Andrzej Przybielski & Oleś Brothers - De Profundis (Fenommedia, 2011) ****½

By Stef

One of the key figures of Polish free jazz, "Major" Andrzej Przybielski passed away on February 9 of this year, after a long musical career that started with free jazz in the 60s. This is the third trio album with the magnificent rhythm section of the brothers Marcin Oleś on bass and Bartłomiej Brat Oleś on drums. The trio was planning a new studio album to be recorded later this year. Now, instead they released this live performance that took place  in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 26th April 2010, or almost exactly a year ago.

The album starts with Mongo Santamaria's Afroblue, best known from Coltrane's performances, with Przybielski starting solo with muted playing, from the start setting the tone of deep emotion, rhythm and musical freedom, three elements that will stay in high doses throughout the performance.

As with the trio's previous albums, the quality of the three players is such that they keep the listener mesmerized from beginning to end, with lots of sudden tempo and rhythm changes, breakneck speed climaxes as well as deep soul, joy and intense expressivity. As I've mentioned before, the Oleś brothers are just by themselves worth listening to, and they get ample time to demonstrate their solo and duet skills, yet the trio's virtuose interaction, and the incredible and soulful presence of Przybielski makes this a highly recommended album.

The absolute highlight is the trio improvisation "De Profundis", the title track, because it shows again how focused improvisation without formal restraints can lead to superb creativity in the hands of great artists. 

The album ends with a few words in Polish by the trumpeter, and an enthusiastic applause ... a sad farewell.


Listen to "Afroblue"



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Masami Akita!! Mats Gustafsson!! Jim O’Rourke!! - One Bird Two Bird (Editions Mego, 2011) ****

By Stef

Anyone interested in a wild listening experience? Check this one out. Masami Akita (Merzbow), Mats Gustafsson and Jim O'Rourke (ex-Sonic Youth) create the most monotonous brainsmashing deafening endless scream you've ever heard, lasting for fourty minutes, split in two pieces (side A and side B) of this limited edition sold out album.

Luckily for us, it's also available on iTunes.

The scream is Gustafsson on tenor blowing hard but single-toned, over a backdrop of noise, electronics, feedback and endless screeching. If you hear music while having a nightmare, this would be it.

The interesting thing is that all other music played after this album sounds mellow and bland by comparison, so you reach back for it, because it is so uncompromising and intense.

And in truth, I've had my share of young musicians who think they need to show some attitude by going totally over the top of conventions, yet this is different. You can hear the difference in the approach, you will be impressed by Gustafsson's incredible emotional power, you will love the subtle changes and the interplay with repeated listens. At times the tension subsides a little, as on the end of the first track, but with the second track it's again as if you've been dropped headfirst into a maelstrom of endless sonic agony.

Not for the faint of heart!

... and it is addictive.


Listen and buy from iTunes.

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Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls Vs. the Forces of Evil **** (Naim, 2011)

By Paul Acquaro

I hadn't heard Ted Sirotas work before digging into "Vs. the Forces of Evil", but just a glance through the personnel indicated I was in good company and the Latin groove of the opener "Grendel" -- reminiscent of Return to Forever ala Light as a Feather -- that came on when I clicked play on the iPod, confirmed that I was in for a treat.

'Vs. the Forces of Evil' is a recording dating back to 2000, it appeared as a CD release in 2001 and is now being rereleased by Naim digitally and on CD. Though pushing 11 years old, the sound is quite contemporary and it's great to listen to this group of musicians who have mostly moved on to other projects. The group, at this point in time, was Ted Sirota on drums, Geoff Bradfield on alto & tenor saxophones, and bass clarinet, Kevin Kizer on tenor saxophone, Rob Mazurek on cornet, Jeff Parker on guitar and Noel Kupersmith on bass.

The opening 'Grendel' is a tightly arranged tune, propelled by the strong aforementioned groove and features Mazurek's bright and energetic cornet playing off Sirota's effective high hat. Tight horn arrangements tie the soloists together, and the sax solo about three and a half minutes in builds in intensity, getting tangled up in the blankets of percussion, and finally building to a climax midway through the song. Parker pulls back the volume a bit, though his clean toned runs cannot dampen the rhythm section's smoldering intensity.

'Tight Rope' opens things up with elements of free playing and concurrent melodies. The drums rumble through the beginning and slowly build into a steady vamp. Parker's guitar takes on some different shapes here, employing effects and washes of sound. 'You Know Me', is a ballad with some tender but tough moments. Sirota's drums are front and center, setting the mood. The horn arrangement on raggae-ish 'Tubby' are spot on, and Parkers comping keeps the tune buoyant but still infuses a needed hint of darkness. Solos spin out of the song like little bolts of lightning in a Tesla ball.

'Impengu Dek Bengikai's' calypso like rhythm is infectious and the head arrangement is very cool, for a lack of a better word. Mazurek's cornet shines halfway through the tune, giving it a charge of energy. The two rather straight ahead bop tunes 'Dig to China' and 'Betsy's Bash' are uptempo romps with imaginative solos and some solid heads. Finally, the hard-bop genre is touched upon delightfully in the closing 'Wonder', in which Parker pulls out some sublime bluesy lines.

If there one thing to point out is that the energy is sometimes controlled by the arrangements a little more than I would like - there are moments when I'd love to hear it get kicked up one more notch. Regardless, the high level of musicianship, imaginative solos, solid arrangements and sheer variety of musical styles make this a recording something to come back to again and again.

Listen and download from eMusic.

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Tim Berne - Insomnia (Clean Feed 2011) ****½

By Joe Higham

Personnel:

Baikida Carroll (t), Chris Speed (cl), Dominique Pifarély (v), Erik Friedlander (cel), Jim Black (d), Marc Ducret (g), Michael Formanek (b), Tim Berne (as).

Tim Berne's international octet recorded INSOMNIA live in the studio, summer 1997, finally it gets to see the light of day now in 2011. If you know Tim Berne you're probably already aware of his compositional style, playing etc and this doesn't stray far from his normal territory. If however you're not so familiar here's your chance to enter into the world of Tim Berne in style.

In recent years Tim Berne has often been working with smaller groups with an almost 'in your face' style of playing and writing but this new (old) record places his work in a refreshingly new light. This octet plays two surprisingly soft yet intriguing compositions, a music which due in part to the extended line and use of stringed instruments, gives the music a quasi chamber ensemble feel. In more recent years we've heard the improvised 'Buffalo Collision' but also 'Science Friction' and 'Big Satan's' hard hitting style, very rhythmical, almost post punk. But here, even with Jim Black on hand to play drums (often as percussion), the music still stays kind of 'light' with a feeling of space. In this case it's a real eye opener (or is that ear) as you get a chance to really hear all the details of Berne's often complex music, a style that somehow remind me of Steve Coleman meets the tintinnabulation of Arvo Part, yet is totally original.

To discuss these long compositions - 'The Proposal' (35mins) and 'Open, Coma' (29 mins) - in a short review as this is difficult. Both compositions work in a similar way with themes and improvised sections developing either from or into miniature musical tutti. Some sections feature a solo instrument, some duos or become trios, quartets etc. Jim Blacks playing really deserves a mention here as he keeps the music (and the beat) going more like a percussionist, and even though he does play straight sections of drums he often gives the music a sense of tempo without actually using the whole kit. All the players shine throughout the disc with the likes of Marc Ducret giving a few wonderful acoustic (12 string) guitar features such as the opening to 'Open, Coma'. Chris Speed is his usual sublime self with a beautiful sound and soloing that is his trademark. Baikida Carroll (someone I know less) also stands out on several occasions with a fine sound and excellent improvisational ideas. Tim Berne is of course himself as always, searching and soulful.

Anyone who knows Berne's music probably has a favourite record (*) and this is also a record with much to recommend it, good compositions, strong soloing and due to the dense music, but light instrumental sound, it's quite easy to listen to. If you don't know Tim Berne it could be a good place to start, and for others, it's probably another disc to add to your Berne collection.

(*) = Mine's probably 'Feign'.

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Listen and download from eMusic.

    

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Rob Mazurek - Calma Gente (Submarine Records, 2010) *****

By Stef

Cornettist Rob Mazurek is some kind of a musical genius. He has played everything from bop over rock to weird avant-garde, yet at the same time he managed to create several musical styles that can be called his own, and good ones at that.

His new album, released on an obscure Brazilian label, country where he now resides, is again an absolute feast for the ears and mind. We find back the broad cinematic sweeping themes of the Exploding Star Orchestra, but then in a kind of musical collage, with sounds upon sounds perfectly mixed changing the background for the joyful cornet solos like a kaleidoscope, ever changing, and all that with odd meters and changing tempi.

As one of the originators of the post-rock of Isotope 217 and Tortoise, we also find back these rock-based elements, yet sometimes closer to the mad rhythmic subtleties of the Penguin Café Orchestra ("Purple Sunrise"), with lots of Brazilian influences. The music is a times incredibly dense, with many instruments mixed together, but you also get the other extreme of light-textured duos or solos, including a wonderfully sweet guitar and cornet duet, that will move to tears, as its title suggests.

All compositions are of the same high level, but my favorite is the long and hypnotic "The Passion Of Yang Kwei-Fe" on which Mazurek on cornet but especially Nicole Mitchell on flute elevate it into even higher areas of extreme sensitivity.

The musicians include Thomas Rohrer, Nicole Mitchell, members of the Exploding Star Orchestra, Hurtmold, São Paulo Underground, Black Earth Ensemble,  and Kiko Dinucci.

Anyone who claims that this music is not jazz, is probably right, but then who cares. Again, Mazurek takes us along on a wonderful musical journey, full of weird sounds, industrial ambient, compelling themes, madness, lots of incredible craftmanship and emotional delivery, and a percussive delight.

Below I put a short list with the links to the most recent albums by the composer. You will notice that most of them already got 5 star ratings, and you will also notice that I do not like everything he does.

Exploding Star Orchestra : We Are All From Somewhere Else : 5 stars
Sound Is : 5 stars
Bill Dixon & The Exploding Star Orchestra : 5 stars
Abstractions on Robert d'Arbrissel 4.5 stars
Exploding Star Orchestra : Stars Have Shapes : 4.5 stars
Chicago Underground Duo - Boca Negra : 4.5 stars
Chicago Underground Trio - Chronicle : 4 stars
Sao Paulo Underground - The Principle Of Intrusive Relationships : 3.5 stars
Rohrer, Mazurek, Takara, Barella - Projections Of A Seven Foot Ghost: 3 stars
Tigersmilk - Android Love Cry
Tigersmilk - Tales From The Bottle

It's also easy to recommend his work with Isotope 217 and Tortoise, but also the excellent EP "Lila" by HIM is worth a listen.

Listen to Obliqua



Buy from Submarine Records. The original album was badly produced, with two seconds of silence in between the tracks, so it was recalled, and the problem is solved. The new issue brings the music as it should be heard in one long suite-like composition.


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Albert Beger Quartet - Big Mother (2008) ****

By Stef

At the occasion of Earth Day, April 22, 2011, saxophonist Albert Beger shares his CD "Big Mother", dedicated to mother earth, for free with everyone.

I reviewed the album in 2008 when it was originally released.  I have listened to the album again in the past few days. When the album was released, I said his playing was influenced by both Coltrane and Ayler, with Dewey Redman coming to mind once in a while. Now, three years later, I hear a strong similarity to the pre-commercial Gato Barbieri, the Argentinian who could be very deep and passionate and expansive, an emotional "screamer" - in the positive sense : building his quite accessible soloing, starting deep in his guts to soaring climaxes of high overblowing.

Read more and download the album for free from Albert Beger's website.

A great initiative by a great musician.

Enjoy the music.

Leave no footprint.



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Honey Ear Trio - Steampunk Serenade (Foxhaven Records, 2011) ****

By Paul Acquaro

The Steampunk literary genre essentially imagines a present informed by Victorian sensibilities and driven by steam technology. Imagine though, just for a moment, another alternate present in which popular music is not shaped by lowest common denominator tastes and gobs of derivative schmear. What do you hear? For me, the top forty slots are pretty much dominated by groups like the Honey Ear Trio.

The trio, sax, drum and bass, with some electronics and effects for added dimension, runs the gamut of styles and influences as they assemble their own vision for today's music. They can be convincingly tender, as on the retelling of 'Over the Rainbow' and quite tough, like in the inspired rock tune 'Olney 60/30'. Dark pop sensibilities shade the tunes, especially the title tune, and all of the arrangements embrace free improvisation. The songs are carefully arranged but minimally constructed, leaving the players, like saxophonist Erik Lawrence, the room to develop some excellent solos.

Bassist Rene Hart and drummer Allison Miller provide thick melodic and harmonic counterpoint. The rhythm section compliments and contrasts the horn as this tight knit trio works together delightfully to create tunes that draw on free jazz, bebop, and rock. 'Six Netted' is not that unlike something from Ornette Coleman's catalog and the aforementioned 'Over the Rainbow' recalls ephemeral Frisell like textures.

The majestic yet forlorn 'Eyjafjallajokull (Icelandic Volcano Hymn)' is an ode to the eruption that snarled air traffic throughout Europe and linguistically challenged American newscasters, and it's a highlight. The drums rumble, the bass has gravitas and the sax is majestic. It is a theme that evokes sweeping panoramas of desolate windswept expanses and smoldering craters.

'Steampunk Seranade', the debut album of this New York based trio is an accessible effort that successfully draws on genres past and present as well as American and European idioms to create its own vision of modern jazz. Recommended to all who enjoy any kind of music at all.


Available through eMusic, iTunes, Bandcamp.



         

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Avram Fefer Trio - Eliyahu (Not Two, 2011) ****

By Stef

It's been two years since this trio released "Ritual", and this new release continues in the same, and excellent vain. I praised Avram Fefer's soulful lyricism on alto and tenor, I praised the fantastic rhythm section of Eric Revis on bass and Chad Taylor on drums, and I can only do the same now, and possibly even more.

From the very first notes, this album is guaranteed to bring you in a good mood. The ingredients are familiar, but it takes a good cook to turn these into a real special dish. You will hear lots of soul, African rhythms, blues, and all this on a solid relentless, often hypnotic rhythmic foundation with the leader sharing warmth and sympathy and musical joy and the love of life itself. Interestingly enough, it's only after writing the previous sentence that I read the same phrase in the liner notes, as one of the values that Fefer's late father, Eliyahu, tried to share with him. So he really manages to get that feeling across : the love of life, even in times of sadness.

Fefer's tone is like magic, it is round, clear, precise, and deeply emotional. Apart - or maybe as part of - from his lyricism, he also has an incredible sense of rhythm and pace in his improvisations, emphasising, pausing, building tension, or blowing away, accompanied with an incredible sense of focus on the original theme. 

And as a trio the band is strong, you hear the spontaneity and fluency of their interaction as a perfect match, as well in tone and overall musical approach, just listen how the solidity of Revis' vamp on "Essaouira" allows Taylor to go along on his cymbals with the lyricism of the tenor, then taking the lead in some deep rumbling on his toms.

Indeed a joy from beginning to end. You need a good mood? Don't hesitate.

Buy from Instantjazz.


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Sei Miguel & Pedro Gomes - Turbina Anthem (No Business, 2011) *****

By Stef

There aren't that many trumpet-guitar albums, and I must admit that I like the line-up. This duet between trumpeter Sei Miguel and Pedro Gomes on guitar is something unique. Both are minimalists, but while Miguel using his trumpet mainly in a traditional and voiced mode, Gomes extracts sweet acoustic sounds or extremely harsh electric sounds from his guitar.

Yet it is far from noise : the volume of the guitar is low, the distortion maximal, the notes minimal. Both musicians play plaintive, sad phrases, full of longing and crying and pain and restrained anger, quietly, almost resigned yet extremely expressive. The album is so powerful that the listening experience is of an immediacy that is uncommon. The feelings they have seem to be transmitted directly to the listener, without the distance of appreciation or interpretation or any other form of rationalisation.

You feel the sounds, the sounds are what you feel in a real phyisical sense : setting your nerves on edge, sending shivers down your spine, giving you goosebumps, making you want to flee or cry. The few, more bluesy, pieces with acoustic guitar come as a relief, a welcome pause for the nervous system ... only to be dragged back into a universe of extreme tension : an uneasy beauty, harsh warmth, raw embraces, hard truths ... as if every release of tension creates its own new tension again ... And it requires incredible skill to maintain this for the entire album, without straying, without relinquishing the concept.

This is music without compromise, yet its vision is clear, its voice is unique, a listening experience that is not always pleasant, but extremely rewarding.

Great art.

Buy from Instantjazz.

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Nate Wooley & Taylor Ho Bynum - The Throes (CIMP, 2011) ****½

By Stef

There isn't much music with a double trumpet frontline, and when this frontline consists of Nate Wooley (on trumpet) and Taylor Ho Bynum (on cornet) the expectations are even higher.  They played together on several of my five star albums of recent years, including "Guewel" and "Ashcan Rantings". And they deliver the goods, with Ken Filiano on bass and Thomas Fujiwara on drums to complete the quartet.

The music is a kind of free bop, clearly indebted to the Ornette Coleman heritage, but then also reaching far beyond it, into today's music, full of quirky elements and technical sophistication and lots of fun and earcandy.

Next to the six "composed" pieces, the album contains four duets, each time by one of the horn players alternating with bass and drums.

The compositions are fine, but the soloing and the interplay are excellent, with the kind of high energy urgency, intensity, immediacy and expressivity that lifts the genre above many other musical styles. And that's not only the result of the horns, just listen to the fabulous interaction between Filiano and Fujiwara on "Face To The Sun". Or listen to the gradual build-up of "Narrows" evolving from alternating free form duets into some form of loose theme only to be deconstructed and reconstructed again, changing the rhythm, adding a bass vamp, increasing the intensity into a climax.

And then to hear these musicians interact is already worth the purchase of the album : the trumpets are duelling, reinforcing each other, going off on different tangents, playing, but also capable of creating more emotional atmospheres.

The weirdest composition, but one of the most memorable is "Ish", built around a strange theme giving a kind of sucking sound as if the music was played backward, then changing into vibrating and hovering trumpet sounds hanging in thin air, evolving into a kind of quarreling dialogue, then to bop.

And that's without a doubt the great power of this album : its endless thematic development and changes making the music quite elusive and very captivating at the same time. You can't take hold of it, but it takes hold of you!

Highly recommended.


Listen and download from iTunes.

Watch the band play "Face To The Sun"



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