Jakob Bro / Arve Henriksen / Jorge Rossy - Uma Elmo (ECM Records)

With Uma Elmo, his fifth album as a leader for ECM, Danish guitarist Jakob Bro presents a new trio featuring Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen and Spanish drummer Jorge Rossy. Astonishingly, given the trio’s musical synergy, the first time these three musicians ever performed together was for the album’s sessions at the Swiss Radio studio in Lugano, with ECM founder Manfred Eicher producing. Uma Elmo reaffirms the observation about Bro’s work by London Jazz News that “there is no hurry to this music, but there is great depth.” Among the album’s highlights is opener “Reconstructing a Dream,” a darkly lyrical reverie. “To Stanko” is Bro’s hushed tribute to the late, great Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, who featured the guitarist in his quintet for the ECM album Dark Eyes. Another homage to a late elder is “Music for Black Pigeons,” which was given its evocative title by saxophone sage Lee Konitz. Listeners will recognize Henriksen’s whispering, poetic sound from his 2008 ECM album Cartography, as well as his collaborations for the label with Trio Mediaeval and Tigran Hamasyan. Rossy is well known to jazz fans on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly for his decade-plus tenure in Brad Mehldau’s career-making first trio. As for the leader, DownBeat aptly noted in its review of his previous ECM album, Bay of Rainbows, that “Bro’s guitar is luminous… his music both hypnotic and dramatic.”

1. RECONSTRUCTING A DREAM (Jakob Bro) 09:17

2. TO STANKO (Jakob Bro) 04:33

3. BEAUTIFUL DAY (Jakob Bro) 05:03

4. MORNING SONG (Jakob Bro) 06:55

5. HOUSEWORK (Jakob Bro) 11:05

6. MUSIC FOR BLACK PIGEONS (Jakob Bro) 07:54

7. SOUND FLOWER (Jakob Bro) 05:55

8. SLARAFFENLAND (Jakob Bro) 03:52

9. MORNING SONG (VAR.) (Jakob Bro) 07:07

Jakob Bro: Guitar

Arve Henriksen: Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet

Jorge Rossy: Drums

CONCERTS

October 19

Jakob Bro Porgy&Bess Vienna Austria

October 20

Jakob Bro MOMkult Budapest Hungary

November 09

Jakob Bro Village Vanguard New York, NY United States of America

November 10

Jakob Bro Village Vanguard New York, NY United States of America

November 11

Jakob Bro Village Vanguard New York, NY United States of America

November 12

Jakob Bro Village Vanguard New York, NY United States of America

November 13

Jakob Bro Village Vanguard New York, NY United States of America

November 14

Jakob Bro Village Vanguard New York, NY United States of America

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Ferenc Snétberger and the Keller Quartett - Hallgató (ECM Records)

On Hallgató, recorded live in the Grand Hall of Budapest’s Liszt Academy, Ferenc Snétberger and the Keller Quartett, respectively Hungary’s outstanding acoustic guitarist and its foremost string quartet, are heard together and separately in a moving and organically unfolding programme, with compositions by Snétberger, Shostakovich, John Dowland and Samuel Barber. Snétberger’s “In Memory of My People”, dedicated to his Sinti and Roma forebears, is a powerful and spirited piece, both threnody and celebration. Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet, also dedicated to the victims of war, is played with great sensitivity and feeling by the Keller musicians. Subtle arrangements of John Dowland find Snétberger with the Keller Quartett for “I saw my lady weep” and in duo with cellist László Fenyö for “Flow, my tears”. The Keller Quartett address the yearning quality of Barber’s Molto adagio from his String Quartet op.11, and Snétberger offers a glimmer of hope with the tender solo guitar piece “Your Smile”. The concluding “Rhapsody 1”,with Snetberger and string quintet, is a new arrangement of a radiant theme originally written by Ferenc for a film project about the Roma. In total: a very involving and gripping album. Recorded in December 2018, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

FERENC SNÉTBERGER - CONCERTO FOR GUITAR AND ORCHESTRA 'IN MEMORY OF MY PEOPLE'

1. Hallgató (Adagio – Allegro) 06:30

2. Emlékek (Adagio) 06:29

3. Tánc (Allegro furioso) 04:35

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH - STRING QUARTET NO. 8 IN C MINOR

4. Largo 04:10

5. Allegro molto 02:50

6. Allegretto 04:19

7. Largo 04:31

8. Largo 04:10

9. I SAW MY LADY WEEP (John Dowland) 03:01

10. FLOW, MY TEARS (John Dowland) 04:07

11. MOLTO ADAGIO (FROM: STRING QUARTET OP.11) (Samuel Barber) 07:21

12. YOUR SMILE (Ferenc Snétberger) 03:23

13. RHAPSODY I FOR GUITAR AND ORCHESTRA (Ferenc Snétberger) 10:55

Ferenc Snétberger: Guitar

András Keller: Violin

Zsófia Környei: Violin

Gábor Homoki: Viola

László Fenyö: Violoncello

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Shai Maestro / Jorge Roeder / Ofri Nehemya / Philip Dizack - Human (ECM Records)

In its review of pianist Shai Maestro’s ECM leader debut The Dream Thief, All About Jazz spoke of “a searching lyrical atmosphere, emotional eloquence and communal virtuosity that serves the music.” All of which also applies to Human, where Maestro’s outgoing, highly-communicative band with fellow Israeli Ofri Nehemya on drums and Peruvian bassist Jorge Roeder becomes a quartet with the inspired addition of US trumpeter Philip Dizack. Shai’s expansive pianism is well-matched by Dizack’s alert, quick-thinking approach to improvising. And, as ever, Maestro is taking the music forward while also respecting its sense of tradition. Near the end of a programme comprised almost entirely of Maestro originals, exploring a range of temperaments, the quartet offers its own take on Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood”, while Shai’s tune “Hank and Charlie” pays tribute to the musical empathy shared by the late Hank Jones and Charlie Haden. Human was recorded at Studios la Buissonne in the South of France in February 2020, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

1. TIME (Shai Maestro) 03:23

2. MYSTERY AND ILLUSIONS (Shai Maestro) 08:32

3. HUMAN (Shai Maestro) 02:34

4. GG (Shai Maestro) 04:44

5. THE THIEF’S DREAM (Shai Maestro) 07:53

6. HANK AND CHARLIE (Shai Maestro) 04:41

7. COMPASSION (Shai Maestro) 03:24

8. PRAYER (Shai Maestro) 04:26

9. THEY WENT TO WAR (Shai Maestro) 05:22

10. IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Manny Kurtz) 05:47

11. IMA (FOR TALMA MAESTRO) (Shai Maestro) 05:32

Shai Maestro: Piano

Jorge Roeder: Double Bass

Ofri Nehemya: Drums

Philip Dizack: Trumpet

CONCERTS

April 08

Shai Maestro Trio Theatre de la Manufacture Nancy France

April 15

Shai Maestro Trio Tourcoing Jazz Tourcoing France

April 16

Shai Maestro Trio La Briqueterie Schiltigheim France

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Joe Lovano / Marilyn Crispell / Carmen Castaldi - Garden of Expression (ECM Records)

The debut album of Joe Lovano’s Trio Tapestry was one of 2019’s most talked-about releases. The trio’s musical concept – the Boston Globe spoke of “utterances of hushed assurance, lyricism and suspense” - is taken to the next level on its second album, Garden of Expression, a recording distinguished by its intense focus. Lovano, a saxophonist whose reach extends across the history of modern jazz and beyond, plays with exceptional sensitivity in Trio Tapestry. And the music he writes for this group - tenderly melodic or declamatory, harmonically open, rhythmically free, and spiritually involving - encourages subtle and differentiated responses from his creative partners. Joe describes their interaction as “magical”. Carmen Castaldi’s space-conscious approach to drumming further refines an improvisational understanding that he and Lovano have shared since the 1970s. The trio is also a wonderful context for Marilyn Crispell’s solos, counter melodies, and improvisational embellishments, and her feeling for sound-colour helps the chamber music character of the group to flower. The details of the music are beautifully realized in this recording made in the highly responsive acoustics of the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher.

1. CHAPEL SONG (Joe Lovano) 06:05

2. NIGHT CREATURES (Joe Lovano) 06:45

3. WEST OF THE MOON (Joe Lovano) 05:47

4. GARDEN OF EXPRESSION (Joe Lovano) 07:33

5. TREASURED MOMENTS (Joe Lovano) 05:03

6. THE SACRED CHANT (Joe Lovano) 03:14

7. DREAM ON THAT (Joe Lovano) 03:06

8. ZEN LIKE (Joe Lovano) 10:41

Joe Lovano: Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, Tarogato, Gongs

Marilyn Crispell: Piano

Carmen Castaldi: Drums

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Erkki-Sven Tüür - Lost Prayers (ECM Records)

Lost Prayers is the first of Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür’s New Series recordings to be devoted entirely to his chamber music. Scaled-back instrumental forces, however, are no indicator of reduced expressive power, and the volatility of Tüür’s “vectorial” concept emerges forcefully from the first seconds of Fata Morgana which is, with Lichttürme, one of two pieces for violin, violoncello and piano. These pieces are performed by the Estonian trio of Harry Traksmann, Leho Karin and Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, all of whom have played Tüür’s music extensively and appeared on earlier ECM discs, including Crystallisatio and Oxymoron. The German-based Signum Quartett plays Tüür’s Second String Quartet, Lost Prayers, and Signum violinist Florian Donderer also performs Synergie together with cellist Tanja Tetzlaff. Collectively the musicians underline Erkki-Sven Tüür’s view that “one can build up a really rich and wide palette of sounds with only three or four instruments. You don’t necessarily need a full orchestra to operate with a powerful soundscape. The album was recorded at Bremen’s Sendesaal in April 2019.

1. ERKKI-SVEN TÜÜR - FATA MORGANA for Violin, Violoncello and Piano 13:31

2. ERKKI-SVEN TÜÜR - SYNERGIE for Violin and Violoncello 11:06

3. STRING QUARTET NO. 2 'LOST PRAYERS' (Erkki-Sven Tüür) 14:09

4. ERKKI-SVEN TÜÜR - LICHTTÜRME for Piano Trio 15:54

Erkki-Sven Tüür   

Harry Traksmann: Violin

Florian Donderer: Violin

Leho Karin: Violoncello

Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann: Piano

Tanja Tetzlaff: Violoncello

Signum Quartett

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Elina Duni - Lost Ships (ECM Records)

 

Elina Duni and Rob Luft’s programme of songs of love and exile has been gathering momentum since 2017, when the Albanian-Swiss singer and the British guitarist began their collaboration. Along the way the duo has been augmented by distinguished guests, with Swiss flugelhornist Matthieu Michel and UK pianist/percussionist Fred Thomas here making significant contributions to the overarching concept. The migration crisis, a theme explored on Elina’s Partir album, is again a central issue, so too ecological concerns. Material is drawn from many sources: “There are songs that touch upon past influences, with the sound of Albania and Mediterranean folklore ever-present. We wanted to explore other musical roots, too: timeless jazz ballads, French chanson, American folk song…” The broad range of music addressed runs from traditional pieces to original compositions, via songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Charles Aznavour. Lost Ships was recorded at Studios la Buissonne in the South of France in February 2020.

1. BELLA CI DORMI (Traditional) 06:52

2. BRIGHTON (Elina Duni, Rob Luft) 05:44

3. I’M A FOOL TO WANT YOU (Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf , Joel Herron) 04:27

4. NUMB (Elina Duni, Rob Luft) 06:32

5. LOST SHIPS (Elina Duni, Rob Luft) 05:22

6. THE WAYFARING STRANGER (Traditional) 05:12

7. FLYING KITES (Elina Duni, Rob Luft) 04:52

8. LUX (Elina Duni, Rob Luft) 05:21

9. KUR MË DEL NË DERË (Traditional) 04:09

10. N’AT ZAMAN (Traditional) 04:26

11. EMPTY STREET (Elina Duni, Rob Luft) 01:52

12. HIER ENCORE (Charles Aznavour) 03:44

Elina Duni: Voice

Rob Luft: Guitar

Fred Thomas: Piano, Drums

Matthieu Michel: Flugelhorn

CONCERTS

March 12

Elina Duni/Rob Luft Zum Hut Uster Switzerland

March 13

Elina Duni / Rob Luft Le Singe Bienne Switzerland

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Tigran Mansurian - Con anima (ECM Records)

Conceived jointly by violinist Movses Pogossian and violist Kim Kashkashian on the occasion of Tigran Mansurian’s 80th birthday, the Con anima project brings together a dedicated cast of players to perform the Armenian composer’s chamber music. The emphasis is on newer pieces - only the Third String Quartet dates from the 20th century - but there is a timeless quality to Mansurian’s work, all of which resounds with the spirit of his homeland. “His works are full of signifiers that come from Armenian ornaments, paintings or stones, “ writes Elena Dubinets in the CD notes. “His music itself feels as if it was carved out of stone.” Sonata da Chiesa is dedicated to the memory of priest-composer-folklorist Komitas, an enduring inspiration for Mansurian. Agnus Dei is influenced by Armenian sacred music, and Die Tänzerin is based upon an Armenian folk dance.

TIGRAN MANSURIAN - AGNUS DEI

1. Agnus Dei (Larghetto) 06:56

2. Qui tollis peccata mundi (Andante)03:58

3. Miserere nobis 04:09

TIGRAN MANSURIAN - SONATA DA CHIESA

4. Tranquillo ma con moto07:54

5. Andante, leggiero 08:07

TIGRAN MANSURIAN - CON ANIMA

6. Tranquillo e poco libero – Moderato con moto, semplice 14:19

TIGRAN MANSURIAN - STRING TRIO

7. Moderato, con moto 02:53

8. Vivacissimo, con fuoco 03:58

9. Grave 06:06

TIGRAN MANSURIAN - STRING QUARTET NO.3

10. Grave06:53

11. Scherzando04:13

12. Adagio 05:49

TIGRAN MANSURIAN - DIE TÄNZERIN

13. Allegro energico 04:00

Tigran Mansurian

Kim Kashkashian: Viola

Movses Pogossian: Violin

Varty Manouelian: Violin

Boris Allakhverdyan: Clarinet

Michael Kaufman: Violoncello

Steven Vanhauwaert: Piano

Tatevik Mokatsian: Piano

Teng Li: Viola

Karen Ouzounian: Violoncello

CONCERTS

March 11

Elina Duni/Rob Luft

Jazz Festival Zug Switzerland

March 12

Elina Duni/Rob Luft

Zum Hut Uster Switzerland

March 13

Elina Duni/Rob Luft

Le Singe Bienne Switzerland

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Dino Saluzzi - Albores (ECM Records)

An album of soliloquies from the master.  After highly acclaimed albums in formations from duo and trio to family band and orchestra, here is the great Argentinean bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi in his first purely solo recording in more than 30 years. (The early solo albums Kultrum and Andina established his reputation outside his homeland). Recorded in the Saluzzi Music Studio in Buenos Aires between February and June 2019, it is a powerful reminder of Dino’s gifts as a musical storyteller of great subtlety.  His pieces, in this intimate recording, reach back to early memories; “Don Caye”, subtitled “Variations on the work of Cayetano Saluzzi”, is a most touching dedication to Dino’s  father.  Throughout, the bandoneonist reflects upon the fleeting passage of time, instrument and performer breathing as one.

1. ADIÓS MAESTRO KANCHELI (Dino Saluzzi) 03:56

2. AUSENCIAS (Dino Saluzzi) 04:58

3. SEGÚN ME CUENTA LA VIDA – MILONGA (Dino Saluzzi) 07:01

4. ÍNTIMO (Dino Saluzzi) 05:42

5. LA CRUZ DEL SUR (2DA CADENCIA) (Dino Saluzzi) 07:43

6. ÉCUYÈRE (Dino Saluzzi) 06:19

7. FICCIÓN (Dino Saluzzi) 04:35

8. DON CAYE – VARIACIONES SOBRE OBRA DE CAYETANO SALUZZI (Dino Saluzzi) 09:26

9. OFRENDA – TOCATA (Dino Saluzzi) 11:57

Dino Saluzzi: Bandoneon

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Keith Jarrett - Budapest Concert 2-CD (ECM Records)

The second complete show to be issued from Keith Jarrett’s 2016 European tour – following on from the widely-acclaimed concert released as Munich 2016 - this double album documents the pianist’s solo performance at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest. Jarrett, whose family roots reach back to Hungary, viewed the Budapest concert as akin to a homecoming, and the context inspired much creative improvisation. Where Jarrett’s early solo concerts shaped a large arc of music over the course of an evening, the later concerts have generated suite-like structures, comprised of independent “movements”, each of them a marvel of spontaneous resourcefulness. Creative energy is applied also to familiar songs given as encores, “It’s A Lonesome Old Town” and “Answer Me”, transformed in the Budapest concert.

Keith Jarrett: Piano

CD 1

1. PART I (Keith Jarrett) 14:42

2. PART II (Keith Jarrett) 06:54

3. PART III (Keith Jarrett) 08:10

4. PART IV (Keith Jarrett) 07:35

CD 2

1. PART V (Keith Jarrett) 05:13

2. PART VI (Keith Jarrett) 03:52

3. PART VII (Keith Jarrett) 05:45

4. PART VIII (Keith Jarrett) 05:35

5. PART IX (Keith Jarrett) 02:42

6. PART X (Keith Jarrett) 08:40

7. PART XI (Keith Jarrett) 05:54

8. PART XII – BLUES (Keith Jarrett) 04:04

9. IT’S A LONESOME OLD TOWN (Harry Tobias, Charles Kisco) 08:01

10. ANSWER ME (Gerhard Winkler, Fred Rauch) 04:55

NU (Don Cherry, Edward Blackwell, Carlos Ward, Nana Vasconcelos, Mark Helias) Live in Glasgow (February 2021)

NU was a moniker that Don Cherry employed as the title of the cooperative group that he initiated with Edward Blackwell, Carlos Ware, Nana Vasconcelos and myself in the mid 80's. It actually means “now” in Swedish which is where he created a second home with his wife Moki who was Swedish.

The word “now” is probably the most appropriate description of where Don resided; very much an improviser in the now. In this group, everyone functioned in the now and we moved through and into the music dependent on what everyone decided to do; aural cues were often the currency of the moment. It was a great band with the hydra-like percussion section of Blackwell and Nana.

They played so well together and created what often sounded like a true drum ensemble with many more than two members. Carlos Ward, with whom I worked in Edward Blackwell’s group, is an important composer as well as a wonderful improviser. His pieces formed the backbone of this group.

Don was the leader on stage just by the nature of his presence and playful nature; we would often take musical cues from him while making sudden turns into songs that were sometimes unfamiliar to some of us, but we played them anyway. Additionally, he and Nana did a lot of vocalizing in this band which lent the music a more immediate humanity. We also had a lot of fun traveling, hanging out and dealing with the vagaries of the road.

This particular recording was made live in Glasgow, Scotland on October 24th 1987. The performance took place at the Henry Wood Hall and it was part of a tour comprising twelve concerts sponsored by the British Arts Council. In my computer files I found a digitized stereo file of the concert which was probably made from an analog board recording. The beginning of Art Deco is cutoff so the first music we hear is the second chorus of the head. The technicians were probably getting audio levels and missed the beginning of the concert.

At the end of this recording while Lito is being played under Don’s announcement of the musicians, the music also suddenly cut off for which I can offer no explanation. I left these incompletions as they are thankful for the amount of music recovered from this wonderful concert. NU functioned as a true musical cooperative with everyone offering pieces for the repertoire and everyone stepping out and shining at various points.

One of my favorite moments on this recording is Blackwell’s drum solo on Carlos’ piece, Pettiford Bridge. The kaleidoscopic metrical multiples are a joy to listen to as they poetically paint over the fixed bass line.

Personally, playing in NU with these gentlemen was an unmitigated joy for me. Mark Helias, 2021

1. Art Deco (Don Cherry) 7:21

2. Pettiford Bridge (Carlos Ward)

3. Dousson Gouni/Bird Boy (Don Cherry, Nana Vasconcelos 10:01

4. First Love (Carlos Ward) 3:27

5. Pitchfield Blues (Mark Helias) 6:47

6. Nana solo/Don Tune2/Lito (Don Cherry)(Carlos Ward) 6:01

Live performance recorded in Glasgow Scotland October 24, 1987

Post Production and Mastering – Mark Helias

Tracks 2,4 and 6 by Carlos Ward (Lito Publishing Company BMI)

Tracks 1 and 3 and 6 by Don Cherry (Eternal River Publishing BMI)

Track 5 by Mark Helias (Radio Legs Music BMI, GEMA)

Don Cherry – trumpet, dousson gouni, voice

Edward Blackwell – drums, percussion

Nana Vasconcelos – birembau, percussion, voice

Carlos Ward – alto saxophone, flute

Mark Helias – double bass

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Jane Ira Bloom / Mark Helias - Some Kind of Tomorrow (2021)

Some Kind of Tomorrow

We didn’t have to write anything.

We didn’t have to plan anything.

We didn’t even have to talk.

We just had to play -

to connect with each other

across a distance in whatever way we could

because we had to.

It was just too hard to be a sound alone.

A sound needed another sound

- and so Mark & I began.

Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom and bassist Mark Helias come together to create duets discovered in the moment in a way that is rarely heard today with Some Kind of Tomorrow. The long time bandmates, separated by space and time find a way to play in real time with one another and the results are magical. Two master improvisers and composers bring listeners up-close and personal to the first spark of their imaginations at work, recording eleven duet improvisations over the spring, summer, and fall of 2020. The music is raw, authentic, intimate, alive, and unapologetic in its passion. Their sound is deep wood and polished brass recorded with a depth that is hard to describe. They played the music, recorded it, mastered it firsthand and are now making it available to listeners for the first time as a digital download on Bandcamp. Don’t miss these fearless jazz explorers as they face the future.

“Here are the improvised duets that bassist Mark Helias and I created in the spring, summer, and fall of 2020 on the internet. The thought of a world without a live, spontaneous musical connection was too hard to imagine and so we came to these sessions over the internet with an emotional thirst that’s hard to describe. The music is discovered in the moment in a way that I’ve never recorded before. The sound is filled with everything that we felt and couldn’t say in words. There is a vibration between us that’s uncanny given the circumstances and a deep need to play what was real to us just then. It’s as real as it gets for two musicians who needed to create music together to try to find some way to mend the world.” Jane Ira Bloom

“In unprecedented times artists resort to unprecedented strategies to fulfill the need to create and relate. Being locked down has reframed my appreciation of the act of musical interaction and reaffirmed the decision that I made decades ago to explore music as a life’s work. The first time that Jane and I improvised together through Wi-Fi sometime in April or May 2020 was a very high experience on so many levels. We were sorting out the possibilities of making music remotely and assessing the technology and our relation to it. Once we made peace with the situation and the medium, listening, feeling, hearing and responding was the same as it ever was. Without a live audience we decided to complete the circle by documenting our efforts through recordings that we are now sharing with the public. This process has been enlivening in ways that I had not anticipated.” Mark Helias

1. Some Kind of Tomorrow 04:17

2. Magic Carpet 07:04

3. Early Rites 04:24

4. Willing 05:50

5. Traveling Deep 03:30

6. Roughing It 09:28

7. Far Satellites 06:07

8. Pros and Cons 05:54

9. Drift 04:56

10. Star Talk 05:18

11. First Canvas 01:02

Jane Ira Bloom - soprano saxophone

Mark Helias - double bass

© 2020 All compositions by Mark Helias & Jane Ira Bloom

Mark Helias Radio Legs Music/BMI

Jane Ira Bloom Outline Music/ BMI

Recorded by Mark Helias & Jane Ira Bloom

Mixed & mastered by Mark Helias

Cover Photography - Claudia Barritt

Cover Design - Mark Helias

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Tom Sochas - You could hear the bird sing (2021)

The music was written during the first UK lockdown, in April 2020, following the Covid-19 pandemic. The anxieties suffered due to the spread of the virus and the hope which emerged from a collective shift in perspective soon blossomed into new music. Once the music was sketched out, Tom got in contact with some of his favorite London based musicians and began to think about if, and how, one could go about recording a jazz record remotely. What followed was a arduous process of back and forth to attempt to recreate an as close to possible in vivo experience. Layering over each other’s perfomances once, and then again after another musican’s ‘reaction performance’, allowed for true interaction and improvisation.

1. FSAT 03:28

2. Tryptich 03:41

3. Tenzing 03:23

4. Outward 03:40

5. Cypress 04:39

All music written and arranged by Tom Sochas

Tom Sochas - Piano, Philicorda, Synthesizers, Guitar, Percussion

Laurie Carpenter - Trumpet

Sebastian Maniura - Bass

Olly Sarkar - Drums, Percussion

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KALI Trio - LOOM (March 19, 2021)

Swiss Music Ensemble KALI Trio To Release Second Album LOOM on March 19, 2021

“...a cataclysmic blast of stunning and emotionally cathartic driving energy...” - londonjazznews.com

 KALI Trio is a Swiss post-genre band. They function as a collective, with every member contributing equally to the writing and creative processes. Their original score for Thomas Imbach’s movie NEMESIS will arrive in 2021.

LOOM is the second album by KALI trio and shows the consequent development of the original style of the working band. The three Swiss musicians Nicolas Stocker (Drums), Urs Müller (E-Gitarre) und Raphael Loher (Piano) weave the various threads of their stylistic background together with relish and fresh skillfulness on their musical loom. The music, created together as an organism, is continuously charged in the four tracks and in the overall dramaturgy of the album and unfolds its rhythmic pull and its mysterious atmosphere in a subtle and inexorable manner.

LOOM consists of only four compositions, but clocks in at a few seconds short of the 45 minute mark! It’s a beast in scope, but airy (literally) in feel, hence easy to inhale. Each piece plays like the equivalent of a time-lapse of a looming cloud formation – a liquid progression of shifting shapes, changing density as well as shadow and light play. By the virtue of working with subtle iterations of form and using extended swaths of time as the equivalent of a large-scale canvas, the material evokes the mechanics of trance music. The creative use of sound design and general choice of spartan aesthetics, albeit executed using acoustic instruments, emphasize styles club-inclined and tasteful. The overall effect is cinematic and mesmeric; a sonic documentation of a daydream unraveling.

Although the music is emotionally gripping – defined by a dance-floor drive and a thick cinematic atmosphere – it’s hard not to notice the craftsmanship and the skill level involved in bringing these songs to life. The song “Folding Space,” for example, is based on a pattern in 19/8 that turns around on the offbeat against the quarter note. “Shipol,” on the other hand, is predicated on constantly shifting piano, snare and bass drum accents, which make the song feel as if it were performed in 7/16, and not the standard 4/4 that it is.

When asked to describe their music, the band came up with: “It falls somewhere between T.C. Boyle’s prose and Tarkovsky’s dream-like images.” It makes sense! Because the point is not to wow listeners with technique, but to create an experience via deep affect.

Text: Lukasz Polowczyk

SHIPOL 11:25

TRANSITORINESS 10:52

DRY SOUL 08:09

FOLDING SPACE 14:46

TOTAL: 45:12

Raphael Loher: Piano

Urs Müller: Guitar

Nicolas Stocker: Drums

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Jesse Ryan - Bridges

The debut recording of saxophonist and composer Jesse Ryan entitled Bridges, is an eclectic and honest offering that straddles both jazz and Afro-Caribbean traditions - A true celebration of the cultural, rhythmic and expressive connections between North America and the islands of the Caribbean.

His Bridges project was formed in 2016 to explore his passion for composing, performing, and recording music that celebrated his Trinbagonian heritage and love for the jazz tradition. The album features nine tracks that are either an idiomatic bridge between musical traditions or was written to present an idea in the form of an anecdotal narrative that encourages the listener to evolve by bridging the gap between their former and future selves.

Three of the tracks on the album feature Tambrin drumming, performed by members of the Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band - a drumming tradition from Jesse’s homeland that is unique to the island of Tobago and has remained largely unchanged from when it began in colonial times. A Tambrin band normally includes five musicians playing three frame drums (three shallow goatskin drums, one triangle and one violin or harmonica. The first of the three is the opening track of the album, Big Ole Shoes, a medium-tempo Jig. The second, Right To Be Wrong, a slow, ballad-like rhythm referred to as the Brush Back, and the third, Sons Of The Soil, (S.O.T.S) an up-tempo Reel.

In keeping with the goal of bridging cultures, this project brings together some of the finest young musicians from Toronto, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago and was co-produce by the Grammy Award winning drummer, musician Larnell Lewis.

For more info: www.jesseryanmuzik.com

1. Big Ole' Shoes (Featuring Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band) 06:46

2. Bridges 06:37

3. Zambian Offertory (Featuring Joanna Majoko) 04:06

4. Right To Be Wrong Prelude (Featuring Brainerd Blyden-Taylor) 00:51

5. Right To Be Wrong (Featuring Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band) 05:31

6. The Way (Featuring Joanna Majoko) 05:21

7. Seeds 04:42

8. S.O.T.S Prelude (Featuring Ewen Farncombe and Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band) 00:44

9. S.O.T.S (Featuring Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band) 04:07

Jesse Ryan - Saxophones, Composer, Percussion (track 2)

Joanna Majoko - Voice (tracks 3, 6)

Lucian Gray - Guitar (tracks 6,7)

Sean Clarey - Guitar (tracks 2, 3)

Andrew Marzotto - Guitar (tracks 1, 9)

Ewen Farncombe - Piano, Fender Rhodes

Marc Rogers - Bass (all tracks}

David Richards - Drums (all tracks)

Nicolas Frangini-Salvo - Congas (track 7)

Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band (tracks 1, 5, 9)

Phil Nimmons - To The Nth (The Nimmons Tribute)

To The Nth by The Nimmons Tribute honours the legacy of Canada’s living jazz legend Phil Nimmons O.C., O. Ont. The album brings vintage Phil compositions through new arrangements by grandson, pianist and composer Sean Nimmons.

To The Nth features some of Canada’s greatest musicians, many of whom are JUNO Award winners. The Nimmons Tribute led by Sean consists of former students, colleagues, friends and family, who have come together to celebrate Phil through his music.

The Nimmons Tribute consists of former students, colleagues, friends and family of Phil Nimmons who have come together to honour Phil through his music.

1. Nufsicisum 07:51

2. Night Crawler 08:55

3. Harbours (from the Atlantic Suite) 05:52

4. Swing Softly 04:45

5. Holly 07:58

6. Sands of Time 07:27

7. Rista's Vista 05:26

8. Liëse 07:06

Kevin Turcotte - trumpet, flugelhorn

Tara Davidson - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet

Mike Murley - tenor saxophone

William Carn - trombone

Perry White - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet

Sean Nimmons - piano, Fender Rhodes

Jon Maharaj - bass

Ethan Ardelli - drums

All songs composed by Phil Nimmons, except “Rista’s Vista” composed by Sean Nimmons

All songs arranged and produced by Sean Nimmons

www.nimmonstribute.ca

Three Pines Records launching in March!

NEW LABEL, THREE PINES RECORDS

LAUNCHING IN MARCH, 2021

FIRST RELEASES FROM ALL-STAR COLLABORATION TUNETOWN

& VOCALIST SARAH JERROM’S DREAM LOGIC

In March of 2021, Three Pines Records (TPR) is proud to introduce their new label with the releases from TuneTown (the all-star combination of Kelly Jefferson, Artie Roth and Ernesto Cervini) and vocalist Sarah Jerrom’s Dream Logic (Harley Card, Rob McBride, Jeff Luciani).

The JUNO Award-winning, Grammy-nominated team of drummer Ernesto Cervini, vocalist Amy Cervini and composer/producer Oded Lev-Ari are combining to create a new media company dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Canadian music, with a specific focus on Jazz and improvised music. TPR is committed to creating a safe and supportive space where musicians can focus on creating and sharing their work with a growing fan base they help create. Between them, Cervini, Lev-Ari and…Cervini have extensive experience in the business of music not only as musicians but as entrepreneurs, label-owner, manager, publicist…the list is long. They are combining these unique skill sets to help artists find their fan base and create a sustainable career and mostly to share great music with fans across Canada and the world. TPR will be working with artists across Canada and across the spectrum of jazz…the focus will not be on a specific style of music, but rather on good music! 

First up is the March 19th release of Entering Utopia from celebrated jazz trio collective, TuneTown.  This is a follow up to their debut album, There From Here which came out in the fall of 2019 to rave reviews across the globe:  “Seamlessly assimilating elements from the avant-garde, funk and jazz worlds, There From Here is a stimulating addition to the saxophone trio canon” - Jazz Journal

On March 26th, Three Pines Records will be releasing Sarah Jerrom’s Dream Logic, an artsy folk-jazz album from the other end of the spectrum.  The ensemble consists of four highly-skilled Canadian musicians who each actively explore and play in a variety of musical projects and genres: Harley Card on guitar and vocals, Rob McBride on acoustic bass, Jeff Luciani on drums, with Jerrom on vocals and piano.

TuneTown - Entering Utopia (March 19, 2021 Three Pines Records)

Sarah Jerrom and Dream Logic (March 26, 2021 Three Pines Records)

For more information please visit: www.threepinesrecords.ca

Sarah Jerrom and Dream Logic (March 26, 2021 Three Pines Records)

Dream Logic is a contemporary jazz quartet led by vocalist and composer Sarah Jerrom, performing a diverse collection of original music written and arranged for the group by Jerrom and other and members. Drawing from the jazz tradition, Dream Logic’s music merges creative improvisation and pop-sensibilities to introduce and develop an exciting cross-genre element. The ensemble consists of four highly-skilled Canadian musicians who each actively explore and play in a variety of musical projects and genres: Harley Card on guitar and vocals, Rob McBride on acoustic bass, Jeff Luciani on drums, with Jerrom on vocals and piano. Dream Logic has been performing in and around Toronto since 2017, with a steadily growing fan base. Notable performances include the 2018 Niagara Jazz Festival and the 2019 “In The Soil” Arts Festival. 

Dream Logic’s new album will be released on Mar. 26th, 2021.

More about the artists:

Sarah Jerrom is a Canadian vocalist and composer specializing in jazz and creative music, taking her inspiration from lyric-driven melodies, genre-defying instrumentation and experimental soundscapes. Sarah’s upcoming third album, a collection of original songs recorded by her contemporary jazz quartet, “Dream Logic,” will be released Mar 26th 2021 on Three Pines Records. “Dream Logic” follows up on her critically-acclaimed releases, “The Yeats Project” (2017), featuring W.B. Yeats’s poetry set to music and orchestrated for a nine-piece chamber jazz ensemble, achieving critical praise and international airplay, and “Illuminations” (2007), encompassing original compositions, jazz-inspired arrangements of contemporary songs and traditional jazz standards. A graduate of the University of Toronto jazz program (2005), Sarah has studied composition under renowned Canadian composers Christine Jensen, Christopher Smith, Andrew Downing and Rick Wilkins (O.C.).

“… Jerrom sounds best when she is free of traditional confines.” – Robert Rusch, Cadence Magazine

Harley Card is a Toronto based guitarist and composer. In addition to leading his own groups, Harley is a member of  and co-composer for the innovative Canadian bands; Hobson’s Choice, God’s Gift To Yoda, and Stoptime. As a contributor to the creative music scene in Toronto since 2003, Harley has played with many artists including; Richard Underhill, Alex Dean, Alex Samaras, David Virelles, William Carn, Michael Herring, Bernie Senensky, Michael Davidson, Don Scott, Matt Newton, Daniel Jamieson, Felicity Williams, Dave Clark, Carlie Howell, Jon Challoner, Sarah Jerrom, Colin Power, RJ Sachnanathan, Rebecca Hennessy, Dan Fortin,  Ben Dietschi, Dan Gaucher, Caitlin Smith, and Ernesto Cervini, among others. - www.harleycard.ca

Rob McBride is a highly in-demand bassist and bandleader who has been performing in the Toronto jazz scene for the last 25 years, playing at many of the city’s top jazz venues. While specializing in jazz, Rob is also influenced by solo classical and improvised bass music and has incorporated creative aspects of these elements into his sound through his five-string acoustic bass. Headliner performances includes the TD Niagara Jazz Festival (2014) and the Brampton World of Jazz Festival (2017). Rob has played with some of Canada’s finest musicians, including Pat LaBarbara, Don Thompson, Ted Warren, Sarah Jerrom, and Adrean Farrugia. He has played with the pit orchestra for the Shaw Festival and the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Rob has played on many critically-acclaimed albums including recordings by Sarah Jerrom, Beverly Taft, Jeff King, and Barbara Mantini.

Jeff Luciani is a Canadian drummer and percussionist from St. Catharines, Ontario. After graduating from Mohawk College’s Applied Music Program in 2003, he began to work on establishing himself within the jazz, improvised music, singer-songwriter and Brazilian communities throughout the Niagara Region and city of Toronto. He then went on to perform throughout the world with celebrated Canadian artists: Sean Jones, The Dears, Derek Miller and Madison Violet. Jeff is currently an active member and collaborator with the groups/bands/artists; Batucada Carioca, SoundSound, Bankruptcy, Sarah Jerrom & Dream Logic, Colin Fisher, and The Dears. In addition, Jeff also works as an independent foley artist. He lives in Toronto, Canada. - www.jeffluciani.com

TuneTown - Entering Utopia (March 19, 2021 Three Pines Records)

TuneTown is an exciting collective featuring creative Toronto mainstays, Kelly Jefferson on Tenor Saxophone, Artie Roth on Bass and Ernesto Cervini on Drums. All three members are highly-respected Juno-nominated musicians with serious band leading chops, and the combination of the three leads to some breathtaking and powerful musical moments.   

The band plays imaginative re-arrangements of standards, and originals from all three members. They released their debut album, There From Here in September 2019 to rave reviews across the globe with Peter Hum from the Ottawa Citizen remarking, “TuneTown's debut disc makes a strong first impression with its rugged swinging, lucid improvising, sonic exploration and forthright teamwork.” 

TuneTown’s follow up album, Entering Utopia, will be released on March 19, 2021.

1. Hello, Today (Cervini) 5:07

2. Entering Utopia (Roth) 4:51

3. Layla Tov (Cervini) 5:16

4. Billyish (Cervini) 3:48

5. Flood, Deluge (Cervini, Jefferson, Roth) 3:34

6. Look Down (Cervini, Jefferson, Roth) 1:01

7. Sycamore (Roth) 6:36

8. Cheryl  (Charlie Parker, arr. Cervini, Jefferson, Roth) 5:45

9. Sgraffito (Cervini, Jefferson, Roth) 0:49

10. Memories Remain (Roth) 6:09

11. Looking Glass (Cervini, Jefferson, Roth) 0:30

12. Blue Gardenia (Bob Russel, Lester Lee, arr. Cervini, Jefferson, Roth) 3:18

TuneTown Website

Al Muirhead Quintet - Live From Frankie's & The Yardbird (February 19, 2021 Chronograph Records)

The first recording trumpeter Al Muirhead was ever involved in was recorded in 1953. He was 18 years old, playing in a small dance band at the Waterton Lakes Dance Hall in southern Alberta. A gentleman at the venue had just purchased a new direct to disc recording unit, and asked if he could record the concert.

Al still treasures that live recording experience to this day. Now here we are, 67 years later, as Muirhead releases his first vinyl LP as a bandleader – recorded live to disc at two of Canada’s finest jazz clubs. As Al recalls, LP’s were his preferred way to listen to music in his younger days, and he is happy to see them gaining in popularity again.

After such a long and storied career, it was high time to capture Muirhead’s playing – and the music he loves – live in concert. The idea was to plan a setlist of jazz standards ahead of time, while also allowing for organic, real-time improvisation and in-the-moment decision making – after all, some of jazz history’s best performances have been spontaneous, single takes! And with his 2020 JUNO-nominated quintet on hand, the sessions were sure to include more than a few magical moments.

This recording project speaks to the concept of legacy. It captures the organic nature of live jazz, where each performance is unique from one night to the next. This is a live on the bandstand recording that couldn’t be replicated in a studio. There is no option for overdubs or retakes here. It’s a pure representation of the musicianship that Al and his bandmates have brought to the Canadian cultural landscape for so many years. What you are hearing on this recording is the result of two evenings from that 2018 tour at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Alberta and at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Al Muirhead: bass trumpet & trumpet

Kelly Jefferson: tenor saxophone

Reg Schwager: guitar (2-4, 9)

Jim Head: guitar (1, 5-8)

Neil Swainson: bass

Jesse Cahill: drums (2-4, 9)

Ted Warren: drums (1, 5-8)

1. Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:10

2. Joy Spring (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:34

3. Intermission Song (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 00:26

4. A Tune For Cal (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:38

5. Mona Lisa (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:05

6. Emily (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:19

7. Four Brothers (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:48

8. Tenor Madness (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:21