Solo bass ....

By Stef

Solo bass, I love it. By definition almost. I love the sound of the wood, the raw physicality, the deep resonance, the velvety plucking sounds, the screeching overtone bowed phrases, the power, the predisposition for subtlety and nuance, if played well, its potential for tonal range, the variation between pizzi and arco, the living room proximity of the sound. And in the hand of majestic improvisers, the joy is doubled.


Nina de Heney - III (Found You Recordings, 2011) ****½

Nina de Heney, Swedish bassist and one-time student of Miroslav Vitous, is releasing her third solo bass album, and it is of staggering power and variation, ranging from the highly rhythmic repetitiveness of "Cerebella Mill" over the bowed and percussive explorations on "Eardrum Peak" to the gutwrenching howls of "Rev Dong Lick" or the hypnotic multiphonics on "Karma Deer Up". 

Even if she is uncompromosing in her approach, it is the real stuff, authentic and enveloping ... impossible to remain unmoved by the sheer musical power of her art.

Strong.


William Parker - Solo Bass/Crumbling In The Shadows Is Fraulein Miller's Stale Cake (AUM Fidelity, 2011) ****½

There is no doubt that all readers of this blog know bassist William Parker and possibly most of us have seen him perform at one time or another. He is the king of contemporary jazz bass, if such a title can be used. On this triple CD box set, he offers us three solo performances, one being a re-issue of "Testimony" from 1994, the other two bringing the live performance in Brooklyn in August last year.

The first CD starts with a long bowed piece, a stunning example of how to bring sound to live and to expression, with shimmering shades of tonal color reflecting the subtleties of the underlying emotions. It is only after thirty minutes, halfway through the second piece, that he starts playing a melodic and repeated phrase, as a kind of intro to start plucking his strings, first in a kind of dialogue between bowed and plucked sequences, then on the third track evolving into fully plucked, calmer, more meditative, with sparse moments of increased intensity.

The second CD starts darker, gloomier, with the aptly titled "Night Density". for another journey through musical excellence and variation. Fans of his work as the rock solid rhythmic time keeper as a sideman, will appreciate "Velocity", the track that introduces a  more uptempo and regular rhythm, as a kind of moment of upbeat refreshment before the long but equally rhyhtmic last track.

The box comes with a booklet of stories and poems by Parker, and they all illustrate his deep feeling for peace and human freedom.

Cosmic music, indeed!

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The Spanish Donkey -XYX (Northern Spy, 2011) ****

By Paul Acquaro

You could try approaching XYX actively listening to every nuance and rhythmic shift, analyzing and digesting every note. Or, you could let it wash over you, letting its sonic sandpaper exfoliate your mind. Either way, you will not be able to escape the tingling rawness it inflicts.

I've tried both approaches, during the same listening session. The tracks "Mid-Evil" and "XYX", coming in at 38 and 22 minutes respectively, give ample time to tune in and out, as they evolve. Joe Morris' clean punctuating electric guitar, Jamie Saft's dark shifting array of keyboards and electronics (and occasional electric bass) and Mike Pride's tough and precise drumming lay down a sonic wash that nary lets up in intensity and constantly shifts in shades and tone. The group pushes and pulls time and texture to create a fantastic world of aggresively ambient sound and music.

At times, the electronics and percussion burble darkly laying a foundation for Morris's percolating melody lines. Pride's percussion adds flare to the ferociousness and helps propel the furious improvisations. Employing rhythm and sound over distinct melody, Saft amps up the intensity, and all three musicians are of equal importance in the mix. Midway into 'Mid-Evil', Saft's electronic tones, uncompromising sine waves and atonal shearings build into a gut wrenching climax that is just not to be missed.

While you may wonder what comfort you may find under this blanket of barbed wire (though it's certainly is more comfortable than the device gracing the album's cover), you may be surprised. This collection is an impressive display of texture, tone and dynamics and is a good, challening listen. Go in, be prepared, be ready, it's a little mean and rough but quite exhilarating.

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Peter Evans & Nate Wooley - High Society (Carrier Records, 2011) *****

By Joe Higham

Being a musician and playing a wide variety of music means that my family (kids and wife) are used to hearing wild sounds emanating from the hi-fi from time to time. But in certain cases I realise that maybe some music is not for wholesale consumption, and this .... is one of them! It's almost like a dream come true for a horn player (in this case trumpets) to be able to sound like Jimi Hendrix playing with feedback, however, it's more difficult to set fire to your trumpet, even with lighter fuel, you can hear Wooley and Evans had great fun making this recording. 'High Society' is as fascinating as it is unforgiving, there's no way out and no reference points to the trumpet as we know it. If you've heard Nate Wooley's Trumpet/Amplifier record then you'll already know how Wooley's starting to develop his style using this set up, here we have both Peter Evans and Nate Wooley blowing hot and cold through their trumpet/amplifier set ups.

It's almost impossible to give musical images for these tracks. Tracks such as I (track 3) make you wonder if the microphone is inside a turbine in a rocket engine, or is that the sound of something out in the desert somewhere? The two horn players use flutter tonguing, blowing, sucking, singing, spitting, banging the pistons, hitting the trumpet, it's all there. The fourth track LXVII starts like two wild animals in a fight, there are growls and screams, rattling, industrial crashes and explosions, music that's not for the faint hearted. However each track is so fascinating that you find yourself absorbed by the sounds as they change throughout each piece, each idea worked on and pushed to it's extreme and obvious conclusion. The sixth track XC is a fascinating piece as .. shock horror .. you get to hear a real muted trumpet sound as it's starting point. The track develops over 13 plus minutes into a real tour de force of sounds, feedback, screams, singing and real trumpet sounds, never dull moment.

Finally I should say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed listening to this one, and for something that is rather abstract. The music which although very intense is (I found) always interesting to come back to and I'm intrigued to see how they'll develop and follow up wonderful recording. I can only finish with a often used phrase from our chief critic and editor Stef ......... Highly Recommended.

Tags for this music could be - the wind, the sea, the washing machine, car engines, radio interference, food blenders, vacuum cleaners and the list goes on!

Buy from Instantjazz.


Live at The Zebulon in August 2011.

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Sonic explorations into the realm of the unknown unknowns

By Stef

I'm not sure whether the "free jazz" name of this blog is still appropriate for the music reviewed, but with the records below, we go deep into sonic explorations, with no need for any reference, or any tradition. Just sounds and sounds and sounds doing what they are supposed to do : surprise us, captivate us. The great thing about attentive listening to this music is that it forces you to listen differently, as if music and background sound of whatever nature mingle, as if the sounds you hear represent something that is happening in your own immediate environment, as if the sounds are not just sounds but the result of real life things happening around you. It opens new doors of perception.

Lucio Capece & Birgit Ulher - Choices (Another Timbre, 2011) ****

Lucio Capece plays bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, effects, while Birgit Ulher plays trumpet. None of those instruments sound as you would expect, sometimes as percussion, sometimes like whispers or far-away engines, shimmering layers of sound, yet the result is often perplexing.

Taylor Ho Bynum, Joe Morris, Sara Schoenbeck - Next (Porter Records, 2011) ****

Taylor Ho Bynum plays cornet, flugelhorn, bass trumpet and piccolo trumpets, Joe Morris is on guitar and Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon. The trio brings a sequence of fragile interactions of embracing sounds. These are intimate chamber improvisations, sweet and cuddly even at times, enveloped around silence, with the instruments being played at minimum volume, and despite the dissonance, the abstract phrasing, the end result is one of a contradictory soothing, unhurried calm.

Jennifer Allum & Eddie Prévost - Penumbrae (Matchless, 2011) ****

Speaking about silence, violinist Jennifer Allum and free improv giant Eddie Prévost on bowed percussion create a subtle and refined sound sculpture, on which notes barely change, tones barely surface the silence, and in which both instruments strangely merge until violin and percussion become one. The result is absolutely mesmerising at times.

Ernesto Rodriguez - Suspensão (Creative Sources, 2011) ****

Silence with two is one thing, but silence with eight musicians is a real feat. The band is Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, harp, metronomes, objects, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Gil Gonçalves on tuba, Nuno Torres on alto saxophone, Abdul Moimeme on prepared electric guitars, Armando Pereira on accordion and toy piano, Carlos Santos on electronics and piezo elements, and José Oliveira on percussio. The "suspense" in the title is well chosen, as the music's minimalism creates the kind of tension that you wish would explode, come to a paroxysm, come to an orgasm, but it doesn't. The sound is the calm before the storm, the fear before the killing, the sensitivity before the climax. That kind of tension. Slowly evolving, close to silence, with instruments adding shades of sound, whispers, scrapings, bows, ...


Kim Myhr - Live at Ringve Museum (Audition Records, 2011) ****

I already praised Norwegian guiatist Kim Myhr for his collaboration in "Nectars of Emergence". On this album he plays 12-string, baroque and nylon string guitars, zithers, small percussion, and is accompanied by Burkhard Beins on percussion and objects, Kari Rønnekleiv on viola, violin and hardanger fiddle, and Nils Ostendorf on trumpet. This Norwegian-German quartet uses the same minimalist approach of built-up tension without real release, with an intensity that is almost tangible. It is very short, but the result is absolutely impressive.

Silencers - Balance Des Blancs  (Sofa, 2011) ****

We find guitarist Kim Myhr and trumpeter Nils Ostendorf back in the company of French pianist Benoît Delbecq and percussionist Toma Gouband, for another mesmerising journey into sonic unknowns, played with incredible control and mastery of the instruments. Delbecq shows the same restraint as Christian Wallumrød in "Dans Les Arbres", a band that can serve as a good comparator.


Listen and download from eMusic.

Michel Doneda, Jonas Kocher, Christoph Schiller - Grape Skin (Another Timbre, 2011) ****

This trio of Michel Doneda on sax, Jonas Kocher on accordion and objects, and Christoph Schiller on spinet, is possibly the most bizarre line-up you've ever heard, but the listening experience is again staggering. The sound you hear is impossible to describe or to qualify. It is zen music in a way, but again with the same impression of a sonic illusion, depending on how you listen, it can be equally terrifying. It is soothing and nerve-wracking at the same time. The listener decides.


What can I recommend? All of them, but that's of course too easy. I must admit that my interest and enjoyment of this music has come only in the last years, and because there are no references, it's hard to compare, but the quality is obvious in all of them. My suggestion : pick any one of them. Don't try to understand the music, just let go and experience without preconceptions. See how it affects you, then look out for the other albums. Musical enjoyment is guaranteed.

Somehow, the future of art music lies on the road these bands have taken.



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Premier Roeles - Ka Da Ver (Vindu Music, 2011) ***

By Stef

Dutch quartet with Fred van Duijnhoven on drums, Nico Huijbregts on piano, Gerard van der Kamp on sax, and  Harm-Jan Roeles on bass. Free jazz in the best tradition, if that's not a contradiction. Some short melodic pieces, some longer improvisations. EP. Nice work. Freedom with soul.

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My Silence - It Only Happens At Night (482 music, 2011) ****

By Stef

When drummer Mike Reed presents the idea to bass clarinetist Jason Stein and guitarist, keyboardist, turntablist Nick Butcher to form a trio, the music on this album is created, but the real touch of genius comes when they invite vocalist Sharon Van Etten to join.

Even if free in nature, the music is close to prog rock, with sweet melodies and harmonies evolving slowly and freely, with Van Etten's soft and crystal clear voice adding a dimension of folk and naive innocence. Yet this dreamworld of light textures is then broken by bouts of illogical instrumental parts, of an uncanny and eery nature, sometimes dissonant, but not always nightmarish, just hard to comprehend, hard to grasp, yet inviting. You have to undergo the sounds, like you have to play the lead role in the weirdest of your dreams, with shifting backdrops and contexts and characters, a victim of your own imagination.

The overall result may be too much prog rock for jazz fans, and too wildly free for rock fans, and too much of this and too much of that, but the blending of boundaries, and the surprising shifts in perspective works incredibly well on this album. All music fans will enjoy this, yet it will require some to be willing to open up.


Listen and download from eMusic.

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Heberer, Niggenkemper, Hertenstein and Badenhorst - almost times two

By Stef

I love the music of these guys. They sound fresh, inventive, clever, and utterly soulful and compelling. They are Thomas Heberer on trumpet, Joachim Badenhorst on clarinet, Pascal Niggenkemper on bass, and Joe Hertenstein on drums. The first three already made the excellent "Clarino" on No Business last year, while Heberer, Niggenkemper and Hertenstein released "HNH" on Clean Feed. And now they are back, with one trio and one quartet.

Thomas Heberer's Clarino - Klippe (Clean Feed, 2011) ****½

The incredibly impressive percussion-less chamber music on this album is the result of Heberer's own "Cookbook" notation, by which improvised phrases are played, repeated and then reintroduced into an agreed structure. The approach requires astute listening and concentration, an aspect which is audible in the music, and adds a kind of dimension of caution and fragility. In contrast to many other musicians of their generation, they hardly ever resort to extended techniques, yet they use their instruments in the most "voiced" traditional way, but with the skills of virtuosi.

The overall sound as a result is calm, precise and subtle, sometimes grave, sometimes playful, often full of wonder, full of surprise. There is an incredible tenderness for the notes played, and intense feeling of cohesion despite the freedom the musicians have. Even if some of the pieces sound abstract at first listen, this is easily compensated by the sensitivity in each musician's timbral richness and the emotional delivery.

I could start describing the music, but as usual words fail me. You have to listen to it yourself (here, on eMusic, for instance). Trust me, you won't be disappointed, 

Highly recommended!

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Joe Hertenstein, Thomas Heberer, Joachim Badenhorst, Pascal Niggenkemper  - Polylemma (Red Toucan, 2011) ****½

The album's title "Polylemma" means : "a choice from multiple options, each of which is (or appears) equally (un-)acceptable or (un-)favorable". And this is basically what you get, but with staggering result. Half the tracks are penned by Heberer, also in his Cookbook notation, the other half by Hertenstein, who is the leader of this band.

It is interesting to hear the same "Clarino" trio with the addition of drums, but it is not the same music plus a drummer. Yes, for sure, there are similarities, but this is music largely led by a drummer, and you can sense that immediately, in the steady pulse of the opening track, the references to old swing jazz, the sweet theme of "Sugar's Dilemma" turning into a real violent fight, a peak of volume that is absent on the trio album, or the last track "Nupeez", with its boppish bass line and crazy soloing. Also Heberer's compositions are tighter than on "Klippe", with unison lines, as on the clever "One Ocean At A Time", in which the rhythm section gets the dominant role, interrupted by sudden and changing themes.

It is obvious that a lot of thought went into these songs, lots of weighing of alternatives and possibilities, of selecting and discarding as its title suggests, yet the end result sounds nothing like a cerebral exercise, because of its incredible sense of spontaneity and musical joy that reverberates with every note.

These guys are really fantastic!


The choice is simple : buy both albums. Both are fresh, inventive, clever, soulful and compelling. The trio is more intimate and introvert, the quartet more expansive and extrovert, and hence they complete each other quite well. No choice this time. Both.


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Rob Brown Trio -Unknown Skies (RogueArt, 2011) ****

By Paul Acquaro

'Unknown Skies' posseses an intriguing quality: it seems to be precisely imprecise, the strength of its cohesion built upon the tensions of it coming apart. Song heads could almost be improvisations, they seem so naturally unfolding, yet unison accompaniment belies their composition. Rhythms unfold loosely yet totally in control, and it makes for quite a masterful mix.

Rob Brown's alto sax is in command here, it both soars and digs deep, beckoning you to follow but also suggesting that you may want to stand back from time to time. Craig Taborn's acoustic piano veers expertly both inside and outside the lines, supporting Brown, but also cutting free like on his angular and intense solo on the opening tune 'A Fine Line'. In fact, this track on the whole is an exciting statement that serves as a harbinger for the rest of the concert recording.

Throughout, Nasheet Wait's drumming is fantastic. Whether it is his kinetic intro to the album or providing urgent counterbalance to Brown's unbound solo on 'Bounce Back', the drumming is energetic and loose but detailed in the right places.

Though I had read of Brown before, I had not heard any recordings. Thus, while I cannot say how this recording relates to his discography, it seems like a fine introduction to my ears. His tone is evocative, full of bite, passion and melody. The tunes, while grounded (though bass-less) are not afraid to break free of their moorings and take the listener with them (but, you'll be pleased to know they return you safely - albeit a little roughed up - too). And througout the recording, the energy level is high. In my humble opinion, this is some good stuff.


Buy from Instantjazz.


(c) 2011 Paul Acquaro

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Drummers, percussionists, glockenspielers, and bell wizzards

 By Stef

Nothing as boring as a solo percussion album, you might think. Until you hear what can be done with it. Below, a short overview of new solo, duo, retrospective albums by percussionists, artists who not only have something to tell (ideas, concepts, ...) but also know how to tell them (technical mastery, inventiveness, ...) in such a way that the listener is drawn in the story and wants to hear what's coming next.The lack of melodies and harmonies make it very difficult to pigeonhole solo percussion albums within genres. So, for sure, this is not all jazz, mostly avant-garde. In any case innovative and worth listening to.

Lucas Niggli & Peter Conradin Zumthor - Profos (Not Two, 2011) ***½

The way Swiss percussionists Lucas Niggli and Peter Conradin Zumthor start this album makes my point. It is repetitive, minimalist and incredibly hypnotic. They move through various styles, ranging from "tribal experiments" to high-pitched whistling noises, yet a really strong performance. The "pièce de résistance" is the half-hour long last track, a magnificent acoustic soundscape.

Buy from Instantjazz.

Zlatko Kaučič - Emigrants (Leo Records) ***½

Slovenian percussionist Zlatko Kaučič came to my attention with "Tolminski Punt", a collaboration with Peter Brötzmann. Now we find him back for a solo performance on a variety of percussion instruments, ranging from ground drums, gong, glockenspiel, sansula, kalimba, marimbula, self-made instruments to voice and flute. Because the latter two, world jazz may apply as a subgenre, with folk elements. No doubt he is the strongest story-teller of the whole lot, evoking the emigrant's voyage. A universal story.

Buy from Instantjazz.

Llorenç Barber - Retrospective 1994-2001 (Audition Records, 2011) ****

Incredible piece of music by Spanish percussionist and bell wizzard Llorenç Barber. Very avant-garde, but also incredibly majestic and overwhelming, fireworks included.

Listen and download free EP here.

Paul Hession - 40 Years Of The Drummer (Audition Records, 2011) ***½

True, this is not a real solo percussion album, yet this EP is a great tribute to Paul Hession, one of the most innovative avant jazz drummers of the last decades. Enjoy him here in the company of Joe McPhee, Simon Fell, Mick Beck, Ewan Stefani, although the percussion really dominates, and how!

Listen and download free album here.


Watch Lucas Niggli and Peter Conradin Zumthor



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Andrew Lamb Trio - The Hues Of Destiny (CIMP, 2011) ***½

 By Stef

Jazz, and free jazz especially, is about directness, freedom, and a lack of formalism, and few other players combine these elements so well with the deep spiritual, festive and bluesy origins of the genre than saxophonist Andrew Lamb, here joined by Tom Abbs on bass and tuba (?), and Warren Smith on drums. And all three artists have performed and recorded a lot together. It's a real trio album, with a perfect cohesion among all three of them.

This album is more down to earth than the expansive predecessor "New Orleans Suite", although at moments, and especially in the title track, Lamb's playing is absolutely hypnotic, even sounding like North-African trance music.

On the other hand you have also pieces of less relevance, nice to listen to, like "Festival Di Mama" on which Lamb switches to flute, but with less gravity.  On the last track Lamb switches to pungi, an Indian reed instrument, offering the album a nice touch of universal spirituality.

The album's lack of ambition is at the same time a weakness and a strength, because it is not groundbreaking while being very authentic and human at the same time.

Listen and download on iTunes.

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