Modern/Avant New Releases: A running thread

[T.D.]

17 hours ago, felser said:

Website also indicated that out of stock items for this offer would be filled with "similar items".  Reminds me of the very early 70's Record Club of America scheme, where, if they were out of stock on an item you ordered, they just sent something else instead.  But in this case, hard to go too far wrong.  ...

I got e-mail today informing me that only 2 of 11 ordered titles were in-stock. Andrea kindly offered the option of substitution or refund. 

I went for substitution. What the heck, most of my selections were shots in the dark anyway.

Edited December 27, 2022 by T.D.

[Eric]

On 12/25/2022 at 9:47 AM, Steve Reynolds said:

Not going mention any right now but the number of great new releases I’ve heard is overwhelming this past year. Most jazz listeners are simply missing out. Seems most here (not on this thread) simply don’t give a shit about the truly exciting new music being recorded and being performed live for the past 5-10 years. 

Consider me a jazz listener who is missing out.  Would love to have a list of 10-15 titles to explore when you (or anyone who follows this thread) have a chance.  

[Rabshakeh]

On 12/25/2022 at 3:47 PM, Steve Reynolds said:

Not going mention any right now but the number of great new releases I’ve heard is overwhelming this past year. 

Same as the above. I'd be very interested to hear.

I was getting morose on Twitter the other day about how much less interesting this year's jazz releases seem to me to be, in comparison to around three years ago, but I was schooled by a kindly passing Samaritan (a member of this board) who pointed out a number of great releases that seem to have been missed by the social media clout chasers.

I'm still not sure that this year's has been quite at the level of when the International Anthem lot or the various younger Braxton alumni were just coming through, but there's clearly been some good stuff and I would like to hear more.

I should add that social media is a great way to find out about new releases, but a lot of it is just clout chasing bores. The quality of recommendations on this thread is generally far higher, despite the propensity for the dreaded box sets!

[mjazzg]

I've been lurking and a touch reluctant to jump into the conversation.

Five years ago I was all over this thread and listened almost exclusively to the music that Steve so eloquently advocates for. I have CDs in the thousands to witness this.

However, more recently I've become increasingly one of the board members that spike Steve's frustration and ire as I have moved away from buying the freer end of the spectrum. I'm not sure why but I think I hit a saturation point where I started to find it difficult to hear things I hadn't thought I'd heard before. I have followed the music long enough to know that there is a constant evolution and change, evident perhaps at different times at different speeds, but somehow I largely stopped being able to hear this.

An explanation may be that I was increasingly unable to engage with this music in a live setting, still the best place to hear it I think. Not hearing it live perhaps led to a failure to stimulate more interest. I'm guessing.

I bought perhaps ten titles this year that would fit snugly in this thread and enjoyed them all. (I bought many more that were over 40 years old and much more Jazz orientated). This gives me hope that I can still visit this thread happily and enjoy reading posts by Steve Reynolds, colinmce et al 

Here's to everyone enjoying whatever they listen to but also to progressive improvisors continuing to do their very important thing 😄

 

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by mjazzg

[colinmce]

If this is any help, here is a list of my 25 favorite jazz & improvised music releases of 2022:

Michael Bisio Quartet – MBefore (Tao Forms)
Anthony Braxton & James Fei - Duet (Other Minds) 2021 (Other Minds)
Frank Carlberg Trio - Reflections 1952 (577 Records)
Dan Clucas/Kyle Motl/Nathan Hubbard - Daydream and Halting (FMR)
Andrew Cyrille/Enrico Rava/William Parker - 2 Blues for Cecil (TUM)
Kaja Draksler/Susana Santos Silva - Grow (Intakt)
Martín Escalante/Teté Leguia/Weasel Walter – Katyusha (ugEXPLODE)
Barry Guy And Friends – Kraków 2018 (Not Two)
Maya Homburger/Barry Guy/Lucas Niggli – Acanthis (Maya Recordings)
Sven-Åke Johansson/Pierre Borel/Axel Dörner/Joel Grip/Simon Sieger - Stumps (Ni Vu Ni Connu)
Takehisa Kosugi & Mototeru Takagi – 薫的遊無有 / Infinite Emanation (Chap Chap)
Lantana - Elemental (Cipsela)
Daunik Lazro/Jouk Minor/Thierry Madiot/David Chiésa/Louis-Michel Marion - Sonoris Causa (NoBusiness)
Denman Maroney/Scott Walton/Denis Fourner - O Kosmos Meta (RogueArt)
Joe McPhee/Tomeka Reid - Let Our Rejoicing Rise (Corbett Vs. Dempsey)
Joe Morris/Agustí Fernandez/Brad Barrett/DoYeon Kim - Other Galaxies (Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Fred Moten/Brandon López/Gerald Cleaver – Moten / López / Cleaver (Reading Group)
Michiko Ogawa - Junkan (2020) (Marginal Frequency)
Oùat - Elastic Bricks (Umlaut)
Eddie Prévost - Collider-Or, ‘whose drum is it, anyway’ (Matchless)
Hal Russell & Joel Futterman - The Chicago River (Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Brandon Sebrook Trio - In The Swarm (Astral Spirits)
Damon Smith/Andrew Neumann/Forbes Graham/Sandy Ewen/Junko Fujiwara/Eric Rosenthal - Quartet:Quartet:Trio (Balance Point Acoustics)
Tim Trevor-Briscoe/Szilárd Mezei/Nicola Guazzaloca – Before Then (Not Two)
Pat Thomas & XT – "Akisakila" / Attitudes Of Preparation (Mountains, Oceans, Trees) (Edition Gamut)

My thoughts in brief: the current wave of au courant "mainstream" jazz music ranges, in my opinion only, from boring to passé to outright terrible. I do the due diligence to give a listen to the latest darlings of bandcamp, Pitchfork, et al and find nothing to like. Dig deeper and you will still find great, serious music being made that will never catch the attention of today's tastemakers. 

[mjazzg]

I bought two of them. Plenty of names I know, the vast majority in fact,and have music by already. I'll investigate a couple of names that are new to me, thanks for the list.

There's always been a mainstream that this kind of music exists in some kind of parallel relationship to. The improvised music scene most definitely has its own media darlings  often lauded in achingly profound prose by this scenes tastemakers inWire et al, it's just a smaller pond.

I'm comfortable straddling both camps these days and find serious music in both, which for me is an added advantage. Very happy to have Makaya McCraven following Joe McPhee and seeing Brotzmann and Doomcannon in the same month. 

[Steve Reynolds]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

I've been lurking and a touch reluctant to jump into the conversation.

Five years ago I was all over this thread and listened almost exclusively to the music that Steve so eloquently advocates for. I have CDs in the thousands to witness this.

However, more recently I've become increasingly one of the board members that spike Steve's frustration and ire as I have moved away from buying the freer end of the spectrum. I'm not sure why but I think I hit a saturation point where I started to find it difficult to hear things I hadn't thought I'd heard before. I have followed the music long enough to know that there is a constant evolution and change, evident perhaps at different times at different speeds, but somehow I largely stopped being able to hear this.

An explanation may be that I was increasingly unable to engage with this music in a live setting, still the best place to hear it I think. Not hearing it live perhaps led to a failure to stimulate more interest. I'm guessing.

I bought perhaps ten titles this year that would fit snugly in this thread and enjoyed them all. (I bought many more that were over 40 years old and much more Jazz orientated). This gives me hope that I can still visit this thread happily and enjoy reading posts by Steve Reynolds, colinmce et al 

Here's to everyone enjoying whatever they listen to but also to progressive improvisors continuing to do their very important thing 😄

 

 

Not hearing it live had a large effect on me as well. Seeing some great recent live shows ignited my ears. Especially the night (12/8) with William Winant followed up with the catalytic festival night on 12/10. Plus a quartet with Darius Jones (more jazz based) with Ches Smith on drums. Stunning second set. Darius was possessed. 

Looks like I’ll see at least 5 to 7 exciting shows in January. 1-2 Berne groups. 2-3 nights of Ches Smith’s week at New School and 1-2 of Ingrid’s groups. Maybe Peter Evans this Thursday as well. 

I’ll go through recent listens/acquisitions to see if this years best might be a step down. I certainly think I can put together a list of stellar all-time free/avant- type stuff from the past 5 years of incredible mind bending music from young and old alike. 
 

labels like Astral Spirits, Aerophonic, 577, Fundacja SLUCHAJ, no business, rogue art, relative pitch, yes - the 2 great Barry Guy box sets on not two recently released - many great recordings plus erstwhile for small form stuff. 

[mjazzg]

8 minutes ago, Steve Reynolds said:

Not hearing it live had a large effect on me as well. Seeing some great recent live shows ignited my ears. Especially the night (12/8) with William Winant followed up with the catalytic festival night on 12/10. Plus a quartet with Darius Jones (more jazz based) with Ches Smith on drums. Stunning second set. Darius was possessed. 

Looks like I’ll see at least 5 to 7 exciting shows in January. 1-2 Berne groups. 2-3 nights of Ches Smith’s week at New School and 1-2 of Ingrid’s groups. Maybe Peter Evans this Thursday as well. 

I’ll go through recent listens/acquisitions to see if this years best might be a step down. I certainly think I can put together a list of stellar all-time free/avant- type stuff from the past 5 years of incredible mind bending music from young and old alike. 
 

labels like Astral Spirits, Aerophonic, 577, Fundacja SLUCHAJ, no business, rogue art, relative pitch, yes - the 2 great Barry Guy box sets on not two recently released - many great recordings plus erstwhile for small form stuff. 

Just this year's top five suggestions would be great if you could. I'd be very interested to see them.

One other question, has Mary H's universally acclaimed double release affected her standing in improv world? Is she now the mainstream 

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

I'm comfortable straddling both camps these days and find serious music in both, which for me is an added advantage. 

Same. The mainstream of jazz and improv is more interesting to me now than it was circa 2005. 

[jlhoots]

4 hours ago, colinmce said:

If this is any help, here is a list of my 25 favorite jazz & improvised music releases of 2022:

Michael Bisio Quartet – MBefore (Tao Forms)
Anthony Braxton & James Fei - Duet (Other Minds) 2021 (Other Minds)
Frank Carlberg Trio - Reflections 1952 (577 Records)
Dan Clucas/Kyle Motl/Nathan Hubbard - Daydream and Halting (FMR)
Andrew Cyrille/Enrico Rava/William Parker - 2 Blues for Cecil (TUM)
Kaja Draksler/Susana Santos Silva - Grow (Intakt)
Martín Escalante/Teté Leguia/Weasel Walter – Katyusha (ugEXPLODE)
Barry Guy And Friends – Kraków 2018 (Not Two)
Maya Homburger/Barry Guy/Lucas Niggli – Acanthis (Maya Recordings)
Sven-Åke Johansson/Pierre Borel/Axel Dörner/Joel Grip/Simon Sieger - Stumps (Ni Vu Ni Connu)
Takehisa Kosugi & Mototeru Takagi – 薫的遊無有 / Infinite Emanation (Chap Chap)
Lantana - Elemental (Cipsela)
Daunik Lazro/Jouk Minor/Thierry Madiot/David Chiésa/Louis-Michel Marion - Sonoris Causa (NoBusiness)
Denman Maroney/Scott Walton/Denis Fourner - O Kosmos Meta (RogueArt)
Joe McPhee/Tomeka Reid - Let Our Rejoicing Rise (Corbett Vs. Dempsey)
Joe Morris/Agustí Fernandez/Brad Barrett/DoYeon Kim - Other Galaxies (Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Fred Moten/Brandon López/Gerald Cleaver – Moten / López / Cleaver (Reading Group)
Michiko Ogawa - Junkan (2020) (Marginal Frequency)
Oùat - Elastic Bricks (Umlaut)
Eddie Prévost - Collider-Or, ‘whose drum is it, anyway’ (Matchless)
Hal Russell & Joel Futterman - The Chicago River (Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Brandon Sebrook Trio - In The Swarm (Astral Spirits)
Damon Smith/Andrew Neumann/Forbes Graham/Sandy Ewen/Junko Fujiwara/Eric Rosenthal - Quartet:Quartet:Trio (Balance Point Acoustics)
Tim Trevor-Briscoe/Szilárd Mezei/Nicola Guazzaloca – Before Then (Not Two)
Pat Thomas & XT – "Akisakila" / Attitudes Of Preparation (Mountains, Oceans, Trees) (Edition Gamut)

My thoughts in brief: the current wave of au courant "mainstream" jazz music ranges, in my opinion only, from boring to passé to outright terrible. I do the due diligence to give a listen to the latest darlings of bandcamp, Pitchfork, et al and find nothing to like. Dig deeper and you will still find great, serious music being made that will never catch the attention of today's tastemakers. 

I used to think I was a pretty adventurous listener, & I have music by some of these artists. However I have exactly zero of the 25 listed. OTOH, I like almost everything by Dave Rempis & his various groups. 

[felser]

After 50 years at this, I do have a sense of what is likely to work for me and what isn't.  The rhythmic foundation of much of the music changed 30-40 years ago, and most of that new foundation has lost me.  Tyner/Garrison/Jones and Hancock/Carter/Williams and Burrell/Brown/Harris works great for me, and so does Rodgers/Edwards/Thompson, but from Harmolodics to M-Base to Hip-Hop, I'm largely out.  In theory, my loss, but not in practice.  Life offers limited time and limited finances, and I want to spend mine wisely.

[Д.Д.]

9 hours ago, Eric said:

Consider me a jazz listener who is missing out.  Would love to have a list of 10-15 titles to explore when you (or anyone who follows this thread) have a chance.  

I did not hear that many 2022 releases this year, of those I did I found these ones to be good:

Max Johnson Trio - "Orbit of Sound" https://maxjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/orbit-of-sound

Luke Stewart's Silt Trio - "The Bottom" https://maxjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/orbit-of-sound

Cath Roberts, Olie Brice - "Conduits" https://westhill.bandcamp.com/album/conduits

Thollem - "Obstacle Illusion" https://astralthollem.bandcamp.com/album/obstacle-illusion

There Be Monsters - "Rubikon" https://therebemonsters.bandcamp.com/album/rubikon

Barry Guy And Friends - "Kraków 2018"

Toshinori Kondo - "Renzoku Jump" (previously unreleased recordings spanning 1978-2020, not exactly new stuff per se) - https://henrykaiser.bandcamp.com/album/renzoku-jump-henry-kaiser-remembers-toshinori-kondo-1948-2020

Barre Phillips, György Kurtág jr. – "Face À Face" (yes, for once I enjoyed an ECM release)

Billy Mohler - "Anatomy" https://billymohler.bandcamp.com/album/anatomy

Maya Homburger, Barry Guy, Lucas Niggli - "Acanthis"

Silt - "The Loft Sessions" https://impakt-koeln.bandcamp.com/album/the-loft-sessions 

7 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

The quality of recommendations on this thread is generally far higher, despite the propensity for the dreaded box sets!

Just in case, you do not have to listen to all CDs from a box set in one go. You are supposed to, but I won't tell anybody if you don't. I've been perusing this one lately:

   

Edited December 27, 2022 by Д.Д.

[Steve Reynolds]

8 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Just this year's top five suggestions would be great if you could. I'd be very interested to see them.

One other question, has Mary H's universally acclaimed double release affected her standing in improv world? Is she now the mainstream 

No. Still playing great. All the regulars coming to her shows. I’ve seen her live 3 times over the past 2 months. Seeing her augment the Ches Smith trio with Mat Maneri & Craig Taborn in January. Rainey trio with her & Ingrid playing on 12/30 but I have tickets for Dark Star Orchestra @ Capital Theatre in Port Chester, NY for both 12/30 & 12/31. That trio live is incredible.

4 hours ago, felser said:

After 50 years at this, I do have a sense of what is likely to work for me and what isn't.  The rhythmic foundation of much of the music changed 30-40 years ago, and most of that new foundation has lost me.  Tyner/Garrison/Jones and Hancock/Carter/Williams and Burrell/Brown/Harris works great for me, and so does Rodgers/Edwards/Thompson, but from Harmolodics to M-Base to Hip-Hop, I'm largely out.  In theory, my loss, but not in practice.  Life offers limited time and limited finances, and I want to spend mine wisely.

Things changed even more the last couple of decades. However the NY drummers keep much of the the new music real groove based. Rainey, Ches Smith, Tyshawn, Nasheet & Cleaver can really tear it up. Much of the European collective improv is of a very different sort. The live shows I’ve seen over the past 12 plus years allowed me to hear at the ground level what was and is happening. What a blessing. 
 

as an example live set with William Winant, Ava Mendoza & Ches Smith

mostly dual kits with Ava roaring on electric guitar. Stunning amazing stuff. Can’t compare it to anything really. Earlier this month Darius Jones with a standard bass, piano & drums team with tunes. Really connected with the traditional style yet Darius plays the alto like ancient to the future. Can’t think of anyone on this board outside of the mainstreamers who wouldn’t have loved it. It’s such a wide range of music being played. Saw Masada in late November. Tight blistering hot set. Earlier Tomeka Reid’s quartet with Mary, Roebke & Fujiwara. A bit academic but really really great. 

Thumbscrew with Mary, Formanek & Fujiwara / stunning from all angles 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Steve Reynolds

[Rabshakeh]

This is great stuff! Thanks.

[Steve Reynolds]

8 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Just this year's top five suggestions would be great if you could. I'd be very interested to see them.

One other question, has Mary H's universally acclaimed double release affected her standing in improv world? Is she now the mainstream 

5 from this past year

1) Judson Trio: Light and Dance / my favorite of last year, I think 

2) Playfield: Stepping Out - all of these are wondrous 

3) Barry Guy & Friends

4) Rempis with Baker, Abrams & Ra: Scylla / not as great as the last one (Apsis) but still incredible. Jim Baker is the secret weapon and Ra is one of the greatest drummers on the planet. But see Gerald Cleaver below on 5)

5) Brandon Lopez Trio / Live at Roulette (late 2021 but I was there so I’m including it)

 

not the best 5 as I rarely look at when these releases happened 

[mjazzg]

6 hours ago, Steve Reynolds said:

5 from this past year

1) Judson Trio: Light and Dance / my favorite of last year, I think 

2) Playfield: Stepping Out - all of these are wondrous 

3) Barry Guy & Friends

4) Rempis with Baker, Abrams & Ra: Scylla / not as great as the last one (Apsis) but still incredible. Jim Baker is the secret weapon and Ra is one of the greatest drummers on the planet. But see Gerald Cleaver below on 5)

5) Brandon Lopez Trio / Live at Roulette (late 2021 but I was there so I’m including it)

 

not the best 5 as I rarely look at when these releases happened 

Great thanks, I shall investigate.

The Guy is kind of on my list to buy and I really enjoyed the previous release by that Rempis band. 

10 hours ago, Д.Д. said:

I did not hear that many 2022 releases this year, of those I did I found these ones to be good:

Max Johnson Trio - "Orbit of Sound" https://maxjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/orbit-of-sound

Luke Stewart's Silt Trio - "The Bottom" https://maxjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/orbit-of-sound

Cath Roberts, Olie Brice - "Conduits" https://westhill.bandcamp.com/album/conduits

Thollem - "Obstacle Illusion" https://astralthollem.bandcamp.com/album/obstacle-illusion

There Be Monsters - "Rubikon" https://therebemonsters.bandcamp.com/album/rubikon

Barry Guy And Friends - "Kraków 2018"

Toshinori Kondo - "Renzoku Jump" (previously unreleased recordings spanning 1978-2020, not exactly new stuff per se) - https://henrykaiser.bandcamp.com/album/renzoku-jump-henry-kaiser-remembers-toshinori-kondo-1948-2020

Barre Phillips, György Kurtág jr. – "Face À Face" (yes, for once I enjoyed an ECM release)

Billy Mohler - "Anatomy" https://billymohler.bandcamp.com/album/anatomy

Maya Homburger, Barry Guy, Lucas Niggli - "Acanthis"

Silt - "The Loft Sessions" https://impakt-koeln.bandcamp.com/album/the-loft-sessions 

Just in case, you do not have to listen to all CDs from a box set in one go. You are supposed to, but I won't tell anybody if you don't. I've been perusing this one lately:

   

Any list with. Brice/Roberts in demands I listen to the rest, thank you for posting it 

May the Boxset Police never find out...

[mjazzg]

Listening to the There Be Monsters, definitely hitting the spot. Trombone and vibes is a favourite combination.

Thanks for the tip. Purchased 

Edited December 28, 2022 by mjazzg

[Д.Д.]

52 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Listening to the There Be Monsters, definitely hitting the spot. Trombone and vibes is a favourite combination.

Thanks for the tip. Purchased 

Glad to hear that. Yes, and I htink the compositions are excellent. Go for their other two albums, they are equally excellent. 

[mjazzg]

4 hours ago, Д.Д. said:

Glad to hear that. Yes, and I htink the compositions are excellent. Go for their other two albums, they are equally excellent. 

I very probably shall.

Now really enjoying the Brandon Lopez from Steve's list

Edited December 28, 2022 by mjazzg

[Steve Reynolds]

54 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

I very probably shall.

Now really enjoying the Brandon Lopez from Steve's list

Old Smoke with Basczkoski, Lopez & Corsano is incendiary 

lots of cool stuff on Relative Pitch but Kevin puts out lots of CD’s!!! New one coming with Paul Flaherty & Mette Rasmussen plus great bass & drums. Mette is the real deal

57 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

I very probably shall.

Now really enjoying the Brandon Lopez from Steve's list

We were 5 feet away as the mad saxophonist let loose sounds never before heard on this planet. On baritone with metal stuff in the bell. Then it went flying. Blew it out on the floor.

December 2019. One of my last shows before the pandemic. Live Gerald Cleaver was like Jaki from Can. Pure focus and a fucking metronome at times. He’s a genius level musician. Keeps getting better. 

Today: The Actress / 2 CD set on erstwhile Vanessa Rossetto

second or third time through. Love it. No idea what it even is. Have 2 previous duos with her and other sound explorers. All great stuff to my ears. 

[mjazzg]

Agree about Mette. Saw her with PNL Large Unit and then with Noble/Edwards

[jlhoots]

I understand a lot of what's being said here. OTOH, I don't need ALL of my music to be "incendiary". Other emotions work too.

Edited December 28, 2022 by jlhoots

[mjazzg]

57 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

I understand a lot of what's being said here. OTOH, I don't need ALL of my music to be "incendiary". Other emotions work too.

absolutely, otherwise I'd be exhausted

[colinmce]

Thanks to Steve and Д.Д. for a couple new recommendations. I agree that the 2xCD Judson Trio disc is tremendous. I don't exactly know what I was "expecting", but what I got was something else altogether. This one rewards much relistening. 

I will take another spin through the new Barre Phillips ECM. My initial impression was neither good nor bad. 

[Д.Д.]

3 hours ago, jlhoots said:

I understand a lot of what's being said here. OTOH, I don't need ALL of my music to be "incendiary". Other emotions work too.

Well, nobody here ever advocated that one has to listen to "incendiary" music exclusively. A certain wistful bemusement was expressed, however, that the vast majority of the posters on this board refuse to engage with jazz/improvised music that was recorded in the last decades (like five last decades, if you ask me). Whenever newish music is brought up it is usually the stuff that could have just as well been recorded in 1960. Sound of surprise and all that.