Chicago Expat Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) Since learning of great new jazz being released today is the primary reason I'm here, I figured I'd start a discussion thread where we could post a quick rec of new releases that are getting repeat plays in our stereos. I'll start... Fabrice Sotton - "L'attente" I discovered Fabrice almost exactly a year ago when I picked up his (then) new release "Terre Inconnue" while roaming the emusic catalog. Now, one year later, he has a new album out (L'attente). He's a piano player, switches between traditional and electric keyboards, sometimes within the same song (to great effect). His typical sound is a bit on the quiet introspection side, but no so much that you'd think you were listening to some ECM piano trio. He does seem to prefer the trio setting, but on both the albums of his I own, guest musicians sit in from song to song and add horns or strings or odd effects. If I had to compare Fabrice to other musicians, I'd say his music has the quiet resonance of an Abdullah Ibrahim solo piano while still able to incite some of the playful bounciness of a Vince Guarldi tune. He's one of my repeat first-of-the-morning plays. I've only started listening to L'attente, but like it very much. Terre Inconnue I've owned for a year now and it still gets played a couple times a month. Here's his website, which lets you listen to all his albums in full... http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://sottonclub.musicblog.fr/&ei=zeohTcaTEIuusAP0irmaDw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEUQ7gEwBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522fabrice%2Bsotton%2522%2B%2522l%2527attente%2522%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DYRS%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26prmd%3Divnso Edited January 21, 2011 by Chicago Expat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) A couple of new ones heard this week that I like: Carlo de Rosa's Cross Fade/Brain Dance. I especially like Mark Shim's tenor on this one, as well as Vijay Iyer on piano. http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Dance-Carlo-Rosas-Cross-Fade/dp/B004DK49WS/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1295620408&sr=1-1 And trombonist Steve Davis' Live at Smalls, with Larry Willis, Mike Dirubbo, Gerald Cannon, and Willie Jones III, is a pretty nice live recording. Larry Willis is of course wonderful, but I quite like Dirubbo on alto, who I hadn't heard before. http://www.amazon.com/Live-Smalls-Steve-Davis-Quintet/dp/B003NKU9LY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295620318&sr=1-1 Edited January 21, 2011 by kh1958 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I see from Brad Shepik's site that he has a new album out... "Across the Way" Brad Shepik, guitar; Tom Beckham, vibraphone; Jorge Roeder, acoustic bass; Mark Guiliana, drums I listened to the samples and there was a full track listen for one song on the Songlines site... http://www.songlines.com/acrossthewaycontent.html ...but nothing on his own site or myspace for a better listen. Hopefully that will change after the official release date (which may be today, actually. He's playing a show at 55 Bar in NY today at which purchasing a ticket gets you a free album). The samples alone sound great. My introduction to Brad's music was last year's "Human Activity Suite", which is a great album. Shortly after that, I picked up "Lingua Frnca", an excellent album he did with Ralph Alessi and Matt Kilmer. A few months ago, I scooped up his album "Places You Go" off emusic, which was a decent album, though I don't play it that much. This new one, especially Shepik's sound on the guitar with the addition of vibes, it just makes perfect sense like two ingredients that inspire an innovative new dish. Very looking forward to it. I wish I could be at that show tonight. And trombonist Steve Davis' Live at Smalls, with Larry Willis, Mike Dirubbo, Gerald Cannon, and Willie Jones III, is a pretty nice live recording. Larry Willis is of course wonderful, but I quite like Dirubbo on alto, who I hadn't heard before. http://www.amazon.com/Live-Smalls-Steve-Davis-Quintet/dp/B003NKU9LY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295620318&sr=1-1 Those Live at Smalls discs are so nice. I just love they're able to record them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LWayne Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 While it might be an obvious choice, Joe Lovano's new CD "Birdsong" is a killer... LWayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 While it might be an obvious choice, Joe Lovano's new CD "Birdsong" is a killer... LWayne I was able to hear it on NPR's First Listen and it was pretty good. NPR, actually, did a decent job of presenting it, 'cause I also heard a track from it on NPR radio a few weeks back. Really went well with driving now that I think about it. I love finding "driving" albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Barton Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Joseph Daley's Earth Tones Ensemble - The Seven Deadly Sins - Jaro Brilliant compositions and some fine solos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright Moments Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Joseph Daley's Earth Tones Ensemble - The Seven Deadly Sins - Jaro Brilliant compositions and some fine solos... I agree. A great recording! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) Gerald Cleaver - "Be It As I See It" Avant-guard with some orchestral flourishes. This isn't the kind of sound my ears are interested in these days, but I can't stop listening to this album... it's that engaging, almost hypnotically. Highly recommend giving this a listen. Should appeal to Clean Feed junkies. You can stream the entire album on his Bandcamp page. Also, it costs ten bucks to download it there and you can get it in FLAC if you want it. From what I understand, buying through Bandcamp, more money goes to the artist than, say, on Amazon. http://geraldcleaver.bandcamp.com/ Edited February 10, 2011 by Chicago Expat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 One of the very best recently issued CDs I have heard in quite some time is this one. Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry II - Steeplechase This is one I consider a "creative gem". The tune selection is terrific, and Danko and the saxophone players dig deeply into the music. There are times when I get sense of a Tristano influence creeping in too. This is music that brings a large smile to my face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 One of the very best recently issued CDs I have heard in quite some time is this one. Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry II - Steeplechase This is one I consider a "creative gem". The tune selection is terrific, and Danko and the saxophone players dig deeply into the music. There are times when I get sense of a Tristano influence creeping in too. This is music that brings a large smile to my face. Yes, it is excellent. Dick & Richie really work well together. Have you heard the first one? You'll like that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 One of the very best recently issued CDs I have heard in quite some time is this one. Harold Danko Quintet - Oatts & Perry II - Steeplechase This is one I consider a "creative gem". The tune selection is terrific, and Danko and the saxophone players dig deeply into the music. There are times when I get sense of a Tristano influence creeping in too. This is music that brings a large smile to my face. Yes, it is excellent. Dick & Richie really work well together. Have you heard the first one? You'll like that too. I do have the first one and like it. But I think this 2nd one is even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LWayne Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Joseph Daley's Earth Tones Ensemble - The Seven Deadly Sins - Jaro Brilliant compositions and some fine solos... I agree. A great recording! I also agree with the plaudits for the new Joseph Daley recording. Got a copy from my friend in Germany and it is outstanding! LWayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldB3 Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Its been awhile since I posted here, hope everyone is well. The new Brad Shepik and Joe Lovano are both really nice. The one that is really grabbing me right now is the new Vijay Iyer titled Tirtha. Piano, Electric Guitar and Tabla. The reason it works so well is that it doesn't try to be jazz fusion or exotica or anything else, just nice telepathic interplay, polyrhythms and counterpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Not brand new, but close enough: Roscoe Mitchell/The Note Factory: Far Side (ECM) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonnymax Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Joseph Daley's Earth Tones Ensemble - The Seven Deadly Sins - Jaro Brilliant compositions and some fine solos... Damn, what a killer line-up! Saxophones Marty Ehrlich-Soprano, Jimmy Cozier-Alto Bill Saxton-Bob DeBellis-Tenor Howard Johnson-Baritone Sax, Contrabass Clarinet, Tuba Scott Robinson-Bass Saxophone, Sarrusophone, Contrabass, Saxophone Trumpets Lou Soloff, Stanton Davis, Eddie Allen, Reggie Pittman, Stephen Haynes Trombones Gary Valente, Alfred Patterson, Craig Harris Earl McIntyre-Bass Trombone/Tuba Bob Stewart-Tuba French Horns Vincent Chancey, Mark Taylor Rhythm Section Onaje Allan Gumbs-Piano Benjamin Brown-Contrabass, Electric Bass, Tuba Warren Smith-Vibraphone, Marimba, and Percussion Buddy Williams-Drum set, Percussion Satoshi Takeishi-Asian Drum set, Percussion William Bausch-Timbales, Percussion Richard Huntley-Percussion Joseph Daley-Composer, Conductor, Euphonium, Tuba Edited March 10, 2011 by sonnymax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I have been listening to Guillermo Klein's "Domador de Huellas" on Sunnyside. I've been hearing about Klein for years without getting around to checking him out. He's an Argentinian pianist/composer/arranger/bandleader and casual (but pleasing) singer, who went from Berklee to New York and was a pillar of Smalls in the 90s; now back in Buenos Aires. This release is his arrangements of songs by a 20th-century Argentinian songwriter, "Cuchi" Leguizamon, who seems to have written in traditional Argentinian forms but with a modern sensibility. This is one of the most beautiful and fascinating albums I've heard in years. The rhythms are Argentinian, the band, particularly the trumpet, also has a Latin sort of sound, but it's not percussion-heavy dance music or sing-along folk songs. Nothing like that. Most of the pieces are slow to medium-tempo developments of rich melodies, subtle harmonies and deceptively effective rhythms for a band consisting of piano, electric piano, two trumpets, sax, clarinet/bass clarinet, electric bass and drums. Not too much soloing. Klein sings on some pieces, guest vocalists on some others (including the excellent Liliana Herrero), and the rest are instrumental. One of the distinctive things about it is Klein's use of piano and electric piano as separate voices, with the electric piano adding color and cool spice to the arrangements. There's lots of depth and space, and great economy of movement. Nothing is wasted, and every note counts. I've been listening to it over and over for a couple of weeks and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. I am resolved to get all Klein's other albums, for he is clearly a rare talent. Here is a review that sums it up nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) I have been listening to Guillermo Klein's "Domador de Huellas" on Sunnyside. Here is a place you can stream the album (legally) to decide if you want to purchase it. Thanks to the gracious gesture to the Cuchi tribute site and Klein himself to allow the stream of his beautiful album. http://cuchitribute.com/ I'm a big Klein fan. While Domador isn't my favorite of his albums, once an artist accumulates a solid body of work, the word 'favorite' loses its currency some. Domador a solid album and I'm glad I bought it. Cheers. Edited March 10, 2011 by Chicago Expat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Michel Portal's new album "Bailador" just popped up on emusic. Personnel: Michel Portal: bass clarinet, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Lionel Loueke: guitar; Bojan Z: piano; Scott Colley: bass; Jack DeJohnette: drums. Portal is a new discovery for me. Apparently he was heavily involved in the free improvisation movement, and from the track samples and youtube vids I've seen from this album and past, those influences can be heard, but this doesn't sound like a free jazz album. Tough to say, since I'll have to buy it to listen to it to see if it's up my alley, lol. I probably will pick this up eventually. I'm sizing up an album he did of reinterpretations of songs he did for soundtracks. Bailador has a hell of a line-up, that's for sure. It's also now available at Amazon as a DL for just a buck more. I'll probably buy at Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) Also, Mathias Eick has a new album coming out soon on ECM. His last album, "The Door" was astounding... a perfect rainy day album. Eick's "Door" had more life that a typical ECM modern day release does and brilliantly managed to incorporate a slide guitar into the flow of things. His new album is called "Skala". Here's the ECM player with samples. It's probably all we'll get. Eicher/ECM is pathetically stingy with preview listens of ECM albums, and the individual musicians seem to fall right in line behind him. Tough to even find a handful of tracks on a myspace for some of these guys. But that's my personal gripe. The new Eick album still sound intriguing. http://player.ecmrecords.com/eick Edited March 11, 2011 by Chicago Expat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 Can't say I'm a Portal fan, but he's considered an important figure in France. He has a long career as a respected classical clarinetist and can be seen doing clarinet concertos with symphony orchestras as well as playing with hip international jazz musicians in projects of his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted March 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 Can't say I'm a Portal fan, but he's considered an important figure in France. He has a long career as a respected classical clarinetist and can be seen doing clarinet concertos with symphony orchestras as well as playing with hip international jazz musicians in projects of his own. I've only begun to dig into his discography, but I've found some things to like thus far, and then also some things that don't appeal to me as much. Those in the latter category seem to be the ones influenced by his classical roots, but that's just a first impression. Portal appeals to me much in the same way Benjamin Koppel does. Their careers and sounds seem to share some common ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Two releases this month by Steven Lugerner, a multi-instrumentalist I just discovered today. The first... "Narrative" by the Steven Lugerner Septet Steven Lugerner - Soprano & Alto Saxophones, Clarinets Lucas Pino - Tenor Saxophone & Flute Itamar Borochov - Trumpet and Flugelhorn Angelo Spagnolo - Guitar Glenn Zaleski - Piano Ross Gallagher - Bass Michael W. Davis - Drums Aptly titled album, as the recording has the intimate feel of a good epic novel. Has sort of a Guillermo Klein meets Brian Blade feel to it. I've been streaming this album all day long today and still can't get enough of it. Nice layering of sounds, sounds seamless in its construction. There's some guitar work on this album I love, some odd playing that's so deftly ambient; don't know what he's doing, but love it. The other album he's releasing this month... "These are the Words" - Steven Lugerner Quartet Steven Lugerner - Saxophones, Clarinets, Double Reeds and Flute Darren Johnston - Trumpet & Flugelhorn Myra Melford - Piano Matt Wilson - Drums More challenging of a sound. Actually, when I saw Myra Melford was on the album, the way this album sounded didn't surprise me at all. "These are the Words" is the sour to "Narratives" sweet... I don't think that's too terribly dopey to say. The last song on this album ("The Evening Episode") might be my favorite song of both albums. He's on amazon and emusic. You can also buy either album on Bandcamp for $8 and $7 respectively or get the physical cds for that price. ALSO... You can stream both albums in their entirety on his Bandcamp site. http://stevenlugerner.bandcamp.com/album/these-are-the-words I've been listening to these albums over and over all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Received this one today enjoyed what I heard on the first spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Expat Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Received this one today enjoyed what I heard on the first spin. I really wanted to like that one more than I did. I own a couple Binney albums and plan to buy a few other things with his name on it. I decided to shelve that album for a later date, just chalk up my first impression as just not being in the mood. I think Binney is a real nice talent. Glad you liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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