Here we’ve got another classic trio from Berlin based Traumton label. That is very interesting thing having two such a different bands to compare. Similarly young crew counts: Keisuke Matsuno – guitar , Alexander Binder on bass and Jan Roth on drums. Somehow close to each other with Melt trio when it comes to inspiration they are completely different creatures however when it comes to self expression. This band is offering a heavy and well gravitated sound. With an intensity of repetitive chords it becomes even more dense, viscid and trans. But this is just to start up.

Within the second tune, giving a tittle to the CD, Globus, whole world changes and somehow steps back. It is a pure fugue, clearly inspired by Bach’s organ music, but here with a percussion pattern keeping the drive on and gentle guitar interludes appearing between passages to release the tension. Wonderful composition that one is. This is where the bass rules.

Pieces here are a series of collective works spread between band-mates with just one co-composed ,closing track. Siebenundzwanzig similarly to opening Sonnenaufgang shares the same illustrative nature, giving the listener strong dazzled feeling coming out of composition’s pattern. This music keeps on the melody side ,but somehow under skin it does have the same congested feeling as kraut rock electronica ala Kraftwerk used to posses.

With strange rhythmic jingle like breaks played on marimba and coming back calls and responses from both guitars it seriously bridges nicely a baroque structure with the contemporary transcendent trends. The Fugue spirit it still present there somewhere between the notes and it’s coming back on many occasions. Sometime in a pure voice of the guitar, other times in the Burden like ,distorted bass stepping.

On the other hand the howling deformed sounds bring to listener tundra like sound-scapes with some micro-tonal distortions, cold like throat sung notes, sharply articulated to match the guitar’s confusion. Most funny thing is that the mood keep changing here like in the kaleidoscope. Sometime pathetic and formal figures turn into pure burlesque. Marching grotesque holds conversation with heavy spoken rhetoric.

You can hear so many inspirations , so many influences that whole record once it’s played still remains a puzzle and one like to put it on back and jump again to the pond. So refreshing that I would like to drink from this spring over and over again. This definitely is a new language and new aesthetic, kind of eclecticism but also surpassingly breezy.

The Freedom Dance project by Masaa quartet led by a Lebanese vocalist Rabih Lahoud is one of those recordings which immediately got my attention. Why? Because there is something that strongly catches your ears once you hear it. It is so beautiful and lyrical there’s no doubt it can not leave you inert. More of that it is one of those living evidences of these changes in modern European culture we are just witnessing now, maybe not even being fully aware of them.

Lahoud should be more named a poet, than just a vocalist. He sings in his native language ,but if you go to the band’s website and have a look at the lyrics you will understand what I mean. Sometimes just one phrase, like in the opening title Freedom Dance: My heart, please don’t forget me and dream on which is repeated like a religious mantra, but it just brings meaning to the words.

Fragile and gentle Longing ,which comes after is about looking for self identity. Beautiful lyrics which thanks to label’s care come together like a book of poetry, not just linear notes.

Masaa, is a tricky one. It reminds me a lot Kate Bush’s Snowed in the Wheeler Street from 50 Words for Snow LP 😉 With Similar chords progression and the mood set up that close . That’s the general thing about this music. It sounds familiar, but soon you reckon that all compositions came from the band mates and in fact you never heard them before.

Here it’s like a bridge between the East on the one side represented by the singer and the West on the other coming from the trio of young European musicians. Those are well educated, well hackneyed, shamelessly adventurous and deeply interested in world music and playing with different aesthetics, mostly related to the jazz, on a daily basis. This cocktail of skills and boost of creativity seasoned with mutual inspirations and lots of fresh ingredients brings to the table an extraordinary dish. It does taste unique – believe me.

On the other hand it’s anchored deeply in continental music tradition. You can hear that core. It is there. Listen to Abadi , Ma t’ illi or Tlal. In each of Marcus Rust’s horns are supplying solos constantly referring to Northern nostalgia. Singer’s effort brings this special flavour over this, deepened with the mood bought by an oriental language.

But deeper listening to pieces like Asrari ,Ya insan or closing Rima for example, is showing qualities we already know from medieval Laudas. It shows clearly to a careful listener that cross talks between Orient and Occident are already historical facts and they made imprints into the traditional harmonies far before we even started to think about it. That mystic charm comes out of this music and doesn’t let you go.

Pianist ,Clemens Pötzsch ,vastly aware of what happened in a jazz piano over the last 60 years keeps the balance of the project in the iron fist. Dancing between frugal world of fragile phrases ala Paul Bley and full of expression rhetoric of Keith Jarrett. But the real master chef here is the drummer- Damian Kappenstein. I had a pleasure to hear him in many different projects and I am well familiar with his amazing abilities. This man alone can conjure up a whole sonic universe for you within a minutes, with whatever he is able to squeeze the sound of. Doesn’t even need his full drum set.

Here the whole tissue of the compositions relays on his creativity and spatial imagination. Together with pianist they hold the line between them on which vocalist and trumpeter can walk like on the footpath and play whatever their hearts tell them to.

TRAUMTON PR:

Freedom Dance on SOUNDCLOUD :

This is the second production from the young Polish pianist I mentioned few months back. On this occasion composed for a quartet and orchestra. Original trio drummer had been replaced here by an excellent Michal Miskiewicz ( ex Tomasz Stanko Quartet., Marcin Wasilewski Trio) and additionally joined by young saxophonist Maciej Obara. Bass pillar of the group, Michal Jaros remains in its usual place. Of course there is also an NOSPR Orchestra well known from numerous classical recordings for an European labels directed by Szymon Bywalec.

Saying that the début record was so mature and outstanding it makes it difficult to find the right words for that one in comparison. It looks like Michal is on the crazy rise up as what’s coming from under his hands is just a breath taking experience.

An opening Psalm sounds very much in Polish Romantic School tradition started by Krzysztof Komeda and them excelled by similar spirits, like Zbigniew Seifert or Tomasz Stanko. It’s a simple and charming ballad reminding music for Polanski’s early movies, with its characteristic intellectual twist.

But this is just an opening. What comes later is the gob-smacking stuff. With an orchestral Interlude and following One for Dotti and Jarretude, known from the début CD but here reworked to the point that they hardly reminding their trio incarnations. This music gains freedom and momentum. Strings are making themes flying high with almost no gravity. Additional amount of air and nice re-verb redefine the space the music lives in. Especially taking are virtuoso passages sounding to inexperienced ear almost like a looped parts, which in fact are not ! It all had been written this way and executed by philharmonics in that highly sophisticated and very rigorous manner.

New pieces here are for example: Rain. Here it is when the change of the drummer pays back. Miskiewicz is well known for its gentle touch and opening cymbals shimmering shows him in his best form. Following Baltic Suite continues to amaze with strings played, loop-like repetitive motives surrounding the trio with almost heliocentric sonic landscape. Piano is very vigorous here and fingerings in the quick passages are lovely leading to the culmination. Occasional sax and drums interludes carry on with theatrical like gravity.

To me it’s not only one of the best moments on this recording, but also the best I heard so far from the young leader. Following Shadows shows how Gill Evans orchestrations could be sounding like if those two could have ever meet each other.

Obara’s sax solos here are very intense and are reminding me a bit of Lloyd’s phrasing which is matching the mood set up here very well. His internal dialogues with rhythm section are showing both: deep erudition and intellectual imagination. Closing Canon, in relative way to its previous Fuga, brings together composer’s ability to blend ancient forms with syncope.

It is beautifully composed music paying tribute to both: Bach and Evans – masters from the other universes sharing one thing – Genius!

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Melt Trio is a young German band and this is their 2nd record. Never heard début one but this gives enough to indicate musicians qualities. Peter Meyer – guitar, Bernhard Meyer – bass,(those two are brothers) and Moritz Baumgärtner – drums. All compositions on the discs came from Meyer Bros. ,almost fifty –fifty. So what is so unique about this trio.

I would say everything , despite their young age and unique approach. Material is not purely based on the jazz roots, many other inspirations are present here as well. In the jazz domain there is nothing traditional or some how mainstream. I can hear echoes of wavy guitar playing pointing inspiration in Bill Frisell approach, like in the opening piece called Dance of Disappearance. This came from the bassist.

Following 14 Falls ,by the guitarist which is a whole different universe, based on the rock-ish rhythm, but with the cymbals patterns flying around and framing shamed chaos perfectly. Peter’s guitar has very percussive attitude itself and for this reason alone it makes the overall sound balance very rhythm ridden, very often repeating after bass in an upper register. But it is still melodic enough to not loose the lines.That describes well what’s going on in heavy handed compositions like Philister in Love.

But coming after Mondberg, for example could easily be mistaken with the other band so different it is. Micro-tonal and flying around invisible orbits. I like it a lot as this truly presents the guitarist’s ability for exploring an abstract of the never ending choices.

Here a massive trust lies in the drummer’s solid foundations, as he is always there and it is him who makes it possible. His iron discipline supported by bright imagination adds the sparkle to repetitive string patterns. The music is very spherical I would say. Once in very open, almost cosmic – meaning inviting listener to join and challenge sounds he never heard together before. Another time it hits the doors of eclecticism offering harmonic structures which can be called classic from today’s perspective. Whatever universe however brothers would choose to fly to they are always supported by their perfect drumming engine, which is truly responsible for both, the rhythmic discipline as well as for the propulsive freedom which seems to have no borders.

Ambient trips with delayed notes tend to grow on it same comfortable as soaring cascades of chords. Tunes like Hymnos or Where Fears Go possess deposits of nostalgia almost the same deep as on Pat Metheny’s solo or duo findings. On is very trans and tight. There is something hysterical inside this short interlude. Rebirth of the Galaxy brings repetitive melody into rhythmic order with mathematical accuracy. It echoes Glass’s ideas somehow. Ground closes recording with eternal open motif that matches with others Bernhard’s pieces on this CD.

Patchwork of compositions shows clearly that the bass man is the one who adores gravity, when his brother has no fear to fly high. This is very interesting mix of personalities and will be glad to keep my eye on upcoming recordings , as they are quite exceptional I would say.

HYMNOLIA TRAUMTON PR

When I came across this recording I was simply delighted as I had a chance to see that on the stage , perhaps a couple of years back in London’s Vortex. I remembered that as a stunning performance and till now I wasn’t aware it had been recorded. So I was even more thrilled when I noticed it is issued now , as it is a really special project in Kenny Wheeler’s portfolio.

It reminded me that he was 80-ty at that time and truly at the peak of his form. Same applies to the amazing Norma Winstone. “ Mirrors “ brings them together in that exceptional collaboration with the London Vocal Project directed by Pete Churchill. The 25 members choir appears here backed up by jazz quartet: Nikki Iles on piano, Mark Lockheart on saxes and the rhythmic section including Steve Watts on double bass and James Maddren on drums.

All music had been written by Wheeler to accompany poems by British poet Stevie Smith as well as selected texts of Lewes Carrol and W.B Yeates and commissioned by Berlin Jazz Fest, where it had its première in 1998, originally in a version for five solo voice consort. One can imagine him self how 20th– century poetry quoted could be possibly framed by Ken’s music, which is very him and recognisable to those who are familiar with his earlier big bands realises.

But looks like it was an apple on the eye for all of them if they decided to get back to this music after 20 years it had been written. Good for us as this is really The Jewel in the Crown. Deeply emotional and personal Margaret’s poetry is served here presumably in completely different context as it could be written back in her days. Flying on the choir voices is giving it more openness and regarding to the intimacy spelled in her words, becomes shockingly straight forward by its honesty (The Broken Heart ).

Black March in contrary sung on the straight bit has completely different presence. I can believe it might be a very personal thing when it is read like that but under Pete Churchil treatment to Ken’s music it became more like a manifest song glorifying beauty of the friendship.

More surreal Carrol’s lyrics are giving the band and choir more possibilities to make arrangements sparkling and it really comes to the vocal masterpiece. But the icing on the cake of this recording really is Norma’s version of Carrol’s Through the Looking Glass. Sung with crystal clear voice on the choir vocal background and with a gentle company of brushed crushes it makes perfect introduction to Wheeler’s wonderful deep and reach solo flying over the trio.

This few lines of music makes such a wonderful illustration to these lyrics than they really became the lightest highlight of the session. She made these words sounding more serious than they ever supposed to. This is highly recommended recording and truly a must have on every serious Lieder lover’s shelf. Must be heard to be fully appreciated as it goes far beyond my single review space allowance, hence I have to stop here.

MIRRORS: EDITION RECORDS PR

Latest recording from talented American vocalist and Grammy nominated jazz star just have seen the daylight at 16^th of September this year. So this is as fresh as it only can be. This recording is singer’s tribute to great Brazilian music and all the artists she had been inspired by over the time.

The Album includes both, some original compositions as well as the classic songs from the biggest names in Brazilian Music, including Tom Jobim, Dori Caymmi, Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal, who also quest appears on two tracks, including his own most recognisable O Barquiho.

This is not the first time Stacey touches this repertoire hence there is no surprise. Her long time affair with the Bossa Nova is well documented on her previous recordings, including Brazillian Sketches, Dreamer in Concert, Ao Vivo or Platinum – selling and probably best known to the public the Breakfast on The Morning Tram.

She successfully covered all the greatest American songbooks and already placed herself into the pantheon of the most sophisticated jazz singing ladies today. She is the kind of unique as well as with her fluent knowledge of five languages her ability of interpreting originals, coming from other cultures than the one she grew up in, goes deeper. Together with her interesting voice timbre – clear and captivating and with the phrasing skills and unique style, sensitivity and sophistication, she has got a seriously dangerous weapon. It is not a surprise again, that whatever she has chosen to perform possesses her own characteristic contribution. A kind of modern achievement which adds into existing tradition of performing that particular repertoire.

Listen to her Samba De Uma Nota So, How Insenstive or O Barquinho and you will immediately know what I mean. But what spells even more charm over me are the originals here , and the way how they blend with classics.

Since they became the one, Tomlison’s contribution into Kent’s achievement became obvious. Call it love influence with all the good things it brings. Those two simply broadcast on the same wavelength and know how to complete his partner in the best way. Like Ella and Louis or Billy with Prez before.

Just listen carefully to the title song, Mais Uma Vez, or The Summer We crossed Europe In the Rain and my favourite Waiter , Oh Waiter. It seems not to be an accident then that Stacey loves these songs so much as they seem to match her musical personality very well.

She is the great story teller. Her voice doesn’t have massive volume, but instead is equipped with deposits of sweetness and charm which are big enough to hypnotise the most resistant ones.

With this recording She didn’t only redefined what we use to know as the Bossa Nova,. She also did  redefine herself through the prism of Brazilian music. It was always such a big part of herself and a milestone foundation of her style from the very beginning.

To me it is one of the greatest recording of the year and certainly I am feeling privileged to write about and proud to be able to highly recommend it.

Artist’s side

This Norwegian trumpeter never stops surprising me. His adoration for winds always makes me asking why he had chosen a brass instrument to play on. But thanks God he did. This record says all about itself in its own title. Tunes titled after places of cult or taken from the world mythology set up the mood and make you start praying before you even have time to think about that. Doesn’t matter if you are religious person or an atheist. The worship is spelled into the music. In fact the music actually is nothing else but Worship.

That’s why an opening Athan does exactly what it’s suppose to do: call you for the morning prayer. In the down Arve’s trumpet gentle and monotonous sound like muezzin’s song welcome new day, just freshly awoken in the misty vapours and bathed in the birds’ thrills.

Saraswati influences, just like the wisdom which just came in a flash. Understanding what life is really about. The more questions you ask yourself the more wisdom you gain from your morning prayer. Sampled universe of sounds behind his trumpet roots in vast musical tradition. From J.S.Bach’s music purely created for Gods adoration through jazz influence coming from Davis’ Sketches of Spain like to the modern ambient trumpet gods, like his country colleague Nils Petter Molvaer.

It’s mostly trio here (Henriksen, Honore, Bang) but several quests appear in person or in samples. Like Lars Danielsson, Eivind Aarset or Jon Balke to just mention the few.

P. Valery’s ‘Le Cimetiere marin’ is all about mortality and immortality, body and soul, life and death. So is Arve’s. How well he said that on his trumpet one have has to hear to believe. This far eastern like sounding piece of sonic meditation is in my opinion the most beautiful tribute to prematurely died Barbara Buchholz, German artist and leading theremin player to whom this recording is dedicated. I had a luck to see her on the stage with few of the musicians present on this recording, hence I have a deep feeling of taking a part of the Requiem mystery.

In The Sacristaian his long and pure solo builds like a poem on listeners sensitivity. As is his vocal in the following Lament. It really takes full hands from contemporary mystics like Part, Taverner or Takemitsu.

This is a very unique blend of philosophical paths which brought human beings to today’s reality. The cocktail made of fruits of different Arts. Ingredients coming of inspirations which had been valid over centuries and still are today. Pure naked beauty against common misery which no one even likes to notice in the daily news. But it is here. It’s a part of the life and a part of us then. It is the truth about the secret of The Life and Death.

This is the Worship then, as I said. A very beautiful one.

RCD 2147 PR

RCD2147 Reviews, including our one originally published in HFC

To complete an unusual bunch of titles for the issue I got for you here The Magnolia Acoustic Quartet début recording. Its not the latest one but it doesn’t really matter as the music it contains could be possibly recorded few years back as same as in the upcoming future. If you like labels like CIMP, Atavistic, Cryptogramophone, Hat Hut, AUM Fidelity ,FMP or Leo or adore artists like Cecil Taylor, Joe McPhee, Fred Anderson, Ivo Peerlman or Mikolaj Trzaska , etc. – then your going to love that music.

Why ? Because there is pure spirit of freedom and power caught up during this session. Something miraculous and rare, what doesn’t happen too often. This kind of spontaneity and courage to play with an open heart and mind such an adventurous sounds doesn’t come every time. Hardly any it happens when the youngsters catch up the subject.

It had been taken just in a year after the sax player Szymon Dziworski decided to start the band with a rhythm section employing Patryk Dobosz on Drums and Mateusz Dobosz on Bass. Quartet is completed by pianist Jakub Sokolowski, who composed the music on this excellent recording. Set contains 12 tracks : Six entitled and six numbered improvisations.

There is no such place in music heritage which those guys didn’t dare to explore. In a very intelligent way they took a lot from the tradition and made it their very own. Opening Coming soon somewhere sounds like an open score to invite all those who would like to join. There is a lot of room left and composition is framed into somewhat a big band like arrangement than music for the quartet.

Coming after Mademoiselle C, is just pure beauty and gentleness, bringing immediately the great Bill Evans to mind. If I guess right and the title pays tribute to former Paris Vogue editor-in-chief and fashion stylist Carine Roitfeld, then it would be difficult to find more sophisticated music to describe the person.

Kwartofle are giving the listener the first taste of band’s improvising abilities. Tittle is a puzzling word mixing meaning of a word quartet with a word potatoes. So in a purely improvising manner, let everyone try to get for himself all the universe of imagination behind that tune 😉

Boozer, the next track slows things down. It’s a loose platform for both piano and sax set on consequent bass walking accompanied by constant drums bit , with just a few breaks coming when soloists are introduced.

Wonderful Sleeping with Dolphin is my favourite track here. Romantic piano introduction meets here saxophone lament in the highest climax. The tune itself acts as an intro for following improvisations. It is fastening all together nicely as improvisations are not purely taken from the jazz tradition , but also from contemporary classical music and impressionists’ minimalist achievement.

It is hard to describe somehow particular pieces ,and definitely not easy to compress it as the path for inspiration is vast like an eight lane motorway with ideas speeding up here and there in every possible direction. Take that picture as my best description and you might then guess what I mean. If you like to drive you have to get in – it is as simple as that.

Robert Glasper’s 2012 breakout Black Radio won him the Grammy Award and international fame. Glasper himself is highly skilled and creative pianist, but to be honest his Experiments, both the original one as well as the latest don’t break any boundaries to me at all. I am not the one who likes to write highly critical texts, as I am both: a positive person and a honest music lover.

Let me explain my position then going back in time and picking up some really sweet cherries and leave writing an exact review of this album in the hands of somebody who might find it fresh, new and innovative. There is plenty of young sensitive people around who might just feel it that way.

Now jump to the time capsule and get back to 1989. Talking Grammy – there was an album that won 7 of them ! Quincy Jones’ Back on the Block. It was in this year when I first heard that one and it really turned me up. I was more or less advanced jazz lover at that time, but still remembering my chappy popish – rockish days 😉 I was gob-smacked by the way it blended almost all what was present in music at the time. R& B, Funk ,Rap, Jazz . It included all those performers who were meaning a lot at the time as well as samples of voices coming from the two of the Greatest Divas the Jazz ever had – Ella and Sarah. It had a context and the freshness.

It was NEW and INNOVATIVE. It was “jazzt as great” as the Genius who made it happened –  the Quincy Jones.

I still have this Album on my shelf and it still is as fresh to me as like these 24 years never passed. That’s because all of this there makes it  a pure core of American Music. Later on it was Blue Note again, as it was before in the past, who brought the new to the table. Projects like Us3 , Jazzmattazz by rapper Guru are still well remembered. Or others who belongs to the 90’ties Acid Jazz movement, like Ronny Jordan, Galliano, Incognito. Buckshot LeFonque by Branford Marsalis. From these names evaluated Brand New Heavens and many others. From this tradition also comes the latest recording of Esperanza Spalding – Radio Music Society.

Of course it all started much earlier with all this cross talks made by Roy Ayer ,Donald Byrd or Grant Green. Then Miles Davis , who did blend funk and heavy rock riffs with improvised jazz and put the whole world upside down. There are still many people around who can’t forgive him that. Then Herbie Hancock was the one who did it again, but with Funk , in his own way. But we really do not need to go back that far. Lets stay in nineties as all what Black Radio, one or two, reminds me was already there at that time.

Let me put it this way. If Black Radios could do as much good for Jazz / Music as The Back on the Block did then I am pleased to see it here. I respect that new generations have his own language, sensitivity and standards. There will be the time to understand the tradition. Never mind. There is nothing wrong with this recording. It certainly possesses the quality and all the artists involved in it are the league of their own. Don’t get me wrong. But it doesn’t brake any boundaries, honestly – it just gets Back on the Block, more or less, which is a great achievement and valuable contribution … , pero nada nuevo.

BLACK RADIO 2 BLUE NOTE PR