Articles
Daily articles carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. Read our popular and future articles.
Angles 9: Beyond Us
by John Sharpe
Swedish saxophonist Martin Küchen's versatile Angles agglomeration has appeared in assorted sizes from a trio up to a nonet. But whatever the dimensions, it possesses the familiar virtues of driving riffs, explosive soloing, and elemental yet affecting melodies. Beyond Us, recorded live during Groningen's splendid Summer Jazz Cycling Tour is no different. It's the fourth release from Angles 9, and boasts the same crew which graced Disappeared Behind The Sun (Clean Feed, 2018). Küchen wrote all five pieces, ...
read moreAngles 9: Beyond Us
by John Bricker
Across their discography, Angles 9 constantly evoke powerful emotions through finely-tuned chaos. In the near-traditional jams of 2014's Injuries and the abstract noise of 2017's Disappeared Behind the Sun, the sheer kinetic energy of nine gifted players, led by saxophonist Martin Küchen, working together while competing for a moment in the spotlight, creates unique and spellbinding recordings. Beyond Us is another great example of Angles 9's craft, fusing unlikely styles to create their most refreshing and evocative album yet. Although ...
read moreAngles 9: Disappeared Behind the Sun
by John Sharpe
On the sixth release from reedman Martin Küchen's mid-sized Angles ensemble, all the winning traits so evident on previous outings are still present and correct: heart wrenching melodies, huge foot-tapping riffs, sweeping chorales and adventurous raw soloing, not least by the leader himself. Many of the same top notch players remain on board, notably trombonist Mats Äleklint, vibraphonist Mattias Ståhl, bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin, affirming a veritable spiders web of connections with other well-regarded bands on the ...
read moreAngles 9: Disappeared Behind the Sun
by Karl Ackermann
The nonet, Angles 9, returns fully intact from their Injuries (Clean Feed, 2014) and with a powerful political and social statement on Disappeared Behind the Sun. The direct correlation between the title and the content is the imprisonment, torture, murder and starvation of innocent victims of world conflicts. Even without the seeming advantage of words, the group--led by saxophonist--Martin Küchen, conveys a depth that is emotionally dynamic and piercing. Originally a sextet, the core group has changed little ...
read moreAngles 9: Injuries
by John Ephland
What's to love about this CD is the musicality that's thrown into the maelstrom of styles and attitudes. You've got a hint of early, experimental jazz from the mid-60s with the opening number, “European Boogie" (think Bobby Hutcherson with Eric Dolphy or Archie Shepp, the vibes being paramount); that's until they all start into a kind of Tower of Power incantation. From there, it's a lot of well-mannered, outlandish rummaging, the nonet of Angles 9, led by saxophonist Martin Kuchen, ...
read moreShowcase
-
The Mulligan Chronicles by David Larsen
Premium
Contest Giveaway
Radio
Vanessa Williams
Weekly newsletter
Get more of a good thing
Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes your local jazz events calendar.
