Starting this month The Necessary Blues will be posting every other week! Mid month you can expect our deep dive into a classic performance from the history of progressive music. Check out our last post about Magma’s strange and wonderful “Last Seven Minutes”. Up next you can expect another post about a classic and overlooked progressive rock/jazz album. Quick teaser – what’s the only album that has Annette Peacock, Kenny Wheeler and a titan of mid 70s rock drumming . . . find out in two weeks!
But now our new feature at The Necessary Blue is monthly album reviews! At the end of each month we’re going to post short reviews and links to our favorite new and recent albums in progressive, experimental and jazz music. We’ll also put together a Spotify playlist of highlights from these records so that you can dive right in – (see the bottom of this post).
So without further ado, here is The Necessary Blues March 2021 record round up!
TNB Album Pick!
Patricia Brennan – Maquishti
(Valley of Search, Released 1/15/2021)
Patricia Brennan, Vibaphone and Marimba
Brennan’s album has all the qualities that make a great solo recital: an engaging program, an original and distinctive sound, and a sense of mystery that keeps the listener moving forward. Most amazing is the wonder at sound itself – a communion of listener and performer over the ringing tones hanging in the air. Brennan’s patience and rigor are singular. My favorite album of the year so far!
TNB Album Pick!
Zeena Parkins, Mette Rasmussen, Ryan Sawyer – Glass Triangle
(Relative Pitch Records, released 2/26/2021)
At almost two minutes into the fabulously named “Begiunners, begges, beattle, belt, believers”, Zeena Parkins’ electrified harp announces itself, sounding like a massive foghorn from the depths of hell. Later in the same piece, she plays repeating patterns reminiscent of laser beams from a science fiction movie. The saxophone playing and drumming here are kinetic and amazing, but what really makes this album singular are the amazing sounds that Parkins dreams app. The flow of the album is also very canny, with each composition skillfully segueing into the next so that it creates a continuous set of music. Bracing and fantastic, the best “out” release of 2021 (so far).
Tamil Rogeon – Son of Nyx
(Soul Bank, released 2/5/2021)
Tamil Rogeon, viola; Sam Keevers, keyboards; Daniel Mougerman, keyboards; Sam Anning, bass; Danny Fischer, drums; Javier Fredes, percussion.
This whole album is pretty terrific, but best in the spirited lead track, “House No Wheels.” Jazz violin (here, viola) is so great. I imagine playing this on a sunny weekend morning while drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the cool breeze.
Alban Darche – Le Gros Cube #2
(Yolk Records, released 3/5/2021)
Jon Irabagon, alto saxophone; Loren Stillman, alto saxophone; Alban Darche, tenor saxophone; Matthieu Donarier, tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Rémi Sciuto, baritone saxophone, flute; Joël Chausse, trumpet; Geoffroy Tamisier, trumpet; Jean-Paul Estiévenart, trumpet; Olivier Laisney, trumpet; John Fedchock, trombone; Jean-Louis Pommier, trombone; Samuel Blaser, trombone; Matthias Quilbault, tuba; Marie Krüttli, piano; Gilles Coronado, guitar; Sébastien Boisseau, double bass; Christophe Lavergne, drums
There’s a moment on the opening tune “A la bougie” when the alto sax solo hits a crescendo while Darche’s intricate big band chart swells – at that moment the incredible potential of the big band is fully realized. Darche says he conceived this project as a meeting between American musicians (Irabagon, Stillman) and Europeans where they use his tunes to confront and modernize traditional big band music. The playing is terrific and the charts are stirring. I’ll have to listen to more of Darche’s music. Darche says he aims to go from “the familiar to the confusing, offering the disconcerting that sounds “classic.” Offer very personal colors in a familiar landscape, or build a complex landscape with colors that are nevertheless obvious.” Mission accomplished!
Thumbscrew – Never is Enough
(Cuneiform Records, release 2/26/2021)
Tomas Fujiwara, Drums; Mary Halvorson, Guitar; Michael Formanek, Double Bass and Electric Bass
The trio of Halvorson, Formanek and Fujiwara have been making records for years as Thumbscrew. I need to dig more into their back catalogue, but this one is dark, mysterious and feels like it’s own immersive sound world. A highlight is the title track, where Formanek’s electric bass allows the band to suddenly morph into a twisted new wave band. Awesome! Elsewhere, the band feels right at home exploring all types of bent harmony. It’s an accomplishment to make music thus immediately identifiable and distinctive.
Matty Stecks & Dead Cat Bounce – Lucky & Live in STL
(Matty Stacks Music, released 12/30/2020)
Matt Steckler, Jared Sims, Felipe Salles, Charlie Kohlhase – saxes, Gary Wicks – bass, Bill Carbone – drums
I fell in love with the sound of a saxophone choir with the first chord of the World Saxophone Quartet’s Live from BAM, so you know I’m a sucker for this stuff. Here the sax quartet is supplemented with bass and drums in live performances from 2003, but released at the very end of 2020. Stecks plays tenor sax, and gets the expected dense harmonies with his fellow sax players on soprano, alto and baritone. Full of energy and ear catching sax harmony.
Cortex – Legal Tender
(Clean Feed, Released 10/30/2020)
Thomas Johansson trumpet, percussion, Kristoffer Berre Alberts saxophones, percussion, Ola Høyer double bass, percussion, Gard Nilssen drums, percussion
Cortex calls itself “avant garde party music“, and this album delivers spirited and energetic music in spades. The music reminds me of Ornette Coleman’s 50’s quartet, with plenary of fire but also melody to keep you tapping along. The tunes give all the band members a chance to shine – from an intense sax solo on “Standby”, lithe drumming on “GTM” and fiery trumpet playing on “I-95.” Don’t miss the “trick ending” on the last tune “Loose Blues.” Yes, avant grade music can be FUN. Also: classic record cover!
Hedvig Mollestad Trio – Ding Dong. You´re Dead
(Rune Grammofon, released 3/19/2021)
Hedvig Mollestad, Guitar, Ellen Brekken, bass, Ivar Loe Bjørnstad, drums
Right out of the gate this sounds like an outtake from King Crimson’s Red (not a bad thing), and the tunes progress from one vein of guitar riffing to another. Also reminds me of Chris Haskell’s side project when he played guitar with Henry Rollins. I bet this would sound great live.
Binker and Moses – Escape the Flames
(Gearbox Records, released 12/12/2020)
Binker Golding – tenor saxophone, Moses Boyd – drums
Brits Golding and Boyd have been a big deal for years, but this is their first album I’ve listened to. It like Coltrane’s Interstellar Space for the people. You can hear the energy of the musicians, and also a refreshing enthusiasm from the audience. The community of listeners on display here is one way forward for this music.
Gretchen Parlato – Flor
(Edition Records, released 3/5/2021)
Gretchen Parlato, vocals; Marcel Camargo, Guitar and Musical Direction; Artyom Manukyan, Cello; Léo Costa, drums and percussion; Mark Guiliana, Drums; Gerald Clayton, Piano; Airto Moreira, Voice and Percussion
In this wildly varied program, Parlato presents songs that range from the expected Brazilian rhythms of the opener, to a cover of the Anita Baker song “Sweet Love”, and to Parlato doing a wordless vocal to 5th movement of Bach’s 1st cello suite. The album’s range may stop some listeners from digging in, but surprises abound, and it makes me look forward to the next one.
Archie Shepp & Jason Moran – Let My People Go
(Archieball, released 2/5/21)
Archie Shepp, tenor sax, soprano sax, voice Jason Moran, piano
Duets between Shepp and Moran playing a mix of gospel songs and reverential covers of Duke, Strayhorn and Monk – sounds too good to be true! The playing is sincere and the album is solemn at times but loosens up as it goes along. Don’t skip the bonus tracks! They include live performances with memorable piano and tenor sax. Moran really lets loose on this version of “Jitterbug Waltz” – excellent!
Here’s the Spotify playlist, enjoy: