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Luis Vicente: Come Down Here
by John Sharpe
Portuguese trumpeter Luis Vicente hits pay dirt with Come Down Here. Although he explores a range of styles from poised but unfettered outings such as Chamber 4 (FMR, 2015) and For Sale (Clean Feed, 2015), to fire music collaborations with the likes of tenor saxophonist John Dikeman on House In The Valley (Clean Feed, 2023), the free bop here perhaps plays to his strengths best of all. Simple themes offer abundant inspiration, allowing him free rein for a melodicism that ...
Continue ReadingSimon Nabatov Quartet featuring Ralph Alessi: Lovely Music
by John Sharpe
An alternative title for Lovely Music by Russian-born, German -based pianist Simon Nabatov might be Greatest Hits. He has selected some of his most tuneful works from across his career for interpretation by a quintet which includes American trumpeter Ralph Alessi in a one-off performance. Completing the lineup of this 2021 live date from Nabatov's home from home, Loft in Cologne, are more regular colleagues saxophonist Sebastian Gille, bassist David Helm and drummer Leif Berger. However, it presents not as ...
Continue ReadingSulida: Utos
by John Sharpe
Under the collective moniker Sulida, up-and-coming young Norwegian saxophonist Marthe Lea joins forces with more established countrymen, bassist Jon Rune Strøm and drummer Dag Erik Knedal Andersen, in an exhilarating mix of improv and tunefulness. It is not just the egalitarian name, but the repertoire also. With the exception of one cover and single cuts by Lea and Strøm, all the pieces are credited to the entire threesome (even the unaccompanied outings for bass and drums). Opening the ...
Continue ReadingCarlos Bica: 11:11
by Mark Corroto
For Carlos Bica, ugly was never an option for his quartet release 11:11. Much like American guitarist Bill Frisell does in his music, the Portuguese bassist and composer draws on his experience with his country's folk heritage. For Bica, that tradition is contained in the song genre fado. The music is often about fate or longing, in other words, the blues. Like the blues, this music is not just about sadness, but the beauty of the human condition.
Continue ReadingLuis Vicente Trio: Come Down Here
by Glenn Astarita
The Luis Vicente Trio's Come Down Here is a bold exploration of free jazz that morphs pure improvisation with hints of conventional structure. While it may not aspire to be a masterpiece, it offers an engaging and often exhilarating journey into the unpredictable realms of spontaneous musical creation. From the opening notes of the title track, Vicente's trumpet leads with fearless energy, charting a course through uncharted sonic territories. He is joined by Gonçalo Almeid on bass and ...
Continue ReadingMOVE: Free Baile - Live in Shenzhen
by Glenn Astarita
Portugal-based trio Move's live album, Free Baile, is more than just a recording; it is an electric charge in musical form. Capturing the raw, unfiltered energy of saxophonist Yedo Gibson, bassist Felipe Zenicola and drummer João Valinho, this album propels listeners into a world where jazz, free improvisation and a kaleidoscope of genres collide and meld in real time. Recorded live at B10 Live in Shenzhen, China, this production does not just push boundaries--it bulldozes them. The opening ...
Continue ReadingPedro Melo Alves: Conundrum Vol. 1 - Itself Through Disappearance
by Mark Corroto
Great rock drummers are often ignored. One never pays attention to them during a performance because they are excellent, like Rolling Stones stalwart {Charlie Watts. If, however, they are not up to scratch, one definitely will notice. The same and more so can be said for jazz and improvising drummers. Talent, imagination and creativity are at a premium in this domain. Pedro Melo Alves is an excellent example of what an inventive and expressive drummer can be. Alves can be ...
Continue ReadingScheen Jazzorkester & Cortex: Frameworks
by John Sharpe
Frameworks is the sort of project that would be difficult to envisage anywhere other than the supportive cultural ecosystem of Norway. Calling on diverse funding streams, it brings together the 11-member Scheen Jazzorkester (SJO) and the forward looking quartet Cortex, in a venture masterminded by the latter's trumpeter Thomas Johansson. Established in 2010 as a professional large jazz ensemble, the SJO has become a major force in Norwegian progressive composer-based ensembles with numerous releases to its name. Johansson's roots are ...
Continue ReadingPeter Van Huffel's Callisto: Meandering Demons
by Glenn Astarita
Peter Van Huffel, the Canadian-born saxophonist and composer, has long been a force to reckon with in the avant-garde jazz scene. Known for his work with bands like Gorilla Mask and his various collaborations with other innovative musicians, Van Huffel has consistently pushed the boundaries of jazz, incorporating elements of free improvisation, rock and classical music. His previous albums, such as Boom Crane (Fresh Sounds New Talent, 2014) and The Scrambling Ex (FMR, 2015), displayed his fearless approach to composition ...
Continue ReadingJonas Cambien's Maca Conu: Maca Conu
by John Sharpe
While Oslo-based Belgian pianist Jonas Cambien's Maca Conu may be a new venture, it has a lot in common with his trio which made a series of acclaimed albums, including A Zoology of the Future (Clean Feed, 2016) and We Must Mustn't We (Clean Feed, 2018). Not least of that is down to the continued tenure of Andreas Wildhagen on the drum stool. Keeping him company are fellow Norwegian, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, perhaps still best known as one third ...
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