A Guitarra Amarela)"is a smooth offering that features some of Weston’s most seductive lines along the way. "I was going for Mark Knoppler here, I just love his tasteful playing," he says. "My solo was really trying to tap into some Stevie Ray Vaughan influence, particularly the clean playing on tunes like 'Riviera Paradise'".

For a change of pace, Weston delivers an intimate acoustic fingerstyle version of the melodious Keith Jarrett tune "Country" (from his classic 1978 ECM album, My Song). Woodhead contributes a singing fretless electric bass solo on this heartlandish number. Shifting gears radically, Weston and crew kick out Miami Vice style jams on "Galen’s Vice" - a tribute to the ‘80s. Underhill offers his plaintive alto cry throughout this piece while Weston dials up a quintessential ‘80s rock guitar tone on his incendiary solo here.

The soulful "Austin" has Horner doubling on piano and organ while Weston alternates between warm Wes Montgomery-styled octave playing and fluid single note lines on the engaging melody. Underhill really digs into this piece with abandon on his solo, Horner follows with some potent solo statements on both piano and organ and Woodhead contributes another wonderfully melodic bass solo.

The no-holds-barred rock anthem "Tasteless" is Weston’s tip of the hat to guitar god Steve Vai. His clean-tone re-imagining of Jimmy Van Heusen’s "Like Someone in Love" opens with a solo guitar intro that has Weston showcasing some accomplished chordal melody playing. Cross puts up a muscular backbeat behind the jazz standard as the core trio of guitar-bass-drums grooves along in mellow fashion.

"Late and Never" has Weston throwing his sustained, slightly distorted guitar lines around with rockish authority. There’s plenty of deft fingerstyle comping and slashing single note lines over a slamming groove before he takes it out in triumphant fashion with his distortion set on stun.

The collection closes with "Rock Jam," which opens with a dialogue of clean fingerpicked chords and contrapuntal bass lines. Another potent power trio number, it slowly builds in intensity to some aggressive fretboard flights.

"With this debut I feel like I am really on a good path," says Weston, "and I have so much more to do!" Stay tuned.

Bill Milkowski

Bill Milkowski contributes to Down Beat and Jazziz magazines and is the author of “JACO: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius”

01. Funk Opus #2

02. Song for Daphne

03. Bensonite

04. The Yellow Guitar

05. Rose Garden

06. Country

07. Galen's Vice (A Tribute to the 80s)

08. Austin

09. Tasteless

10. Like Someone in Love

11. Late and Never

12. Rock Jam

Galen Weston: guitar

David Woodhead: bass

Al Cross: drums

Simeon Abbott: keyboards (1)

Matt Horner: piano

Richard Underhill: saxophone

Rick Shadrach Lazar: percussion

Lenka Lichtenberg: vocals

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Sari Kessler - Do Right (2016)

KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE 

SARI KESSLER

MORE INFORMATION

It´s A Wonderful World

Festen - Mad System (2016)

Label: Prado Records

Source: Citizen Jazz - Denis Desassis

Available on platforms April 22, 2016

C’est la passe de trois pour Festen et la confirmation des qualités d’une formation qu’on suit non sans enthousiasme depuis ses premiers pas. Après Festen en 2010 puis Family Tree en 2013, le quartet revient avec Mad System publié chez Prado Records et semble vouloir imprimer durablement au paysage musical français sa marque singulière.
Festen tire son nom du film homonyme du Danois Thomas Vinterberg : celui-ci raconte l’histoire d’une réunion de famille pendant laquelle un tragique secret sera dévoilé après avoir été nié. Le fils révèle en effet que sa défunte sœur jumelle et lui-même ont été violés par leur père qui finira par avouer son crime. On imagine le climat sombre qui règne tout au long de cette œuvre… Or, s’il n’est pas question de penser que la musique de Festen est imprégnée d’une pesanteur aussi étouffante, on remarquera néanmoins que Jean Kapsa (piano), Damien Fleau (saxophone ténor), Oliver Degabriele (basse) et Maxime Fleau (batterie) maîtrisent l’art de mettre leur musique sous tension, cette dernière étant parfois teintée de gravité, voire de noirceur. Ces quatre-là s’y entendent à merveille pour échafauder des scénarios prenant vie sous la forme de progressions au pouvoir hypnotique – ils cultivent à ce titre l’héritage du trio d’Esbjörn Svensson – par un cheminement menant de la méditation à une exultation symbole de libération. Un peu à la façon d’un boxeur montant sur un ring – le groupe a d’ailleurs réalisé récemment un clip autour d’une composition intitulée « Shadow Boxing » – Festen entre au cœur de sa musique dans une longue inspiration, prend la mesure du combat à mener, avant d’ajuster ses coups avec précision. Les compositions sont la plupart du temps courtes et porteuses de thèmes qui pourraient constituer, par leur chant et leur construction dynamique, la bande originale d’un road movie urgent dont les instants de calme seraient propices au retour sur soi.
Quatre des dix compositions de Mad System sont des reprises dont le choix ne doit rien au hasard. Le cinéma est comme toujours très présent avec « Day One » (le thème signé Hans Zimmer est tiré de la bande originale du film Interstellar), et « L’Arena » d’Ennio Morricone, qu’on retrouve aussi bien au générique du Mercenaire de Sergio Corbucci qu’à celui de Kill Bill Volume 2 de Quentin Tarantino. Et puis il y a cette fascination pour le rock américain, plutôt tendance grunge, voire hard rock, ici soulignée par la présence de « Sometimes » de Pearl Jam et de « My God Is The Sun » de Queens Of The Stone Age.
La musique très cinématographique de Festen – qu’on pourrait par conséquent qualifier de grunge jazz par son alliage de force, d’abord retenue puis libérée, et d’épure – est servie par des musiciens dotés d’une énergie à couper le souffle. La force de la rythmique, volontiers binaire et entêtante (« Black Rain »), est amplifiée par le choix d’Oliver Degabriele de privilégier la basse électrique. Le jeu de Jean Kapsa, dont on connaît la créativité en solo ou au sein du trio formé avec Antoine Reininger et Maxime Fleau, est tour à tour percussif (« Burning Head ») et virevoltant jusqu’au vertige (« My God Is The Sun »). L’entrelacement de ses motifs cycliques et des circonvolutions du saxophone dessine une géométrie entêtante. Damien Fleau, qui ne joue cette fois que du saxophone ténor, s’avère plus que jamais un narrateur captivant, passant avec beaucoup d’aisance de la confidence au cri. Il suffit d’écouter les sept minutes intenses de « Mad System », le sommet du disque, pour le comprendre et ressentir les premiers effets d’une drôle d’ivresse.
Le proverbe dit : « jamais deux sans trois », ce que confirme Mad System avec beaucoup d’aplomb. Mais ce n’est qu’un proverbe… On a surtout envie que l’histoire ne s’arrête pas là !

Day One
Black Rain
We Are
Burning Head
She Wants To Dance
Sometimes
Mad System
L'Arena
Grizzly
My God Is The Sun

Damien Fleau - sax
Maxime Fleau - drums
Jean Kapsa - piano
Oliver Degabriele - double bass 

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Danny Green Trio - Altered Narratives (2016)

Label: OA2 Records

Source: Allaboutjazz - DAN MCCLENAGHAN

Pianist Danny Green took a big step up in the piano trio rankings with 2014's After The Calm (OA2 Records). The San Diego-based group focused in on a distinctive and beautiful set of Green originals and recorded them with a continuity of mood and an ebullient brio—like three guys who knew what they were doing in an art that demands nuance and delicacy sitting beside—in time's flow—a rise and fall of robustness of approach that just might evolve, when the music calls for it, the occasional joyful percussive zest.

With Altered Narratives, Green and company—bassist Justin Grinnell and drummer Julien Cantelm—show that they can go two-for-two in producing first-rate piano trio jazz, again on a set of tunes penned by pianist Green. The pianist's tune-smithing is slightly idiosyncratic with an anchor in the tradition. His melodies have a sense of wonder ("Serious Fun"), sometimes a sense of fun ("Benji's Song"), and the tongue might at times lodge in the cheek ("I Hate The Blues"), as he applies his supple-but-strong touch to the keyboard, accompanied by the bassist and drummer who may lean closer to the "accompanist" mode—as opposed to the democratic approach, while still injecting their individualistic sounds into the music.

The disc's opener, "Chatter From All Sides" is a slinky, cool dude strut. "The Merge" zooms along, edgy and frenetic, and "October Ballad" is an alluring reverie.

Then there's the leap that sets this apart from Green's previous recording: three tunes, in the middle of the eleven tune set, featuring the addition of a string quartet. There's nothing that adds a touch of elegance to a jazz set more than an adeptly-done string arrangement, and these are superb: violins, viola and cello in a sinuous, sometimes whispering embrace with a vibrant, top-notch piano trio, delving into Danny Green's distinguished compositions. 

Chatter From All Sides

The Merge

October Ballad

6 a.m.

Second Chance

Katabasis

Porcupine Dreams

Benji's Song

I Used To Hate The Blues

Friday At The Thursday Club

Serious Fun

Danny Green: piano

Justin Grinnell: bass

Julien Cantelm: drums 

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Raul Agraz - Between Brothers (2016)

Label: OA2 Records

Source: Allaboutjazz - Jack Bowers

Venezuelan-born and classically trained trumpeter Raul Agraz makes an impressive North American debut with Between Brothers, a vibrant album of Latin-oriented jazz whose harmonic and rhythmic quotients are about as strong and steady as one could wish. As is the case in other contexts these days, the term "brothers" is presumably used in a metaphorical sense, as there appear to be no biological brothers among Agraz's ever-changing group of sidemen that includes a guest appearance on the title song by the renowned clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. Agraz wrote four of the album's ten numbers and solos, on trumpet or flugelhorn, on every track.

Although twenty-nine musicians (not including D'Rivera and vibraphonist Dave Samuels) are listed on the album jacket, this is hardly a big-band album, as the size of the various ensembles ranges from six to eleven, with Agraz (flugel) and pianist Axel Laugart closing the session with a brief yet amiable duet on Giuseppe Concone's "Concone #6." Technically (and in some other respects), Agraz calls to mind another Latin-born trumpeter of note, Cuba's Arturo Sandoval. He's no clone but the similarities are clearly apparent and shouldn't be glossed over. As for his colleagues, they are thoroughly reliable and well-versed in the rhythmically intense Latin tradition. Besides Agraz and Laugart (who also solo on John Walsh's "Beautiful Diana"), tenor Ivan Renta ("Obsesion"), soprano Dan Willis ("Bossagraz"), guitarist Jake Ezra ("FDB"), and pianists Jon Werking ("A Song for You," "In a Sentimental Day") and Luis Perdomo ("One Day at a Time") are foremost among the improvisers. Samuels, bassist Rodner Padilla and drummer Anderson Quintero share solo space with Agraz (muted) and D'Rivera on the gently swaying "Between Brothers," one of the album's several highlights.

As for the music, it is consistently buoyant and engaging, its melodies tasteful and rhythms bracing, from Pedro Flores' emphatic "Obsesion" through the decorous "Diana." Luis "Papo" Martinez wrote "Between Brothers," Sean McDaniel the sturdy "FDB," Oscar Hernandez the sunny "Sentimiento de Cancion." Agraz, for his part, composed "Bossagraz," "A Song for You," "In a Sentimental Day" and "One Day at a Time," each one a pivotal ingredient in the recipe. For lovers of Latin jazz, a rich and copious feast of irrepressible congeniality and tantalizing rhythms.  

1. Obsesion (Pedro Flores) 4:25
2. Between Brothers (Luis "Papo" Marquez) 6:50
3. BossAgraz (Raul Agraz) 5:31
4. A Song for You (Cancion para ti) (Raul Agraz) 5:02
5. FDB (Sean McDaniel) 6:05
6. In a Sentimental Day (Raul Agraz ) 4:54
7. One Day at a Time (Raul Agraz) 5:13
8. Sentimiento de Cancion (Oscar Hernandez) 4:25
9. Beautiful Diana (John Walsh) 4:55
10. Concone #6 (Giuseppe Concone) 1:48

Ivan Renta - tenor sax
Dan Willis - soprano sax, alto sax, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet
Javier Olivencia - alto sax, bari sax
Felipe Castro - alto, tenor, and bari saxophones
John Walsh - trumpet
Raul Agraz - trumpet
Doug Beavers - trombone
Luis Bonilla - trombone
Mark Miller - trombone
Randy Andos - bass trombone
Max Seigel - bass trombone
Luis Perdomo - piano
Jon Werking - piano
Ricky Gonzales - piano
Axel Laugart - piano
Jake Ezra - guitar
Luisito Quintero - timbales, drums
Roberto Quintero - congas & minor percussion
Cliff Almond - drums
Sean McDaniel - drums
Anderson Quintero - drums
Antoin Silverman - violin
Encho Todorov - violin
Jonathan Dinklage - viola
Anja Wood - cello
Dave Phillips - double bass

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Gonzalo del Val - Koiné (2016)

Source: Clasijazz

Gonzalo del Val nos presenta ahora el segundo CD de esta formación: KOINÉ.

Un trío espectacular que reúne a alguno de los músicos más destacados y solicitados del panorama nacional actual, que garantiza una música rica y espontánea, basada en la continua interacción de sus componentes.

David Mengual al contrabajo, base rítmica de lujo, referencia de muchas de las grandes grabaciones de jazz de este país. En su haber cuenta con una discografía muy extensa y con diversos premios a su nombre.

El jovencísimo pianista menorquín afincado en Barcelona Marco Mezquida, destaca por su energía, virtuosismo e imaginación. A pesar de su corta edad, hoy en día es uno de los intérpretes de jazz más prometedores de su generación.

Una formación ágil, equilibrada, de sonoridad cálida y siempre sugerente. Un vehículo perfecto para que los tres músicos se expresen con gran comodidad.

La propuesta estética del trío es muy variada así como condicionada por las inquietudes musicales de los tres intérpretes. Actualmente su repertorio está formado por composiciones originales, con una especial presencia de reinterpretaciones del repertorio jazzístico. Música llena de calidez, intimismo y sensibilidad interpretativa.

“…Gonzalo del Val, un buen baterista pero también un gran compositor, que ha escrito composiciones muy interesantes en torno a Eric Rohmer…me encanta el “beat” que tiene del Val, muy ligero, muy aéreo y con mucho swing…” – Juan Claudio Cifuentes “Cifu” – RADIO 3

“…este elegante batería que ha tocado en los mejores grupos de Madrid y Barcelona, muestra un swing y un gusto “muy seguros”, convirtiéndose en uno de los mejores representantes de la escena española contemporánea…” – Bruno Guermonprez – Revista SOJAZZ (Paris)

“Ahora que el año va acabando puede decirse que este ‘Three Generations’ será uno de los discos del 2011 a tener muy en cuenta y que Gonzalo del Val es uno de los bateristas más serios y sólidos que tiene ahora mismo el jazz español.” – DistritoJazz

“…el experto baterista Gonzalo del Val, con multitud de grabaciones a sus espaldas como sideman de lo mejor del jazz nacional, se reafirma como un músico completo, y un líder ambicioso que tiene mucho que aportar al jazz español….” – REVISTA DE JAZZ (Granada)

GONZALO DEL VAL

MARCO MEZQUIDA

DAVID MENGUAL

01. Cantabile (Mezquida) 5:36

02. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (Gershwin) 6:33

03. Paradox (Jarrett) 3:51

04. Balada para Mauro (Del Val) 7:01

05. Koiné (Del Val-Mezquida-Mengual) 2:12

06. Inutil Paisagem (Jobim) 5:04

07. A Garraf (Del Val) 2:45

08. Com que Voz (Camoes-Oulman) 4:51

09. Kaixo Polita (Mengual) 2:34

Gonzalo del Val (drums)

Marco Mezquida (piano)

David Mengual (bass)

Recorded by Fredi Peláez at Pottoko Studio, May 30 & 31, 2015

Mixed and mastered by Jordi Gaspar

Photography & artwork: Carlos Pericás

Produced by Gonzalo del Val

Executive producer: Jordi Pujol

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