Wadada Leo Smith / Jamie Saft / Joe Morris / Balazs Pandi - Red Hill (March 2021 Catalytic Sound)

Fueled by the urgent high note blasts and expressive muted trumpet work of avant garde icon Wadada Leo Smith and underscored by and uncanny group-think of RareNoise stalwarts Jamie Saft (Metallic Taste of Blood, Slobber Pup, Plymouth, The New Standard) on keyboards, Joe Morris (Plymouth, Slobber Pup, One) on upright bass and Balazs Pandi (Obake, Metallic Taste of Blood, Slobber Pup, One) on drums, Red Hill is a kind of clarion call for the new avant garde. A dynamic, highly intuitive offering, Red Hill is full of tensions and releases and characterized by dramatic use of space juxtaposed with turbulent crescendos by the provocative collective. That this music really breathes and flows organic is due in no small part to the incredibly sensitive, remarkably flexible playing of Hungarian drummer Balazs, who covers a very wide spectrum on this recording. Pandi's sensitive, highly interactive brushwork and coloristic cymbals underscore Smith's lyrical muted trumpet playing on the sparse opener, Gneiss. And yet, when that piece builds to a turbulent crescendo near the end, the drummer is right there to fuel the frantic proceedings. With mallets, Pandi engages in a conversational duet with Smith at the outset to Janus Face, a piece that evolves from slow, open rubato statements to dense explosions of tumultuous free jazz sparked by Saft's Cecil-esque attack on the piano.

Saft switches to Fender Rhodes electric piano to attain another color on Agpaitic, a conversational romp that features some aggressive bowing on the bass by Morris. And Pandi supplies the rolling free pulse beneath Morris' trance-like bass ostinato and Smith's edgy trumpet excursions on Tragic Wisdom, which also has intrepid improvisor Saft plucking strings inside his piano. Silence is the watchword on Debts of Honor, a thoughtful improvisation which evolves gradually over the course of nine minutes from zen-like tranquility to intense crescendo paced by Pandi's relentless drumming and Saft's spiky piano comping and is highlighted by some of Smith's most powerful blowing of the session. The trumpeter begins the closing number, Arfvedsonite, with a high-note blast before Morris enters with some insistent arco work to create an edgy texture. Pandi's rolling pulse with mallets and Morris' resounding bass tones quickly establish a solid launching pad for Wadada's stratospheric improvisations on trumpet, Bringing this spell-binding collection to a ferocious conclusion.

Gneiss

Janus Face

Agpaitic

Tragic Wisdom

Debts of Honor

Arfvedsonite

Wadada Leo Smith : Trumpet

Jamie Saft : Piano, Fender Rhodes

Joe Morris : Upright Bass

Balazs Pandi : Drums

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Elisabeth Harnik & Michael Zerang - Dream Disobedience (March 2021 Catalytic Sound)

"Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik seems to thrive in duo settings. Michael Zerang, a Chicago-based drummer, is with her on Dream Disobedience, a live recording made at Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2019. The conversation, unabated for 35 minutes, is rather subdued, Harnik usually initiating each new topic, alternating traditional approaches with more unusual in-the-box techniques while Zerang eschews straight timekeeping for a more reactive role, adding the musical equivalents of ‘Hmm!’ or ‘Uh huh!’ and other encouragements to keep things flowing. The episodic narrative progresses through short lulls followed by bursts of energy, as if small squalls were blowing through, a grand tempest arriving near the end, one final cloudburst before irenic frog croaks and bird songs return, the pond at peace." - Tom Greenland and The New York City Jazz Record (March 2021)

1. Dream Disobedience (suite)

Elisabeth Harnik – piano

Michael Zerang – drums

Recorded live in concert by Iztok Zupan at Španski Borci, Ljubljana, Slovenia on March 23rd 2019

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Ken Vandermark / István Grencsó / Róbert Benkő - Burning River Melting Sea (Égő Folyó Olvadó Tenger) 2021 Catalytic Sound

As I write these words in Chicago during May of 2020 and look back on the week of activity in January that led to these recordings with István Grencsó and Róbert Benkő, it’s hard for me to comprehend that the tour scheduled at that time would most likely be the last series of concerts that I play in 2020. Without warning the world changed for everyone between those months, and it’s very hard to predict how things will look in the future, for music and for everything else.

My work with István began exactly two years earlier, when he invited me to collaborate with his ensemble, the Grencsó Collective. We both composed music for the project, performed in Hungary, and recorded the album Do Not Slam The Door for BMC Records. I learned a lot about improvised music in Hungary during that week, particularly the history connected to György Szabados. It was a great starting point, and I knew that there would be more work to do with István in the future. In March of 2019 my group Marker did a night of collaborative performances with musicians in Budapest, and István was an important part of that evening.

Then an invitation came from Mario Steidl, director of the Saalfelden Jazz Festival, for the Grencsó Collective to come with me as a guest to participate on the 3 Tage Jazz 2020, which would be held in the middle of January. It was clear to all of us that we should take advantage of this opportunity to arrange some additional shows, and Mario graciously agreed to enable this. In addition to that concert, and with the help of Benedek Kruchió, who has been central to the success of all the plans that have involved István and me, the Collective also played again in Hungary, at the BMC/Opus Jazz Club in Budapest and at the Grand Café in Szeged. A recording session and duo concert (which took place at Meseház, in Békéscsaba) were also scheduled. István and I composed new music for this project and rehearsed together in the gaps between the other performances.

The SuperSize Studio was located on the outskirts of Budapest, in Törökbálint, and both it and the sound engineers were excellent. We recorded all the new duo pieces and a series of trio improvisations that included Róbert Benkő on double bass; those were performed in front of an audience brought in by the label, Hunnia Records. Though it was a pleasure to return to the material that the Collective performed, working on the new compositions was really exhilarating and displayed how far the level of communication between István and me had come. Though our collaborations had been occasional over the two years since first meeting, the creative process we’ve shared has kept accelerating.

The evidence of that progress is documented on this album. Both the compositions and the improvisations, whether duo or trio, exhibit a depth of creative understanding that was impossible on our initial encounter. This communication transcended the music, and it transcended language as well. It’s in all we’ve shared as István and I view the world and encounter music together, laughing in the car as we drove from Saalfelden to Budapest with his band, across the Hungarian countryside, sitting in the bar outside of Meseház, eating lunch in his home with Benedek and Denise (István’s wife). This shared enthusiasm for music, art, and life is projected into plans we’ve made to put a quartet project together that would expand this new duo material. Originally the idea was to meet in the autumn of 2020. As I sit here now in Chicago, considering the landscape for concerts and touring as it may exist several months in the future, I am doubtful. But I do know this - István and I will get together again, we will bring this new ensemble on the road, and the music we make will be better than ever. -Ken Vandermark, Chicago, May 12, 2020

1. Extracted color (Megszűrt szín) 03:12

2. How good it would be … (De jó lenne …) 03:55

3. A question of rate (Sebesség kérdése) 02:25

4. Letters in any order (Betűk bármilyen sorrendben) 01:05

5. Rise lonesome (Magányosan kelni) 05:14

6. Engarian-Hunglish 02:33

7. Woven paper (Szőtt papír) 03:28

8. Like a jaguar loves its spots (Ahogyan a jaguár a foltjait szereti) 05:20

9. Object 2020 03:49

10. 2128 ½ South Indiana Avenue 03:24

11. Ode to women (Ajánlás asszonyainknak) 04:35

12. Anagram or acronym (Anagramma vagy akroníma) 02:02

13. At a table of togetherness (Az összetartozás asztalánál) 03:54

14. Triple braid (Hármas fonás) 06:04

Róbert Benkő: Double Bass

István Grencsó: Tenor & alto saxophones, Bb & bass clarinet, flute – Left side

Ken Vandermark: Tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet – Right side

Tracks 1, 5, 8, 9, 12 & 14 by Róbert Benkő, István Grencsó (BIEM – Artisjus) & Ken Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music / ASCAP – Cien Fuegos)

Track 4 by István Grencsó (BIEM – Artisjus) & Ken Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music / ASCAP – Cien Fuegos) Tracks 2, 6 & 13 by István Grencsó (BIEM – Artisjus)

Tracks 3, 7 & 10 by Ken Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music / ASCAP – Cien Fuegos)

Track 11 by György Szabados (BIEM – Artisjus)

Recorded by Andás Makay at SuperSize Recording, Törökbálint, on January 19, 2020. Mixed and mastered by Gábor Halász.

Recorded audio formats: Native DSD 256, Piramix, Merging Hapi.

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Calle Neumann / Ketil Gutvik / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love - New Dance (Catalytic Sound 2021)

"In 2019 PNL Records released “Events 1998-1999” - a retrospective box-set of the short-lived but eventually legendary The Quintet from the late 90s. That box-set documented the meeting of two generation of Norwegian improvised free music – the older generation Calle Neumann and Bjørnar Andresen engaging with the new emerging talents of the time - Paal Nilssen-Love, Ketil Gutvik and Eivind Opsvik. Since that time Andresen had passed away, but for the release party of the box-set Neumann once again got together with Gutvik and Nilssen-Love. 

No longer the new blood, it was now a completely different meeting of musical minds, built on experience that didn’t exist 20 years ago. But it was also clearly a reunion of kindred spirits, people that share something special catching up through music. Of course this could not just be a one-off to promote a release, this had to become something more. And one year later the new line-up, now with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on double bass (you don’t need two bass-players with Ingebrigt in the band), making the original quintet a quartet.

The self-titled debut album documents their live debut at Victoria Jazz Club in Oslo, recorded in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic in July 2020. The band recorded before the gig with the intent of a studio album, but the gig itself was such a special event, that it became clear that the album needed to document that performance in full.

Listening to the recording the identity of the musicians is clearly defined, but the music is full of surprises – going from extended full-on blasts to passages of subtle beauty, all delivered with a sense of adventure and humour that only musicians who are completely at ease with each other can deliver. New Dance is a new band for a new decade.

It’s also worth noticing that this is Neumann’s first new recording in more than a decade, which is cause for celebration in itself." - PNL

1. Å så et Frø 11:02

2. New Dance 30:53

3. Det er Kjærlighet 11:24

4. Dett var Dett 09:45

All music by Neumann, Gutvik, Håker Flaten, Nilssen-Love (TONO)

Carl Magnus Neumann - alto saxophone

Ketil Gutvik - acoustic and electric guitars

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten - double bass

Paal Nilssen-Love - drums & percussion

Live in concert at Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, Norway, July 9th 2020

Live sound and recording by Louise Lavoll

Pre-mix by Jens Borge at Hjelp vi er i Studio, Stavanger, Norway

Final mix and mastering by Lasse Marhaug

Produced by Paal Nilssen-Love

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Lol Coxhill / Joe McPhee / Chris Corsano / Evan Parker - Tree Dancing (2021 Catalytic Sound)

"This recording from the earlier years of Cafe Oto documents the impossible pairing of four contemporary giants. Its one of those miraculous one off groupings that reminds us why the venue opened in the first place.'

"The magic of the first minutes - an alto solo by Joe McPhee of true purity - soft-spoken, masterful and accomplished - brought back to mind the blissful Coleman/Haden duet last year at the Royal Festival Hall. 'Ornette gave me freedom to move in a certain way,' said McPhee. He searched hesitantly and carefully for his words, all the more surprising from such an articulate musical (or, as he might say 'muse-ical') practitioner and campaigner. Coleman's 80th birthday coincided with McPhee's stint at Cafe Oto.

McPhee and his co-musicians delivered an intense performance which was both creative and restrained. With Evan Parker 's tenor in tow - a collaboration going back to the late 70s - and Lol Coxhill, sitting with head bowed intently, a soprano master - it could have gone anywhere, yet they worked off each other, often in the higher registers, building up almost bird-call like interactions and trills. Earlier, Chris Corsano's drumming presented a dense bedrock for McPhee to play against, and his solo spell was a crisp exercise in sonic curiosity.

Recorded 10th March 2010, this is also a document of the only time Lol Coxhill and Joe Mcphee shared the stage. The recording is a little rough, but hey, so was your birth!"-Otoroku 

Lol Coxhill: soprano saxophone

Joe McPhee: saxophones

Chris Corsano: drums, percussion

Evan Parker: saxophones

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Matt Clark Three - One From Brooklyn (April 2, 2021)

1. Opening Gambit

2. Two Hours This Side

3. Exit Kennedy

4. Two Hours That Side

5. Hey Queens

6. Melancholia

7. Last Lost

Matt Clark - guitar, bass guitar, samples

Mark Wilson - double bass (tracks 2,4 and 6)

Darren Beckett - drums (tracks 1-4, 6)

All compositions/arrangements by Matt Clark

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Idit Shner - Live At The Jazz Station (2021 OA2 Records)

There are nights when stars align and there are nights when, improbably, they align twice. Such was the case when saxophonist Idit Shner brought along some of Eugene's finest musicians to record a live album at the Jazz station in June, 2019.

My earliest memory of this quartet playing together was for a sold-out performance celebrating Legendary altoist of Ellington band fame, Johnny Hodges. Over the next several years the group made up of Shner, pianist/organist Torry Newhart, bassist Garrett Baxter and drummer Ken Mastrogiovanni would regularly play together delivering standing room only hard swinging, high energy performances. This record is no exception.

There is a level of musicianship among these players that reaches well beyond the band’s obvious technical mastery of their craft. Rather it is the risk taking, the willingness and absolute openness of each performer to listen and respond honestly at every moment with innate sensitivity and a thoughtfulness that shines through on every track.

The result is an album that truly captures the sheer joy and exuberance felt and heard each night, even in its more serious moments. But don't take it from me, let the record speak for itself and make up your own mind. I promise you it won't disappoint. - Ben LaTorraca 

1 Yesterdays 8:42

2 Shake It till You Hear It Sizzle 7:33

3 Pascal's Ballad 6:00

4 Mandala 2:13

5 Hippo's Walk 7:36

6 Samba in Two 6:33

7 Present 7:28

8 Artificial Flavors 5:35

Idit Shner - alto saxophone

Torrey Newhart - piano/organ

Garrett Baxter - bass

Ken Mastrogiovanni - drums

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Amit Friedman - Unconditional Love (2021 Origin Records)

Saxophonist and composer Amit Friedman is a guiding light in the Israeli jazz scene. His inspiringly lyrical compositions are arranged with his group of master musicians in mind and are rooted solidly in the jazz tradition, along with rich influences of the Middle East interwoven throughout. In the liner notes to "Unconditional Love," Amit recounts the story of his late father taking him, as a young teen, to New York and a night at the Blue Note. Implied is a great sense of gratitude for all of those influencing his life, and with the album's dedication to his father, offers the inspiration behind this collection of performances. Between the fiery "Home At Last," the subtle Bossa, "Alma," with vocals and lyrics by Brazilian vocalist Joca Perpignan, "Rill-Rool," the sweeping duo with pianist Tom Oren, the hard-swinging "Blues for Jackito," or the one cover, the melodic "Junk" by Paul McCartney, Friedman displays a deep connection to 'the moment,' his audience, and those who inspire him. "...Friedman's "Sunrise" is one of those rare albums that I want to blast from the rooftops, convinced that if the whole damn world could just hear it, the planet would be a much happier place." - DAVE SUMNER, BIRD IS THE WORM

1 Home at Last 8:13

2 Mal-Mal 4:51

3 Name Droppin' 7:26

4 Unconditional Love 6:43

5 Rill-Rool 5:23

6 Blues For Jackito 5:21

7 Alma 2:56

8 Sunset 6:28

9 Stride by Stride 3:34

10 Junk 3:33

All music by Amit Friedman, except (10) Paul McCartney

Lyrics by: (7) Joca Perpignan, (9) Stavit Allweis

Amit Friedman - Tenor & Soprano Sax

Tom Oren - Piano

Gilad Abro - Bass

Yonatan Rosen - Drums

Amos Hoffman - Oud (8,9)

Rony Iwryn - Percussion (7,8,9)

Doron Talmon - Vocal (9)

Joca Perpignan- Vocal (7)

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Ben Patterson - Push The Limits (2021 Origin Records)

Trombonist Ben Patterson's fiery technique and expansive compositional vision combine for a thrilling quintet session of 10 wide-ranging originals. From the opening title tune, a master-class in form & fire with tight ensemble passages and soaring solos, to the straight-ahead, Messengers-esque "Suits Me Fine," Patterson unveils thoroughly compelling vehicles for his Washington, DC-based group. All inspired soloists and master musicians, Patterson features guitarist Shawn Purcell, pianist Chris Ziemba, Paul Henry on bass and drummer Todd Harrison.

1. Push The Limits 10:12

2. Alternate Reality 8:16

3. Easter Waltz 6:10

4. Fear Is The Mind-Killer 7:22

5. Hope 6:16

6. Suits Me Fine 6:48

7. Almost There 9:30

8. Alone Time 6:05

9. Road Trip 6:14

10. Scoish 7:07

All songs by Ben Patterson (Pro Jazz Charts/ASCAP)

Ben Patterson - trombone

Shawn Purcell - Guitar

Chris Ziemba - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Keyboards

Paul Henry - Bass

Todd Harrison - Drums, Percussion

Dani Cortaza - Nylon String Guitar (9)

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John Stowell & Dan Dean - Rain Painting (2021 Origin Records)

Master guitarist and improvisor, John Stowell, has spent the last five decades touring the world, most often immersed in the universal jazz repertoire improvising with artists from wherever he's visiting. Through his recordings with "Scenes," and his quartet with SF Bay Area saxophonist Michael Zilber over the last 20 years, Stowell has had the chance to perform and focus on his own compositions more than ever before. It was through the mastering of those recordings that engineer, bassist, vocalist, producer Dan Dean discovered the nuances of Stowell's writing. The idea of collaboration came when Stowell heard Dean's recent classical voice recording, "Songs Without Words," where he layered multiple tracks of himself in what writer Raul da Gama called "...music-making of the highest order, which plumbs the depths of all of the emotions from wonderful joys to abject lamentations." Taking 10 of Stowell's compositions, Dean & Stowell layered voices, bass, and guitars over the course of a year, discovering unique avenues into the music with the end result feeling spontaneous, joyous and in the moment. "Dan Dean will redefine what you think is possible to achieve with the human voice. Prepare to be astonished." - Melinda Bargreen, Author & Music Critic

1. Welcome to Nice 4:08

2. Nanti Glo 5:08

3. Rain Painting 5:33

4. Pretty Boy Floyd 4:32

5. Alora Andiamo! 3:53

6. Springfield Sonata 4:30

7. Tapioca Time 4:43

8. Always Sometimes 5:34

9. Schiffletting 5:43

10. The Mandy Walk 4:42

All compositions by John Stowell/BMI

John Stowell - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Fretless Electric Guitar

Dan Dean - Vocals, Fretless Acoustic Bass Guitar, Electric & Fretless, Electric Basses, Percussion, Drum Programming

Produced by Dan Dean & John Stowell

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Dan Dean

at DDP Studio, Mercer Island, WA

Recorded September 29, 2018 to May 6, 2020

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Les DeMerle - Hot Night In Venice: Live at the Venice Jazz Club (2021 Origin Records)

The 10th recording of renowned drummer Les DeMerle for Origin Records, "Hot Night In Venice" captures the fire, excitement and bristling energy Les has been bringing to world stages for over 50 years. And a show it is, as his longtime quartet offers up tight arrangements of jazz classics and serious in-the-pocket blues, but most of all, the band is groovin' hard, havin' fun and swingin' big time. Bonnie Eisele's sensitive, sassy vocals highlight the set, creating an ambiance that adds to the feeling of being at the club enjoying the set. From his ground-breaking Transfusion band of the late '60s, taking over Buddy Rich's seat with the Harry James Orchestra for 12 years, or his tours with the Manhattan Transfer and Wayne Newton, Les DeMerle has always been about elevating the band, bringing a visceral, unbridled dynamism to the stage. "Eisele and DeMerle are a hot combination. Her powerful voice and natural feel for rhythm come across in an explosive stage performance. His energy is absolutely contagious." -  Florida Times-Union

1. Introduction :14

2. Perdido 4:28 - Juan Tizol

3. Down By The Riverside 5:40 - Trad

4. Manteca 4:30 - Dizzy Gillespie

5. All That Jazz 2:42 - Benny Carter

6. Frim Fram Sauce 3:46 - Redd Evans/Joe Ricardel

7. Day In Day Out 4:06 - Rube Bloom

8. Woe Is Me 2:54 - Lord Melody/Sir Lancelot

9. The Very Thought Of You 4:27 - Ray Noble

10. The Lady Is A Tramp 3:14 - Rogers and Hart

11.Peel Me A Grape 4:06 - David Frishberg

12. Girl From Ipanema 4:52 - Antonio Carlos Jobim

13. All Right OK You Win 2:49 - Mayme Watts/Sidney Wyche

14. Night Train 3:25 - Jimmy Forrest

15. Comin Home Baby 3:00 - Ben Tucker/Bob Durough

16.You Are My Sunshine 3:08 - Jimmie Davis/Charles Mitchell

17. Splanky 2:32 - Neal Hefti

Les DeMerle - Drums/Vocals

Bonnie Eisele - Vocals

Johannes Bjerregaard - Piano

Chris Luard - Bass

Produced by Les DeMerle & Bonnie Eisele, Music Unlimited Productions

Recorded by Federico Nalesso, live at the Venice Jazz Club, Venice, Italy, August 16, 2014

Mixed by Johannes Bjerregaard at Amber Pennington Music, Lubbock, TX

Mastered by Dan Dean at Dan Dean Productions, Inc, Mercer Island, WA

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Charlie Porter - Hindsight (2021 OA2 Records)

Internationally acclaimed GRAMMY Award Winning trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter first cut his teeth on the New York jazz scene, while simultaneously studying classical trumpet performance at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of famed trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis.

Not a stranger to the idea of infusing one's art with examinations of societal conditions, Grammy-winning trumpeter Charlie Porter follows 2019's "Immigration Nation" with thoughts of how we act in hindsight to deal with the collateral damage of 'progress' and the centuries-old struggles with racism, inequality and corruption. Born during the upheavals of 2020, "Hindsight" reflects the tumult, uncertainty, and fiery emotions of the times, yet with the recent birth of his son, and thoughts of how we're going to leave the planet for the next generation, his "For Ellis" closes the album with a gospel choir and a hymn of hope. Joining Porter on the wide-ranging set of originals are saxophonist Nick Biello, pianist Orrin Evans, guitarist Mike Moreno, bassists David Wong & Damian Erskine, Behn Gillece on vibes, drummer Kenneth Salters, along with several guest performers. "Porter's playing is fluid, expressive, and magnificent." - DOWNBEAT

1 Tipping Point 5:49

2 Hindsight 7:00

3 Walking The Plank 6:51

4 Things Fall Apart 7:53

5 Requiem 7:38

6 In Short Supply 9:45

7 Going Viral 5:55

8 Paradise Lost 5:33

9 For Ellis 4:18

All music by Charlie Porter

Porter House Music (ASCAP)

(4) lyrics by Majid Khaliq

(6) lyrics by Madelaina Piazza

Charlie Porter - trumpet

Nick Biello - alto & soprano saxophones (1,6,8), keyboards (7,8)

Mike Moreno - guitar (3-6,8)

Behn Gillece - vibraphone (2,6)

Orrin Evans - piano/keyboards

David Wong - bass

Damian Erskine - fretless electric bass (4)

Kenneth Salters - drums

Jimmie Herrod - vocals (4,6)

Rasheed Jamal - rap vocals (6)

Majid Khaliq - violin (4)

Bassekou Kouyate - ngoni (African traditional guitar) (6)

Mahamadou Tounkara - ntama (African talking drum) (6)

Hallowed Halls Gospel Choir (9)

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Baker's Brew - New Works (Psychosomatic Records 2021)

New Works is the very ambitious double album follow-up to the first Baker's Brew record, New Colors . The first album of this new record features the group creating spontaneous jazz compositions as they had done with the first record, but the second album puts the group into very new territory by performing in conjunction with surroundsound electronic compositions.

Live performances with these 4 channel electronic scores have been a very striking experience for audiences, and the group has used the best mixing techniques available to them to simulate that experience with this record. Playing this record on a large sound system is recommended as the best way to put the listener inside the sound field created by these works.

Maury Baker

the group

Baker's Brew is a Los Angeles based experimental jazz group that comes out of the vast experience of veteran drummer Maury Baker. The group represents his long-standing ambition to combine all of his diverse experiences through total improvisation to create compositions on the spot. Baker’s Brew also includes guitarist Daniel Coffeng, Jim Goetsch on soprano sax and electronics, and Carl Royce on upright bass & electronics. The group utilizes surround sound electronic scores as part of their performances to give their audiences a truly unique experience. More info on the group at bakersbrewband.net

the release

Album I (tracks 1-7) – new jazz works / The first CD in the release features spontaneous jazz compositions from the group. While the group’s work ranges anywhere from ambient jazz to avant garde, this particular collection emphasizes a spacious sound in the tradition of Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue” and the ECM label.

Album II (tracks 8-15) – new electronic works / The second CD features the group improvising in conjunction with surround sound electronic scores created by group member Jim Goetsch. These works can best be appreciated on a large sound system in order for the listener to be inside the large sound field. 

1. Flatland 14:36

2. Medium Cool 06:54

3. Asymmetric 05:48

4. Cycle 10:49

5. Horizontal 08:44

6. Shift 12:52

7. Return 05:08

8. Conversation 06:26

9. Toledo 06:15

10. Incantation 07:18

11. Omen 05:06

12. Aviary 10:51

13. Signal 05:13

14. Gesture 05:14

15. Toledo (realization 2) 09:21

Maury Baker - drum set & percussion

Daniel Coffeng - electric guitar

Carl Royce - double bass and electronics

Jim Goetsch - acoustic and electroncially processed soprano saxophone, piano, synthesizers and electronic composition

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Joe Chambers- Samba de Maracatu (2021 Blue Note)

The venerated multi-instrumentalist and composer Joe Chambers has released Samba de Maracatu, a notable Blue Note Records return for a significant figure in the label’s history. The album is a nine-song set of original compositions, standards, and pieces by Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, and Horace Silver that features Chambers performing drums, vibraphone, and percussion with Brad Merritt on keyboards and Steve Haines on bass. Special guests include vocalist Stephanie Jordan on a simmering version of “Never Let Me Go,” and MC Parrain on “New York State of Mind Rain,” an inventive mashup of Nas’ 1994 hip-hop staple “N.Y. State of Mind” and Chambers’ 1978 piece “Mind Rain,” which DJ Premiere sampled to construct Nas’ classic.

 On Samba de Maracatu, Chambers asserts himself more as a mallet player, particularly on the vibraphone.  Throughout the album, he uses the vibraphone as the lead melodic and improvisational voice that often converses with Merritt’s piano accompaniments and solos. While Samba de Maracatu isn’t a Brazilian jazz album in this strictest sense, Chambers utilizes various rhythms and indigenous Brazilian percussion instruments on several pieces, including the title track, which references the syncretic Afro-Brazil rhythms that were originated in the north-east region of Brazil.

In the mid-to-late 1960s, Chambers played drums for numerous Blue Note luminaries appearing on some of the decade’s most progressive albums including Shorter’s Adam’s Apple and Etcetera, Hutcherson’s Components and Happenings, Freddie Hubbard’s Breaking Point, Joe Henderson’s Mode for Joe, Sam Rivers’ Contours, McCoy Tyner Tender Moments, Andrew Hill’s Andrew!!!, Donald Byrd’s Fancy Free, and many more.

 The label’s owners – Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff – offered Chambers a chance to record his own album for the imprint during that fertile period, but he was riding so high on recording and touring with so many jazz greats that he declined the opportunity. Chambers eventually did release his own Blue Note debut Mirrors in 1998 featuring trumpeter Eddie Henderson, saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and bassist Ira Coleman.

On Samba de Maracatu, Chambers asserts himself more as a mallet player, particularly on the vibraphone.  Throughout the album, he uses the vibraphone as the lead melodic and improvisational voice that often converses with Merritt’s piano accompaniments and solos. While Samba de Maracatu isn’t a Brazilian jazz album in this strictest sense, Chambers utilizes various rhythms and indigenous Brazilian percussion instruments on several pieces, including the title track, which references the syncretic Afro-Brazil rhythms that were originated in the north-east region of Brazil.

1. You and the Night and the Music (Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz)

2. Circles (Joe Chambers)

3. Samba de Maracatu (Joe Chambers)

4. Visions (Bobby Hutcherson)

5. Never Let Me Go featuring Stephanie Jordan (Jay Livingston/Ray Evans)

6. Sabah el Nur (Karl Ratzer)

7. Ecaroh (Horace Silver)

8. New York State of Mind Rain featuring MC Parrain (Joe Chambers/Fenton Chambers)

Joe Chambers: vibraphone, conga drums, claves, guiro, cowbell, surdo, repinique, shakere, quica

Brad Merritt: piano, synthesizer

Steve Haines: bass, acoustic

Stephanie Jordan: voice / vocals

MC Parrain: voice / vocals

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Ian Charleton Big Band - A Fresh Perspective (March 16, 2021)

Charleton leads his eighteen-piece big band on ten tracks featuring his original compositions and new interpretations of standards including “Stardust,” by Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” Marvin Fisher’s “When Sunny Gets Blue,” Vincent Youmans’ “ Tea for Two,” and “Everything I’ve Got,” by Rogers & Hart

Charleton, a Senior Chief Musician, who was the Head of Academics at the Naval School of Music, where he taught arranging, and is a graduate of the University of North Texas, burst on the scene with his 2013 debut CD, Brain Chatter. His long-awaited follow-up, A Fresh Perspective, showcases his extraordinary gifts as an inventive and engaging composer, and an imaginative arranger. His featured soloists on this date from southeastern Virginia are trumpeter Kerry Moffit, trombonist John Lloyd, Richard Garcia on alto and soprano sax, and tenor saxophonist Keith Philbrick, all supported by a quicksilver rhythm section with pianist Bart Kuebler, bassist Ryan Persaud, guitarist Wes Wagner, drummer Bob Habib and the leader’s wife, Emily Charleton on vocals. With his encyclopedic knowledge of the big band idiom - from Basie to Kenton and beyond - Charleton’s four original compositions: the swinging, Basie-bounced, “1 West 67th Street,” the breezy “Sunday Morning,” the bluesy “Party on Park,” and the title track, syncopated in 6/4 time, show that he can write songs that dance and trance with the best of them.

Charleton’s takes on standards are equally impressive, as evidenced by his Latin interpretation of “When Sunny Gets Blue,” two ballad renderings of “Tea for Two’’ and “Stardust,” the waltzy, “Blue Skies,” and a rousing reading of “Everything I’ve Got,” both laced with Emily Charleton’s vivid vocals.“El Otono,” a samba grooved selection, is composed by pianist/composer (and University of North Texas alum) Stefan Karlsson.

Charleton’s love of the big band tradition is a lifelong affair. Born in 1975, he grew up in Kentucky, Illinois and Texas, started playing the saxophone in the fifth grade, and was influenced by Charlie Parker and Cannonball Adderley. He was introduced to jazz in high school, played in a local blues band, and started writing his own compositions at fifteen. He earned his BM in 1999 and his MM in 2001 in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, joined the Navy that same year, and played in, composed for, and led Navy bands on five continents. A Fresh Perspective showcases Ian Charleton’s service to his country, and to the swing.

1. 1 West 67th Street (c/a Ian Charleton) 6:18

2. Sunday Morning (c/a Ian Charleton) 8:15

3. A Fresh Perspective (c/a Ian Charleton) 9:06

4. Everything I’ve Got (Rogers/Hart Arr. Ian Charleton) 2:31

5. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael. Arr. Ian Charleton) 5:52

6. El Otoño (Stefan Karlsson Arr. Ian Charleton) 4:41

7. Blue Skies (Irving Berlin Arr. Ian Charleton) 4:27

8. Tea For Two (Vincent Youmans Arr. Ian Charleton) 3:05

9. When Sunny Gets Blue (Marvin Fisher Arr. Ian Charleton) 7:37

10. Party on Park (c/a Ian Charleton) 8:12

Ian Charleton Website

Madre Vaca – The Elements (JUNE 12, 2021 madrevaca.org)

The latest project by the stimulating modern jazz quartet Madre Vaca is no less than the musical depiction of the four elements of the world.

Guitarist Jarrett Carter, pianist Jonah Pierre, bassist Thomas Milovac, and drummer Benjamin Shorstein each contributed one extended piece to a memorable jazz symphony that represents Fire, Water, Earth and Wind.

The collective Madre Vaca (which in English means “Mother Cow”) never plays the expected. Their previous project, 2020’s Winterreise, recast Franz Schubert’s song cycle as modern jazz performed by a dynamic and creative octet.

For their fourth album, The Elements, Madre Vaca transforms the four elements of the earth into music that is often quite cinematic and always inventive. Each of the members of the quartet (guitarist Jarrett Carter, pianist Jonah Pierre, bassist Thomas Milovac, and drummer Benjamin Shorstein) contributed an extended piece that challenged the musicians, blending together compositions with improvisations filled with color, character, and subtle surprises.

Shorstein’s “Fire” depicts both the good and bad of fire. Guitarist Carter takes the lead at first with the other musicians contributing stimulating accompaniment, pianist Pierre builds on the wondrous mood, bassist Milovac adds to the atmosphere, and drummer Shorstein takes a fiery solo before the four musicians improvise together at a rapid tempo, leading to the inevitable explosive conclusion.

Carter’s “Water” starts peacefully with the depiction of a lake and the beginning of a rain storm that picks up momentum as it progresses, building in tension as the water becomes a surging river.

Milovac’s “Earth” sees the planet as a beautiful place but one that is regularly beset by natural disasters. Its contradictions are very much prevalent in the episodic music which alternates a quiet but complex calm with passionate contrasts including a section in which the musicians dramatically speed up the tempo together.

Pierre’s “Wind” has the quartet emulating a breeze (the bowed bass is a major asset). A melody soon emerges along with a happy optimistic mood that concludes the four movements of the jazz symphony.

Since 2017, the members of Madre Vaca and their musical friends have recorded 13 albums on their Madre Vaca label and seven have thus far been released including four ambitious projects by the main group: Nexus (2018), Nero (2019), Winterreise (2020) and now The Elements.

The Elements is Madre Vaca’s finest hour so far, a musical portrayal of the world that we inhabit.

1. Fire (Benjamin Shorstein) 14:53

2. Water (Jarrett Carter) 09:03

3. Earth (Thomas Milovac) 09:13

4. Wind (Jonah Pierre) 07:31

Jarrett Carter - Guitar

Thomas Milovac - Bass

Jonah Pierre - Piano

Benjamin Shorstein - Drums

Recording Engineer – JeanCarlo Mendez

Cover Art – Andre Gruber

Mixing – JeanCarlo Mendez, Dan Moore

Mastering – Brett Thorngren

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Stefano Travaglini - MONK (Notami Jazz Records)

MONK - Fifteen Piano Reflections

"The end result is that Monk’s music does indeed stand strong when played in a non-traditional manner, and that Stefano Travaglini possesses a brilliant imagination that can utterly transform well-known literature into new and fascinating musical experiences." Thomas Cunniffe

“The same music from two very different perspectives; Thelonious Monk was an artist ahead of his time while Stefano Travaglini is solidifying his place in the chronology of modern music.” Karl Ackermann, All About Jazz

“The stirring and inventive take on Round Midnight, for example, is hair-raising. Loosened up in tempo but still keeping the wondrous sentiment and structure of the original, this piece is one of the most beautiful on the record.” Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail

A classic jazz album from the 1950s was titled “The Unique Thelonious Monk”. Rarely has an adjective been more apt, for Monk’s remarkable body of compositions took jazz through a prism rarely approached before. Monk’s cryptic instructions to his musicians—“use the melody”; “don’t play bebop on my tunes”—only scared away generations of jazz musicians from exploring his music. Monk’s percussive approach to the keyboard was initially dismissed as faulty technique, but it eventually influenced every pianist who tried to perform his work. If that sounds like a grand overstatement, just compare virtually every other jazz recording of a Monk composition to the distinctive approach heard on the enclosed CD. Now to be sure, there’s nothing artistically wrong with performing Monk in a forceful manner—obviously, both the composer and the jazz musicians who followed him prefer it that way—but what if we took away that percussive element and examined Monk’s music as pure music? After all, surprising and enlightening results have come when taking music out of its traditional element (think of the Swingle Singers’ recordings of Bach). The music of Thelonious Monk deserves—and could well benefit—from this kind of artistic scrutiny.

Stefano Travaglini has studied classical music as a composer, pianist, conductor and oboist, but he decided that his heart was in improvised music. Travaglini prefers the term “free improvisation” to “jazz” because he has recorded extemporized variations on a wide variety of musical styles. His debut recording, “The Hungarian Songbook” was based on folksongs, and he expanded his musical viewpoint on his recent solo album “Ellipse”. He credits his classical training for helping him develop his own unique language which crosses between the improvised and composed music of the last century. I would add that Travaglini’s detailed attention to motivic development is probably another benefit of his classical studies.

There is another crucial element from the classical tradition which relates to this particular album. We often hear of classical pianists who fall in love with the sound of a particular instrument. For some pianists, that preference is manifested into their contracts (for example, “Vladimir Horowitz is an exclusive Steinway artist”). The extreme example is this practice is that of Glenn Gould, who so loved his Steinway piano (serial number CD 318) that he bought the instrument and transported it to every concert hall and studio where he played! At a 2018 recording session at Paris’ Studio Sequenza, Travaglini played a Fazioli F278 grand and the combination of the instrument and the room inspired him to record this solo album offering a new—and some might say radical—approach to the music of Thelonious Monk. Travaglini prepared for this recording for several months, but purposely avoided writing out any arrangements. As he puts it, “I just decided what to do and where to direct the music but not how!” On the day of the recording, Travaglini sat at the Fazioli F278 and improvised his interpretations of Monk’s classic works. None of the resulting interpretations were cut or edited.

The Monk compositions which Travaglini chose should be familiar to most jazz fans. Yet, those melodies are not always easy to find. The opening track “Trinkle Tinkle” finds the pianist breaking the melody into tiny pieces and reassembling them in a new and surprising order. Travaglini’s delicate touch and liberal use of the sustain pedal bring an entirely different pianistic approach to this music, and an unknowing listener might misidentify “Trinkle Tinkle” as a thoroughly-composed piece from a 20th century classical composer! “Children’s Song” was originally adapted by Monk in two keys, and Travaglini uses the bitonal aspect as a starting point. The melody leads him into a startling direction, and the reiterations of the melodic germ are transformed each time they appear. In an alternate take released after Monk’s death, the composer created an abstract variation of “Well, You Needn’t” that—had the recording been released—would have altered the way the song was forever played. In Travaglini’s version, the original melody barely appears until the final minute of the track. His earlier choruses imagine what would have happened if Mozart wrote the tune. In contrast, the next track, “Ruby, My Dear” transforms the melody into atonal two-voice counterpoint.

“Criss-Cross”, one of Monk’s most revered compositions has been analyzed in print by several musicians and composers, and was the subject of an extended Third Stream composition by Gunther Schuller. Here, Travaglini develops the distinctive falling motive of the melody, letting the idea guide the harmonic movement until the final moments when the chords and melody are reunited. The dizzying ostinato which accompanies “Straight, No Chaser” leads into a fascinating musical vortex reminiscent of Lennie Tristano’s “Descent into the Maelstrom”. A welcome respite from the intensity comes with a gentle rendition of “Ugly Beauty”. Listen to how Travaglini captures the essence of both words of the seemingly oxymoronic title with a well-placed modulation and a shift in harmonic density. The melody of “Bemsha Swing” is fragmented. Note that Travaglini’s accompanying left hand figure is connected to the melody in such a way that it sounds like the two elements belonged together all along, despite being created nearly 70 years apart.

In a way, “Round Midnight” is the most straight-forward performance on this album. Certainly the melody appears reasonably unadorned and at times, Travaglini adheres to the original chord structure. But when he diverts from that harmonic sequence, he discovers new avenues which enlighten our knowledge of this jazz standard. In Travaglini’s hands, “Monk’s Dream” is more sinister than the original. We will never know the scenes which may have played during Monk’s slumbers, but Travaglini’s music might provide a clue. Similarly, “Introspection” leads us into the dark corners of the mind through this unsettling re-harmonization.

On first hearing, Travaglini’s version of “Evidence” might seem worlds apart from Monk’s original Blue Note recording. However, go back to that original recording and hear how Monk’s melody appears gradually over the course of the side—just like this new interpretation. Then marvel at where this choppy melody takes Travaglini! “Brilliant Corners” was originally conceived as a piece played in two tempos—one chorus in slow tempo, and the second in double-time. In what might be his most radical departure from the original compositions, Travaglini rejects the dual tempo idea and instead submits the piece to a contrapuntal treatment. “Misterioso” uses another powerful left-hand ostinato, but unlike “Straight No Chaser”, the right hand improvisations are just as forceful as the accompanying figure. The closing track dissects “In Walked Bud” through a dramatic slow tempo and a striking transformation of the melody.

The end result is that Monk’s music does indeed stand strong when played in a non-traditional manner, and that Stefano Travaglini possesses a brilliant imagination that can utterly transform well-known literature into new and fascinating musical experiences. Thelonious Monk’s original conceptions live on through his many recordings, and in the traditional cover versions by superb jazz musicians. Yet, it is because of the recorded legacy that recordings like this one are made possible. Just like Alice in Wonderland, we can see through the looking glass and find other glorious images.

1. Trinkle tinkle 03:33

2. Children's song 03:57

3. Well, you needn't 03:56

4. Ruby, my dear 03:57

5. Criss cross 03:51

6. Straight no chaser 03:26

7. Ugly beauty 03:53

8. Bemsha swing 03:51

9. Round midnight 06:19

10. Monk's dream 03:19

11. Introspection 03:55

12. Evidence 05:55

13. Brilliant corners 04:17

14. Misterioso 03:40

15. In walked Bud 03:55

Stefano Travaglini, piano

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio Sequenza (Paris) 2019, May 5

Sound engineer, Thomas Vingtrinier

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Christopher Hoffman - Asp Nimbus (Friday, March 26th 2021 Out Of Your Head Records)

“Somehow, he manages to contribute a unique, fresh voice in a field that is crowded with excellent recordings.” --Avant Music News

Christopher Hoffman - Asp Nimbus (OOYH 009): With Asp Nimbus, cellist Christopher Hoffman very intentionally sought to make a more straight-forward recording than his 2018 release, Multifariam. Multifariam was an electro-acoustic tour de force in the vein of Miles Davis’ electric years, MF Doom, and the horror/sci-fi composer John Carpenter. Hoffman played mad scientist, chopping and pasting studio recorded snippets from Gerald Cleaver, Tony Malaby, Christina Courtin, Craig Weinrib and a slew of others into what was a 16-track masterpiece. Asp Nimbus is not that kind of album. Inspired by Bobby Hutcherson's Oblique and Happenings, and Henry Threadgill's Everybody’s Mouth's a Book (Hoffman is a mainstay in a number of Threadgill’s ensembles of the past 10 years), Asp Nimbus was recorded in January 2020 with the goal of capturing the group dynamic and raw live energy of their quartet performances.

That is a surprisingly difficult feat to achieve in the studio, yet this album exceedingly succeeds in doing so. With the exception of the piano contribution of David Virelles on Dylan George there are no overdubs, and we hear the music exactly as it was performed. The recording presented a new kind of challenge for Hoffman as a soloist, as he previously tended to write music that was predominantly collective in nature. Since Asp Nimbus is a more traditionally jazz-oriented album, Hoffman is featured heavily as a leading voice. He absolutely shines when placed front and center, and this recording is sure to further cement his place in the top-tier of improvising cellist/composers active today.

Hoffman chooses the title of each piece to reflect the vibratory state that he finds in the music. For instance, the first track Discretionary reflects a growing attitude in the world today--the idea of acting on one's own authority or judgment. The second track, Dylan George, was written for his late brother who passed unexpectedly in 2016. By chance they overdubbed David Virelles’ part on Dylan George while on break during a studio session for a new Henry Threadgill composition. Hoffman considered it an added blessing to have Henry in the room listening while they recorded. To hear Chris speak of it, it is obvious that this piece in particular means a lot of things to him, and ultimately it's a tribute to Dylan.

Knowing that he wanted vibraphone when forming the quartet in Fall of 2018, Bryan Carrott was an immediate and obvious choice, as Hoffman has long loved his playing in Threadgill's Make A Move, on Dave Douglas' Witness, and as a part of The Lounge Lizards. Hoffman and drummer Craig Weinrib play together a lot, most notably in Henry Threadgill’s Double Up, and are frequently recruited in tandem as side-people by the likes of Jonathan Finlayson and Roman Filiu for their deep connection. Bassist Rashaan Carter and Weinrib have a similar special relationship, and together are a propulsive force throughout Asp Nimbus. Cello, vibraphone, bass, and drums are an atypical instrumentation for what Hoffman considers to be a more traditional jazz album (in fact, I can’t cite one recorded example of this exact instrumentation).

By default the combination will pull your ear towards chamber music and contemporary classical, and Hoffman’s work in film, whether intentional or not, surely contributed to the cinematic arc that is present over these 8 tracks and 32-minutes. There aren’t many recordings of any genre to compare it to, and whatever the inspiration was for Asp Nimbus the result is unique. That alone makes it an album worthy of repeated listening, but the masterful performance of these four world-class improvisers, and the compositional maturity on display is sure to demand attention as one of the finest recordings of 2021. Asp Nimbus is due out March 26, 2021 on Out Of Your Head Records in both digital and vinyl formats.

“...a great example of how advanced and complex in great hands can sound simply great.” --Jazz Music Archives

 

1) Discretionary

2) Dylan George

3) Asp Nimbus

4) Angles Of Influence

5) Orb

6) Non-Submersible

7) For You

8) The Heights Of Spectacle

Christopher Hoffman - cello, compositions

Bryan Carrott - vibraphone

Rashaan Carter - bass

Craig Weinrib - drums

David Virelles - piano (track 2 only)

All Compositions By Christopher Hoffman

Produced, Mixed & Mastered By Christopher Hoffman

Recorded January 8 & 9 2020 by Lily Wen at Figure 8 Studios

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Christopher Hoffman is a cellist and film-maker. He has the honor of performing in Henry Threadgill’s Pulitzer Prize winning ensemble Zooid as well as Double Up & 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg. Chris regularly performs with the Grammy nominated Anat Cohen Tentet, Anna Webber Septet (featured on her critically acclaimed Clockwise), Rudy Royston’s Flatbed Buggy, Michael Blake string band, Tony Malaby, and the Christopher Hoffman Quartet. He has worked with Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island) and has performed with Yoko Ono, Bleachers, Butch Morris, Marc Ribot, Christina Courtin, Spring Awakening, Anthony Coleman, Marianne Faithfull, Ryan Adams, Iron & Wine, Jeremiah Cymerman, Michael Pitt & many others He has performed at the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Newport Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, David Letterman, North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Saalfelden, SF Jazz, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Walker Arts Center and all over western Europe & the United States. christopherhoffman.com