Morten Pedersen 5tet - Sammensurium (BAREFOOT RECORDS 2017)

Morten Pedersen 5tet is a new band on the European scene of free jazz and improvised music. The bandleader, Morten Pedersen ( The Mighty Mouse, JapGaf, Maria Faust Group etc.) has united a group of excellent musicians – five strong personalities gathered in this international has band with musicians from Norway, Poland, Italy, Sweden and Denmark.

The music is ethereal and a complex mix of composition and improvisation. The composed elements and strong melodies give the music a clear direction and a fresh sound, but still keeps the freedom and space for the musicians to improvise and go with their intuition.

1. Juvi

2. Jubas

3. Odacinummocni

4. Zaja

5. Kitchen

6. Dumbo

7. KB14

8. Itzi

Morten Pedersen – Piano

Johannes Nästesjö – Double bass

Håkon Berre – Drums

Tomasz Dabrowski – Trumpet

Francesco Bigoni – Saxophone & clarinet

Recorded and mixed by Bjørn Gjessing

Mastered by John Fomsgaard (Karmacrew)

Cover by Håkon Berre

Nexus Groove - Montpellier Sessions (2017)

A international musician collective based in Switzerland with a powerfull live set, celebrates jazz-funk-rock-fusion characterized by expressive musicians. Nexus Groove is often reminiscent of the 1970s in terms of sound and repertoire, but uses jazz, funk and blues, as well as hiphop, pop and rock, to give free rein to their intensity, wildness and creativity.

1. Funky Garlic Sauce 06:27

2. No Jazz For Sure 07:45

3. Seven Leg Spider 06:52

4. You're Too Late Again 08:14

5. Nordring Funk 05:39

6. Leaving Autumn 06:29

Antonin Jaun - Bass

Daniel McAlavey - E-Piano / Synthesizer

Victor Wolf - Guitar

Etienne Issartel - Drums

Jurg Wickihalder / Barry Guy / Lucas Niggli - Beyond (INTAKT RECORDS April 21, 2017)

A meeting of three European musicians from different generations each with his own musical background: three sound artists, three virtuosic instrumentalists, three breath-taking improvisers. BEYOND with Jürg Wickihalder, Barry Guy and Lucas Niggl means strong melodies, a deeply affecting and sensuous lyricism, moments of exciting groove and a rare and fascinating textural density.

This trio’s mutual understanding as they interact, which even in complex sections sounds fleet of foot and completely organic, is based upon a common way of working together. For the past couple of years, the Beyond trio has given several concerts. Then, in November 2016, they took themselves off for two days and evenings to Loft Cologne in Germany to record the album. It would be impossible not to notice both their evident desire to play and their joy in working together. For the listener, to hear them heading out from their starting point and into the unforeseen without ever losing their sense of forward motion is a pure pleasure.

BEYOND mit Jürg Wickihalder, Barry Guy und Lucas Niggli: starke Melodien, tiefgehende, sinnliche Lyrik, rasant groovende Augenblicke und eine Dichte, wie sie selten zu hören ist. Im Trio Beyond treffen sich drei europäische Musiker verschiedener Generationen mit ihren je eigenen musikalischen Biografien: drei Klangkünstler, drei virtuose Instrumentalisten, drei atembraubende Improvisatoren.

Das gegenseitige Verständnis im Interplay, das selbst in komplexen Themen völlig organisch und leichtfüssig wirkt, basiert auf einem gemeinsamen Weg, der Wickihalder-Guy-Niggli zusammenwachsen liess: Das Trio Beyond hat in den beiden letzten Jahren zahlreiche Konzert gespielt, bevor im November 2016 an zwei Tagen und Abenden im Kölner Loft aufgenommen wurde. Die Spiellust der drei, ihre Freude am gemeinsamen Spiel, das von der Idee ins Unvorhersehbare führt ohne aus den Fugen zu geraten, ist unüberhörbar – sehr zu unserem Vergnügen.

1. A New One (J. Wickihalder) 5:02

2. Relaxing in The Forest (J. Wickihalder) 7:57

3. The Valley (J. Wickihalder) 8:18

4. Return of Ulysses (B. Guy) 5:57

5. Arts and Crafts (J. Wickihalder) 6:27

6. Süssholz (M. Griener) 3:33

7. Dipper (J. Wickihalder) 4:44

8. Sing! (J. Wickihalder) 5:01

9. The Last Breath (J. Wickihalder) 6:19

Jürg Wickihalder: Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxophone

Barry Guy: Bass

Lucas Niggli: Drums

MAILORDER-PRICE:

Schweiz: 30 SFr. plus 3 SFr. Porto

Deutschland/Österreich: 18 Euro plus 3 Euro Porto/Versand

International: VISA / MASTER: 30 SFr. plus 5 SFr. Postage

Order adress:Intakt Records, Postfach 468, 8024 Zürich, intakt@intaktrec.ch Fax: 0041-44-383 82 33

Please click here to order

John Zorn - There Is No More Firmament (TZADIK 2017)

There is No More Firmament is a remarkable collection of recent compositions from 2013–2016 that showcase the range, variety and continued creativity of Zorn as he enters his sixties.

Connected together with a thread of intensity, magic and madness, the music tells a twisted and complex story of a magical descent into madness.

The compositions include two works for brass ensembles, a woodwind quintet, jazz piano trio, string trio and two solo pieces for clarinet and trumpet, with the outrageous trumpet solo Merlin appearing in two realizations—one by jazz master Peter Evans and another by the European classical virtuoso Marco Blaauw.

1. Antiphonal Fanfare For The Great Hall

2. Freud

3. Merlin

4. Divagations

5. Divagations

6. The Steppenwolf

7. In Excelsis

8. Merlin

9. Il n'y a Plus de Firmament

James Baker: Conductor

Marcus Rojas: Tuba

Matthew Welch: Conductor

Alex Bender: Trumpet

Marco Blaauw: Double-bell Trumpet In C

Jay Campbell: Cello

Andy Clausen: Trombone

Kevin Cobb: Trumpet

Peter Evans: Bb Trumpet

Mike Garfield: Trumpet

John Gattis: Horns

Stephen Gosling: Piano

Louis Hanzlik: Trumpet

Andy Kemp: Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet

Tim Leopold: Trumpet

Christian McBride: Bass

Rane Moore: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Eb Clarinet

Adrian Morejon: Bassoon

Sam Nester: Trumpet

Mike Nicolas: Cello

Tara Helen O’Connor: Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, Bass Flute

Chris Otto: Violin

Michael Powell: Trombone

Eric Reed: Horns

Stephanie Richards: Trumpet

John D. Rojak: Bass Trombone

Joshua Rubin: Clarinet In A

Arthur Sato: Oboe, English Horn

Tyshawn Sorey: Drums

Albert Cirera / Hernâni Faustino / Luís Lopes / Vasco Furtado - Temple of Doom (DISCORDIAN RECORDS 2017)

1. Dogmatic Elders Of Doom 10:04

2. A Lambskin Apron 04:39

3. The Sublime Degree 07:28

4. Disrupted Sacred Geometry And The Void 18:56

5. Outward Introspection 05:21

Albert Cirera: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone

Luís Lopes: guitar

Hernâni Faustino: double bass

Vasco Furtado: drums

All music by Albert Cirera, Hernâni Faustino, Luís Lopes and Vasco Furtado 

Recorded on the 24th January 2016, Lisbon 

Recorded by Vasco Furtado

Cory Weeds & The Jeff Hamilton Trio - Dreamsville (CELLAR LIVE RECORDS 2017)

Dreamsville album for sale by Jeff Hamilton Drums / Cory Weeds is scheduled to be released Apr 21, 2017 on the Cellar Live label. Tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds and the Jeff Hamilton Trio are at it again with a followup release to their critically acclaimed This Happy Madness recording. Dreamsville, a decidedly more melancholy recording features some lesser known gems such as Michael Franks' Lady Wants To Know, Henri Mancini's Nothing To Lose and a beautiful ballad by Anthony Newly called Love Is A Now And Then Thing. Dreamsville CD music contains a single disc.

1. Who Can I Turn To 7:26

2. Lady Wants To Know 5:44

3. How Do You Like Them Apples 3:11

4. Blue Daniel 5:35

5. Dreamsville 5:40

6. Hammer's Tones 4:16

7. Nothing To Lose 7:19

8. Bennissimio 5:06

9. Love Is A Now And Then Thing 5:58

10. Robbin's Nest 6:20

11. She Walks This Earth 5:14

Cory Weeds: Tenor Saxophone

Jeff Hamilton: Drums

Tamir Hendelman: Piano

Christoph Luty: Bass

Dominic Miller - Silent Light (ECM 2017)

Bobby Watson - Made in America (SMOKE SESSIONS RECORDS 2017)

JAZZ GREAT BOBBY WATSON celebrates some of the vital but less well-known contributions of African-Americans on Made in America, his first recording on Smoke Sessions Records. Saxophonist and composer Watson does his part to call attention to black pioneers in a variety of fields, from politics to pop culture, science to sports. These compositions are inspired by a few names that should be familiar to jazz fans&emdash; Sammy Davis, Jr., and Grant Green&emdash; but also by more obscure historic figures such as Wendell Pruitt, Butterfly McQueen, Major Taylor, Madam C.J. Walker, Isaac Murphy, Bass Reeves, and Dr. Mark Dean. Watson explains, “This project has been a history lesson for me and I hope it will be a history lesson for the listeners.”

Each piece paints its portrait with wit and feeling for the nuance of its subjects. The inspiration that Watson finds in these forgotten innovators comes through in his & emdash; and the band‘s & emdash; playing throughout the album. Watson‘s Kansas City roots shine through in the soulful swing and boisterous grooves that make for one hell of a funky history lesson. For this special project, Watson enlisted a few collaborators with whom he shares some significant history of his own: bassist Curtis Lundy, pianist Stephen Scott and drummer Lewis Nash. All four have tenures with the influential singer Betty Carter in common, while the album marks a welcome return to the scene for Scott, who has been largely silent for the last several years.

“This is not your typical jazz record,” Watson concludes. “I want to try, in the time I have left, to reflect the things that I‘m learning about history, about America and about the world and the people that came before me, and hopefully connect that with some of our young people and older people, both black and white.”