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Michael and Peter Formanek: Dyads
by John Sharpe
There can be few instances where a parent-offspring hook-up has proved as potent as Dyads by bassist Michael Formanek and his reedman son Peter. With not a hint of featherbedding, the pair interact as equals on a 72-minute program which alternates six charts penned by both with seven collective inventions. While the bassist has amassed a ...
Paul Dunmall, Percy Pursglove, Olie Brice, Jeff Williams: Palindromes
by John Sharpe
Bassist Olie Brice had an inkling that it might be worthwhile introducing two of his collaborators who had never played together before, British reed titan Paul Dunmall and American drummer Jeff Williams. It proves devastatingly correct on Palindromes. They unite, together with trumpeter Percy Pursglove, on a collective live album--recorded at London's Cafe Oto, in February ...
Raf Vertessen Quartet: LOI
by John Sharpe
Belgian drummer Raf Vertessen's quartet unites a mouth-watering array of talent, and he keeps them busy on his leadership debut LOI. Since arriving in Brooklyn, in 2016, Vertessen has dug in deep, enlisting saxophonist Anna Webber, trumpeter Adam O'Farrill and bassist Nick Dunston, all acclaimed leaders in their own right, to realize his charts in a ...
Satoko Fujii / Taiko Saito: Beyond
by John Sharpe
Right from the off, the confluence of grainy flicker and humming drone signals that Beyond won't be like other vibraphone/piano hook ups. Under the moniker Futari, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and her Berlin-based countrywoman vibraphonist Taiko Saito don't so much take the road less traveled as revel in the thickets, brambles and unexpected clearings discovered when ...
In Layers: Pliable
by John Sharpe
Working on-the-fly, improv outfit In Layers collectively orders timbral maneuvers into captivating momentum on Pliable, its second outing following the eponymous debut (FMR, 2016). The cast remains unchanged, the Portuguese pair of guitarist Marcelo Dos Reis and trumpeter Luis Vicente, being supplemented by Dutch drummer Onno Govaert and Amsterdam-based Icelandic pianist Kristjan Martinsson. Dos ...
Vijay Anderson Trio: Studio Sessions Vol. 10
by John Sharpe
Brooklyn-based Californian drummer Vijay Anderson leads an impressively cohesive trio on Studio Sessions Vol .10. In this case cohesion is a product of shared experience. Anderson's career has been intertwined with bassist Adam Lane's since 2003, and can be heard on Zero Degree Music (CIMP, 2005), New Magical Kingdom (Clean Feed, 2006),and Absolute Horizon (NoBusiness, 2013). ...
Yuma Uesaka and Marilyn Crispell: Streams
by John Sharpe
Reedman Yuma Uesaka enlists storied pianist Marilyn Crispell to realize a splendid program of his charts on Streams. Uesaka, who was born in London and spent his early childhood in Japan, before growing up in Michigan, is making a name for himself as part of a rising generation of New York-based improvisers. While not his leadership ...
Benoit Delbecq: The Weight of Light
by John Sharpe
French pianist Benoit Delbecq has become one of the leading exponents of the John Cage-inspired school of prepared piano in the jazz and improvised music arena. So much so that Canadian pianist Kris Davis received a grant to study extended piano techniques with him early in her career, and has since performed with him in duet. ...
Aki Takase: Auge
by John Sharpe
While it might be Aki Takase's name which grabs the attention thanks to her illustrious track record, the trio on Auge represents a true co-operative, as the Berlin-based Japanese pianist joins forces with Swiss bassist Christian Weber and German drummer Michael Griener in a perfectly balanced triumvirate. Takase draws on an ouevre which ...
Tim Berne / Matt Mitchell: Spiders
by John Sharpe
In spite, or perhaps because, of the lull in work in 2020, alto saxophonist and composer Tim Berne maintained a busy release schedule. Spiders, his third set of duets with pianist Matt Mitchell, arrives hot on the heels of The Fantastic Mrs 10 (Intakt) and The Deceptive 4 Live (Intakt), both by his band Snakeoil which ...


