The Dickens Campaign - Oh Lovely Appearance (Self, 2013) ***

By Stef

Drummer Deric Dickens gets the company of Kirk Knuffke on cornet and Jesse Lewis on guitar. Interestingly enough, for Knuffke this is the second album this year in a trio with guitar and drums, after "Sifter" with Mary Halvorson and Matt Wilson, yet the nature of this one is totally different.

The songs are all based on or coming from the American tradition of gospel and country folk music, as collected by the great musical archeologist Alan Lomax, who collected music from around the world, but here the focus lies clearly on the American tradition, which makes the album sound very much like a Bill Frisell and Ron Miles collaboration, but then a little rawer, more direct and less sophisticated. That is by itself not a bad thing, and it clearly adds to the authenticity of the playing.

The music is sweet and sounds familiar, the playing is good and intimate, although at times the volume gets a notch higher and the violence of Lewis electric guitar goes a little beyond what you could expect from the nature of the tune.

Listen and buy from CDBaby.

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Sifter - A Deep Listening Weekend Review

Sifter: Self-titled (Relative Pitch, 2013) ****½ 

 

By Tom Burris

Mary Halvorson is involved in so many side projects it's hard to pick a favorite – until now.  Sifter, her trio with Kirk Knuffke (cornet) and Matt Wilson (drums), has created one of the most inviting discs of the year with its self-titled debut.  The compositions are concise.  The themes are hummable.  The solos never venture too far from home, and yet conversely it's a highly adventurous recording. 

The album opens with a country shuffle (“Cramps”) that features the main theme played in unison by Halvorson and Knuffke, a common setup for the heads throughout the disc.  Halvorson plays single notes on the bass strings until the distortion pedal stomps on the proceedings like Pappy's unruly grandson barged into the room and tried to wrestle the guitar out of Aunt Mary's hands.  Unfazed, Wilson's brushes shuffle onto the finish line.

“Dainty Rubbish” opens with a strong melody from Knuffke, accompanied by Halvorson's unmistakeable riffing on a two chord vamp.  Wilson plays with the snare off, tapping out a minimal chug Mick Fleetwood would be proud to claim.  Interestingly, Wilson gets even more minimal on the next track, “Always Start,” where his playing becomes so understated he sounds like a Moe Tucker disciple.  His perfectly sublime pulse compliments Knuffke's unwinding broken blooze lines and Halvorson's seriously warped chordal smears so that the track comes off sounding like honor students about to become dropouts. 

“Absent Across Skies” features gorgeous melancholy lines from Knuffke as Wilson's brushes, once again, are beautifully understated accompaniment.  I finally missed having a bass line around, but it only lasted for about twelve bars.  Mary's riffing and warping, so good it distracts from Knuffke's brilliant melodic lines, rides on top of Wilson's perfect pulse waves on “Original Blimp” with such humor it will make you laugh out loud.  I promise! 

Echoes of Tropicalia open the breezy “Doughy” with a beautifully understated melody from Knuffke and sweet, full Brazilian chords from Halvorson.  When she takes a tremelo-laden solo, the bass-less space underneath provides the perfect canvas.  This minimalistic approach is warm and very approachable, as on “Proper Motion,” when Wilson plays time on two cymbals for almost one minute with no other audible sound within earshot.  It draws you in like a secret.

Wilson is an ace improviser, knowing when to merely keep time and knowing when to astound by cutting loose, as on “Free Jazz Economics,” where his skills reveal him to be as equally gifted technically as he is intuitively. 

This album is loaded with surprises, as on “Back and Forth,” where the main theme goes up and down and Knuffke plays in and out.  “Forever Runs Slow In Cold Water” features Sonic Youth-esque crescendos and chord progressions.  “Vapor Rub” features Knuffke and Halvorson in a short duet that appears to be completely improvised; and a robot rock stomper called “Utility Belt” closes the disc in dramatic fashion.  Above all, this disc is Fun.  It contains a track called “Don Knotts”.  This band is called Sifter.  They have just released one of the best albums of the year.



Sifter: Self-titled (Relative Pitch, 2013) **** ½ 

By Martin Schray

After I had come across Mary Halvorson for the first time (I saw her with Anthony Braxton’s Diamond Curtain Wall Trio) I looked for her on youtube and immediately found some absolutely excellent clips. That’s why I was wondering all the more why some of the comments below the clips were harshly offensive: “Horrible garbage! Sounds like they have never met or rehearsed”; “I can't believe this crap is subsidized!”, “Her command over the guitar is very amateur and weak” or “I don't know how any jazz fan can defend this utter shit” – and this is just the peak of the contributions.

Since then I have seen and heard Mary Halvorson quite often and it is obvious that these commentators have no idea what a great guitar player is. She is one because her approach to use the tremolo, with which she warps chords or melodies before they get too convenient, is absolutely unique and above all she has a tremendous, yet special technique.

These typical Halvorson elements run like a thread through this album. “Cramps”, the first track, starts with an alienated, abstract country/rockabilly riff which is elegantly and sparsely accompanied by Matt Wilson (dr) and Kirk Knuffke (tr) can throw in a very light-handed melody in front of this background. Yet after two minutes Halvorson steps on the distortion module and puts the track through the mill before they all come back to the theme from the beginning. This is almost classic modern jazz songwriting.

Additionally, Halvorson has a great command of almost every style. In “Dainty Rubbish” she brings in flamenco pieces, country elements, and rock chords, all played in a very minimalist way, there is no note too much. In general there are a lot of typical (post) modern jazz tunes on the album, there is a lot of unison playing between Halvorson and Knuffke, as in “Don Knotts” with its eerie swinging theme, “Proper Motion” with its chopped post-rock beginning or the classic hard bop “Free Jazz Economics” which soon changes to classic harsh jazz chords, the other returning structural element of the album because Halvorson’s chords and riffs prepare the ground for Knuffke’s varied and virtuosic playing, the interplay between the three musicians is simply sensational.

Hidden between all these great tracks there are two gems: “Absent Across Skies” and “Forever Runs Slow in Cold Water”, two angular ballads. Both show Halvorson in a Bill Frisell tradition at the beginning, before she executes what she can do best – using the tremolo to distract the way the nice melody is going, leading it to dissonant and unexpected grounds before bringing them back on the right track again.

You can say a lot about Mary Halvorson but you cannot vilify her claiming she cannot play. These negative comments only prove that these people have a preconceived opinion of what music should be like.

Watch the trio live here:

Can be purchased from Instantjazz.

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Hunger Pangs - Meet Meat (ForTune, 2013) ****

By Stef   

Let's stay in Poland, with this great trio of Marek Kądziela on guitar, Tomasz Dąbrowski (Tom Trio) on trumpet, microKORG and balkan horn, and Kasper Tom Christiansen on drums.

The first line-up that I really got excited about with trumpet, guitar and drums was the Tiny Bell Trio, with Dave Douglas, Brad Shepik and Jim Black. And in fact, this music is very much in the same vein, raw and precise, incredibly rhythmic, full of changes within the compositions, and stylistically hesitating and shifting between modern jazz and its rougher variations in free jazz or jazz rock. Other influences or references might be "Der Rote Bereich" and "Hyperactive Kid".

Even in the slower parts, there is no polish (no pun intended), make-up or other cosmetics to be observed. Their reality is at the basis harsh, dark and straightforward, without the warmth of a bass or the soothing harmonic accompaniement of a piano, it is hard as rocks, hard as rocks tumbling down a rocky slope, hard as a stone floor to sleep on, yet out of this cold and restricted material universe this trio constructs something solid, structured, intelligent, and incredibly expressive, and sensitive too, and fun to listen to. Yes, maybe raw sensitivity and expressive intimacy describe this music well.

Judge for yourselves.

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Paul Smoker Notet - Cool Lives (CDBaby, 2012) ****½

By Stef

Sometimes you wonder how musicians promote their albums, or rather try to avoid fans to know that they  actually have new music ready for purchase. If your humble servant did not scan places like iTunes, CDBaby and other eMusic sites and even more disorganised sources (if that is possible at all), spending hours scrolling down new releases of mostly junk (did you know that every day new albums by Louis Armstrong are released, every single day?), and then purchased some of the more promising albums, some great music would never even been reviewed, ever!

Take this fantastic albums by three technical wizards : Paul Smoker on trumpet, Steve Salerno on guitar and Phil Haynes on drums. All three musicians have extensive track records, are as comfortable in classical as in traditional jazz as in free form, have a great warm tone, an adventurous spirit and an incredible sense of pulse.

Put them together - and they have played before - on various CIMP albums, but not as a trio, and you get this little gem. It starts like cool jazz - and the iconic reference to Chet Baker on the cover picture is no coincidence, but what they do with is somethign else  - it swings, it sings, it chills and it pops. The trio move boundaries throughout, changing jazz styles as they see fit, pushing the tradition into unheard areas, without actually losing the connection. And on top of it all ... the three musicians have great fun (despite their cool).

If free jazz ever sounded cool, here is your treat ... don't miss it! Enjoyable from the very first to the very last second.

Listen and buy from CDBaby.


PS - Musicians, label owners, music publishers .... please promote your albums! A single email to this blog may help. Don't let your efforts remain unnoticed. Thanks!



© stef

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Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans/Weasel Walter – Mechanical Malfunction (Thirsty Ear, 2012) ****

By Troy Dostert

As a glance at the cover of the record would lead one to expect, Mechanical Malfunction explores a somewhat crazed world in which mechanical precision isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Indeed, the more interesting stuff may happen when the organ grinder’s monkey becomes just a bit unhinged…

This is the second recording of this lineup, the first being last year’s Electric Fruit (also on Thirsty Ear), and like the former record, this one too reflects a commitment both to delicate, intricate interplay and heavier, rock-influenced gestures.  The work of guitarist Halvorson and trumpeter Evans should be familiar to the readers of this blog, as Halvorson’s had a number of stellar recordings over the past few years (2012’s Bending Bridges being particularly outstanding), and Evans’ work with Mostly Other People Do the Killing (amongst other projects) has been consistently creative and genre-defying.  Walter is a veteran of the Flying Luttenbachers, among other groups, and thus brings a noisy propulsion to his work on this disc, in the process pushing Halvorson and Evans to explore the more aggressive side of their playing.  The result is an enjoyable and engaging disc, of particular interest to those listeners willing to let their hair down a bit and rock out.

This is not to say that everything here is loud and intense, as some of the more interesting moments are ones in which all three musicians explore more subtle terrain.  The opening cut, “Baring Teeth,” is an especially good example of a strong piece of group improvisation involving Halvorson’s trademark bending lines and Evans’ fluttering passages and assorted growls, while Walter fills in the gaps with a variety of ideas on the drums in a relatively understated way.  But when the group does decide to rock out, as on the second track, “Vektor,” or “Interface,” Halvorson pushes the distortion into overdrive and Walter starts pounding, with Evans taking an equally brazen turn, as he’s more than capable of holding his own through the barrage.  The results are frequently invigorating and powerful.

Editor's note: Mary Halvorson will be performing at JACK New York (Brooklyn) on January 28th with Ingrid Laubrock and Jon Irabagon. For more info. 

© stef

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Ron Miles - Quiver (Enja, 2012) ****½

By Stef  

Strangely enough trumpeter Ron Miles and guitarist Bill Frisell somehow fit nicely into the same category of musicians, and the fact that they have found each other is not a surprise. Both have a technical proficiency that many (most?) professional musicians envy, they share the same leaning for sentimentality coupled with a deep feeling of American musical roots and especially the blues. On top of all that, both are equally creative enough to transform tradition into modern form. Not free form, but one that is inventive and compelling.

The third voice on the trio is Brian Blade, a drummer of the same technical skills as his band-mates, and who miraculously adds the same feeling to the music as the other two artists.

If some of Ron Miles' previous albums were too mainstream to my taste, they still could be appreciated for the quality of the music and of the playing. His duo album with Frisell - Heaven - was also excellent, but too mellow at times for me to bear. Blade's contribution pushes the entire process into a more dynamic format.

Because of this, "Quiver", is now uplifted in an incredibly joyful and playful album with references to the entire blues and jazz history, starting with Jelly Roll Morton and ending with Ornette Coleman. As Miles says in an interview :  “And as much as anything, after a lifetime’s study, what this music has given me is a sense of the enormity of spirituality; of being American, of being African-American; of how privileged I am to walk that path and how much work I still have to do. There are so many people who’ve inhabited this music: living it, writing it, playing it, listening to it. So you just find a way to be you in it, to find your way in it. That’s what we’re trying to do on Quiver.”

He's too humble in fact. Three tracks come from the great jazz tradition, with tunes as wide apart as "There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears" by Fred Fisher, "Doin' The Voom Voom" by Duke Ellington, and "Days Of Wine And Roses" by Henry Mancini.

The six other tracks were penned by Miles, and they capture the same feeling even more : a sensitive and inventive evocation of deep roots, full of dust and wide landscapes, yet intimate and human, friendly and easily switching from sadness to joy, two basic feelings that lie at the basis of most music, and that are also reflected in the form that is rock solid in the themes and harmonies, yet as free as it gets in the improvisations.    It's at times amazing to hear how the trio changes the piece completely upside down and shows all various aspects and possible modes of playing in a row, as if it's the easiest thing in the world, and all that while improvising and enjoying themselves. It all feels so relaxed and playful that it's hard to believe that three musicians are thinking and listening with extreme focus and concentration. Don't expect any of the fashional feelings of anger or distress or violence or even surpise and wonder. This is pure jazz, in one of its finest dresses.

And the overall result is stellar. Ear candy from beginning to end.


© stef

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Payton MacDonald, Peter Evans, Elliott Sharp - Payton Peter Elliott (Savory Art) 2011 ****½

By Philip Coombs

I have found a new jazz electric fence. A record that I can play at home or at the office to guaranty 65 minutes of peace and uninterrupted critical listening time. Age, however, has led me to a better place, a place where I want to share the joys of jazz. On any given day, as I listen to the Payton Peter Elliott album, a lost soul would walk into my office and ask for something. Inevitably, the question is asked; "What is this?" In response, I would pull my chair a little closer to my desk, place my elbows on it and grin while saying.......

"This, my friend, is Payton MacDonald on marimba as well as Elliott Sharp on guitar and Perter Evans on trumpet, three wonders in their respective fields on an album that is totally worth the effort to find. Listen and absorb every last second of it."

I start the album again. The opener, Warm Up Étude, is their study of just that, a warm up. They all start blowing, strumming and hammering in a syncopated rhythm which increases in tempo as they run through their own techniques for getting ready to perform. The exercise increases in intensity until Elliott hits the note that the other two musicians fall into. The tone has been set, they are ready to begin.

The three longer tunes are titled as trio efforts; Paytonpeterelliott 1 (Track 2), 2 (Track 4), and 3 (Track 7). Spread out over the duration of the album, these tracks give each musician a chance to be a part of an ever shifting improvisation. The real treat here is listening to them listen. They give each other plenty of room to explore the various sounds of their instruments whether it be the tone generation of the marimba's lower resisters or the controlled feedback of the guitar or the sputter of the trumpet. And it works. There are moments when I wake up from being transfixed, that I want to start the track over again. The only thing stopping me is the knowledge that something else great is about to follow.

Then there are the solos. On these three tracks, literally named for the player, the focus shifts to the soloist as the remaining pair design the mood for him to play over. On Elliott Solo, (Track 3) Sharp, who has many composer credits under his belt, takes us on a journey that seems focused and determined to get as much out of the listener as he gets sounds from his guitar and amp. He goes from muted tapping to harmonics to full distortion like they were chapters in his tale.

It is during Payton Solo, that I gained my first real appreciation for the way MacDonald plays the marimba. There is a real earthiness that exudes from the instrument's resonance as sticks hit wood. Another great story weaving though the mind and hands of a percussionist who has also written chamber music and music for percussion ensembles.

Peter Evans, on Peter Solo, proves once again that he doesn't need oxygen the way the rest of us humans do. His solo doesn't seem as settled as the other two which allows him to squeeze as many new sounds as possible through his horn. Some of these new explorations need time to stew and he is not afraid to give us that time.

The final track, Cool Down Étude, continues where the opening track left off, finishing the album with the barely audible sound of an amplifier being turned off. Great touch!

Definitely one of the best things I've heard in quite awhile.

I look up and someone else has entered my office. I smile and start the album again.

Can be downloaded through emusic.

Buy from Instantjazz.  


Both Payton and Peter together:



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Nakatani, Tiner, Drake - Ritual Inscription (Epigraph, 2012) ****½

 By Stef

A new trio, a new label, and the music is as fresh and unpredictable as you might expect. The line-up is unusual too : Tatsuya Nakatani on percussion, Kris Tiner on trumpet and Jeremy Drake on guitar and electronics.

The music is raw, open-ended and strangely enough, deeply emotional. Tiner has the incredible power to make his trumpet tone wail like Lester Bowie could, in an almost human-like fashion, stretching the tone, and then bending it upwards like a blues guitar string, or just - equally Bowie-esque, producing low bluesy grumbles alternated with crystal-clear joyful jubilation.

Drake's guitar does not sound like a guitar at all, most of the time resorting to sonic soundscapes of the harsher kind, with low-toned feedback and full reverb, or using gentle strokes to make strings sing. Nakatani too is a colorist, not a percussionist in the time-keeping sense, but an artist who creates sonic experiences by emphasising, thundering or by adding subtle touches or mad rattles. 

Despite the sometimes raw and dark atmosphere, the total sound is exceptionally beautiful and crisp, music that will grab you by the throat as well as make you dream. It's especially the contrast between both that makes this great art, the tension between Tiner's gentle humanity on the one hand, and Drake's horror-movie sounds on the other, with Nakatani embracing both ends of the spectrum, that make this performance really worth looking for.

 Highly recommended ... but only 500 vinyl copies available, so you'd better hurry.



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