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Barlast: Svanvik
by Anthony Shaw
This second album from Barlast, a self-proclaimed folk-jazz quartet from Helsinki, continues much in the vein of their first, Ihantalo released in 2017. Where Ihantalo featured only tunes from bassist Philip Holm, the current album includes five tunes written by the whole band, as well as five more of Holm's, and is sonically more experimental.
Manu Katche: the scOpe
by Chris M. Slawecki
Manu Katché's tenth album as a leader, the ScOpe encompasses modern and ancient music, tribal and global music, and illustrates why he is not only one of the world's best drummers, but much more. Katché entered the Paris Conservatory as a pianist but switched to percussion as his studies progressed; his mature style eventually ...
Charlie Porter: Immigration Nation
by Paul Rauch
Jazz has always carried with it a social narrative with historical ebbs and flows reliant on the polarizing issues of its time. With Immigrant Nation (OA2, 2019), Portland based trumpeter Charlie Porter embraces the forever narrative of American immigration, the historical force of humanity that has formed and enriched this country from its beginnings. The linear ...
Nils Frahm: All Encores
by Mark Sullivan
German composer and keyboardist Nils Frahm celebrated the completion of his Berlin studio with the release of All Melody (Erased Tapes, 2018), an expansive program which included acoustic piano, harmonium, and classic analog synthesizers, plus a cast of guest musicians. But Frahm began the recording process with a great deal of material that did not make ...
Luís Lopes: Love Song: Post-Ruins
by Mark Corroto
You may be familiar with the Robert Frost poem “Acquainted with the Night" from your high school literature class. Back then, what did you know of melancholy? Sure there was the darkness of adolescence, but also the possibilities. The poem, in 14 short lines, follows the same terza rima rhyme scheme as Dante's Divine Comedy ("In ...
Robert Landfermann: Topaz
by Don Phipps
A brilliant tour de force, Robert Landfermann's Topaz is helped in no small part by the amazing contributions of the quartet Landfermann assembled for this session. It is clear he prefers spontaneous improvisation over formal structures. The key to such an approach relies on the ability of the musicians to both listen to one another and ...
Grupo Fantasma: American Music Vol. VII
by Chris M. Slawecki
The thirteen new tracks on American Music Vol. VII celebrate Grupo Fantasma's first studio album in five years as well as the nineteenth anniversary of Austin's preeminent Tex-Mex party band. In several ways, Vol. VII sounds like much of their previous music: This Grupo can spice up and rock an energetic, celebratory party sound ...
Brass Magic: Fanfare
by Neri Pollastri
Terzo album di Brass Magic, formazione californiana di soli fiati più percussioni, tipo di organico che ha una importante tradizione non solo nel jazz, il primo esempio della quale era la meravigliosa Brass Fantasy di Lester Bowie, composta però esclusivamente da ottoni, mentre qui sono presenti—accanto a trombe, tromboni e tuba—anche due sassofoni. Fondata ...
Samuel Torres: Alegria
by Dan Bilawsky
After delivering a politically-pointed statement in the form of Forced Displacement (Zoho Music, 2015), Colombian percussionist Samuel Torres most certainly could've doubled-down in that direction. There's no shortage of political turmoil across the globe these days, so that move would've been completely understandable. But, as Torres clearly understands, there's something to be said for the power ...
Nicholas Payton: Relaxin' with Nick
by Mike Jurkovic
This percolating trio date of brothers from different riff mothers—bassist Peter Washington, drummer Kenny Washington and Nicholas Payton—is a bit misleading. In this setting Payton is a quartet unto himself, sailing with his trumpet while playing elegant piano/Fender Rhodes, electronics, and the occasional rap/vocal that we needn't discuss pro or con. Given all that, Relaxin' with ...
