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Matthew Shipp Trio: The Conduct of Jazz
by John Sharpe
A glance at pianist Matthew Shipp's discography reveals that small group work has long been a focus. Indeed in recent times one of the prime outlets for his artistry is his classic piano trio, which ranks among the pre-eminent outfits in modern jazz. The Conduct Of Jazz represents Shipp's twelfth release in the format. Although there ...
Double Basse: This Is Not Art
by John Sharpe
Although the group moniker might suggest two bull fiddles, in fact it describes the French pairing of bassist Benjamin Duboc and contrabass clarinetist Jean-Luc Petit. No strangers to each other (Petit appears on the bassist's leadership debut under his own name on Primare Cantus (Ayler, 2011)), they nonetheless pile up the challenges for themselves: no charts; ...
De Beren Gieren: One Mirrors Many
by John Sharpe
Still looking to breathe life into the venerable piano trio format, Belgian threesome De Beren Gieren (The Bears Shriek would be one translation) present their fourth album following The Detour Fish (Clean Feed, 2014), A Raveling (De Beren Records, 2013) and Wirklich Welt So (El Negocito, 2012). Leading the charge pianist Fulco Ottervanger helms an unchanged ...
Martin Küchen/Jon Rune Strøm/Tollef Østvang: Melted Snow
by John Sharpe
Not Quite All Included or Some Included might be appropriate names for the trio of Swedish saxophonist Martin Küchen, and Norwegian bassist Jon Rune Strøm and drummer Tollef Østvang. Reason being that the repertoire on Melted Snow partially replicates that on Satan in Plain Clothes (Clean Feed, 2015) by All Included, which comprises the same threesome ...
Snik: Metasediment Rock
by John Sharpe
The Clean Feed imprint continues to unearth new outfits from Scandinavia deserving wider appreciation. Among the latest is Snik, a predominantly Norwegian quartet which includes bassist Ole Morten Vågan, best known for his tenure in saxophonist Joshua Redman's Trio. Completing the line up are young trombonist Kristoffer Kompen, who contributes half a dozen of the eight ...
Ozo: A Kind Of Zo
by John Sharpe
There's a strand of Portuguese music which oscillates between the points of a triangle formed by improv, ambient and minimalism. Ozo, which comprises erstwhile classical pianist Paulo Mesquita, and rock/pop drummer Pedro Oliveira, sits somewhere in the centre of that triangle. The dominant characteristic of the nine jointly-credited cuts is a pretty melodicism allied to a ...
Sonic Communion: Sonic Communion
by John Sharpe
In one of the more appropriately titled releases, three French improvisers encounter two Americans in concert, captured during a short tour of France. Heading up the US contingent is underexposed AACM stalwart reedman Douglas Ewart, accompanied by another Windy City denizen in drummer Michael Zerang. Bassists Joelle Leandre and Bernard Santacruz thicken the ensemble sound, while ...
Rodrigo Amado: This Is Our Language
by John Sharpe
The title of Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado's latest offering pays unmistakable homage to the late Ornette Coleman. This Is Our Music (Atlantic, 1961) constituted one of Ornette's uncompromising early manifestos, while In All Languages (Caravan of Dreams, 1987) served to reveal both the differences and the similarities between his classic quartet and the electric Prime Time ...
Squakk: Willisau & Berlin
by John Sharpe
Four Germans combine for a set that recalls some of the classic Anthony Braxton quartet sides with George Lewis or Ray Anderson from the 1970s. Common ground abounds in their free-bop structures and the delightful interplay as between reeds and trombone as they slip in and out of both tunes and time. There are also other ...
Barry Altschul's 3dom Factor: Tales of the Unforeseen
by John Sharpe
Veteran drummer Barry Altschul has enjoyed something of a late career resurgence over the last decade. Work with co-operatives such as the FAB Trio, as well as with trombonists Steve Swell and Roswell Rudd presaged his first leadership date for a quarter of a century in 3dom Factor (TUM Records, 2013). That trio with bassist Joe ...
