Delay 45 - Flux (February 4, 2022 Earshift Music)

"a bold new chapter in Australian jazz"

(Sydney Morning Herald)

“(Delay 45) ...have developed an approach to performing that is creative and individual…”

(Loud Mouth)

Flux is the second release from Sydney quartet Delay 45, Flux. Flux expands yet refines their innovative and individual approach to performance with remarkable agility, musicality and finesse, demonstrating how they are one of the most exciting ensembles to emerge in recent years from Australia’s jazz and improvised music scene.

Led by award-winning trumpeter Tom Avgenicos, Delay 45 is a Sydney-based modern jazz group featuring close collaborators Roshan Kumarage (piano), Dave Quinn (bass) and Ashley Stoneham (drums). The group have gained recognition among peers, critics and audiences for their debut release Big Ears, with critics claiming "a bold new chapter in Australian jazz" (Sydney Morning Herald), and that they “have developed an approach to performing that is creative and individual…” (Loud Mouth).

Their latest work Flux explores notions of flow, movement and shape, ideas that have been developed over a number of years. Bandleader, composer and trumpeter Tom Avgenicos reflects, “an important part of the creative process was to consciously eschew the head-solo-head format commonly found in jazz, instead favouring a more fluid compositional approach that affords an interchangeable relationship between composition and improvisation.”

Moody compositions and open improvised solo sections form the foundation for evocative spaces where musical conversations occur. “It is this space where the ensemble comes into its own,” explains Avgenicos, “flowing seamlessly between structure and spontaneity, underpinned by our shared improvisational language and a deep musical relationship that stretches back as far as high school.”

Highlights include the spontaneous duets between Avgenicos and Kumarage where rich tonal playing from Avgenicos acts as a perfect fold for Kumarage’s minimalistic approach. Having undertaken intense study under Scott Tinkler since their first release, Avgenicos utilises an expanded improvisatory vocabulary of angular melodic lines and extended trumpet techniques. With mentors such as Matt McMahon and Carl Dewhurst, Kumarage displays an effortless sense of patience and ability to toy with musical ideas. Often the quiet achiever in Sydney’s jazz scene, bassist Dave Quinn emerges as an outstanding soloist performing a number of captivating solos. Drummer Ashley Stoneham performs with an exceptional dynamic spectrum, from subtle sonic textures to surges of intense energy. The album captures a sense of joy in music making of these kindred spirits.

Delay 45 is a Sydney-based modern jazz group led by award-winning trumpeter Tom Avgenicos, alongside close collaborators Roshan Kumarage (piano), Dave Quinn (bass) and Ashley Stoneham (drums). The group have gained recognition among peers, critics and audiences for their debut release Big Ears, with critics claiming "a bold new chapter in Australian jazz" (Sydney Morning Herald), and that they “have developed an approach to performing that is creative and individual…” (Loud Mouth).

Released alongside the album is the ‘Flux’ short film: an interdisciplinary collaboration between Delay 45, contemporary dancer Reina Takeuchi, film director Monisha Chippada and videographer Jack Single. Whilst the artists individually operate under contrasting disciplines, an important part of the creative process was for the artists to work and engage with each other’s creative practice, both actively and passively. The result is a deeper understanding of flow, movement and shape, and their function in the artists’ creative practices. Flux demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to a more nuanced understanding on a conceptual level which in turn can enhance the creative practice of the artist. 

1.Hubris

2.Interlude 1

3.I'll Come To The Next One

4.She

5.Foolish

6.Impermanence

7.Interlude 2

8.Hindsight

9.Keep Away

Tom Avgenicos - trumpet

Roshan Kumarage - piano

Dave Quinn - bass

Ashley Stoneham - drums

ABOUT THE MUSIC

All tracks composed by Tom Avgenicos

Hubris

A piano ostinato provides the foundation for collective improvisation. A cathartic unison bass and trumpet melody is heard as the piece reaches its climax.

Interlude 1

The first interlude on the album, this track is entirely improvised. Kumarage patiently toys with an octave motif, whilst the rest of the ensemble experiment with different textures. In post-production, a synth drone and subtle delays were added to enhance the twilit atmosphere.

I’ll Come To The Next One

One of the fascinating things about jazz and improvised music is how much music can be made using such limited material. This track is the longest in terms of length but the shortest in terms of the amount of compositional material. The composition is an 8 bar cyclical motif which takes the listener on a journey; a triumphant ascent leads into a wild open improvised section before the theme returns for a calm resolution.

She

In 2020, Avgenicos was fortunate to receive mentorship from Andrea Keller, who spoke about recycling compositional material from her catalogue to create new works. It can even be as simple as performing a piece with a different stylistic approach, which is the case here. Originally from Avgenicos Brothers Treading Water, this time a subtle rubato approach presents the piece in an entirely new light.

Foolish

Avgenicos had been listening to Kenny Wheeler heavily around the time of writing this piece. The rich harmony provides evocative stimuli to interact with whilst the open solo sections provide a contrast, generating an almost whirly effect.

Impermanence

As humans we crave and cling onto things, thinking that they will last forever. But nothing ever does. No matter how solid things may seem, the universe is in a constant flux.

Interlude 2

Kumarage’s sensitivity, patience and delicate touch is again on display. He skillfully hints and transitions into the next composition.

Hindsight

The oldest piece on the album, Avgenicos wrote this composition in his second year studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Originally, the way the piece was written interfered with their creative process as it was too structured. They decided to abandon the score and instead used the general idea of the composition as a conduit for musical conversation.

Keep Away

The ensemble performs at full throttle on this shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later composition.

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Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio - Animal Crossing EP (February 4, 2022 Whirlwind Recordings)

Acclaimed alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa reconvenes his Hero Trio with Rudy Royston and François Moutin for new 4-song EP

Animal Crossing, due out digitally February 4, 2022 via Whirlwind Recordings, tackles eclectic repertoire including the theme from the wildly popular video game and songs by Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione and George Michael

“Its central achievement is bridging the gap between supposed high and lowbrow, as Mahanthappa’s trio convincingly puts a distinctive stamp on the eclectic source material, with sparkling cocktails of grooves, hooks and solos…”

– Kevin LeGendre, Jazzwise

" [Mahanthappa is] making truly some of the most original jazz out there at the moment."

– Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz

Listen! Up on all digital streaming services! It’s a Bird… It’s a Trane…No, it’s Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio! The Caped Composer and his intrepid trio with bassist François Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston first assembled when the world needed them most, at the height of the pandemic. But the mid-2020 release of their self-titled debut also meant that most audiences were deprived of seeing them in person – great for maintaining secret identities, less ideal for celebrating live music.

 

But like any great superhero, Mahanthappa and the Hero Trio are back with a much-anticipated sequel. Animal Crossing, due out February 4, 2022 via Whirlwind Recordings, is a digital-only EP featuring four new songs, each an unlikely addition to the canon of jazz standards. “The idea behind Hero Trio was to turn the idea of playing a set of standards on its ear and freshen up the idea,” the saxophonist explains.

 

And yes, that includes the title tune – the theme song for the wildly popular video game that became ubiquitous during lockdown. While the choice may reflect the fact that Mahanthappa has two young children at home, allowing the lilting theme to worm its way into his brain and take hold, the game – much like the Hero Trio itself – fulfills a vital need just below its playful surface. For those who somehow managed to avoid the craze, Animal Crossing players take on adorable animal avatars, which can interact with other players within the game’s virtual world.

 

“Animal Crossing ended up being a kind of savior for a lot of people in lockdown,” Mahanthappa says. “It provided an injection of calm and positivity for lots of folks and became a way for isolated people to connect. You could play with your friends online – there were even stories of people having their birthday parties in Animal Crossing. It was amazing to me that this video game had that kind of presence and power.”

All four of the songs on the new EP, along with the entire Hero Trio repertoire, have such personal meaning for Mahanthappa, in one form of another. For much of the innovative altoist’s career, he focused intently on his own original music. He first joined forces with Royston and Moutin in 2015 for Bird Calls, a quintet album that paid unconventional tribute to Charlie Parker with new pieces reconfiguring material from Bird’s iconic compositions. Hero Trio grew out of that project, with Mahanthappa turning his arranger’s vision on material from a variety of eclectic sources.

 

“Partly I think it was spurred by my teaching,” says Mahanthappa, who was named Director of Jazz at Princeton University since 2016. “I find myself playing standards with my students and realizing that I really enjoy that.”

 

The reference in the title of Pat Metheny’s “Missouri Uncompromised” to one of the darkest moments in American history and a direct antecedent to the Civil War certainly has ominous echoes with our current divisive political moment. The tune itself is also simply a longtime favorite, a rarely reprised piece from the guitarist’s 1976 debut album, Bright Size Life. “That’s my favorite Metheny album, and ‘Missouri Uncompromised’ is my favorite tune on the album,” Mahanthappa says. “I never get tired of it, and I always thought that it would be a real challenge to record as a horn player.”

 

The name Chuck Mangione, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly scream “challenging” – the flugelhornist’s 1977 megahit “Feels So Good” instantly became the soundtrack of choice for breezy, carefree good times. That reputation obscures Mangione’s serious jazz chops (he’s an alumni of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, for one) but Mahanthappa chose “Give It All You Got” for reasons much closer to home.

 

“My older brother was a huge Chuck Mangione fan when he was in late high school or early college,” he recalls. “He had a Chuck Mangione t-shirt! A lot of the music that I was exposed to when I was a kid came through my brother. Whatever he was into became what I was into by default. So I wanted to record ‘Give It All You Got’ because the music that you hear when you're really young had an impact, regardless of what you think of it later in life.”

 

In the trio’s transformative hands the original’s loping funk slows to a dirge-like lurch, turning an anthem of upbeat optimism into a dark ballad of determination in the face of overwhelming odds, a perfect reflection of the difficulties we’ve all been living through over the past few years.

Moutin’s vigorous pulse ushers in the album’s final track, which after a full-throttle intro coheres into a spirited take on George Michael’s “Faith.” With Mahanthappa essaying the familiar message with fierce declamation over Royston’s tumultuous rhythm, the song ends the EP on a particularly invigorating note. “George Michael had a special charisma about him,” Mahanthappa says, “and that song has a groove that is just killing. There are all these ways you can kind of manipulate it just by moving an eighth note here or there, but it always remains infectious.” Case in point – the trio’s second pass through the melody of “Faith” is superimposed on the chord changes of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.”

 

While Mahanthappa was excited to reconvene the Hero Trio to record these new songs, he’s even more eagerly anticipating playing for actual audiences in 2022. “We released this album in June and proceeded to do no gigs,” he laments. “We weren't even able to wear any of our superhero costumes in public! We at least want to get out there and wear the capes.”

Photos: David Crow

Rudresh Mahanthappa

Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping… one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015, and the eclectic self-titled 2020 debut of his Hero Trio with Rudy Royston and François Moutin. Mahanthappa has been named alto saxophonist of the year for nine of eleven years running in Downbeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls, and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He’s also won alto saxophonist of the year multiple times in the JazzTimes Magazine and Jazz Journalists Association Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015.  He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Tracks

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Theme (Kazumi Totaka) 6:08

Missouri Uncompromised (Pat Metheny) 6:42

Give It All You Got (Chuck Mangione) 5:20

Faith (George Michael) 4:29

Rudresh Mahanthappa Alto Saxophone

François Moutin Acoustic Bass

Rudy Royston Drums

Recording Date: November 22, 2021

Studio 

Sound On Sound, Montclair, NJ. 

David Amlen, Engineer

Mixed by Liberty Ellman

Mastered by Liberty Ellman

Producer Rudresh Mahanthappa

rudreshm.com

whirlwindrecordings.com

music.whirlwindrecordings.com

Elsa Nilsson charts Atlas of Sound with first series release 'Coast Redwoods 41°32’09.8”N 124°04’35.5”W' out April 22 (ears&eyes)

Flutist and composer Elsa Nilsson charts Atlas of Sound with first series release Coast Redwoods 41°32’09.8”N 124°04’35.5”W

due out April 22, 2022 via ears&eyes Records

“One of the most dynamic bandleaders in the New York jazz scene” 

— Hot House Jazz Magazine

“A musical marauder with as many interests as skills to deploy her ideas” 

— DownBeat

“[Nilsson] is the logical choice to provide a needed next step for her instrument in the world of jazz and improvised music” 

— All About Jazz 

Flutist and composer Elsa Nilsson issues Coast Redwoods 41°32’09.8”N 124°04’35.5”W on ears&eyes Records, the first release from her Atlas of Sound series inspired by human connection to locations of the natural world, on April 22, 2022. Lush and melodic, at times subversive, Nilsson’s trio recording invites listeners into dense woody thickets where breezes idle and sounds of footsteps disappear into layers of pine needle. The ten-movement suite emerged from improvised material Nilsson recorded at two sets of coordinates, a month apart from each other. When she began composing in earnest, the Brooklyn-based artist out of Sweden had in mind her personnel: Jon Cowherd on piano and Chris Morrissey on bass, two fiercely exploratory artists who intuit aspects of Nilsson’s orchestration and enter each sound grove with nimble awareness. 

“The secret is in the tempo,” says Nilsson, “how slow [the redwoods] move. For me to hear them I have to slow down, stay still. Really, really listen. When I do, I find music in every movement. There’s a melody in the rustle of leaves as the wind blows through them and they release and float to the ground, a groove in the sound of footsteps, real or imagined.” 

Another secret is in Nilsson’s treatment of leitmotif throughout the recording: “For me, an ecosystem is expressed in the similarities and connections between things.” She sought to have the gesture appear in every movement, but not wholly materialize, developing instead across the arc of the suite. “It pops up and goes away.” Elements of the motif might emerge in the bass movement, or in the piano responding to a related phrase. “When you get to the final movement, it’s familiar and you don’t know why. It’s like the feeling you get when you’re walking among trees where you’ve never walked before.” 

Certain movements, including “Old Growth,” “Hold On To Each Other” and “Proof of the Unseen,” engage the leitmotif using giant intervallic leaps. Others, as in “Sunshift Haze,” allow melodies to pass from one instrument to another: “I’ll take a piano melody and move two or three notes into the bass part — there’s a connection to every part of the ecosystem from the bottom of the roots to the top of the trees.” 

During her visit to the north end of Redwood National Park, Nilsson recorded what would become the seeds for seven movements, later recording those for “Old Growth,” “Proof of the Unseen” and “Coralie” in the Grove of Old Trees outside Occidental. “The suite depicts many different aspects of how we relate to the Redwoods and their connection to each other … It is a story of interconnectedness that spans our history and informs our future.” 

The third of her records to be mastered by Nate Wood, the Coast Redwoods opens in tender inquisition on “Sunshift Haze,” named for the morning hours when fog blooms across the redwoods before the sun breaks through. The melody develops over time, playing in totality only toward the end of the movement. “As the piece progresses, the melody becomes more and more clear, like the sun burning off the fog,” says Nilsson. “The flute represents the sun, bass and piano the fog, and together we clear the way for the day to begin. 

Throughout the suite, motivic melody passes intentionally among piano, bass and flute/ Morrissey handles its lyrical arc on “Catching Droplets,” the first movement to unveil the suite’s leitmotif in its entirety. “The bass [represents] the roots enjoying their gift of water from the fog,” says Nilsson. “The flute and piano represent the droplets falling from the canopy and running down the bark, making little rivers from the Redwood created rains.” Beautiful and somber, “Old Growth” features Morrissey’s arco as it engages the vocal quality of Nilsson’s flute song alongside atmospheric motion from Cowherd. 

Nilsson composed “The Ground is Its Own” for First Nations “that belong to the trees.” The gesture spotlights nimble spontaneity between Nilsson and Cowherd. Charting the deep-rooted symbiotic relationship between the redwoods and fungal mycorrhiza, “Proof of the Unseen” feature’s Morrissey performing lyrical ornaments around Nilsson’s long-held melodies. “Epicormic” prompts an energetic current of improvisation that settles into an almost cyclical melody, exploring fire as a natural part of the redwood life cycle. “I wrote this [movement] in the midst of lockdown when I felt my world falling apart around me in a myriad of ways,” says Nilsson. “Even when the world around us burns, there are seeds for something new to come.” Cowherd and Morrissey proffer thoughtful solos on “Fairy Rings” before Nilsson and Cowherd take out a percussive variation on the melody. 

“Coralie” opens in meditative warmth, unfolding in tribute to Nilsson’s niece, part of “the third generation to grow up calling these trees home.” The Coast Redwoods leitmotif emerges in the piano part on “Molted Steps,” one of the suite’s gentle yet kinetic movements. Intentional pauses and beats of non-playing reflect the feeling of walking along the fallen needles. “Suddenly you don’t hear your own feet anymore,” says Nilsson. “You feel the motion of it — you feel that things are moving — but it doesn’t sound like it.” When listeners hear “Hold On To Each Other,” the suite’s final movement, they encounter an unnamed familiarity in the resolution of the leitmotif: “It’s an exhalation. If we support each other we are all stronger. If we all hold on to each other, less of us are likely to fall.” 

Nilsson ensures each leader release includes an element of written word. The Atlas of Sound series invites listeners into the expanse of her imagination through original poetry, providing them the option of gaining a different perspective on her music and her artistic expression. “The way poetry and instrumental music complement each other,” says Nilsson, “is that they can either focus or dispel a direction. 

“Because of the abstraction of instrumental music, what I put out into the world doesn’t belong to me anymore. It belongs to the listener. That doesn’t mean that all of the thought and all of the processing and all of the growth…everything that goes into creating art is gone. It just means that it’s taking on its own life.”

1. Sunshift Haze

2. Catching Droplets

3. Old Growth

4. The Ground Is It's Own

5. Proof Of The Unseen

6. Epicormic

7. Fairy Rings

8. Coralie

9. Molted Steps

10. Hold On To Each Other

Elsa Nilsson - flutes/composition

Jon Cowherd - piano

Chris Morrissey - upright bass

Recorded by Chris Benham at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn NY USA.

Mixed by Mike Tierney

Mastered by Nate Wood

PRE-ORDER

EKE - Eke in Rotterdam (February 2022 Doek RAW)

A ten-year anniversary release. Ten years ago in 2012, EKE was in top shape as you can hear from this live recording. On the edge, pausing, eking, shifting and transforming, always building tension, forward moving counterpoint with incredible control over the unique sound spectrum they get out of their instruments.

Misha Mengelberg was listening from the second row, since this was a double bill with the ICP orchestra. EKE played a full-on set in the big hall of LantarenVenster. Han Bennink and Oscar Jan Hoogland were interviewed in the intermission about improvisation, music, life and the notion of generations by Mijke Loeven, who is now the director of the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. It was at the Bimhuis EKE played its first concert ever (released on Red Note as 'EKE live at the BIM' and also available on the Doek bandcamp page doek.bandcamp.com/album/eke-live-at-the-bim-2. By the time of this Rotterdam concert, however, they had already toured extensively through Europe and did a legendary tour in Brazil playing in Sao Paulo nightclubs, small beach towns, Rio de Janeiro underground venues and big public stages. It pushed the music to the level you hear in this release.

1. piece one 09:00

2. piece two 15:21

3. piece three 08:23

Yedo Gibson soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones, flute, trombone

Oscar Jan Hoogland electric clavichord

Gerri Jaeger drums

All compositions by Gibson, Hoogland, Jaeger

Photos by Sara Anke Morris

Recorded September 15, 2012 in LantarenVenster by... unknown! If you have any information, please let us know.

PRE-ORDER

Susan Gai Dowling & Carl Dewhurst (2022)

1. Bernie 03:50

2. Hush 04:44

3. Wrap Me Up Inside 04:14

4. Be At Peace 05:00

Susan Gai Dowling: vocals

Carl Dewhurst: electric, acoustic & slide guitar, electric bass & drums

Lisa Parrott: alto saxophone (track 1)

Ollie Thorpe: pedal steel (track 1)

Timothy Constable: vibraphone (track 2)

Nick Garbett: trumpet (track 2)

Mary Rapp: cello (track 3)

James Greening: trombone (track 4)

Composed by Carl Dewhurst except Hush composed by SGD

Recorded and produced by Carl Dewhurst in Marrickville, Australia

Mixed by Sean Carey @ Church St Studios

Mastered by Michael Lynch

Photography by Timothy Constable

Design by Carl Dewhurst

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Sebastián de Urquiza - Unity Vol. 2 (ears&eyes Records)

Sebastián de Urquiza Unity is a project inspired by the experience of having lived and shared the stage with some of the greatest jazz influences. Being from Argentina, it is a record inspired by the different cultures he had been in touch with during his time living in Switzerland.

Counting on musicians from different parts of the world, the main goal was to explore different aspects of music, thus providing a space for each artist to express themselves in a colorful and climatic environment, at times very energetic, and others very intimate. With vol. 1 and 2, Urquiza has divided the bigger picture into a "bright side" and a "dark side". The first is cheerful, although it has moments of reflection, it tends to go towards the light. On the other hand, the second (this current Vol. 2) is more reflective, with more intimate climates. If there is something that unites the two, it is that they are very colorful, with singing melodies that go through intense harmonic movements, and always full of rich interaction. Each piece has a particular job, and the names of them are what they evoke.

It can be implied by the music that de Urquiza is a musician in constant growth, and that he is very open about music. It can be appreciated that, although jazz and improvisation are what unite the group, they can do it in different musical environments and still achieve that unity that Urquiza proposes with the title of the album. Meticulous writing, standard forms, songs, moments of well academic music, stories, lyrics of different themes are just some of the things that the composer shows with this work. 

1. Acorralado 07:29

2. Tema y Variaciones 09:38

3. Lo Que Nos Hace Ser 05:12

4. Sinking 00:47

5. Pausa 06:14

6. Sometimes I Dream 05:25

7. Cottontail 07:33

Oscar Latorre - trumpet (Spain)

Sam Barnett - alto sax (England)

Charley Rose - tenor sax (France)

Yossi Itskovich - trombone (Israel)

Iannis Obiols - piano (Spain)

Silvan Joray - guitar (Switzerland)

Jordi Pallares - drums (Spain)

Sebastián de Urquiza - contrabass, vocals & compositions (Argentina)

Special guests:

Clara Díaz - vocals (Argentina)

Ezequiel Brizuela - flute (Argentina)

Recorded by Daniel Somaroo at JazzCampus Studio in Basel, Switzerland

Mixed and mastered by Sam Barnett in Basel, Switzerland

Original art and design by Sebastian de Urquiza

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Brandon Lopez & Steve Baczkowski - chanchullo (2022)

Duet from Roulette Intermedium. 60 minute timer was set, and we went. Yet again, the audio quality isn't optimal, but the material shines through.

1. borracho 32:00

2. borrachón 28:14

Steve Baczkowski - Saxophones

Brandon Lopez - Bass

PRE-ORDER

Come Produce a Record with Us!

Become an Executive Producer on a Newvelle Release

Jack DeJohnette and Elan Mehler

After these brutal couple of years, the world is opening back up.  Music brings us together.  When we came up with the idea of Newvelle Records, we were making a bet that there is an untapped community of music enthusiasts that could sustain a model that cuts no corners sonically or aesthetically and treats the musicians right.  We're looking for executive producers that could come this Winter/Spring to East Side Sound in Manhattan.  This is a unique chance to get an inside look at the studio environment and the entire process of bringing a Newvelle Record into the world. 

Contact elan@newvelle-records.com for more information on becoming an Executive Producer

Executive Producing a Record with Newvelle

 

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Unique test pressings signed by the artist

Unique hand cut lacquers cut and sent by our mastering engineer

Credit included on the record 

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Tuesday Nights at 8:30 PM on ZOOM

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Joel Lyssarides - Stay Now (2022 ACT Music)

Joel Lyssarides is Sweden’s rising piano star of the moment. And whereas awareness of him beyond Sweden’s borders may still be restricted to assiduous followers of the scene, his listening figures speak for themselves. Recordings by the pianist, born in 1992, are already among the most listened-to in European jazz; on Spotify alone he has reached well over 50 million plays. And yet these huge numbers are not the result of any calculation, audience targeting or 'crowd-pleasing' on the pianist's part. He explains: “As happy as I am that a lot of people obviously like my music a lot and want to listen to it again and again, the creative impulse always comes from within me. Me and my piano, they’re at the centre of my musical world.” His ACT debut “Stay Now”, Joel Lyssarides’ third album, is a dazzling and vivid insight into that world. One thing is abundantly clear: the time has arrived for Lyssarides to step out onto the international stage.

Joel Lyssarides is not yet thirty, and so the things he has already achieved musically are quite staggering: he has played countless concerts either solo or with his trio; he has collaborated with jazz, classical, blues and pop artists such as trombonist Nils Landgren and singer Viktoria Tolstoy, including her current album “Stations”... But he has also worked with YouTube phenomenon “Dirty Loops”, and with the great Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter. And despite Joel Lyssarides’ evident and impressive versatility and adaptability, jazz is at the very core of his work. The initial spark came from records by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk and others which were played in his Swedish-Greek parents' home. Thereafter came the music of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Lyssarides studied music in Stockholm and Rome, and it was not long before recognition came in the form of numerous national and international jazz prizes. In just under ten years, Joel Lyssarides has received almost twenty of them, notably the Swedish Society of Composers’ Prize, the Bengt Säve-Söderbergh Award, the “Jan Wallander Award” and, in 2019 at only 26 years of age, Musician of the Year from Swedish Radio.

For Joel Lyssarides jazz is above all a language, a tool for uniquely personal expression. He composed the pieces for “Stay Now” in a remote house in the forest, a good half-hour outside Stockholm. And by preference at night, in silence, darkness and deep concentration. The atmosphere of this place is audibly reflected in the music, which is strongly influenced by space, sound and mood - reinforced by the highly concentrated, differentiated, subtle interplay of pianist Lyssarides with bassist Niklas Fernqvist and drummer Rasmus Blixt. The Swedish magazine “Lira” states: “Even though the concept of jazz is a very extensive one, it is too narrow of a description for the music of this trio.” What these three young musicians have in common is their capacity for great sensitivity and expressiveness. Their music is based on a vocabulary that draws equally from European classical music, jazz from both sides of the Atlantic and great songwriting, with all its depth and accessibility. And yet this has nothing to do with crossover. Everything flows and swings, nothing seems deliberate or contrived, one can hear a natural understanding for the infinite possibilities of every note. This trio has the self-confidence to put the entirety of their efforts into enhancing the expressiveness of the music.

And it is in the most intimate, quiet, focused and concentrated moments that the most spectacular things happen. The album title “Stay Now”, therefore, is above all an acknowledgement of quite how precious the here and now is. These are the moments when we start to understand the true value of present and past encounters. As we listen, we can let the moment linger… and allow ourselves to sink blissfully and unforgettably into it.

1 As Night Let Down Its Curtain (Joel Lyssarides) 01:34

2 Sommarsnö (Joel Lyssarides) 02:06

3 Cloudberry Hill (Joel Lyssarides) 04:36

4 Is There a Way (Joel Lyssarides) 04:05

5 Gowns of Dark (Joel Lyssarides) 03:12

6 Procession (Joel Lyssarides) 04:30

7 Chimera (Joel Lyssarides) 05:08

8 Stay Now (Joel Lyssarides) 02:49

9 Echoes (Joel Lyssarides) 02:11

10 Down and Out (Joel Lyssarides) 03:10

11 St Joseph (Niklas Fernqvist) 05:04

12 The Last Verse (Joel Lyssarides) 04:02

Joel Lyssarides / piano

Niklas Fernqvist / bass

Rasmus Blixt / drums

Recorded by Joar Hallgren at Nilento Studio, Gothenburg, September 7 & 8, 2021

Sound design, mix and mastering by Lars Nilsson

Produced by Joel Lyssarides

Cover art by Manfred Bockelmann

ACT Music

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Dieter Ilg - Dedication (2022 ACT Music)

"Dedication" finds Germany's renowned double bassist alone in the studio. For this recording, Dieter Ilg preferred not to pre-plan or pre-determine anything, but rather to create music in the moment in an intimate dialogue with his instrument. The idea might seem challenging but the results are totally compelling: Dieter Ilg's solo album is a homage to people who have left their mark on him, to some fellow musicians, and to the strong imperatives that have made him the man and the musician he is. "Dedication" is a manifesto for the freedom of jazz and at the same time a declaration of the special affection he feels for his low-frequency friend and companion.

The album also bears witness to the unique accomplishments and experiences of this "pillar of the bass from Freiburg" (SWR) during the four decades of his career to date, which flow quite naturally into this album. A significant moment for Ilg came early on, when trumpeter Randy Brecker was so impressed by his playing that he invited him to join his quintet in 1987. That helped to establish Ilg's reputation as one of the most sought-after sidemen in Europe, a role in which he has gone from strength to strength ever since, for example in Nguyên Lê's trio, with Dave Liebman or alongside Trilok Gurtu, Dhafer Youssef, Nils Landgren, Rebekka Bakken, Thomas Quasthoff and many others. And there was the important role he played in significant chapters in the history of jazz in Germany, notably as a member of the Albert Mangelsdorff-Wolfgang Dauner Quintet, and his work with Till Brönner. Lastly, there have been his own groundbreaking projects such as the duo with the late Charlie Mariano and above all his own current trio with Rainer Böhm on piano and Patrice Héral on drums. This group has created some very fine albums building bridges between musical epochs and genres, notably the series from 2011 to 2017 in which jazz meets classical composers: Verdi, Wagner, Beethoven and Bach.

All this now culminates in "Dedication". Ilg is a superb story-teller on the bass and has built a highly convincing narrative here, starting with "Rochade" dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach. This is almost philosophical improvising on the Sonata No. 1 for solo violin in G minor. There is also a piece dedicated to Beethoven, inspired by the "Pathétique" sonata. Unsurprisingly, there are homages to some great figures in jazz who are important to Ilg too, such as hardbop icon Nat Adderley ("Altes Land"), bass revolutionary Charles Mingus ("Diversity"), German free jazz bass pioneer Peter Kowald ("Wupp") and his erstwhile duo partner, Charlie Mariano ("Hamami").

However, as Ilg always does, he has drawn inspiration from beyond the musical sphere as well. One of the most impressive pieces, the contrapuntal and fugal "Redemption", spread over several tracks, is dedicated to his mother. And almost half of the album consists of invocations of big ideas and themes: the endangered planet in "Forest Kill", a world of freedom in "Wanderlust", a celebration of the haptic and the analogue – as opposed to the digital and inauthentic – in "Brave New World", and the finiteness of everything ("No Manipulation, No Corruption").

"I didn’t decide on either the people or the themes in advance," Ilg says. And whereas the series of homages on "Dedication" might sound structured and very coherent, and despite the recurrent presence of familiar melodies, everything is based on improvisation: "What matters to me is to have the freedom to do what I think is right. In essence, life comes from movement. I like to be free of constraints, to be able to yield to the temptation of the moment and to let my double bass do the talking." This is the credo which underlies Ilg's work, and is what gives "Dedication" its magic. Through his technical brilliance, his refined intelligence, curiosity, experience and genius, these twelve pieces emerge gloriously. They owe their existence to a complete surrender to the moment; and yet they are also supremely and authoritatively timeless.

1 Rochade (Dieter Ilg) 04:44

2 Altes Land (Dieter Ilg) 03:53

3 Wupp (Dieter Ilg) 02:09

4 Diversity (Dieter Ilg) 02:30

5 Path-26 (Dieter Ilg) 02:16

6 Forest Kill (Dieter Ilg) 02:31

7 Fernweh (Dieter Ilg) 02:47

8 Hamami (Dieter Ilg) 03:00

9 Erlösung (Dieter Ilg) 04:43

10 Punk.t (Dieter Ilg) 01:20

11 Schöne Neue Welt (Dieter Ilg) 04:09

12 No Manipulation, No Corruption (Dieter Ilg) 02:18

Dieter Ilg / double bass

Recorded and mixed by Manfred Seiler at SWR-Studio Baden-Baden, October 24 & 25, 2020

Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Produced by Dieter Ilg in cooperation with SWR

Redaktion: Günther Huesmann

Licenced by SWR Media Services GmbH

Cover art (detail) by Martin Assig, Seelen #56, 2020, used with the kind permission of the artist

ACT Music

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Emile Parisien - Louise (2022 ACT Music)

“The best new thing that has happened in European jazz for a long time” (Le Monde), Emile Parisien has formed a top-flight American-European sextet for this album, his seventh as leader or co-leader on ACT. The band will be touring in 2022, the year which also marks the tenth anniversary of Parisien’s first appearance on an ACT album.

The saxophonist developed his strong sense of direction in music remarkably early: he was 10 years old when the news reached his family in Cahors that a new music school would be opening up roughly 200 kilometres away in Marciac. The young-ster told his parents that this was the school he wanted to go to as a boarder...and so, with their support and approval, off he went. And it was through the school and the festival in Marciac that he received mentorship from some of the greats of North American jazz: Wynton Marsalis (who appeared as a guest on the album Sfumato Live), Clark Terry, Bobby Hutcherson, Oscar Peterson…

The fact that three of the musicians in the sextet on "Louise or half of the band is American (Theo Croker (trumpet), Joe Martin (bass), and Nasheet Waits (drums) is important for Parisien: “It was time for me to return to the source that gave me the love for this music in the first place,” he explains. The idea of a ‘return to the source’ is especially true of Parisien’s choice to work alongside Theo Croker, the grandson of trumpeter Doc Cheatham (1905-97). Parisien describes their meeting on the “Jazz Animals” tour in 2018 as having been a ‘super-rencontre’, and a particularly strong musical connection and a personal friendship have developed since those meetings. On “Louise” Parisien has not only ensured that a huge emotional and stylistic range can be heard in Croker’s trumpet-playing, but has also enjoyed matching and intertwining his own melodic voice with Croker’s. Their interaction is something special, and provides some of the many joyous moments on this wide-ranging yet very coherent album. Parisien has also generously given Croker the chance to have last word on the album, with his solemnly evocative composition, “Prayer for Peace”.

Drummer Nasheet Waits is a vivid and energising presence throughout the album, and especially in the third part of “Memento”, the most substantial piece on "Louise", which Parisien dedicates to his mother. “I just love Nasheet’s playing, he’s unbelievable. It was a dream to play with him,” says Parisien who first admired Waits’ playing on record, before their paths started to cross at festivals. This is the first time they have worked together. Joe Martin is one of the first-call New York bassists; Parisien knows him from their time as fellow members of Yaron Herman’s quartet.

Manu Codjia and Robert Negro are two of Emile Parisien’s very closest musical colleagues. “We have played in so many contexts, explored so much music together,” says Parisien. Guitarist Codjia was one of the very first musicians whom he met when he first moved to Paris nearly two decades ago. “Manu has an amazing ability to be the ‘glue’ that holds a band together and creates a common sound.” Codjia has contributed the composition "Jungle Jig", an energetic piece in which an ideal balance has been struck between chaos and order. Roberto Negro has also played with Parisien regularly as a duo, in Sfumato and other contexts. “European music, classical, jazz, Roberto plays them all so well! He’s such a complete musician,” says Parisien. Roberto Negro’s composition “Il giorno della civetta” (civet) is elegantly paced and has a wonderfully natural flow.

The title track “Louise” is gentle, spacious and meditative. The title refers to the ‘spider’ sculptures of Louise Bourgeois. These sculptures have mostly been seen in public spaces, and that has caused Parisien to reflect on how confinement during lockdown has deprived us all of the joy of being out in the open. Bourgeois’ sculptures are also very strongly connected to themes of motherhood, and to the metaphors of spinning, weaving, caring and protecting. Parisien’s affection for and valuing of the unconditional love of mothers for their children is the emotional background to this evocative track, with its glorious solos from Theo Croker and Manu Codjia.

Two pieces bring to the fore European musicians from earlier generations who have been decisive influences on Parisien: “Jojo” is a happy reference to Joachim Kühn; the track is unmistakably, intentionally, and deeply ‘Ornette-ish’ in its inspiration. “Madagascar” by Weather Report recalls a time when Parisien played in The Syndicate, the band formed in 2007 to carry on Joe Zawinul’s legacy and to perform his music.

“Louise” is a remarkable album in which ferocious energy contrasts and co-exists happily with a much softer side. Its subtleties and joys emerge the more one listens. As a result, "Louise" gives us the closest insight yet into the character and the creative individuality of one of Europe’s leading jazz musicians.

1 Louise (Emile Parisien) 05:47

2 Madagascar (Joe Zawinul) 08:21

3 Memento Part I (Emile Parisien) 07:14

4 Memento Part II (Emile Parisien) 02:56

5 Memento Part III (Emile Parisien) 05:15

6 Il giorno della civetta (Roberto Negro) 05:35

7 Jojo (Emile Parisien) 05:23

8 Jungle Jig (Manu Codjia) 03:36

9 Prayer 4 Peace (Theo Croker) 05:51

Emile Parisien / soprano saxophone

Theo Croker / trumpet

Roberto Negro / piano

Manu Codjia / guitar

Joe Martin / bass

Nasheet Waits / drums

Recorded by Mathieu Pion at Studio Gil Evans de La Maison de la Culture, Amiens (France), June 2021

Mixed by Mathieu Pion in October 2021

Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Cover art by Helena Soubeyrand

ACT Music

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Times 4 - Frame of Mind (2022)

With the release of their fourth album Frame of Mind, San Francisco-based Soul Jazz quartet Times 4 delivers a fresh set of modern grooves and uplifting jazz improvisation. Performing all original songs collectively composed and arranged for the project, Frame of Mind features live in-studio performances full of energy, strong melodies, and powerful solos.

Over 20 years of collaboration and friendship have culminated in Times 4’s unique brand of Soul Jazz. Their joyful musical interplay generates tight, driving grooves, captivating melodies and dynamic improvisations that inspire their audience members, from critical to carefree, to tap their feet and feel dance in their bones.

Featuring Lincoln Adler (saxophones), Greg Sankovich (keyboards), Kevin Lofton (bass), and Maurice Miles (drums), the band’s artful and intense musical conversation is steeped in the history of friendship and common roots. Miles and Lofton have been friends and musical collaborators since high school; likewise, Adler and Sankovich continue a musical dialogue that also dates back to their teen years.

1. Let It Be Known 07:30

2. Zero to 50 06:04

3. Frame of Mind 05:29

4. Slow Burn 06:11

5. FC 04:20

6. The Point 08:06

7. Swell 07:12

Lincoln Adler - saxophone

Greg Sankovich - keyboards

Kevin Lofton - bass

Maurice Miles - drums

Recorded by Jason Hogan

Mixed by Lincoln Adler & Greg Sankovich

Let It Be Known & Frame of Mind Recorded at Fantasy Studios by Jessie Nichols

Mixed by Jessie Nichols

Mastered by Piper Payne

Composed and Arranged by Lincoln Adler, Greg Sankovich, Kevin Lofton, Maurice Miles

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Jazz Sabbath Vol. 2 (April 22, 2022 Blacklake Records)

Now, reunited after 52 years, Jazz Sabbath entered the studio and finished their sophomore album, which was also being recorded in 1969, but due to legal disputes with a session player had to be abandoned and never saw the light of day... until now.

With the Birmingham band exposed, Milton Keanes and colleagues can now present these songs in their original form, replenished with 52 years of experience, vigor... and rage.

The tranquil 'Symptom Of The Universe', the full 8-minute version of 'Paranoid' (not that metal afterthought version everyone knows) and of course the song that other band so blatantly named themselves after.

Jazz Sabbath Vol. 2 will be released April 22nd on black and orange vinyl, cd, cassette and digital. Pre-order the album and get the track Black Sabbath right now.

1. Paranoid

2. Snowblind

3. Behind the Wall of Sleep

4. Sabbra Cadabra

5. Symptom of the Universe

6. N.I.B.

7. Black Sabbath

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Uli Lenz - Rainmaker’s Dance (February 2022 Arkadia Records)

“He is a magician.” – Rolling Stone

The discovery of renowned German Jazz pianist Uli Lenz’s Arkadia Records CD, “Uli Lenz: Rainmakers Dance”, is a thought provoking and moving event. Rarely will you hear a Jazz album with a combination of such power and grace. From the spellbinding delicacy of A Perfect Couple to the stormy heights of Traumatic Experiences with Bavarian Trapdoors, Uli Lenz unique sound and writing style make him a rising star on the Jazz horizon. His songs, One Year After and Umbrella Indoors, were featured on the soundtrack of the award-winning film “Sideways”, starring Paul Giamatti.

““…capable of dizzying solo flights but is also adept at the use of space… colorful and respected presence.”

 – David R. Adler, All Music Guide

Already renowned internationally, Lenz is joined on his U.S. debut by music masters Ira Coleman on bass, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez on drums, with Arkadia label mate alto saxophonist T.K. Blue on several cuts as well. With a formidable command of the keyboard, composition and style, “Uli Lenz: Rainmakers Dance” not only represent the best of Jazz’s past, present and future, but masterfully displays the pianist’s playful sense of time and melody on this impressive album.

“…the precision with which Uli Lenz actually seems to imprint those racy, intense figures into the piano keys is almost unbelievable.” 

– Rheinpfalz Magazine

“The breadth of Lenz’s pianistic and compositional skills are astounding. He swings.”

– F. Norman Vickers is Executive Director of the Jazz Society of Pensacola FL 

1. Traumatic Experiences with Bavarian Trapdoors 04:37

2. Rainmaker’s Dance 06:01

3. Umbrella Indoors* 04:55

4. 1, 2, 3 Cuckoo! 05:01

5. RIP (Rest In Peace) 06:37

6. Subway to Vanilla City 04:14

7. A Perfect Couple 05:45

8. Brake for the Wild Boar Blues 05:03

9. One Year After* 04:22

10. Orange Coalition 05:07

11. My Foolish Heart (Victor Young, Ned Washington) 06:24

12. Little Ostrich* 04:53

(* featured in the Fox Searchlight film, “Sideways”, starring Paul Giamatti)

Al songs composed by Uli Lenz, except as indicated.

Uli Lenz: Piano

Ira Coleman: Bass

Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez: Drums

T.K. Blue: Alto saxophone on tracks 1, 4, and 8

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