Chris Morrissey - Impact Winter Formal (December 2021 Edition Records)

Described by Chicago Reader as “casually clearing the way for one potential path for jazz to progress into the future”, Chris Morrisey is a musician with an uncanny ability to blend styles and genres. Informed as much by alternative music of the 90s like Elliot Smith and Bjork as contemporary Jazz of that era, it was the presence of Happy Apple, the hyper original punk Jazz group from Minnesota (Dave King, Michael Lewis and Erik Fratzke) that installed his sense of what was possible in music.

This new set of work, his fifth record as a leader, represents his most authentic blend of all his influences in one melting pot. Here’s a musician as adept as a singer-songwriter as an improvising Jazz musician and composer.

With Impact Winter Formal, he gives up on straddling two genre worlds and instead has both feet firmly planted in a totally new one that is personal and looking-forward, complex but immediate, tuneful and inspiring. The result is brilliant, engaging and emotive featuring some of the most interesting and creative contemporary musicians in New York including Philip Dizack, Ryan Ferreira, Dan Rieser, Jon Cowherd, Josh Dion, Grey McMurray and Jason Rigby.

1. Don't Look so Serious 05:02

2. The Indigos 07:38

3. Ode to All Night 06:47

4. It's Cruel That It Ends 06:00

Chris Morrissey - Bass and Singing

Philip Dizack - Trumpet

Ryan Ferreira - Guitar

Dan Rieser - Drums

Jon Cowherd - Piano

except on THE INDIGOS, which is Chris Morrissey, Bass and Singing - Philip Dizack, Trumpet - Josh Dion, Drums - Grey McMurray, Guitar - Jason Rigby, Saxophone

All songs by Chris Morrissey (chris morrissey music, bmi)

Recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, New York between February 2019 and April 2021

Recorded and co-produced by John Davis

Mixed by John Davis at The Bunker Studio in April 2021

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Dave Meder's UNAMUNO SONGS AND STORIES (w/ Miguel Zenón, Philip Dizack) is out October 29, 2021

Celebrated Pianist, Composer and Educator Dave Meder Announces His Impassioned Sophomore Release Unamuno Songs and Stories, Out October 29 via Outside in Music

Outside in Music is thrilled to announce the October 29th release of Unamuno Songs and Stories, the latest album from pianist and composer Dave Meder. This release is a stunning response to recent sociopolitical turmoil in the United States, using the writings of Spanish Civil War-era philosopher Miguel de Unamuno as a historical analogy. Making poignant statements about this “critical moment” in American history, Unamuno Songs and Stories aims to celebrate life with themes of hope, love, and peace just as much as it serves to raise awareness of the growing threats to American democracy. Meder’s potent pianistic refrains are heard here alongside bassist Marty Jaffe, drummer Michael Piolet, trumpeter Philip Dizack and alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón. The official release celebration of Unamuno Songs and Stories will take place at the Soapbox Gallery in NYC on November 16th. More performances are scheduled through the United States; more information can be found here and below. 

“It feels as though we are at a societal breaking point”, Meder exclaims, “Increasingly, our political discourse pits factually justified positions against pure misinformation, and independently verifiable truth against “personal truth.” It forces us into tribes, so that pride and ego prevent us from evolving in our own understanding of the world.” The artist finds historical context for this polarized political climate in the life and work of a complex figure: Miguel de Unamuno (1864 – 1936), a Basque/Spanish philosopher, poet, novelist, essayist, and academic most known for his work in the lead-up to the Spanish Civil War. Unamuno was a complicated man whose life and work are marked by the conflict between liberalism and staunch Catholicism, and his documentation of democracy sliding gradually into dictatorship has long fascinated Meder. “In 2020, when a global pandemic, a renewed struggle for racial reckoning, a fraught national election, and a contentious political transition left so many of us scrambling to explain it all…I reached again for Unamuno.” The music of Unamuno Songs and Stories is centered firmly around the jazz tradition while drawing thoughtful influences from an array of sources including Bach chorales, the blues, minimalism, and the piano works of Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz. 

Dave Meder by Adrien H. Tillmann

“When I compose, I find that improvised solos usually serve as means to a musical end, not ends in and of themselves… all solos on this album have a purpose within the overarching compositional structure of the piece. The soloists cannot simply “improvise” – they must know the function of their solo relative to the rest of the composition. If they fail to achieve the musical goal that I set for their improvisation, the whole composition fails to reach its potential in that performance. As a composer, it is a risk to delegate such tremendous responsibility to other players, especially given they had nothing to do with the initial creation of the music. It certainly takes time to find the right kind of artist for such a project: one who can not only “blow the horn” but can also be a “co-composer”, I could not be more pleased with how Marty, Michael, Philip, and Miguel beautifully merged their own individuality with my compositional vision on these tracks,” explains Meder. 

Meder’s true stroke of genius is two-fold; the seamless integration of Unamuno’s subject matter, ideologies and methodologies into his own compositional process and his ability to communicate within these evocative compositions with nuance, grace and great intensity. This is perhaps most evident in the composition “I Look For Religion in War”, a spirited piece derived from a line in an Unamuno philosophical essay entitled “De la correspondencia de un luchador” (“From the Writings of a Warrior”). The essay itself twists our conventional idea of peace by casting it as a fleeting, temporary form of reality. True serenity, as Unamuno suggests, can be found in the regularity of warfare and battle. As such, Meder employs a somber, driving ostinato reminiscent of a war chant, as he and trumpeter Philip Dizack improvise beautifully atop – demonstrating the grace within warfare. At the point in the piece where the gnashing, fighting and struggle is reaching a climax, the music collapses into an idyllic, hymn-like melody loosely influenced by the piano works of Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz, followed by a rhapsodic bowed bass solo. At this point, we have become comfortable with the idea that the human struggle itself is our religion, and by the tone of the music, we have come to “worship” it as such.

“The Lake and the Mountain” is a musical representation of two primary symbols from Unamuno’s best-known work, “San Manuel Bueno, Mártir” (Saint Emmanuel the Good, Martyr). The short story centers around Don Manuel, the priest of a fictional rural village and his spiritual doubts – the mountain symbolizes faith and its promise of eternal life while the lake represents internal struggles, doubts and complexities. Meder remarks “Using the inimitable musical voice of Miguel Zenón, we attempt to paint this sense of spiritual duality, conflict, and agony.” Through its instrumentation and dynamic sensibilities, the piece highlights the duality and raw emotion of the original story.

Miguel Zenón, Dave Meder, Michael Piolet, Marty Jaffe by Adrien H. Tillmann

“Exile” is an allusion to Miguel de Unamuno’s time in physical exile from Spain (1924-1930). The writer’s outspoken critics of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship cost him his position at the University of Salamanca and forced him to leave the country until a republic was reestablished in 1931. But, on a deeper level, the piece embodies the feelings of mental and emotional exile: the sensation of profound disillusionment at the actions of leaders and fellow citizens. Beginning with a tender bowed bass solo from Marty Jaffe, the piece reflects the notion of physical, emotional and mental exile and re-assembly as a people. As Meder notes “The group begins as a unified society, playing the melody together, but we quickly become exiled from each other, pursuing our own paths, rhythms, phrases…conversing here and there but largely existing independent of one another. As the piece builds, we begin to come together again.. And all the while, we are beginning to build something together: a grand and beautiful musical metropolis, if you will, where everyone maintains their individual voice while being an integral part of the whole. More importantly, everyone has an equal right to express their individual voice within this whole. Eventually, we reach a sort of catharsis, an outpouring of love and beauty, and the recognition of the collective pain we have experienced. Back together again, we return to the melody in a new spirit: one of hope, optimism, and a sense of rebirth.”

Unamuno Songs and Stories comes as Meder is fresh off the heels from his critically-acclaimed debut release Passage through which the pianist established himself as a uniquely versatile and broad-minded artist. Meder’s panoramic musical approach has earned him slots in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, the American Pianists Awards, the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award, and the International Songwriting Competition. Meder has headlined at a host of prominent performance venues and educational residencies around the world including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls Jazz Club, The Kennedy Center and Beijing Normal University’s International Music Festival. Meder is a recent recipient of the prestigious Fulbright US Scholar Award for Visual and Performing Arts, which brings him to Egypt as a guest artist and lecturer in 2022.

1 A Song of Secret Love (6:40)

2 Augusto’s Dilemma (6:48)

3 Meditation: Doubt (1:00)

4 I Look For Religion In War (8:14)

5 If Ever I Would Leave You (4:59)

6 The Lake and the Mountain (7:29)

7 Meditation: Faith (1:26)

8 Century Rag (6:18)

9 Exile (7:50)

www.davemeder.com

Orlando le Fleming - Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar (Whirlwind Recordings)

"Outstanding” is an overused description but one that’s applied to bassist Orlando le Fleming so consistently that its justification can’t be denied. Since relocating from his native UK to New York City he’s thrived in the world’s toughest jazz environment, and brought his inimitable personality to work on projects for the likes of Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bill Charlap, Billy Cobham, Wayne Krantz, Ari Hoenig, Seamus Blake, Jeff “Tain” Watts and David Sanchez among many others.

“As a leader he shines even brighter - his drumless OWL Trio in particular gained plaudits across the board for its hushed, intimate atmosphere. Now he’s back with a completely different conception: his latest release Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar introduces us to a new sound, a tribute to the muscular, high-intensity fusion of the 1980s, and a new band, Romantic Funk. Le Fleming has assembled an awesome team of top flight players: with Philip Dizack on trumpet and Will Vinson on sax in the frontline, Sean Wayland on keys and drummers Kush Abadey and Nate Wood rounding out the powerhouse rhythm section. All the compositions are by le Fleming, developed over time at the band’s extended residency in Greenwich Village’s 55 Bar, and captured live in the studio.

The power and precision of the performances astonishes throughout. Says le Fleming: “In under two days in the studio, this album was all played live, with very few edits and overdubs. The musicians are of such high quality that the risk taking paid off; for me, the inexpressible magic of the group and moment in time was captured."

Le Fleming’s tunes showcase his band’s individual excellence and group cohesion. ‘I’ll Tell You What It Is Later’ is influenced by the Miles Davis albums of the 80’s and late 60’s. It uses a simple form with minimal chords and open unrestricted solo section, giving Philip Dizack space to shine. “Phil is a very intuitive, musical player. His choices always seem to make so much sense.” ‘Waynes’ is inspired by le Fleming’s two favourite Waynes - Shorter and Krantz alternating excitingly between tension and release. Lauded multi-instrumentalist Nate Wood’s drums drive the triplet-laden groove of ‘The Myth of Progress’ and return to thrilling effect on ‘FOMO Blues’ - “Nate’s pocket and language are exceptional, but it’s his all round musicality which isso impressive.”

In contrast to the groove-heavy material, ‘Struggle Session’ floats in an effortless rubato over Abadey’s creative percussion “Kush is a rare find. A wonderful, sensitive jazz drummer who understands the aesthetics of swing but can also groove and improvise in rock and funk.” ‘More Melancholy’ features an improvised intro from Wayland, and a stunning statement from Vinson - “I love Sean’s other- worldly note choices and the sounds he builds on his synths. His beautiful free intros are much better, less predictable and more personal than any I could have written. Will’s lyrical saxophone is sublime on this album.

Every solo he plays is thoughtful, expressive and captures the mood of the moment.” ‘Mischievous’ is a pure blowing vehicle with an unexpected time change “We really stretch this one out live, and this version captures that feeling”. Closing track ‘The Inexpressible’ features acoustic bass and another outstanding Wayland improvisation to set up a slow, spiritual groove dedicated to le Fleming’s family.

“When writing this album, I was very conscious of the improvisational sections being tailored for the specific musicians, allowing them freedom to express their quirks. I encouraged risk taking and tried to make it fun for them without being too much of a control freak. It’s very much a cohesive band, as we workshopped this material at the 55 bar over the last year. The ‘Romantic’ in Romantic Funk is more in line with romantic ideals such as the indefinable, unbounded, inexpressible, unfamiliar.” To which we might add - Outstanding.

1. I'll Tell You What It Is Later 05:37

2. Waynes 05:40

3. The Myth of Progress 06:10

4. Struggle Session 03:54

5. FOMO Blues 04:02

6. More Melancholy 05:07

7. Mischievous 04:43

8. The Inexpressible 05:59

Philip Dizack - trumpet (all tracks except 6)

Will Vinson - alto sax

Sean Wayland - keys/synths

Orlando le Fleming - upright and electric bass

Kush Abadey - drums (except tracks 3 & 5)

Nate Wood - drums (tracks 3 & 5)

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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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