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Geno Thackara's Best Releases of 2018
by Geno Thackara
Despite (or in defiant response to) the difficulties of the streaming age, 2018 has seen another musical bumper crop--especially for those of us who particularly love the sound of the piano. There were enough top-notch offerings to make a list at least twice as long, but these have been the most frequent and satisfying staples in ...
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin At The Bop Stop
by Matt Hooke
Nik Bartsch's Ronin Bop Stop Cleveland, Ohio October 28, 2018 The way Nik Bärtsch dresses reveals a lot about his music. He steps up to the piano wearing a Samue, the traditional dress of Zen Buddhist monks, and sneakers. One represents a spiritual tradition thousands of years old, requiring the utmost ...
Nik Bartsch's Ronin at Dazzle
by Geoff Anderson
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin Dazzle Denver, CO October 24, 2018 “Zen Funk." That's how Nik Bärtsch describes his music. “Zen:" the seeking of true enlightenment, often through meditation. “Funk:" a highly rhythmic, syncopated form of music. Zen Funk, yeah, that's it. The funk ranges from subtle to structural to urgent. The ...
Nikita Rafaelov: Spirit of Gaia
by Dan McClenaghan
Russia-born pianist Nikita Rafaelov adopted Finland as his homeland, and music as his passion. He began with the classics at an early age before the inspirations of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and John Coltrane came his way. His jazz recording debut on Copenhagen, Denmark's Gotta Let it Out Records, Spirit of Gaia, is described as: ..."a ...
Szun Waves, other new releases and some archive cuts
by Bob Osborne
Blurring the boundaries between jazz, ambience and electronica, the sophomore album from Szun Waves New Hymn to Freedom, is the album of the week on the show. This new release is a document of six entirely live improvisations with “no edits or overdubs." The album title is apt, it is jazz, but it also bedded in ...
Jazzkaar 2018
by Martin Longley
Jazzkaar 2018 Tallinn, Estonia April 20-29, 2018 In the year of Estonia's celebrations, having attained a full century as a Republic, its Jazzkaar festival continues to be amongst the very best of the European range. Held annually in Tallinn, and primarily centred around the Telliskivi Creative City, the festival continued ...
Henry Threadgill, Ben LaMar Gay and other great new releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
This week we check out new releases by some of the most exciting and innovative jazz musicians working today, from established names like Henry Threadgill and Nik Bärtsch to exciting up-and-comers like Ben LaMar Gay. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Ben ...
Nik Bärtsch: Awase
by Hrayr Attarian
The exquisite Awase is Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch's eighth release with his band Ronin. Although the ensemble has had a few personnel changes, the album maintains the creative energy and the spirit of its previous work. The title refers to a principle of martial arts that translates to coming together and an appropriately dynamic ...
Nik Bartsch's Ronin at Constellation in Chicago
by Hrayr Attarian
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin Constellation Chicago, IL May 10, 2018 On May 10th 2018, Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch brought his quartet, Ronin to Chicago's Constellation. In the venue's intimate studio B the ensemble stretched out on material from its latest album to date, the sublime Awase (ECM, 2018). It kept the close ...
Sonar with David Torn: Vortex
by John Kelman
It might be all too simple to explain away Sonar, the Swiss twin-guitar/bass/drums quartet now in its eighth year together, through a series of touchstones. King Crimson, by way of that band's co-founder/guitarist Robert Fripp's Guitar Craft? Check. The influence of Nik Bartsch and Don Li's innovative meshing of Steve Reich-ian minimalism with deceptively complicated polyrhythmic ...
