Médéric Collignon - MoOvies (2016)

Source & Label: Just Looking Productions

Le parcours de Médéric est à l’image de son talent immense, dense ... boulimique ! On a le tournis en énumérant les formations, les expériences, les projets, les compositions… auxquels il a participé. Ce musicien à l’imagination débordante est passé par quasiment tous les styles possibles depuis le début de sa carrière : Salsa, Bal, Jazz 60’-70’, Funk, Trash, New Orleans, R’n’B, Jazz contemporain, Jazz moderne, Ethno-Funk, Électronique… Alors comment présenter ce musicien "extra" ordinaire ?
Ce qui impressionne d’abord chez lui c’est son énergie … une masse d’énergie qui semble être inépuisable. Il suffit de l’avoir vu en concert où d’avoir écouté un de ses albums pour le savoir.
Sur scène, il semble être partout : il décoche son cornet de poche pour envoyer très haut un phrasé tranchant, qu’il continue en vocalise pour soudain glisser un groove maîtrisé où sa voix accompagnée d’effets fait rouler une basse bien sentie et quand le rythme s’énerve ses doigts retombent alors sur un clavier korg avec des airs de voltigeur… Comme un maître marionnettiste, il manipule les instruments et les sons pour les pousser toujours plus loin. Médéric parle souvent de "montrécouter" sa musique, car il s’agit avant tout de "physique" : d’ondes, de collisions, de musiciens en action, de corps en mouvement… Et lorsque l’on s’approche un peu, on aperçoit les mécanismes qui régissent cette impressionnante "machine" : un regard, une main tendue, de petits gestes d’ici et de là. Toujours à l’écoute des autres, Médo, en chef d’orchestre discret, dirige ses musiciens à la manière d’un Miles Davis.
Devant une telle maîtrise du jeu rythmique, de harmonique et de la direction, on a peu de peine à se rendre compte que Médéric est aussi un brillant compositeur. Il a (adapté et) réécrit avec talent "Porgy and Bess" pour son "Jus de Bocse", quartet survitaminé, en y apportant beaucoup de fraicheur et de liberté. Le résultat est désarmant, sorte d’opéra artificiel et multicolore, dense et puissant. Avec ce projet, Médéric a remporté le prix de la révélation Française de l’année (prix Frank Ténot) aux Victoires du Jazz 2007. Avec le même quartet, il sort un nouvel album "Shangri-Tunkashi-La" (autour de Bitches Brew) en février 2010 : un hommage aux années 1968-75 de Miles. Le groupe est récompensé en juillet 2010 par la Victoire du Jazz du meilleur Artiste ou Groupe de l’Année.  Read more...

01. Snow Creatures 12:01
02. Harry's Creed 05:30
03. Scorpio's Theme (feat. Eutépé) 06:29
04. Brubaker Adagio's And Coda (feat. Eutépé) 3:50
05. Taking Of Pelham 1, 2, 3 2:55
06. The Pelham's-moving-again blues 05:10
07. The Way to San Mateo (feat. Eutépé) 06:57
08. Robbery Suspect 04:36
09. Money Runner 03:50
10. End Titles 04:01
11. Money Montage 05:02
12. Up Again The Wall (feat. Eutépé) 08:36
Hidden track : Magnum Force Theme (feat. Eutépé)

Médéric Collignon : trumpet, bugle, voice, keyboard, microphones
Yvan Robilliard : Fender Rhodes
Philippe Gleizes : drums
Emmanuel Harang : bass guitar

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Florian Hoefner Group - Luminosity (2016)

Label: Origin Records

Source: Something Else! - S. Victor Aaron

About a year and a half ago, German-born pianist/composer Florian Hoefner did what few up-and-coming jazz musicians would dare to do, and that was to pull out of the bustling scene of New Your City to relocate to a far-away place that shared an ocean but little else with his former home. But from the relative solitude of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Hoefner found the right environment to raise his game, and for his third album Luminosity (released January 16, 2016 by Origin Records), Hoefner constructed a set of pieces that more than ever for him, exemplifies the dynamism of modern jazz in the 21st century Big Apple.
The secret sauce to Luminosity lies in the compositions — all Hoefner originals — that mine Hoefner’s familiarity with his rhythm section: he’s performed with bassist Sam Anning and drummer Peter Kronreif for scores of gigs going back to 2010, and he wrote those songs with them and saxophonist Seamus Blake firmly in mind. Accordingly, Luminosity puts everyone in their best light, leader included.
These extended forms keep you engaged by not giving away the plot too quickly; “In Circles” elucidates that with its twenty-four beat cycle and a dancing long, harmonic line topped by a melodic line that dances in a difference direction. Hoefner solos on feel and exploits subtle cues coming from his rhythm section, and when he’s done, the music engages in another motif for Blake’s tenor sax turn, whose soaring howls has the full band behind him. The creativity with rhythmic patterns continues with “New Found Jig,” a 12/8 signature the forms the foundation for a Corea-esque melodic density. Blake does his best Michael Brecker while Kronreif causes a commotion right behind him. Hoefner invests a lot of craftsmanship in that piano solo that’s funky with a tinge of blues. And “Elements” is a high-motion tune with a catchy, three-beat riff that sets the whole thing up. Kronreif is working overtime to navigate the melody through the mood changes, Anning’s solo spotlight is right in that elusive pocket and Blake grounds the whole thing by pouring on the soul.
The lighter tempo tunes also possess a dancing quality to them. The title track is a smoothly flowing melodic progression belying its sashaying rhythm from Kronreif’s brushes. Hoefner puts in right measure of emotion in his solo and once again, he devises a new section for Blake, who switches to the lilting soprano sax for this song. “The Narrows” (along with “”North Country”) is the slowest song of this collection, but it’s situated right at the front of the album, probably to showcase Hoefner’s emotive rhapsodies that stand up to being exposed more with a slower pace, and Blake’s mournful sax illuminates the feeling so well.
“The Bottom Line” is the closest Hoefner gets to jazz tradition, a swing tune that has the motion of a bop tune but nonetheless mixes modern jazz chords with blues. That doesn’t keep Blake from contributing cool bop-inspired tenor sax lines, however.
They say the third time is the charm, and Florian Hoefner’s third album Luminosity has charm, freshness, dynamism and more. Evidently, heading up to far-eastern Canada was a good move for him.

1 The Narrows 6:12
2 In Circles 7:06
3 Luminosity 5:56
4 Newfound Jig 6:44
5 Elements 8:53
6 Reminiscence 5:10
7 Eleven 8:32
8 The Bottom Line 6:28
9 North Country 8:05

Seamus Blake - tenor and soprano saxophone
Florian Hoefner - piano
Sam Anning - bass
Peter Kronreif - drums

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David Diao - Precious Days (2016)

Label: Self Released

Source: David Diao Su

Life isn’t a consistent and stable thing, as I’ve come to find that after years trying to find some form of happiness, belonging and clear path to a successful life, was always met with internal struggles, failure, and the pain of losing the loved ones around me. The feeling you have when you just want to give up because of all the pain and despair can be devastating. But, I have realized the importance of experiencing that these feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, fear and grief are such beautiful parts of your life. You’ll never learn from your mistakes without failure, will never know what hope is without being hopeless and devastated, and you will never know how much you truly love someone until you lose them...

Perhaps I haven’t found a clear path in my life yet, but I know I want to keep experiencing life in every way possible, embracing all the hopelessness, failures, love and success life has to offer.

To all my friends who have experienced a seemingly hopeless side of life, continue to bathe in its beautify and potential to make you stronger.
To all my friends in music, film, arts, please continue to create and inspire me and everyone in our community.

Here is my first album “Precious Days 珍贵日” to ALL those beautiful experiences in every single precious day of our life.

1. Precious Days 09:04
2. Black Rose 05:11
3. Things To Come 07:07
4. Portrait of Her 01:14
5. My Escape 08:15
6. Free 02:17
7. The Spotlight 05:06
8. At What End 05:17
9. Midnight In Beijing 05:32
10.Old Memory 08:13
11.Love Forgotten 04:18

 

David (Su) Diao - Saxophones, Flute & Compositions
Jessica MingJia Chen- Vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 6, 9, 11)
Mjaa Danielson- Vocals (Track 5)
Youngchan Na- Guitar
Ewen Farcombe- Piano
James Hill- Piano (Tracks 7, 10, 11)
Ethan Tilbury- Bass
Jared Goldman- Drums 

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Magnus Thuelund - First Song (2016)

Label: Self Released

Source: Jazz.dk

Magnus Thuelund er en intelligent, og dog følsom, reflekteret, og dog ekspressiv, altsaxofonist og komponist. Hans musikalske univers er raffineret, men altid båret af en melodisk kerne. Thuelund har studeret hos prominente musikere som Reggie Workman, George Garzone og Mark Turner på New School of New York.
Som et vovet og kompromisløst valg har Thuelund dannet en trio med det mangeårige medlem af DR Big Band, Jonas Johansen, foruden kontrabassisten, Graig Earle. Jonas Johansen er i international klasse og kendt for sit ekspressive og levende spil. Johansens meritter er uomtvistelige og det alenlange CV toppes af hans mangeårige samarbejde med Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen, samt Enrico Pieranunzi Trio. 

1. Karl Special 07:21
2. Search 05:40
3. M 09:17
4. 55 07:22
5. Low 07:22
6. Hightech II 08:49
7. First Song 05:58
8. C4 06:06

Magnus Thuelund - saxofon
Graig Earle - bas
Jonas Johansen - trommer 

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Jonathan Wires - Weaving (2016)

Label: Ear up Records

Source: Cdbaby 

This project contains a variety of pieces that I’ve written over the last few years. I wasn’t sure what compositions I wanted to record. Luckily I got some of my favorite players (who are also my dearest friends) involved, and that made choosing easy. I knew that I wanted to showcase their talents more than anything else. But also, I wanted to create frameworks for the sounds and shapes that I find interesting, so I created structures for the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that I enjoy - that would also hopefully inspire my fellow bandmates/friends.

1. Weaving
2. Second Thoughts
3. Before the Wind
4. It Seems to Be
5. In My Slumber
6. In Flux
7. Holiday Offering
8. Waver
 

The Players:
Jonathan Wires – bass/composition
Josh Hunt – drums/percussion
Jeff Coffin – tenor sax/soprano sax/clarinet/bass clarinet
Matt Endahl – wurlitzer

guests:
Don Aliquo – bass clarinet
Lindsey Miller – guitar
James Westfall – vibraphone
Jamey Simmons – trumpet
Jon Estes - Mixes 

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Ken Peplowski - Enrapture (2016)

Label: Capri Records

Source: Allaboutjazz

How on earth do you successfully bind the music of Duke Ellington, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Fats Waller, Herbie Nichols, Bernard Herrmann, Peter Erskine, and Noël Coward into one coherent statement? The answer is simple: You don't, unless you're Ken Peplowski. Over the course of ten tracks from the aforementioned composers and other well-known tunesmiths, Peplowski manages to simultaneously express his love of myriad sounds and styles, a fondness for days gone by, and an ability to move ever onward. This much-heralded reed man wears his eclecticism like a badge of honor on Enrapture, an album that speaks to his ability to dig into the past while also addressing his outlook on the present.

In his liner essay for this project, Peplowski remarks on the true-to-self nature of this quartet recording, noting that "this is us, in as close to a live setting as one could ask for in a recording environment." In keeping with that statement, the majority of the performances captured here are first takes. The decision to work that way proves to be a smart play, as the band is able to capitalize on the energy, spontaneity, and attentiveness that can only exist on the first pass of a song. Peplowski also shows himself to be practiced in the art of sequencing songs, shrewdly playing to diverse tastes and the constant need for mood change-ups.

In lesser hands, the idea of knocking out a slew of songs in short order and moving all over the map could be disastrous, but it's a winning formula for this foursome—Peplowski's working quartet, with pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist Martin Wind, and drummer Matt Wilson. This band sounds like a million bucks all the way through, from the reveille-like kick-off at the top of "The Flaming Sword"—an adrenaline-fueled slice of tropically-infused Ellingtonian exotica—to the easy-does-it, bluesy send-off of "Willow Tree." And rest assured, there's plenty to enjoy and admire in between those bookends. Peplowski's inviting tenor pleasantly glides along on "An Affair To Remember," Wind's bass and Peplowski's clarinet engage in a slow and revealing pas de deux on "Oh, My Love," Erskine's "Twelve" gives the band a chance to pull at the threads of convention and take a looser and more interactive approach to group (inter)play, and the slowly unfolding beauty and drama of "Vertigo Scene D'Amour/Madeleine (Love Music From "Vertigo")" highlights the emotional experiences of the protagonist in Hitchcock's classic film. All the in-studio discussions, extra takes, and edits in the world couldn't produce a better outcome than what these four did in the heat of the moment(s) to create Enrapture.  Dan Bilawski

01. The Flaming Sword (6:35)
02. An Affair To Remember (5:15)
03. Oh, My Love (2:25)
04. Cheer Up Charlie (5:15)
05. I'll Follow My Secret Heart (4:02)
06. Enrapture (4:43)
07. Twelve (5:38)
08. Vertigo Scene D'amour (6:51)
09. When October Goes (4:40)
10. Willow Tree (7:35)

Ken Peplowski: Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone

Ehud Asherie: Piano

Martin Wind: Bass

Matt Wilson: Drums

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Felice Clemente / Javier Pérez Forte - Evolución (2016)

“Evolución" è un disco che celebra il decimo anno di attività del nostro duo.

Dieci anni che racchiudono tre dischi all’attivo, centinaia di concerti e la ricerca di un linguaggio e di una poetica musicale personali. Il percorso fatto finora ci fa capire che l’evoluzione del nostro linguaggio è stata naturale.

Come la metafora di chi cammina da anni e, quando si volta indietro, osserva la strada già fatta scoprendo con soddisfazione che i passi sono stati diversi uno dall’altro;e questo per il semplice piacere di andare avanti, di provare nuovi sentieri, di respirare l’aria di nuove geografie. “Viandante non c’è cammino, la via si fa con l’andare”, cantava Antonio Machado:così questo nostro “andare” tra alfabeti ai confini di un nuovo spazio ci ha regalato continuamente momenti di stupore e di scoperta, gli stessi che speriamo possano vivere i nostri ascoltatori seguendoci attraverso questo spazio musicale reinventato ibridando gli stili che più amiamo.

Rispetto a Escaleras prima e Aire Libre poi, possiamo dire che la proposta di Evolución è un passo ulteriore, non ripropone gli stessi stilemi dei lavori precedenti perché neanche noi siamo gli stessi.

Tanto le nostre composizioni quanto gli arrangiamenti degli “standard” sono impregnati del nostro “essere” in questo momento. Il tentativo di classificare stile e genere della musica che fa il nostro duo è un impresa che alcuni definiscono “difficile”; noi preferiamo dire che è non necessario classificare, meglio lasciarsi trasportare dal libero flusso dell’ascolto.

L’amicizia che ci unisce da tanti anni lascia qui la sua testimonianza.” Felice Clemente, Javier Pérez Forte

Felice Clemente, sassofonista, clarinettista e compositore, è stato definito da Enzo Siciliano ( Repubblica ) «il miglior giovane sassofonista italiano» e dal Cadence magazine (USA) «un talento destinato a fare la storia del jazz». È promotore di numerosi progetti per la diffusione della cultura del jazz e dal 2007 viene segnalato e votato nelle riviste jazz Musica Jazz e Jazzit magazine tra i migliori sassofonisti in assoluto. I sui Disco “Nuvole di Carta” e “6:35 AM” hanno ricevuto 4 stelle dalla celebre rivista americana DOWNBEAT “bibbia del jazz” (novembre 2011 e giugno 2015). La sua produzione discografica può vantare 11 dischi come leader e co-leader e 15 come invitato. Svolge un’intensa attività concertistica in Italia e all’estero, collaborando con musicisti tra i più noti della scena internazionale.

Javier Pérez Forte, chitarrista, compositore e arrangiatore “argentino d’origine e italiano d’adozione, sfoggia la sua profonda conoscenza del linguaggio e un’ammirevole tecnica strumentale, cesellando una performance da virtuoso del genere” come scrive Valentino Casali su Jazzit. Sia nell’esecuzione che nella composizione, il musicista coltiva l’ambito classico accanto a quello della musica argentina, tango e folklore, e del jazz. “Bravissimo chitarrista, espressivo e pittorico” (Il Corriere) “Javier Pérez Forte suona la sua chitarra in maniera davvero straordinaria” (Badische Zeitung, Freiburg am Breisgau). Il suo catalogo comprende più di un centinaio di pezzi (dalla musica da camera a opere sinfoniche) oltre ai numerosi arrangiamenti. Compone per cinema, tv e teatro e dal 1993 si dedica alla diffusione della Musica argentina con concerti e spettacoli, masterclass, saggi e trasmissioni radio-televisive.

www.feliceclemente.com

www.javierperezforte.com

FELICE CLEMENTE & JAVIER PEREZ FORTE Evolution

Liner notes by Felice Clemente, Javier Pérez Forte

Evolución is a disc that celebrates ten years of our duo.

Ten years, three CDs, hundreds of concerts and the search for our musical language and poetry. Until now, our journey has led us to understand that evolution of our language is natural. As the metaphor of the person who walks for years, and, looking back, notices with satisfaction that each step is different from the next; moving on for the simple pleasure of going forwards, finding new paths, breathing in the air in fresh new places.

“Wanderer, there is no path. Make your way  by walking” sang Antonio Machado. Our path has led us to the edges of a new space which has continuously given us moments of wonder and discovery, and we hope that our listeners can live the same experience whilst crossing our new space, in our mixing of the musical styles that we love the most.

In respect to our other titles – Escaleras and Aire Libre; Evolución is different. We are not the same so our music is different. Our own compositions along with our arrangements of standards are impregnated with our soul in this moment. The attempt to classify styles and genres of music means that our duo is considered “difficult” to classify. We prefer not to classify, but to leave the listener the freedom to travel with the music.

This is the testimony to a friendship that has lasted for years.

1 Mi Nena

2 Ay Santiago

3 Oblivion

4 Bà - Bà

5 Bésame Mucho

6 Octubre del '96

7 Ángeles de la Guarda

8 Summertime

9 Para Siempre

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Domi

Moppa Elliot - Still, Up in the Air (2016)

Moppa Elliott, bassist and leader of the jazz ensemble, "Mostly Other People Do the Killing" presents his first solo double-bass album. The pieces presented in this recording were recorded on February 16, 2015 at St. Stephen's Pro Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Each improvisation is a series of disparate musical ideas that transition rapidly in an attempt to disrupt the linear progression of thematic developmen.

Moppa Elliott, bass

1. Sequence Three

2. Sequence Eight

3. Sequence Nine

4. Sequence Ten

5. Sequence Eleven

6. Sequence Six / Twelve

7. Sequence Fourteen

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JAVI