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New & Noteworthy
May 2005
Glenn Astarita
Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.Concurrently released with electric guitarist Mark O'Leary and violist Mat Maneri's Leo Records produced "Chamber Trio, CD featuring pianist Matthew Shipp. On this trio set drummer Randy Peterson replaces Shipp, yet the overall game plan runs in parallel. O'Leary follows suit with volume control-initiated accents and fluttering single note lines, as Peterson's over-the-top rhythmic maneuvers establish a fragmented pulse. And with Maneri's microtonal phrasings, the trio conveys a unique identity, where distinct voices merge for a rather exclusive sound and style. Many musical rewards reside within this quietly enchanting session.
Rick Helzer & Vinny Golia
Fancy Meeting You Here
Nine Winds
2005
Armed with his customary assortment of woodwinds, Vinny Golia and pianist Rick Helzer move about in a rather jovial manner during these thirteen duet pieces. The bulk of them are constructed upon loose-groove improvisations featuring an amalgamation of emotive sentiments. The duo engages Thelonious Monk amid bluesy themes and rippling free-form excursions. Master improvisers at work here!
Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project 1993
hatOLOGY
2005
Two-CD reissue of the original Hat Art release, arguably one of the top progressive jazz releases of the '90s. Saxophonist Anthony Braxton and his septet cast a modern edge on a portion of Charlie Parker's legacy. They slightly reconfigure Bird's bop vernacular into open-ended forums with a sense of bravado, structured upon deft expressionism. For example, Braxton and pianist Misha Mengelberg morph highly charged choruses with a faint touch of free jazz concepts, tinted with traditional bop stylizations. Part of the excitement is rooted within the musicians' ability to counterbalance the tried and true with extended soloing ventures and multifarious shifts in strategy. (Essential listening...)
