Sunday, June 6, 2021

Michele Tino - Belle Époque (June 2021 Auand Records)

Belle Époque is Michele Tino's debut album, out on Auand on June 4th.

A sax player born and raised in Italy, Michele Tino comes to his first work as leader after learning the ropes with such names as Camilla Battaglia, Michelangelo Scandroglio, Alessandro Lanzoni, The Auanders, Purple Whales and Federica Colangelo “Acquaphonica”.

The tracklist, entirely penned by Tino, covers a wide timeframe as well as very different styles, influences, and moods, by merging traditional and contemporary approach. A compelling lyricism pervades every track, playing with balanced dynamics and sense of proportion.

Michele Tino formed his quartet in 2018, when he got back to Florence after finishing his studies in Amsterdam.

It still features Simone Graziano (piano, Fender Rhodes, and synth), Gabriele Evangelista (double bass), and Bernardo Guerra (drums). They met and started collaborating a long time ago, and it felt natural for him to have them in his first band as a leader. This allowed them to add a deeper understanding to their already strong relationship.

Rehearsed and played live for a long time, each composition had been carefully shaped until it fits the whole album idea of density. Last but not least, Francesco Ponticelli’s contribution was precious, as much as his Cicaleto studio where the album was recorded.

1 Truth
2 Between Hands
3 Gringo
4 L'idiota
5 Chiasma
6 Ara Pacis
7 Shark's Genocide
8 Her Choice

Michele Tino - alto and tenor saxophone
Simone Graziano - piano, Fender Rhodes, synths
Gabriele Evangelista - double bass
Bernardo Guerra - drums

Recorded at Cicaleto (Arezzo) on November 6-8, 2020 by Francesco Ponticelli
Mixed at Cicaleto (Arezzo) on December 2020 by Francesco Ponticelli
Mastered at GreenBrain on February 2021 by Stefano Bechini

produced by Michele Tino
executive producer: Marco Valente
cover photo by Maria Rosaria Santo and Guglielmo Tino
inner photos by Caterina Di Perri

Mega Mass - Goniochromism (June 2021)

1. 33 05:45
2. Nihilism 05:42
3. Pouf 03:24
4. Objet Celeste 04:58
5. La Berthe 02:37
6. Paf 04:37
7. 25 Blood Drive 03:08

Quentin Cholet - drums
Théo Duboule - guitar
Fabian Willmann - saxophone

mixed by théo duboule
mastered by adrian von ripka

Manuel Valera Trio - Live at Diese Onze (feat. Clarence Penn & Hans Glawischnig) 2021

Live at Diese Onze was recorded in April/2019 in the beautiful Montreal Club, Diese Onze. Manuel Valera's trio is composed of Hans Glawischnig and Clarence Penn. the CD features nine originals and standard performed. The performance is kinetic, and the connection between these three artist is unavoidable. Some tracks have intricate arrangements while others offer very organic and interactive versions of some of jazz's most beloved works such as Whisper Not, Darn That Dream and But Not for me.

1. Rhythm-A-Ning 07:55
2. Whisper Not 08:55
3. Tres Palabras 08:16
4. Evidence 07:06
5. Ballade 07:48
6. But Not For Me 05:42
7. Darn That Dream 06:39
8. Searching 08:03
9. What Is This Thing Called Love 08:21

Manuel Valera (piano)
Hans Glawischnig (bass)
Clarence Penn (drums)

Recorded Live at Diese Onze in Montreal, Canada on April/2019

Marthe Lea Band - Asura (June 2021 Motvind Records)

Asura is Marthe Lea Band's declaration of love for life. Clearly inspired by folk music from far and wide, one can through seven very different songs hear the musicians' backgrounds and interests propagate in soulful vibrations. This is music for celebration!

Marthe Lea maneuvers through the mysteries of music in an ingenious way. She has showed this in the recent years in such different contexts as Bugge Wessltoft's New Conception of Jazz, in a trio with Ayumi Tanaka and Thomas Strønen (recently released on ECM) and with musicians such as Axel Dörner and Alasdair Roberts. She balances her sincerely and powerful expression, which contains both folk songs and howling, in a liberating way. Symptomatic of this open approach is that she throughout “Asura” performs with a long list of instruments. Her piano, guitar and flute playing is as natural as what she plays on her main instrument, the tenor saxophone.

The band consists of, apart from the boss herself, Motvind Records' usual suspects Andreas Hoem Røysum on clarinet, Hans Kjorstad on fiddle and Egil Kalman on double bass and synth. And last but not least, on drums we can this time enjoy listening to the dynamic rhythm maestro Hans Hulbækmo. Since 2018, the band has played a number of freely improvised concerts that often has lasted for one to two hours. The philosophy has been to let what happens happen. They have actually only had one song on the repertoire, titled "Sneaky Sneaky". The surprise was therefore great when Lea appeared the day before the recording with six completely new songs, all with rather whimsical twists. Just like Marthe Lea herself. The recording then beacme an attempt to play these songs as Lea had intended them, and at the same time retain a playful and free approach.
The music on Asura can probably best be characterized as an organic mixture of humming melodies, rocking grooves and spontaneous outbursts. The album begins with "Kedi", which with its peculiar tonality leads us straight into this universe of Lea. But don't think that we are dealing here with a somewhat monotonous folk music expression. For "Jysla Jysla" could perhaps be written by Elton John? Furthermore, the title track "Asura" moves from feudal Japan to a midsummer dance in the woods. Through the album, the music moves from mood to mood in time with the heart itself, ie something uneven but constantly changing. "Sakina" is clearly Gnawa-inspired while "Elgens hverdag" (“The Weekday of the Moose”) approaches the ancient power of the lullaby. Between them is the song "Bølgebryter" (“Wave Breaker”) which will probably make the jazz-interested listener nod. The album ends with the aforementioned "Sneaky Sneaky" which has been a recurring theme for this band for several years. Common to the tracks is that one can hear them as various festive rituals to celebrate the endless possibilities of music. 

1. Kedi 05:28
2. Jysla Jysla 06:23
3. Asura 07:59
4. Sakina 05:37
5. Bølgebryter 07:05
6. Elgens hverdag 05:06
7. Sneaky Sneaky 04:33

Marthe Lea - tenor saxophone, flute, piano, guitar, voice, udungu, percussion
Andreas Hoem Røysum - clarinet, bass clarinet, voice, percussion
Hans P. Kjorstad - violin, flute, voice, percussion
Egil Kalman - double bass, modular synthesizer, voice
Hans Hulbækmo - drums, percussion, voice

The music is composed by Marthe Lea

Recorded by Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard at Flerbruket 28 and 29 September 2020
Mixed by Kyrre Laastad in Øra Studio
Mastered by Karl Klaseie in Øra Studio
The cover art is made by the master of this production, Marthe Lea
(C), (P) Motvind Records 2021, MOT12LP

Ralph Beerkircher - Beerkircher​ / ​Lindner​ / ​Werner​ /​ Landfermann (June 2021)

Ralph Beerkircher is a guitarist and composer.

Active with his own formations and since 99´ in groups such like Novotnik44, Schiiik, shraeng (electric-guitar-duo with F. Wingold), Arnie Bolden, Kahlenborn Trio amongst others.

1. Feed 01:21
2. Glas 03:53
3. Wén 05:08
4. Sketch#2 02:27
5. Feed the 01:07
6. Sketch#3 11:11
7. XIII 06:12
8. Distorted 07:14
9. Feed the Beast 03:30

Ralph Beerkircher - electric guitar & electronic devices
Axel Lindner - violin & viola
Holger Werner - clarinet & bassclarinet
Robert Landfermann - double bass

Track 2,4,6,7,9 by R.Beerkircher/Track 3,8 by A. Lindner/Track1,5 by all

Recorded at loftkoeln & mastered by Stefan Deistler

Carsten Dahl - Sagn (June 2021 Storyville Records)

’Sagn’ in English means ‘saga’, and is a narrative or legend founded in the oral tradition. Many sagas were written down much later than they first originated, then finally published in collections of folklore.

Here you will hear a kind of music that Carsten Dahl ‘downloads’ in the moment, with no agenda or deliberation involved in the creative process. In a timeless state where he lets his own, inner soundboard resonate to the sound of the universal language that flows as energy, continuously offering information about the eternal.

Using only his right hand, the music was recorded in one, long take (or flow), with no post-editing.

Carsten Dahl is today considered one of the most innovative and genius improvising musicians. His substantial talent seems to be unlimited. With free expressions within the jazz tradition and an almost scary level of originality and narrative ability, he composes orchestral works and plays as a multiinstrumentalist in his own productions. Through his career, he has appeared on more than 300 CD's and received a countless number of prizes and praises by critics all over the world.

1. D mol 04:35
2. D dur 01:15
3. G mol 02:28
4. G dur 01:19
5. C mol 01:50
6. C dur 01:22
7. Fis mol 01:25
8. Fis dur 01:30
9. Cis mol 02:08
10. Db dur 00:57
11. A mol 01:49
12. A dur 00:59
13. E mol 02:23
14. E dur 00:54
15. F mol 01:30
16. F dur 00:56
17. Bb mol 02:59
18. Bb dur 00:58
19. Eb mol 01:27
20. Eb dur 01:23
21. H mol 02:03
22. H dur 01:42
23. Ab mol 01:26
24. Ab dur 01:43

Carsten Dahl - piano

A limited vinyl edition will be released later this year, but it's unfortunately delayed due to COVID-19 and high demand on vinyl pressings. It'll be available for purchase here as soon we have it in stock.

Xavier Charles / Catherine Jauniaux / Jean-Sébastien Mariage - L'amour (June 2021 Ayler Records)

At the instigation of Catherine Jauniaux, three musicians meet around a book by Marguerite Duras. 

Three invented characters inspire music, a pulse, a harmony... through their silhouettes, their relationships, their movements, the space in which they are standing, between the sea, themselves, and an idea of civilization.

A triangular composition that is formed, deformed and reformed, in accordance with the tides. Music that tells of the wandering of souls on the brink of existence.

Lines, dots, strata, melodies and hidden words, impacts shown, acoustic obviously, to meet in the simplest and best way: playing/being together.

This trio does not fail to amaze us with the fluidity of its sound, its sentimental and human generosity and amorous conviction.

Aren't voice, clarinet and guitar the perfect instruments to help us reach these dreams ?

The trio was recorded by Pierre-Henri Thiébaut at the end of 2016 after having toured with this program in 2015 from Paris to Moscow via Draguignan, Berlin and Saint Petersburg.

Then everyone resumed their journey, following other meetings, involved in other projects. A story on hold...

It was finally in 2020 that by mutual agreement and deploring this state of affairs, we entrusted the music to Pierre Etchandy so that he could finalize the sound and allow us to present it to a larger audience than the sole lucky ones having been able to attend concerts by the trio.

Which he did with great care and especially love, we're back to it.

The story continues...

1. Le temps lent 05:23
2. Le triangle se ferme 03:54
3. De même que le ciel 06:26
4. Nuit 04:40
5. Un choc sourd 03:35
6. Trois jours 05:41
7. Le soleil | La marche du fou 05:15
8. Elle dort 03:51
9. Les yeux s'ouvrent | Ils retournent au noir 04:37
10. Ils se taisent | La lumière monte 00:42
11. L'aurore extérieure 04:57

Catherine Jauniaux - voice, objects
Xavier Charles - clarinet
Jean-Sébastien Mariage - electric guitar

Recorded by Pierre-Henri Thiébaut on December 16, 2016
at la Muse en Circuit, Alfortville, France.
Mastered by Pierre Etchandy, September 2020 to March 2021.
A co-production with «Tout Corps d’Etat».
Cover artwork by Catherine Jauniaux.

Alexandra Grimal Trio - shape (June 2021)

"(...) mystère reste entier nous rassure quand à l'impalpable de la musique. Ce qui se passe, ce qui se joue alors est très beau, très profond. Ceci pour dire l'essentiel de l'honnêteté, l'humilité et l'humanité d'un trio plus que prometteur" Luc Bouquet, Improjazz

"(...) Un trio exemplaire et organique, qui raconte la même histoire à plusieurs voix et dans le même espace-temps en approfondissant constamment le discours à travers la matière et la texture sonore (...) Un voyage expérimental et jusqu'au-boutiste qui envisage le jazz avec un esprit d'indépendance et une intégrité totale." Audacieux Jazzmagazine Lionel Eskenazi

1. mouvances 15:20
2. en silence 01:06
3. le sang n'est pas bleu 19:51
4. forêts aléatoires 05:19
5. petite plage 05:36
6. texture 01:40
7. suite du temps absorbé 21:41

Marge 42
Alexandra Grimal - tenor and soprano saxophones
Antonin Rayon - organ and clavinet
Emmanuel Scarpa - drums

shape / Live at the Sunset
Recorded live, June 30, 2008 Paris