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Francisco Mela & Zoh Amba: Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2
by Mike Jurkovic
Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2 avalanches into a tidal surge of Francisco Mela's terrestrial rhythms and saxophonist/flautist Zoh Amba's unhinged, Albert Ayler like howls. Explosive from the onset and unencumbered by composition, “Causa y Efecto" roils without contrition; setting the stage for the firestorm to come. Mela's incantations--both verbal and percussive--open the magic door through which Zoh's pixie-ish, folk-dance darts and shadows. Born of native songs from Mela's Cuba and Amba's old Tennessee home, “Mundos Diversos" is a complete ...
read moreStephen Gauci / Francisco Mela / William Parker / Matthew Shipp: Live at Scholes Street Studio
by John Sharpe
Tenor saxophonist Stephen Gauci provokes blistering unfettered performances from the starry cast on another installment of Live At Scholes Street Studio. Gauci embodies a fierce DIY ethos which manifests in producing multiple concert series in NYC as well as releasing consequent material on his own label and posting video documentation on his website. On this occasion, he is joined by three storied veterans of the avant-jazz scene in pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist William Parker and drummer Francisco Mela who bring ...
read moreFrancisco Mela: Music Frees Our Souls Vol. 2
by John Sharpe
The three protagonists gaze out from the cover, variously smiling, appearing wryly amused, and looking stern. The image suggests a will to tackle things head on, without artifice or adornment. To tell it like it is. And that is the result: a thrilling no-nonsense representation of the combined artistry of drummer Francisco Mela, pianist Cooper-Moore and bassist William Parker. Though billed as Volume 2 of Music Frees Our Souls it isn't more from the same session. In ...
read moreFrank Carlberg Trio: Reflections 1952
by Mark Corroto
How does one approach a Thelonious Monk tribute recording? Does the pianist sound like Monk? Truthfully, it is rare for a musician to replicate the high priest of bebop's distinctive and eccentric sound. Walter Davis Jr. could, but most other attempts are easily exposed as forgeries. The finest tributes are the ones that originate with the musician's language, like the South American sounds of Danilo Perez' Panamonk (Impulse!, 1996), Steve Lacy's soprano saxophone interpretations or guitarist Miles Okazaki's covers. Add ...
read moreElan Mehler: There Is A Dance
by Patrick Burnette
David Bowie's album The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (RCA, 1972) includes instructions on the back: “To Be Played At Maximum Volume." Had pianist Elan Mehler's new trio effort, There is a Dance, followed suit, the slogan would be something like “To Be Played Only on Rainy Afternoons." There is a Dance, which celebrates memories of Mehler's mother, is a quiet, meditative album, one more drawn to rubato than momentum. There are moments of ...
read moreZoh Amba: O Life, O Light Vol. 1
by John Sharpe
Since relocating to NYC from Tennessee, twenty one year old tenor saxophonist and flautist Zoh Amba has been keeping fast company. On her debut O Sun (Tzadik, 2022), in a sign of affirmation label boss John Zorn guests on one track, while O Life, O Light continues in the same vein as she helms a heavyweight trio comprising celebrated bassist William Parker and storied drummer Francisco Mela. Amba studied with David Murray, but her sound owes more to the raw ...
read moreFrancisco Mela featuring Matthew Shipp and William Parker: Music Frees Our Souls Vol. 1
by John Sharpe
Music Frees Our Souls furthers Cuban drummer Francisco Mela's ongoing ventures in freely improvised surroundings. Already well-established with heavyweight leaders such as McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano and Esperanza Spalding, as well as a series of dates under his own name, Mela has now enlisted pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist William Parker, two of the best in this particular business, in his quest for spontaneous magic. When joining such a long-lasting partnership, (Parker and Shipp first hooked up ...
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