Aventura Quartet - Soul & Mind (February 18, 2022 Luxaries Records)

Aventura Quartet is the latest project from german saxophone player and composer, Werner Hüsgen. The music, composed, rehearsed and recorded in corona-lockdown and re-opening reflects both, the desire for Live-Music and the joy of liberation from restrictions. It can be described as contemporary European Jazz, but also includes current Chamber Music such as World-Music, without denying its rooting in Jazztradition. Rich in detail with improvisational interaction, the quartet reaches numerous musical worlds – sometimes in a lyrical mood, sometimes with glowing energy. The debut album „Soul&Mind“ will be released on February 18th, 2022 by Luxaries Records.

1. Soul & Mind 07:23

2. Capetown Symphony 07:09

3. Eleven Steps To Heaven 07:27

4. Stille 05:51

5. Larry 06:01

6. Wenn der Sommer wird zum Herbst 05:30

7. Pasear en el Malecón 06:27

Werner Hüsgen – saxophone, composer

Sebastian Scobel – grand piano

Werner Lauscher – double bass

Simon Busch – drums

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OMRI ZIEGELE WHERE'S AFRICA with Yves Theiler and Dario Sisera -That Hat (February 18, 2022 Intakt Records)

Under the band title Where's Africa Omri Ziegele has long played with Irène Schweizer. Now he presents That Hat, his second album in the trio formation with keyboarder Yves Theiler and drummer Dario Sisera. The three are interested in an Africa seen through the eyepiece of Central European musicians who know everything from jazz to rock. “There are certain jazz recordings that have great appeal even for people who don’t consider themselves jazz aficionados: Memphis Underground by Herbie Mann, African Marketplace by Abdullah Ibrahim, Swiss Movement by Les McCann and Eddie Harris, Carla Bley’s Dinner Music. That Hat, the new album by Omri Ziegele’s trio Where’s Africa, may well find a place in this tradition”, writes Manfred Papst in the liner notes.

1. Back Home

2. That Hat

3. Mother Is Always in Time

4. Carpathian Folk Song

5. Dying with the Wind

6. Woke Up on the Other Side of My Heart

7. You Know, I Don't Know, Nobody Knows

8. Sunflowerpower

Omri Ziegele: Alto Saxophone, Nai, Vocals

Yves Theiler: Keyboards

Daro Sisera: Drums, Percussion

Recorded April 2, 3, 2021, at Hardstudios Winterthur by Andy Neresheimer. Mixed and mastered by Andy Neresheimer.

Cover art and graphic design: Jonas Schoder. Photo: Heinz Unger.

Liner notes: Manfred Papst. Produced by Omri Ziegele and Intakt Records. Published by Intakt Records, P. O. Box, 8024 Zurich, Switzerland.

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Barney McAll (ft. Gary Bartz) - Precious Energy (February 18, 2022 Extra Celestial Arts)

When I was a child, I used to swim for hours in the shallows at Mt Martha beach. Mask, snorkel, flippers amazement. I would chase the baby flathead that would skim the sand and, was fascinated by all the beautiful sea life and the essence of nature. Intermittent warm currents would wash over me and it would feel so comforting and sanguine. This ebb and flow was accepted without question. Can I continue to accept it?

I used to love the early morning after a king tide at Silverleaves when I would chase the thousand soldier crabs that would burrow under the sand to be reclusive within an instant. Does it matter where they went?

As I delve further into music I see that in many ways, I have been trying to recreate those tides, currents and crustaceans with sound. As every wave is unique - I wish to be relieved of the bondage of self.

Thank you to every earthling who contributed to this batch of sun rays and warm currents during dark times. Thank you especially to the artists on this album: I am so grateful to have this music made real. Thankyou; Gary Bartz, Billy Harper, Hiatus Kaiyote, Greg Sher, Allysha Joy, The Merri Creek, Wat Artists, Si Gould, Julie Vecera, Daniel Merriweather, Mike Gurrieri, Gilles Peterson, Mother Tongue Records, Fred Wesley and the JB's crew, Luna Blu, McAll tribe, Melbourne tribe, New York tribe.

Especially thanks to my beautiful family Jendhi, Elias and Julius. In memory of Jack and Yvonne McAll Spirit Eternal Life.

1. Precious Energy - Homage To Leon Thomas and Pharoah Sanders ft. Julien Wilson, Rita Satch

2. Sweet Water ft. - Homage To Oshun Rita Satch, Julien Wilson

3. Wild Horses In The Morning Sky ft. Laneous, Rita Satch

4. Sweet Sweet Spirit ft. Homage to Doris Akers ft. Gary Bartz, Rita Satch, Belle Bangard

5. Sun Rays ft. Jace XL, Laneous

6. Stevland ft. - Homage to Stevie Wonder Gary Bartz, Jace XL, Rita Satch, Belle Bangard

7. John Coltrane Homage to Strata East ft. Gary Bartz

8. Precious Energy (Bonus 'Lord's Garden' Remix)

"2020 and 2021 were tough - this music was made as a balm for me and can hopefully be one in some way for you too"

-Barney McAll

PRECIOUS ENERGY (Leon Thomas) Coburg Community Choir: Rita Satch, Angus Leslie, Grace Robinson, Barney McAll / Sax - Julien Wilson / Keys -Barney McAll / Drums - Ben Vanderwal / Drums recorded by Ben Vanderwal / Additional production by Theo Carbo /

Recorded at ExtraCelestial Arts by Barney McAll

SWEET WATER (Barney McAll) Lead Vocals - Rita Satch / Backing Vocals - Laneous / Drums - Perrin Moss / Guitar & Efx - Laneous / Bass - Paul Bender / Rhodes, Bul Bul Tarang, Percussion & Synth - Barney McAll / Saxophone- Julien Wilson / Bata and Percussion - Javier Fredes / Engineer- Ari Roze & Barney McAll /Mix Engineer- Nick Herrera / Mixed by Nick Herrera at The Grove, Coburg / Recorded at Plug Seven Studio, Collingwood /Additional recording by Barney McAll at ExtraCelestial Arts

WILD HORSES IN THE MORNING SKY (Barney McAll) Guitar & Lead Vocals - Laneous / Keys & BVs - Barney McAll / Keys - Simon Mavin / Guitars - Cameron Deyell / Bass - Paul Bender / Drums - Ben Vanderwal / Country Pickin’ Guitar - Theo Carbo / BVs -Rita Satch

Recorded by Nick Herrera at Headgap Studio / Vocals ,Guitar, Extra Keys Recorded at ExtraCelestial Arts by Barney McAll / Assistant Theo Carbo / Mixed By Gareth Thomson / Recorded at Headgap Studio

SWEET SWEET SPIRIT (Doris Akers arr. Barney McAll) Keys - Barney McAll / Alto and Soprano Sax - Gary Bartz / Bass - Paul Bender / Drums, Percussion - Hamish Stuart / Vocals - Belle Bangard / Vocals - Rita satch / Recorded at Extra Celestial Arts by Barney McAll / Drums Recorded Benjamin Rodgers at Apple Street Studios / Sax Recorded by Gary Bartz at OYO studios, San Francisco / Mixed by Theo Carbo / Additional production by Theo Carbo / Recorded at ExtraCelestial Arts

SUN RAYS (Barney McAll) Vocals - Jace XL / Keys, Talkbox - Barney McAll / Bass - Paul Bender / Drums - Perrin Moss / Guitar & Solo - Laneous / Vocals -Rita Satch / Cosmic Ventriloquist Choir: Rita Satch, Grace Robinson, Emma Volard, Matilda Abraham, Indigo King, Josh Kyle, Miro Lauritz, Damon Smith, Audrey Powne, Sylvie Evans, Isadora Lauritz / Mixed by Gareth Thomson / Rhythm Section Recorded by Ari Roze at Plug Seven Studios

STEVLAND (Barney McAll, Greta Gertler) Vocals - Jace XL / Keys - Barney McAll / Keys - Simon Mavin / Vocals - Rita Satch / Vocals -Bell Bangard / Alto and Soprano Sax -Gary Bartz / Bass -Paul Bender / Guitars -Cameron Deyell / Drums -Ben Vanderwal / Vocals and Additional Recording at ExtraCelestial Arts by Barney McAll / Mixed by Theo Carbo / Additional production by Theo Carbo / Recorded at Headgap Studio / Sax Recorded by Gary Bartz at OYO studios, San Francisco

JOHN COLTRANE (Bill Lee) Keys -Barney McAll / Keys - Simon Mavin / Alto and Soprano Sax - Gary Bartz / Bass -Paul Bender /Drums - Ben Vanderwal / Vocals - Gary Bartz with Rita Satch, Belle Bangard, Barney McAll // Vocals and Additional Recording at Extra Celestial Arts by Barney McAll / Mixed by Theo Carbo / Additional production by Theo Carbo / Recorded at Headgap Studio

Album mastered by Lachlan Carrick / Cover art by Tokio Aoyama / All songs Produced by Barney McAll

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Flora Carbo - Arthur's Walks (February 18, 2022 People Sound)

Spending Melbourne’s COVID-19 isolation at home on Arthur St, ears filled with the recent discovery of the music of Arthur Russell, Flora Carbo found inspiration in recording music and walking.

Arthur’s Walks is an exploration in groove, melody, tension and release performed as these five walks:

1. LITTLE JOG

a gentle exercise,

getting the heart rate up

2. AMBLE

early in the morning,

sleepily following a path or waterway

3. WANDER

a walk in the rain, noticing the senses

4. HIKE

opening with a view,

adventurously exploring somewhere new

5. DAILY STROLL

finding inward inspiration on a routine route,

noticing the body and inviting inspired movement

Flora Carbo - alto saxophone, clarinet, guitar, violin, voice, recorder

Helen Svoboda - bass (track 2, 3, 5)

Jacob Hiser - piano (track 2)

Imogen Cygler - violin and voice (track 4)

Ollie Cox - drums and percussion (track 5)

Eva Sunny-Reyne voice - (track 5)

Ollie Rolfe - piano (track 5)

Mixed by Theo Carbo November 2021 - January 2022

Mastered by Lachlan Carrick at Moose Mastering January 7th 2022

Artwork by Ollie Ledi Hanane

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Adam Shead Quintet - Full Cycle, Thread New. (February 18, 2022 Paradigm Records)

Full Cycle, Thread New. is a long form composition in three movements by Chicago multi-disciplinary artist Adam Shead. The piece focuses heavily on concepts of reformation, regeneration, non-linear time dynamics, and cyclical history. Throughout the three movements (which features Shead alongside acclaimed Chicago improvised music stalwarts Jeff Kimmel, clarinets; Ishmael Ali, cello/electronics; Matt Piet, piano; and Andrew Scott Young, double bass.) the quintet effortlessly intertwines a diverse spectrum of aesthetic parameters while maintaining the music’s forward momentum.

Full Cycle, Thread New. was recorded live in March of 2021 at the eminent home for the most open of minds and ears: Constellation Chicago. Various influences abound throughout the concert length recording, in oblique and mysterious ways. One may hear faint traces of other composers (John Lewis; Instant Composers Pool; Roscoe Mitchell; La Monte Young; Pauline Oliveros; Thelonious Monk) in this music, or they may not. They may hear these familiar sounds rub up against each other in passing like a sideswipe on the freeway, or in seemingly concurrent waves like a detuned radio, or they may not hear them at all. Throughout the composition Adam Shead’s quintet threads the needle between the past and the present thanks to his honed and studied compositional approach. In this recording, genres assert themselves as much as they defy easy categorization. The listener is confronted with sound elements reminiscent of various idiomatic and non-idiomatic approaches which together form one overarching narrative, ultimately generated by and belonging to Shead himself.

The music utilizes the strengths of all five members to conjure out of seemingly everywhere and nowhere a sound that is genuinely swinging, often awhirl with surprise and subversion, but above all stated with confidence and intent. The aptitude with which Shead’s compatriots assert their own self-will with deference to his approach to organized sound(s) results in a curiously novel group-sound that is as exciting as it is baffling. The listener may feel like they have gotten off a roller coaster by the end of the recording, only to find themselves drawn back to the music as though in a trance: for clarification, for elation, for the plain fun of it. Piet, Young, and Shead, are a dynamic rhythm section, able to cultivate a visceral rhythmic interplay while displaying an acute awareness of the traditions of their respective instruments. Kimmel and Ali are thoughtful, fluid players who steer the music left of center toward parts unknown, and the listener is all the better for it. 

1. Mvt. I

2. Mvt. II

3. Mvt. III

Jeff Kimmel - clarinet, bass clarinet

Ishmael Ali - cello, electronics

Matt Piet - piano

Andrew Scott Young - double bass

Adam Shead - drums, composition

Recorded at Constellation in Chicago, IL on March 20th, 2021.

Mixed and mastered by Bill Harris.

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Anna Laura Quinn - Open the Door (February 18, 2022 Outside in Music)

With a voice rightly praised as a "well-worked instrument" whose stylings and energy "bring new vitality to classic tunes by the likes of Cole Porter and Duke Ellington," (Holly Devon, ANTIGRAVITY Magazine), vocalist and arranger Anna Laura Quinn steps forward boldly with Open the Door, a selection of nine deeply emotive, introspective, and textured arrangements that stand as landmark tributes to how music - and the musicians and experiences she has encountered - has profoundly shaped her into the person, musician, and creator that she is today.

New Orleans-based vocalist Anna Laura Quinn is rapidly gaining notice for her particular blend of contemporary jazz, well-loved tunes from the American Songbook, French and Brazilian music, and more, and delivered with style, emotional power, and sensitivity, and a joie de vivre that recalls the charm and mystique of a bygone era. A self-proclaimed "jazz acolyte," Anna uses her voice to convey her deep regard for the legacy of jazz music to audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and musical proclivities.

1. Talking to the Sun

2. Comes Love

3. Speak Low

4. Very Good Advice

5. Love for Sale

6. Cry Again

7. Open the Door

8. The Single Petal of a Rose

9. Wouldn't It Be Lovely

Anna Laura Quinn - Vocals

Ed Barrett - Guitar

Ben Fox - Bass

Brad Webb - Drums

Kate Campbell-Strauss - Tenor/Bari Sax

Brent Rose - Tenor Sax

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Yaatri - Lucid (February 18, 2022)

Yaatri is an award winning five-piece art-rock/jazz crossover group formed in Leeds in 2018. Their blend of complex composition and ethereal soundscapes captivates the heart as well as the mind. Influenced by the momentum of the rhythms of India, immersive timbres of electronic music, and energy of rock and roll, their music has a strong sense of purpose and journey.  

1. Creation

2. Gold

3. Where Did I Go

4. In The Clouds Pt. 1

5. In The Clouds Pt. 2

6. Pool of Reflection

7. Vipassana

8. Clarity

Liam Narain DeTar: guitar, composition

Felix Bertulis-Webb: piano, composition

B-âhwe: vocals, lyrics

Jona Tromp: drums

Joe Wilkes: bass

Zuheb Ahmed Khan: tabla

Tom Kettleton: saxophone

Felix Burling: flugelhorn

Sam Hobbs: percussion

Engineered, mixed and produced by Sam Hobbs at Rebel Elements, Wharfedale

Mastered by Carl Rosamond

Artwork by Anneke DeTar

Logo design by Ross Burns

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Grant Gordy and Jacob Jolliff - Our Delight (February 18, 2022)

1. Black Nile

2. Like Someone in Love

3. Our Delight

4. Isfahan

5. Sippin' at Bells

6. Stars Fell on Alabama

7. Falling Grace

8. Pannonica

9. Skylark

Grant Gordy: guitar

Jacob Jolliff: mandolin

Recorded in Brooklyn, NY July 19-21, 2021 by Mike Robinson

Mixed by Dave Sinko

Mastered by Randy LeRoy at Tonal Park

Graphic design by Setty Hopkins

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Ryan Dugre - Look See (February 18, 2022 Ruination Record Co.)

New York based multi-instrumentalist and composer from Holyoke, MA.

1. For Clement

2. In a Room

3. Look See

4. On Call

5. Ten Ten Win

6. What Thoughts

Written, performed, and recorded by Ryan Dugré in Brooklyn, November 2020

Mixed by Adam Brisbin

Mastered by Michał Kupicz

Additional guitar/textures on “What Thoughts” by Adam Brisbin

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Dominik Schürmann Trio featuring Max Ionata – Moons (April 8, 2022)

Dominik Schürmann Trio

feat. Max Ionata

Moons Ago (April 8th, 2022)

A wise man once said that it doesn’t matter where jazz goes as long as it takes the tradition with it. With Moons Ago (April 8th) Swiss bassist and bandleader Dominik Schürmann pays homage to the classic sound of 1950s & 60s jazz, through 12 original compositions.

Steeped in the hard-bop era tradition, Schürmann rounds up two fellow leading lights from the blossoming Swiss jazz scene and tops it off with renowned Italian saxophonist Max Ionata.

The repertoire itself - composed in entirety by Schürmann - may be unashamedly old school, but the delivery is fresh. A tongue-in-cheek twist on a Sinatra classic, lush ballads and a couple of latin grooves sit, of course, amongst some hard-swinging straight-ahead tunes. All new treatments, but reminiscent of the titans of yesteryear and their joyous recordings.

Bandleader Dominik himself is a longstanding regular on both the Swiss and international jazz scenes. With over 50 album credits and countless tours, he’s performed with the likes of Jorge Rossy, Hendrik Meurkens, Karl Ratzer, Luis Diego Bonilla, Oscar Klein, George Gruntz, Isla Eckinger, Vince Benedetti and many more.

On piano, Basel-based Italian Yuri Storione may be closer to the beginning of his career, but his impressive virtuosity and already-prolific output has seen him win plaudits from press and fans alike. Alongside him, the drum chair is occupied by Latvian drummer Janis Jaunalksnis; also Swiss based, the music showcases a musician both highly sensitive and deeply swinging.

Fronting the trio as special guest, Schürnmann’s choice of renowned Italian saxophonist Max Ionata is an astute addition to the group's modern-vintage blend. A veteran of the international jazz scene, Ionata emerged in the early 90s and has performed with many modern greats including Robin Eubanks, Billy Hart, Joe Locke, Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer and compatriot Stefano Di Battista.

“His sensitive playing and soft, full sound lend the compositions exactly the appropriate timbre I was looking for. He has a strong sense of tradition and has developed his own personal sound.”

Together, they balance a respect for the tradition with an obvious desire to create something new; it’s likely to strike a chord with classic jazz fans and contemporary listeners alike.

1. Butterflies (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 3:51

2. The End Of A Bug Affair (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:26

3. Heureka (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:02

4. Autumn Breath (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:57

5. Ramba Samba (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:42

6. Moons Ago (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 6:06

7. Lonely Owl (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:18

8. Afternoon Song (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:53

9. Rainy Summer (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:11

10. Coffee Cat (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:27

11. Banana Dog (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:39

12. Malia‘s Waltz (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:58

Dominik Schürmann (Bass)

Max Ionata (Tenor Saxophone)

Yuri Storione (Piano)

Jãnis Jaunalksnis (Drums)

Recording date: 14th/15th November 2021

Recording place: Hammer Studio Basel/Switzerland

Online Editor/Distributor: Mons Records (www.monsrecords.de)

Sound Engineer: Hannes Kumke

Dominik Schürmann Website

Matthew Shipp / Chad Fowler - Old Stories (April 15, 2022 Mahakala Music)

“A duo is such a specific format, and I've done a lot of them,” reflects Matthew Shipp, one of New York's premier improvisational pianists for the past 40 years, who's worked with the likes of David S. Ware, Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, Ivo Perelman and many others. “I really relish the raw interaction of a duo. It's kind of a discipline — a very specific thing. It can present a whole dramatic compositional puzzle.” And to be sure, he considers purely extemporaneous improvisation to be an act of composition as much as anything. It's no accident that the pianist, associated with so-called free jazz for most of his life, sees Duke Ellington, a composer's composer, as a key inspiration.

Ellington was a fortuitous touchstone for Shipp to bring to his recent collaboration with Arkansas-based saxophonist Chad Fowler on Old Stories, their new album of duets on Mahakala Music. For his part, Fowler brought to the sessions a longstanding fascination with Ellington sideman (and alto saxophone pioneer) Johnny Hodges, though, like Shipp, this is expressed obliquely through Fowler's work with avant garde luminaries like Alvin Fielder, Douglas Ewart and Parker.

It was the latter bassist who indirectly brought Shipp and Fowler together. “I met Matt just last year at the Vision Festival, the free jazz event that William Parker and his wife run,” says Fowler. “I knew his music well, but I'd never met him in person. We ended up standing together, watching William Parker's band.” Sensing they were kindred spirits, they immediately made arrangements for a session at Park West Studios in Brooklyn.

Indeed, the duets heard on Old Stories comprise their first real interaction. “I think I talked to him on the phone for two minutes about the logistics,” recalls Fowler. “We barely even said hello before we started. And I think it shaped the session. He was in there playing Ellington tunes when I arrived, warming up. Really swinging, beautiful ballads. And then we just started recording. We never discussed anything beforehand. By far the longest conversation we had ever had was the musical conversation in the studio that day.”

That suited Shipp just fine. “We just started,” he recalls. “Jim Clouse the engineer said, 'Rolling,' and that was it. After every track, we'd take a second and we'd look at each other. Then, 'Are we on?' 'Yeah, you're on.' And we'd start again.” Having said that, Shipp notes that both players brought their musicianship to bear on every second, every beat. “You kind of just know, 'Okay, we've done this, this and this, so it's probably time to do something like this, texture-wise, because we haven't covered that. That process takes on a life of its own, and it just flows from there. Like, whoever does the first attack, the other is thinking, 'How is this piece going? What are we going to explore?' And that information is conveyed instantly at the beginning. That takes a lot of experience and musicianship.”

The tracks that emerged reveal two acute compositional minds at work in real time. “I consider myself a conceptualist and a musical thinker who is always going towards the coherence,” Shipp notes. “Even in what might be perceived as the most free form settings. Music is language, and any language has its own internal logic, its own internal waveform generating itself. If you're telling a story, which is what jazz is supposed to be about, you're dealing with a real internal language. And if it's an honest expression, you'll make sentences of sorts. Paragraphs.”

And, true to the album's title, these stories are weathered and worn, owing to the century-old reference points both players rely on. Yet there's tension in their contrasting approaches as well. “I get the sense that Chad's played a lot of R&B,” says Shipp. “I hear the Southern aspects of his playing. I also hear a lot of the second generation avant garde. I play mostly with East Coast, New York style players, and even though he's obviously capable of hanging in that realm, and does, he is a little different.”

Matthew Shipp by Daniel Sheehan

Chad Fowler

Fowler fully embraces the Southern flavors he's steeped in. “I grew up musically playing in Memphis with R&B bands, listening to Hi Records all the time. It used to be my goal to play sax the same way Al Green sings when he improvises. Even when playing completely raucous, noisy stuff, I think you can hear that I come from a blues sort of background.”

That, in turn, goes hand in hand with the respect both players have for the sounds of the jazz age, starting with Fowler's choice of instrument. Unlike most alto players, he favors an archaic straight alto, which Rahsaan Roland Kirk called a “stritch,” and the similarly shaped saxello. “Having a weird instrument changes my mindset when I play, in a way that I think is good,” Fowler says. “It's nice to think of it as not being a saxophone.”

And so, even amidst wailing, textural approaches, both players are capable of a lyricism that's not always associated with free playing. “Chad's a great musician — very responsive and sensitive. I hear a lot of Johnny Hodges in his playing,” says Shipp. “I asked him about that afterwards, and he said that's one of his favorite musicians. There's a lot of Duke Ellington in my playing, especially when I use really elegant chord voicings, and I hear Chad responding to that.”

Which brings us back to the musical coherence of these exploratory recordings. As Fowler reflects, “To me, this session, more than anything I've ever done, feels like composed songs. And I literally mean songs, because there are melodies and form and development. The track called 'Chapter 8,' which is the only piece where I play the saxcello, really sounds like we're reading written notes off a page.”

To Shipp, the title of the album and the chapters comprising it match the music perfectly. “It's a narrative,” he says. “A novel of sorts. And even if your story is new, it's a rearranging of elements. All the new stories are old, in some ways. We seem to have been prepared for it, somehow. It was a real delight. Between the freshness of a new encounter and being prepared, that balance is really there. That's what makes it vibrant and exciting for me.”

Or, as Fowler puts it, “When you listen to it, it feels like we already knew each other, like we're old friends, even though we had barely talked to each other before that. So it felt like the old shared stories that we tell, that reference events that neither of us has experienced.”

Alex Greene

1. Chapter I

2. Chapter II

3. Chapter III

4. Chapter IV

5. Chapter V

6. Chapter VI

7. Chapter VII

8. Chapter VIII

9. Chapter IX

10. Chapter X

11. Chapter XI

12. Chapter XII

13. Chapter XIII

14. Chapter XIV

Matthew Shipp - piano

Chad Fowler - stritch, saxello

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Peace Flag Ensemble - This City Is A Queen (March 29, 2022 We Are Busy Bodies)

Peace Flag Ensemble return with standalone single This City Is A Queen, their contribution to Piano Day, which takes place on March 29.

Having recently moved, Jon Neher was able to relocate his childhood piano to his new home. What it lacked in tuning it more than made up for in nostalgia. Neher states “There’s a lot of complicated emotions wrapped up on the improvisation and I think the recording is a great representation of how I’m feeling, gingerly entering a new stage in my life.” Neher is joined by the piece by Dalton Lam on flugelhorn and Michael Scott Dawson contributing “other sounds”. It also marks the first time the free jazz collective has used percussion, with the succinct introduction of their newest member Mike Thievin on the trap set.

1. This City Is A Queen 04:33

Daltan Lam - Flugelhorn

Jonathon Neher - Piano

Michael Scott Dawson - Synths

Mastering - Noah Mintz

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Survival Unit III - The Art of Flight: For Alvin Fielder (March 18, 2022 Astral Spirits)

"To rush at the wind and having caught it, to soar." - Unknown

Astral Spirits and the Instigation Festival are proud to announce the first release on Instigation Records: "The Art of Flight: For Alvin Fielder" by Survival Unit III (Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Joe McPhee (tenor saxophone, pocket trumpet), Michael Zerang (percussion).

This set finds the trio breaking new ground - Lonberg-Holm going sans electronics for the first time in Survival Unit III's storied discography - while displaying the mastery of sonic shade and deft interplay that's been their hallmark over the past sixteen plus years.

Beautifully recorded at the New Orleans Jazz Museum during the 2018 Instigation Festival, the night was fittingly historic: Survival Unit III performed the middle set of a three act bill featuring Ken Vandermark's Marker (released as Roadwork 1 on Vandermark's Audiographic imprint) and the final performance of McPhee (filling in last minute for an ill Kidd Jordan) with legendary drummer and beloved AACM elder Alvin Fielder to whom this album is dedicated. That set - with James Singleton on bass to round out the trio - will be released on LP in 2023 as the third title on Instigation Records.

With precious few recordings of Survival Unit III, every new release is a cause for celebration, and a perfect encapsulation of the spirit of the festival: honoring the history by crafting the future.

ABOUT INSTIGATION RECORDS:

Instigation Records serves to release historic documents from the Instigation Festival archive and highlight new work by members of the festival's expansive community. Founded in 2016 by guitarist & improviser Steve Marquette and movement artist Marie Casimir, the Instigation Festival hosts a biannual week of interdisciplinary performance between the Chicago and New Orleans improvised music, movement and video arts communities. 

1. Part I

2. Part II

3. Part III

4. Part IV

5. Part V

Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello)

Joe McPhee (tenor saxophone, pocket trumpet)

Michael Zerang (percussion)

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Warped Dreamer - Lomahongva (February 2022 Off - record label)

A “dream line-up” is possibly the best way to describe Warped Dreamer. Few quartets succeed in bowling over their audiences in such diverse ways as this quartet led by drummer Teun Verbruggen. This versatile Belgian percussionist puts together four top-notch musicians from the Belgian and Norwegian scenes, who bring out the best in each other on stage. Teun likes to be startled by collaborations with wayward musicians, musicians who inspire him because they rediscover and reinvent themselves each time again. He had already hooked up with trumpeter Arve Henriksen and with Jozef Dumoulin (Rhodes) previously. Guitarist Stian Westerhus is the right fit and perfectly complements the quartet. Include a big display of effects pedals and you get a music genre that defies any attempt at classification.

Free improvisation, jazz residue and electronic interventions/manipulations are woven together in an organically flowing crossover that both hints at a Northern vastness and utilises a complex inner map that guides the audience past labyrinthine horizons, intricate textures and spontaneous interactions. As such, they incorporate both crackling, whirling walls of sound and claustrophobic whispers. 

Warped Dreamer is definitely looking forward in a way that makes the question whether it’s in or out completely irrelevant. It’s everywhere at once. The band gets its name from an Othin Spake composition, another of Teun Verbruggen’s experimental bands, and also shares the same fickle, mysterious city vibe. If you like improv, you are in for a treat!

Cd/dvd/lp, a collaboration between Off and Rat Records. 

1. Kenda 11:12

2. Nahimana 09:34

3. Sahpooly 08:13

4. Odahingum 15:57

5. Tehya 09:07

Arve Henriksen: Trumpet, flute, voice and electronics

Stian Westerhus: Guitar and electronics

Jozef Dumoulin: Fender Rhodes and electronics

Teun Verbruggen: Drums and electronics

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Giovanni Di Domenico / Arve Henriksen / Tatsuhisa Yamamoto - Distare Sonanti (February 2022 Off - record label)

Following the release of the highly acclamed album Clinamen in 2010 ( see also: ORT002: Giovanni Di Domenico - Arve Henriksen - Tatsuhisa Yamamoto / Clinamen ), Giovanni Di Domenico started in the beginning 2012 to listen back to the recordings of the sessions and decided to publish some unreleased tracks. You can now discover them on the new album Distare Sonanti.

Originally released in digital on Off and on cd by either/OAR record label ( USA)

1. Mlouk 06:07

2. Charivari 07:05

3. Alma Venus 07:32

4. Naked Skin Of Empty Spaces 02:09

5. Sahel Glace 10:38

6. Sensire 05:27

Arve Henriksen : Trumpet, Voice

Giovanni Di Domenico : Piano, Fender Rhodes, Electronics

Tatsuhisa Yamamoto : Drums, Percussions

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Giovanni Di Domenico / Arve Henriksen / Tatsuhisa Yamamoto - Clinamen (February 2022 Off - record label)

Pianist/composer Giovanni Di Domenico formed this trio because of the extremely special quality of the sound he wanted to achieve within a musical group, and the choice of the musicians involved in it is extremely related to that special quality.

Clinamen, in ancient roman philosopher Lucretius’s ‘De Rerum Natura’, is the magic force that makes an atom to change direction during it’s fall and thus be able to hit other atoms and ‘create’ Energy and Life.It’s not a law, it happens by ‘chance’…

This new exploratory musical unit takes inspiration from Lucretius’s theory to create melodies and sound scapes, to play with the inner and most special matter of the “sound” of each and all of the 3 members. Di Domenico’s open compositions will be integrated by Henriksen’s and Yamamoto’s extreme transparent approach to their instrument, making them breath and have an extra special quality.

1. Hyrje 05:28

2. Aide 04:48

3. Silence Is Twice As Fast Backwards 06:29

4. Nakizuni 00:56

5. Mask That Eats Water 05:46

6. Vatos 08:35

7. Idiot Glee 06:57

8. Aether Talk (For Joao) 03:12

9. Fanno il deserto e lo chiamano pace 05:43

10. Clinamen 04:21

Arve Henriksen : Trumpet, Voice

Giovanni Di Domenico : Piano, Fender Rhodes, Electronics

Tatsuhisa Yamamoto : Drums, Percussions

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Sylvain van Iniitu ~ plays Django Reinhardt (February 2022 Off - record label)

Sylvain about his album:

"To be honest, I was not a fan of Django Reinhardt at first. His untouchable iconic status, his guitar virtuosity emulating hordes of followers eager to imitate him to the nearest note, the emphasis on speed and dexterity in his playing : all this was enough to put me off from the start. While the guitar was my first instrument, I almost instantly turned to the opposite path: saturation, approximation, obscurity, experimentation, slowness. In short, a dead end.

Twenty years later, a few good lessons learned along the way, I finally discovered the man behind the music, and it is above all this that pushed me to listen again, differently. First of all, to be touched by the story of a precociously gifted musician, who lived through a catastrophe that completely incapacitated him (let's remember that at 18, he was seriously burned in a fire in his trailer and lost the use of two fingers on his left hand) and who somehow found the strength to completely reinvent his playing: not only to find, compensate, but finally to surpass what he had previously achieved. Then, to become aware that this musician did not live alone, but in a community of friends, of encounters, and in his discovery through various encounters of jazz, to take the measure of his instantaneous capacity to assimilate and syncretize a new music.

In the meantime, I stopped playing guitar and spent the last few years developing a sequencer that I tell myself is "home-made", but in fact owes a lot to an invisible community : the one that develops microcontroller technology, makes software available online to everyone, describes in tutorials how to let them drive synthesizers and expanders through the MIDI protocol. A sequencer in which I have been implementing for years routines that give a lot of space to chance, but which also define the limits within which it can play freely. In this case, this machine allowed me, from a digitization of Django Reinhardt's pieces, to use fragments of them, and to vary them as I pleased, with a bit of hazard. In all this, who is the author of what you will hear ? Django, the Technique, the programmers who ensure the intermediate stages of digitization, those who built the instruments, me?

Usually associated with a whole guitar mythology, some of Django Reinhardt's pieces are here translated into completely synthetic versions, with the help of a home-made sequencer, whose playing parameters can be randomly modified. A way to explore transformations, processes, limits of legibility and recognition, a mise en abîme of virtuosity through technique, an apology of simulacrum and infinite transformations, of the recycling nature of creativity, a passage from the burnt hand that plays to the incapable hand that codes...

A path of wandering between creative fire and cold technical complexity, I hope it will take you beyond the disfigurement to find a familiar figure in a new light." 

1. Tea for Two 06:05

2. Perfume 04:26

3. Improvisation n°7 04:44

4. Sweet Georgia Brown 08:28

5. Perfume - Alternative Take 04:20

6. The Man I Love 09:24

7. Improvisation n°7 - Alternative Take 04:16

8. Sweet Georgia Brown - Alternative Take 04:22

9. Louise 05:04

10. Sweet Georgia Brown - Alternative 2 12:42

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Matt Hoyne - Big Vibe (February 2022)

This album was conceived and recorded on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

This album was created as part of the Emergence series and has been gratefully supported by the Victorian government through Creative Victoria.

Big Vibe is available for digital download via bandcamp with 50% of all album sales going to Pay the Rent - paytherent.net.au

1. Big Vibe 07:44

2. Ironic Tom 05:41

3. Humble Pie 09:00

4. Alice 07:38

5. Straight Path 07:46

6. Down Home 06:24

7. Hollydays 09:04

8. Short And Sweet 04:03

9. Marathon 07:35

Big Vibe was recorded live at Uptown Jazz Cafe on December 21st 2021.

Music recorded, mixed and mastered by Jem Savage.

Matt Hoyne on guitar

Matt Steele on piano

Robbie Finch on bass

Lewis Pierre on drums

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Crispino / Gallo / Pighi / Zorzi - Le Quattro Verità (February 2022)

Una roboante allegoria del mito della caverna, un’indagine sonora alla scoperta di ciò che è tangibile o illusorio, una discussione sulla natura stessa della realtà: prodotto da Dodicilune, distribuito in Italia e all’estero da IRD e nei migliori store on line da Believe, martedì 15 febbraio esce “Le Quattro Verità” del quartetto formato da Luca Crispino (contrabbasso elettrico), Danilo Gallo (basso elettrico), Luca Pighi (batteria) e Roberto Zorzi (chitarra elettrica). Nella sua spontaneità, il cd è un atto sovversivo che celebra un messaggio senza filtri libero da manipolazioni esterne. “Le Quattro Verità” nasce, infatti, da una ripresa in studio di una sessione di libera improvvisazione dalla quale emergono quattro ambientazioni sonore racchiuse in quattro tracce distinte: “La prima verità” (la caverna e le ombre), “La seconda verità” (via di fuga), “La terza verità” (uscita), “La quarta verità” (la realtà non è ciò che sembra).

Chitarrista e compositore padovano, Luca Crispino si avvicina al jazz nel 1997 provenendo da esperienze rock, blues e prog. In questo periodo ha l'opportunità di partecipare ad interessanti progetti di fusione tra i generi coltivando sempre più la sua attenzione verso lo studio, la pratica e la natura dell'improvvisazione musicale. Dal 2000 esercita la professione artistica esibendosi dal vivo in varie formazioni e partecipando ad importanti rassegne musicali e festival nazionali. Sempre dallo stesso anno inizia a dedicarsi all' insegnamento e allo studio della musica sperimentale. Nel 2013 si trasferisce a Verona dove è tra i creatori del Centro di Formazione Musicale Moderna Artingegno. Collabora attivamente con diversi artisti ed ensemble, operando in produzioni discografiche ed esibizioni live. Ad oggi Luca Crispino alterna la sua attività di musicista, sia sul palco che in studio, alla didattica ed alla ricerca musicale.

Musicista curioso, ecclettico, trasversale, Danilo Gallo partecipa a numerosi progetti che spaziano dal jazz alla musica etnica, all’improvvisazione radicale, all'avanguardia, dal pop al rock. Svolge attività concertistica da circa 25 anni. Suona regolarmente nei più importanti festival e club di tutto il mondo. È leader dei gruppi Dark dry tears, Gallo & the roosters, Midnight lilacs feat. Marc Ribot, Mickey Finn + Cuong Vu, Guano Padano e suona come sideman in molte formazioni. Tra i tanti musicisti con cui ha avuto il piacere di suonare si ricordano Uri Caine, Marc Ribot, Trilok Gurtu, Bill Frisell, Hamid Drake, Rob Mazurek, Gary Lucas, Mike Patton, Elliot Sharp, Chris Speed, Jim Black, Wayne Horvitz, Seamus Blake, Cuong Vu, Anthony Coleman, Ben Perowsky, Steven Bernstein, Don Moye, Ralph Alessi, Bob Mintzer, Benny Golson, John Tchicai, Steve Grossman, e gli italiani Enrico Rava, Gianluigi Trovesi, Francesco Bearzatti, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Roberto Ottaviano.

Nato a Verona nel 1964, Luca Pighi inizia a suonare la batteria giovanissimo. Nel 1978 si iscrive al Centro Istruzione Musicale Franco Bignotto di Verona poi successivamente all'Accademia di Musica Moderna di Milano. Negli anni collabora con varie formazioni e progetti musicali abbracciando più generi. Nel 1981 entra a far parte di una storica band rock-progressive veronese, i Francesco Baracca Pilota, successivamente collabora con Martino Consoli nel gruppo Mallo's Band grazie al quale partecipa ad importanti festival quali Premio Ciampi e Premio Musica Triveneto. Con Ruggero Falziroli, Marcello Adami, Daniele Tanto e Stefano Castellani forma gli Shmir Hotel, gruppo rock psichedelico. Fondatore del gruppo Elicotteri, di impostazione grounge che, dopo aver aperto i concerti di band quali Disciplinatha, UK Subs, Yo-Yo Mundi, esce, per la Toast Records di Torino, l'omonimo cd Elicotteri. Il disco raccoglie critiche incoraggianti e suscita l'interesse di John Peel della BBC. Con Marcello Adami, Claudia Bidoli e Federico Mosconi, inizia la sperimentazione che darà vita al gruppo E102 realizza l album “Nudo” e “Piuma”. Suona con i Daniel Sous & Funky, Outsiders, Cheesy Orchestra,Federico Mahjong Conti, Kay Foster e Ginger Brew, James Thompson e Gianluca Tagliavini.

Nel mondo della musica dal 1979, Roberto Zorzi è stato tra i primi ideatori del festival “Verona Jazz”, in questo fervente contesto ha avuto modo di collaborare con molti musicisti, coinvolgendoli, dal 1988 ad oggi, in svariati progetti musicali, discografici e dal vivo. Membro fondatore della storica band New Abdominaux Dangereux, ha goduto del consenso di Elliott Sharp, Henry Kaiser, Fred Frith, Denardo Coleman, Joey Baron, Franco D'Andrea, Albert Mangelsdorff, Ernst Rejiseger, Scott Amendola, Roberto Ottaviano, Michael Manring, Chris Cutler, Charles Hayward e altri. Tutto documentato in circa 20 album.

L’etichetta Dodicilune è attiva dal 1996 e dispone di un catalogo di quasi 300 produzioni di artisti italiani e stranieri. Distribuiti nei negozi in Italia e all'estero da IRD, i dischi Dodicilune possono essere acquistati anche online, ascoltati e scaricati sulle maggiori piattaforme del mondo grazie a Believe.

1 - La Prima Verità (24:04)

2 - La Seconda Verità (10:51)

3 - La Terza Verità (13:13)

4 - La Quarta Verità (12:25)

All compositions by Luca Crispino, Danilo Gallo,

Luca Pighi, Roberto Zorzi (Dodicilune edizioni)

Luca Crispino - upright electric bass, fx

Danilo Gallo - electric bass, fx, albanian flute (2)

Luca Pighi - drums

Roberto Zorzi - electric guitar, fx

Produced by Luca Crispino and Maurizio Bizzochetti, Gabriele Rampino, Dodicilune

Label manager Maurizio Bizzochetti (www.dodicilune.it)

Recorded 26 July 2020 at Ritmo&Blu, Pozzolengo (Bs), Italy

Mixed and mastered 1 September 2020 at Ritmo&Blu, Pozzolengo (Bs), Italy

Sound engineer Stefano Castagna

Cover artwork by Luca Crispino

Photos by Nicoletta Ferrari, Roberto Masotti, Stefano Castagna, Kathya West

Contact: crispino.musica@gmail.com, facebook.com/luca.crispino.16

Danilo Gallo endorses Fattoria Mendoza pedals and Dogal Strings

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Rosario Di Leo - Homotempus (Auand Records)

Rosario Di Leo, Homotempus: Distant worlds and different genres in the Sicilian pianist and composer’s new album

An enthusiastic and curious musician, Italian pianist and composer Rosario Di Leo has always approached music (and art in general) with a free, inquisitive spirit. Sicily-born and well-traveled, Di Leo is now releasing his new album “Homotempus” on Auand Records. Besides contemporary jazz, this work embraces prog, film and classical music.

«I do prefer not to define it at all – Di Leo says – since a definition is also a limitation. I am a music devourer, I stay away from preconceptions, although I have my preferences, of course. Too many things inspire me, so it might sound confusing. I studied Bach and grew up playing Dream Theater. I graduated in piano and jazz arrangement. I like creativity, and I see no differences. I love rigorous compositions as well as improvisation, fast rhythms as well as ethereal sounds.»

The band features longtime collaborator Riccardo Grosso on double bass, Bernardo Guerra on drums and Korea-born, Sicily-based Sunah Choi on cello. Even if all of them are amazing players – as Di Leo adds – Choi stands out in the project. «She is the real distinguishing feature of this work. I’ve always thought about the cello sound for my music, and she takes it to new, exotic soundscapes. I am always looking for inspiration from Eastern and Middle-Easter sounds, and her contribution was essential in these compositions.»

Released under Auand Records, “Homotempus” will be avabilable on Bandcamp from January 7, 2022. Singles will start being available (biweekly) on all streaming platforms from December 10, 2021.

The 11 tunes in the tracklist belong to different times and places. As Di Leo recalls, some are new, while some others are much older. «There is not a central idea, but there are recurring themes. I write a lot of diverse music. Sometimes I go back to my old material, trying to enhance it, fix it or throw it away. For this album, planets started to align at some point. The right people, the right instruments, and the right timing. I’ve been working on it for three years and I never wanted to rush it. I waited until it sounded like I had it in my head.»

While the cover depicts the leader’s hometown (Centuripe, Sicily), the album title brings two Latin words together (“man” and “time”), and it reveals a philosophical approach to the concept of time: «The obsession for time, and the attempt to control it, have always affected our species. This fascinates me and disturbs me at the same time.» 

1. Flower's Life 06:02

2. Aria nuova 06:16

3. Siciltango 04:38

4. L'uomo e il tempo 05:42

5. Far Away 06:42

6. Istantanea 06:46

7. Liens 05:50

8. Strong 03:58

9. Giant Steps 03:48

10. The Dark Side Of Mid-East 05:20

11. Grandioso ad mortem 07:04

Rosario Di Leo - piano, synth, drum machine

Sunah Choi - cello

Riccardo Grosso - double bass

Bernardo Guerra - drums

Recorded at Sonoria Studio (Scordia, CT, Italy) by Vincenzo Cavalli

Mixed by Vincenzo Cavalli and Rosario Di Leo

Mastered by Giuseppe Palmeri

Cover photo by Salvo La Spina

Graphic Design by Giulia Barbanera

Auand Records

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