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Øyvind Braekke: Wilderness
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Best known for his work with fellow countrymen Trygve Seim, Per Oddvar Johansen and Mats Eilertsen on ECM's The Source (ECM 2006), trombonist Øyvind Braekke belongs among Norway's hidden treasures as far as arrangers and composers go. On Wilderness he displays delicate oversight at arranging six voices so that each instrument conveys a unique purpose. From ...
Jazzrausch Bigband: Beethoven's Breakdown
by Geno Thackara
The big names of bebop made a splash in the music world by brashly turning convention on its head. Black Sabbath first catalyzed heavy metal into the force we know today. Punk was invented by either Link Wray, the New York Dolls or (depending on how you look at it) Cheech and Chong. Still, for flouting ...
Anthony Jefferson: All I Am
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Male vocal artists such as Al Jarreau, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls, Brook Benton, et al maintained the vibrancy of the classic crooners of the Golden Age—Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, et al. With All I Am Anthony Jefferson does a superb job of artistically paying tribute to many of these iconic names—and ...
Sebastian Bailey: Ensemble de Magnac
by Jim Olin
Quebec-based composer-saxophonist Sebastian Bailey is primarily focused on chamber jazz on his latest EP, and his innovative ear guides each track. Ensemble de Magnac summarizes Bailey's creative vision quite well, especially his ability to create a diverse and engaging soundscape. The music on this release has a classic sound and the production aesthetics are ...
Melissa Aldana: Visions
by Serena Antinucci
L'ultimo progetto della sassofonista cilena Melissa Aldana, governato da invasioni e tensioni musicali, è il ritratto schietto della vita nel suo continuo divenire, fatto di stacchi improvvisi, passi indietro e sguardi critici sulla realtà. In Visions (Motéma Music, 2019) ci sono architetture sonore difficili da verbalizzare e, a volte, le parole scompaiono timidamente sommerse dai suoni. ...
Taylor Ho Bynum 9-tette: The Ambiguity Manifesto
by Giuseppe Segala
All'interno della generazione di musicisti che si sono formati con Anthony Braxton negli anni Novanta, studiando presso di lui alla Wesleyan University e collaborando ai suoi lavori di quel periodo, Taylor Ho Bynum spicca insieme a Mary Halvorson per versatilità dinamica e dovizia progettuale. Bynum, nel periodo in cui ha diretto la Tri-Centric Foundation, dal 2010-2018, ...
Tim Berne's Snakeoil: The Fantastic Mrs. 10
by Mike Jurkovic
Alto saxophonist Tim Berne has never met anything or anyone he doesn't instantly want to re-invent, invert, dismantle and polish into his own image. And no, it's not any kind of savior thing, messianic impulse or Dr. Stranglove fixation. He simply hears and sees things more offbeat, peculiar, and colorful, thank you very much.
Raphael Fusco: Remixed
by Jim Olin
Raphael Fusco is a talented pianist and composer who defies stylistic boundaries, blessed with the ability to bridge the diverse worlds of contemporary classical and jazz. When most people hear of remixes, they often think of electronic musicians going for a different, super high-energy spin on some pop tracks. However, this project is quite different. Fusco ...
Wako: Wako
by Mark Sullivan
Bands will often self-title their debut album, as a kind of calling card to the world at large. But doing so on a fourth album implies a serious coming of age statement: this is really who we are. That is certainly the case here. Its third album, Urolige sinn (Øra Fonogram, 2018), was a blend of ...
Ayman Fanous: Negoum
by Hrayr Attarian
Guitarist and composer Ayman Fanous is a musical explorer who thrives in duet settings. He has recorded three such outings over a span of a dozen years, the latter of which is the mystical and haunting Negoum (Stars in Arabic). On it Fanous collaborates with the restlessly inventive cellist Frances-Marie Uitti, who has pushed boundaries of ...
