The Necessary Blues

So many albums at the start of the Fall, and we frankly spent our time listening rather than writing. This double-month round-up is a belated attempt to catch up. If you’ve read our album review of Kate Gentile’s Find Letter X, you know it’s TNB’s top album out now. Here are more really excellent releases – what we think are the best of the best from the last two months. Please note, this month, we’ve dropped singling out some albums as “pick hits” – there’s no reason to differentiate when all of these albums are so great! Enjoy.

Angelika Niescier – Tomeka Reid – Savannah Harris – Beyond Dragons
(released September 15th, 2023)

Angelika Niescier – Alto Saxophone
Tomeka Reid – Cello
Savannah Harris – Drums

I became aware of Niescier with the 2018 recording The Berlin Concert and was immediately knocked out by her intense sound, blistering phrasing, and the way her sax playing locks in with drummers. So I’ve been looking forward to Beyond Dragons – and happy to report that it’s pure fire. Niescier’s music is better than a double shot of espresso. Reid’s cello matches Niescier with electrifying pizzicato playing and frantic, overpowering arco solos. Harris lays out drum bombs that explode. Words can’t convey this date’s taunt band dynamics and shear energy. It’s the best Niescier album yet; don’t miss it!

Nate Wooley – Four Experiments
(released September 26th, 2023)

Nate Wooley – trumpet, trombone, voice, compositions
John McCowen – recorder
Weston Olencki – trombone
Ryan Packard – bass drum, sine tones, speaker cone, and rope
gabby fluke-mogul violin
Russell Greenberg – percussion
Cory Smythe – piano
Lester St. Louis – cello
Luke Stewart – double bass and amplifier
Joshua Modney – violin and voice
Seymour Wright – alto saxophone
Laura Cocks – flute
Madison Greenstone -clarinet
Eric Wubbels – piano, voice, autoharp

Four Experiments documents Nate Wooley’s music inspired by poet Stephen Spender and is intended to provoke new ways of viewing the relationship between composition, instrument, and technique. Each disc highlights a different challenge to the soloist. For example, on disc one, the player is instructed to repeat a single musical cell identically until there is an error, and then the error must be repeated with each cycle and is now part of the “tune.” As interpreted by recorder player John McCowen on the first track, the song slowly morphs and turns. The music embraces mistakes, which is fascinating and very human. Similar challenges are thrown down on the remaining discs – on disc two, the players explore the vibratory surfaces of their instruments in ways that roll back virtuosity; on disc three, instrumentalists who are not trained singers have to vocalize in just intonation over a drone. On the last disc, musicians must find ways to modulate a fragment of musical information using specific pre-defined parameters. The philosophy of these compositions was developed on Wooley’s Mutual Aid Music (check out the album of that name from 2021) – to create a space where musicians can use compositional prompts to explore what can be made from “failure.” The music here is abstract, meditative, fascinating, and deep with rhetorical and philosophical dimensions.

Anna Webber with Adam O’Farrill, Mariel Roberts, Elias Stemeseder, and Lesley Mok – Shimmer Wince
(released October 20th, 2023)

Anna Webber – tenor sax, flute, bass flute
Adam O’Farrill – trumpet
Mariel Roberts – cello
Elias Stemeseder – synthesizer
Lesley Mok – drums

Anna Webber’s new album explores the language of just intonation (also used by Nate Wooley above), an ancient musical notation system employed in a modern context. Webber’s music uses webs of repeated short phrases that build a wall of sound around dissonant pulses. Shimmer Wince is an apt description of the radiant sweet-sour aesthetic, and this band does a great job executing the concept. I enjoyed Adam O’Farrill’s metallic tone and vibrant phasing, the sweeping cello lines from Mariel Roberts, and the delightfully twisted avant-robot synths from Elias Stemeseder. Mok’s chipper drums are just what the music needs. Best of all is the leader, whose flute is commanding on “Squirmy” and blustery tenor grounds the esoteric flights of “Periodicity 1” and “Swell.” The best moment is at 5:48 of “Wince”: the music swells once more with the entrance of Webber’s warm Ben Webster-like tenor over Stemeseder’s seasick bleeps – old and new clash to create a moment as profound as any I’ve heard all year.

Jessica Pavone – Clamor
(released October 6th, 2023)

Jessica Pavone – composer
Katherine Young – bassoon solo (tracks II, III)
Aimée Niemann and Charlotte Munn-Wood – violin
Abby Swidler and Jessica Pavone (solo on tracks III, IV) – viola
Mariel Roberts (solo on track IV) – cello
Shayna Dulberger – double bass

The notes to Jesica Pavone’s new album Clamor state that its four movements are “titled after innovations made by women throughout history to circumvent obstructions to their freedoms.” You can read the music as a metaphor for overcoming adversity, but maybe it is best to simply appreciate it’s abstract beauty without programmatic concerns. The dynamics of the strings subtly build throughout “Neolttwigi,” and the listener can enjoy granular details of the interaction between the players or focus on the sweep of the track as it builds. The highlight for me is “Nu Shu (part 1),” where Katherine Young’s bassoon blasts at the tune’s opening, then segues into an ethereal variety of woody trills, key clicks, and breath effects. Meanwhile, the strings intersect to create interlocking and beautiful layers. Check out the profile of this album on Bandcamp, where it was named one of the month’s best.

Matthew Shipp – The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp
(released September 15th, 2023)

Matthew Shipp – piano and compositions

Like discographical bookends, September brought us two important Matthew Shipp releases – the reissue of his first leader date (see TNB Archival Music picks below) and a solo record released September 15th, The Intrinsic Matthew Shipp. This new release is an encapsulation of what makes Shipp one of the great musicians alive today – ten tracks and 50 minutes of Shipp alone at the keyboard, playing material that is quite meditative and melodic but also free of any formulaic song structures. Especially impressive is Shipp’s command of his materials – he segues from one idea to the next with total ease, and at each moment, you can hear his awareness of where he is and where the music is going. Shipp’s playing is uniquely his own and becomes more distinct with each record. There’s no better place to listen than his solo piano recordings, and I recommend immersing yourself in Shipp’s sound and keyboard language with this release. Check out a feature on Bandcamp about this album here.

Mendoza Hoff Revels – Echolocation
(released October 13th, 2023)

Ava Mendoza – electric guitar, compositions
Devin Hoff – electric bass, compositions
James Brandon Lewis – tenor saxophone
Ches Smith – drums

The unmistakable guitar of Ave Mendoza owns the opening notes of “Dyscalculia,” the first track of the new release by Mendoza Hoff Revels – Mendoza’s heavy, overdriven riffs quickly lock into the lumbering groove set by Devin Hoff’s bass and Ches Smith’s drums. James Brandon Lewis waits in the wings until two minutes in – when he joins with the band, all hell breaks loose. Echolocation feels like a descendent of Sonny Sharrock’s guitar and sax collaborations with Peter Brötzmann or Pharoah Sanders, but updated for the here and now. Yes, the whole album rips. Favorite moment: at the restatement of the head on mid-album stunner “Babel-17,” Ches Smith goes all-out rock with a loose-limbed barrage of drumming à la Keith Moon while Lewis’ sax wails and Mendoza’s guitar sails over the chaos.

Ghost Train Orchestra & Kronos Quartet – Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog
(released September 29th, 2023)

Kronos Quartet, Ghost Train Orchestra with guests Sam Amidon, Jarvis Cocker, Petra Haden, Karen Mantler, Marissa Nadler, Aoife O’Donovan, Rufus Wainwright, and Joan Wasser

The press for this album argues that legendary and groundbreaking musician Moondog (whose birth name was Louis Hardin) is now quite forgotten, and this record seeks to remedy some of that. I recommend this extensive and excellent article from The Guardian if you need a primer. I learned that Moondog crashed at Phillip Glass’s apartment for a year, and Glass said he learned more from Moondog than he did at Julliard! Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog is very, very entertaining and makes excellent use of features from a host of artists, including Jarvis Cocker’s inimitable appearance on “I’m This, I’m That,” the amusing wordplay of “Enough About Human Rights” which features Karen Mantler, and “Behold” where Kronos Quartet delivers a lively string part. All excellent – now I’ll have to go back and listen to Moondog himself.

Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz – Ex Machina
(released September 15th, 2023)

Steve Lehman – alto saxophone, electronics
Jonathan Finlayson – trumpet
Chris Dingman – vibraphone
Members of Orchestre National de Jazz

Steve Lehman has a penchant for heady conceptual albums, such as his two avant rap albums (2016’s Sélébéyone and last year’s Xaybu: The Unseen) or his prior octet works that The New York Times dubbed “A blast of urban futurism.” Lehman’s new album could not have a more apropos title than Ex Machina, as it sports multiple organizing ideas that drive the playing – the continuation of the “spectral jazz” that has been Lehman’s trademark language, the combination of real-time interactive electronics developed at IRCAM (Institut de Coordination Acoustique Musique), and a French big band, Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ). There are many acronyms and ideas to swallow, so the best thing to do is listen – you’ll hear precise modern (or post-modern?) big-band charts that provide the framework for sparring between computers and humans. Lehman’s quicksilver articulation is always thrilling, and solos from Chris Dingman on vibes and from the French band by pianist Bruno Ruder and tenor saxophonist Julien Soro all stand out.

TNB Top Archival Releases

Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah
(Released September 15th, 2023)

Pharoah LP
Pharoah Sanders, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion, Vocals
Bedria Sanders, Harmonium
Steve Neil, Bass
Tisziji Muñoz, Guitar
Greg Bandy, Drums
Clifton “Jiggs” Chase, Keyboards
Lawrence Killian, Percussion

Harvest Time Live 1977 LP
Pharoah Sanders, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion, Bells
Hayes Burnett, Bass, Percussion
Clifford Jarvis, Drums
Khalid Moss, Piano, Electric Piano

I’d never heard this album or its key track, “Harvest Time,” before this reissue, and listening to it was one of those moments of destiny where you know this music was supposed to enter your life, and now it’s part of who you are. Pharoah has a bewitching calmness and peace that comes from the combination of Sanders’ majestic tone, the unhurried guitar of Tisziji Muñoz, and a perfectly gauzy production that doubles the atmosphere. This is an essential release. Sanders had no record label when this was recorded in 1977, and its initial release limited to a tiny run on the long-defunct India Navigation label. Since then, it’s lived mainly on YouTube, so having an official reissue is wonderful.
What’s more, if you spring for the deluxe CD or vinyl issues, you get bonus live versions of “Harvest Time,” all beautifully packaged. I’ve ordered mine! Don’t skip this one – music of this beauty can change your life.

Matthew Shipp – Circular Temple
(released September 9th, 2023)

Matthew Shipp – Piano
Whit Dickey – Drums
William Parker – Bass

If you want a contrast to Matthew Shipp’s new mediative solo piano discussed above (The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp), look no further than Shipp’s first album as a leader, reissued here for the first time on vinyl. Hearing the bookends of Shipp’s career is instructive and makes you appreciate his art all the more. On Circular Temple, recorded and first released in 1990, Shipp sounds energized as he moves from one block of riffs and themes to the next. The music favors the propulsive and percussive. On the long standout track “Circular temple #4,” he plays a forceful solo section, and then drummer Whit Dickey and bassist William Parker (both sounding great) come in. Shipp trades ideas with them in a vigorous back-and-forth over the epic 20-minute track. You can hear a real debt to Cecil Taylor in how the music is presented, but Circular Temple also announces a new and singular voice in jazz—a terrific reissue.

Music discussed:
Kate Gentile – Find Letter X
(released October 13, 2023, Pi Recordings)
The Find Letter X band:
Jeremy Viner – tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Matt Mitchell – piano, Prophet-6, modular synths, electronics
Kim Cass – acoustic & electric bass
Kate Gentile – drums, vibraphone, compositions

Kate Gentile has a lot of music to share, and 2023 is the year to listen. When TNB did this profile of Gentile in March, we noted all the projects Gentile has going on – playing on half of Matt Mitchell’s piano-drums duet album Oblong Aplomb, starting a new record label, Obliquity Records, and issuing the label’s first release, a fantastic collaboration between Gentile and the International Contemporary Ensemble. That record, biome i.i, centers Gentile’s writing for a modern classical chamber group augmented by her drumming, and would have been the highlight of any year for most artists.

Yet, there has been even more music from Gentile in 2023. She has followed up biome i.i with Flagrances (Obliquity #002), an abstract experimental album of her drums with guitarist Andrew Smiley, featuring music at the border of jazz and rock. Now, the Year of Kate continues with Find Letter X, which is both the name of the group and its new self-titled album. As discussed in this interview with Jazz Speaks, Gentile’s band played a lot in New York before the pandemic, but we’ve had to wait until now for a recording of its work. Yes, it’s worth the wait – Find Letter X is a massive 3 CDs with 41 tunes spread out over 3 hours and 16 minutes. All the compositions are by Gentile. Yet there’s really no filler on this album. Somehow, Gentile has managed to assemble a musical statement that is both more expansive and more focused than anything she’s done before. Let’s discuss just some of the music that awaits you . . .

There is a distinct identity for each “volume” of Find Letter X, and disc one (named Iridian Alphabet) picks up right where Gentile’s album 2017 Mannequins left off, with rhythmically astute and harmonically complex acoustic jazz with additional electronics from Matt Mitchell. I’ll single out the disc one track “recursive access” as an example of the inventive spirit of this project. That tune starts with a “rock” beat that is easy to dig, but the rhythm section quickly flips into a contrasting, slower tempo and then back to the groove section again, while Viner and Mitchell play the elaborate melody and solo at a speed that often contrasts that of the rhythm. Gentile accentuates this contrast by dragging the beat on the cymbal during the slow sections, allowing the energy to burst forward again when the cycle flips back to the “rock” beat. That may sound complex, but it’s not esoteric at all – Gentile builds this tune around accessible elements like swing and energy, which are immediately captivating. “recursive access” is just one example – this well-poised bridge between intricate arrangements and attention-grabbing elements is all over Find Letter X. For more of the same, check out the intense “prismatoid,” or the concluding track of the first disc “the 5th clone,” both of which feature bristling, interlocking sections and excellent solos from Mitchell on piano and Viner on tenor. So much great material, and that’s just disc one.

Disc two (called Senselessness) is a blast! I mean that literally because Senselessness is the culmination on record of Gentile’s love of metal, which she has been talking about since her 2019 interview with Hank Shteamer’s Heavy Metal BeBop. So, on Senselessness, we get the blast beats and jazz-metal we’ve been waiting for. For this disc, Cass switches to electric bass, and Mitchell’s electronics play the role that we would expect from the electric guitar – it’s all very heavy, but the compositions draw from a sophisticated and diverse musical palette, so even if you’re not a fan of metal, don’t skip this one. If you approach this as “jazz with a big jolt of energy,” you’ll enjoy it too, and just hearing the incredible drumming from Gentile is great. This disc from Find Letter X is the most successful blend of jazz and metal I’ve heard, and not to be missed!

Disc three (The Cosmic Brain) allows Gentile to play vibes as well as drums and brings back the acoustic quartet + electronics of disc one. This volume seems more open and less knotty than the first disc, features a lot of Viner’s terrific clarinet, and leans more toward the modern classical approach of biome i.i. I was amazed by all the material on this project, and the quality of the music on The Cosmic Brain did not let up one bit. Highlights include the stuttering rhythms on “bask,” the contrast of churning drums against cool clarinet on “clarion fluorescent,” and especially the precise band interaction on the epic “synaptic blazes.”

There is so much more to say about Find Letter X, but words don’t stand in well for the music, so buy it! However, I want to say something about each of the musicians on this album. First of all, the leader’s compositions and drumming reveal someone with an adventurous spirit – these tunes are not easy to play, and many, such as “Laugh Magic,” turn on the drop of a dime from one measure to the next. When I hear these tunes, I hear a challenge being made – to the band, “Can you play this?” and to the listener, “Can you dig this?” But none of it feels pretentious or abstract. Instead, Find Letter X is challenging in the best way – a playful dare. I don’t think you’ll have much trouble appreciating and enjoying what Gentile is doing here. As I said about the Snark Horse collaboration with Matt Mitchell, there’s an infectious sense of fun here.

Matt Mitchell is essential to this band. Not only are his piano and electronics prominent elements throughout Find Letter X, but his rhythmic poise and commanding solos orient the listener to the shifting environments of these tunes. Gentile gives a special thanks to Mitchell’s electronics in the liner notes, which have reached an impressive level of maturity since Mannequins. Electronics are used as intros, outros, or transitions to many of the tunes and have an essential role in giving energy to many of the melodies and supporting the accessibility of the music to the listener.

Kim Cass’ bass playing does the heavy lifting, not just for the rhythmic lines but also for the band’s sound. In a recent interview with Mike Watt (yes, that Mike Watt – bass player in Minutemen and fIREHOSE), Gentile credits Cass joining the band with forming the identity of the Find Letter X band. It’s easy to see why – on acoustic bass, Cass plays with volume and energy that propels the music and animates its texture. Check out “In Casks,” a Kim Cass feature named after him (“In Casks” = Kim Cass, get it?), which features a great bass intro and Cass’s riffs out front during the tune. Cass’ electric bass on disc two is something else – it reminds me of the prominent role of bass on prog rock albums. Disc two would not be the same without Cass’s impressive tone and quick-fingered electric bass phrasing.

Last and not least is tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Jeremy Viner. Viner’s clarinet was one of the most impressive aspects of 2017’s Mannequins, but now I’m especially bowled over by Viner’s tenor saxophone. On Find Letter X, Viner seems to be able to do everything the demanding music calls for with ease – from the unexpected balladry on “subsurface,” where the sax playing would not be out of place on one of the more avant Blue Note albums, to the high octane blowing on “laugh magic,” “ore whorls, ” or “importunate babble.” Viner does it all so well, and now is the time for more Jeremy Viner! I know he’s an essential piece of Battle Trance (their 2022 album Green of Winter is excellent), but Viner has truly arrived with his superb work on this album.

As I’ve mentioned, there is much more we could talk about, but there’s no substitute for listening – you can sample key tracks at Bandcamp or watch and listen to the preview videos that Gentile made for disc one and disc two (where you can see her creating the distinctive album art as well). If you’re in the New York area, get tickets to Roulette for the album release party on October 31. Gentile promises you’ll hear reimagined and different interpretations of the material on Find Letter X – she’s already off to the next thing! If you can’t make it to the show, there’s also a live feed at the link above, which Roulette usually archives for future viewing. Gentile is also hosting an online listening party on November 7 – you can find details at Bandcamp here. We’ll be there.

Let’s end by saying don’t be turned off by the size of this project. Yes, massive, multi-part albums are often forbidding or unnecessary. I’ve listened to many projects much shorter than this one and wished the artist had been better at self-editing. Incredibly, nothing on Gentile’s new triple album feels out of place; it’s all very strong, and I’ve kept returning to all three volumes of this compelling music. This level of ambition and execution is rare, and Find Letter X is strongly recommended – certainly one of the year’s best.

Kate Gentile’s Find Letter X – L-R Jeremy Viner, Kim Cass, Matt Mitchell, Kate Gentile; Photo credit – D. James Goodwin

(Live at Trinity Church 10/8/2023 L-R Luis Perdomo, Ugonna Okegwo, Tom Harrell, Adam Cruz)

It’s always a pleasure to see Tom Harrell live. With Harrell, that pleasure is not necessarily from the fire or virtuosity of the music, necessary ingredients for some other musicians. Harrell is now age 77, and while he’s always had plenty of chops on both trumpet and flugelhorn, his age and long-term health problems are a challenge, especially given the difficulty of playing trumpet well. But chops have never been the center of Harrell’s aesthetic anyway. Instead, he eschews pyrotechnics that are other horn player’s bread and butter for something much more profound – the ability to improvise melodically and to tell a story with music alone. Harrell has a deep and humble melodicism that is the rarest gift in music, a gift that fills Harrell’s fans and fellow musicians with reverence for what he can do with a simple phrase. This gig, presented at New York City Trinity Church on October 8th as part of the “Jazz Icons” series, was a great place to catch up with Harrell. The concert was free and open to the public, and where better to experience beauty than in a church? Trinity Church was packed with an appreciative house for an hour and twenty minutes of beautiful music in a wondrous setting.

After remarks from the church’s music director, Harrell and his regular working quartet assembled in front of the nave under soaring arches and stained glass, ready to play. But before we get to the music, let’s talk about Harrell’s excellent band! Bassist Ugonna Okegwo anchors the group and has been with Harrell for 25 years. Okegwo’s deep sound and swinging time are the band’s glue. Drummer Adam Cruz has played with Harrell for almost as long as Okegwo, from 2014’s Trip onward. In the spacious soundstage of the church, Cruz’s drums were both dynamic and detailed, and he made the band sound alive. Pianist Luis Perdomo is a more recent associate to Harrell, yet he fit into this group like a glove. Perdomo’s comping under Harrell’s lines and his solos were poised, relaxed, and beautiful. This band showed they are flexible, played with immense intuition, and each member of the rhythm section gave terrific solos.

The show started with a Tom Harrell original, “Sun Up,” which features a stuttering rhythm and the bright, cheery melody the name suggests. Live, Harrell and his band slowed the tempo, allowing Harrell to develop a relaxed two-chorus solo. Harrell’s tone was beautifully transparent, and his ideas flowed gracefully from one phrase to the next. The leisurely tempo for the opener was a good choice because, unfortunately, Harrell had difficulty with the faster tunes of the set. Although Harrell played several solos that were beautiful gems (like on the arabesque original “Delta of the Sea,” where he played with a convincing bite, or the labyrinthine “Sea,” where he played a tender solo over a gentle rubato feel from the rhythm), he seemed to be having what I guess were embouchure problems. On the faster standards the group played, such as “There Will Never Be Another You,” you could hear Harrell’s difficulty with the head of the tune and his solo. That performance was still fine and quite beautiful, but Harrell’s chops really gave him trouble with the changes on Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice.” Here, Harrell had to give up playing at the top of the third chorus of his solo, leaving the band to “hold the music in place” for the next half chorus until Cruz could conclude the tune with a commanding drum solo. At moments, you could feel the band trying to carry their leader.

The gaffe on “Moment’s Notice” might have defeated other players. But the next tune was an astounding moment of grace and resiliency. Drummer Cruz and bassist Okegwo left the stage, and Harrell played a duet with Perdomo on a tune I’d never heard before, “Journey to the Stars,” which Harrell recorded on 2012’s Number Five. After a hypnotic piano intro, Harrell played some of the most transcendent, luminous trumpet I’ve ever heard. It was a dramatic moment; Harrell was bent over, his trumpet facing straight down to the floor, while he conjured phrases that seemed to soar to the church’s vault above. The beauty and power of this performance had me in tears, and it ended with screams and cheers from the audience as Perdomo clasped his hands in respect towards his duet partner. “Journey to the Stars” was a total triumph, made even more breathtaking after the trouble that Harrell had been having executing the music only minutes before. The band then rode out the afternoon of music with the breezy “Keep On Goin” from 2016’s Something Gold, Something Blue. The whole band sounded fine again, and the performance left the crowd happy after a fascinating and moving afternoon of music.

Seeing Tom Harrell reminded me of the remarkable honesty and courage of his playing. He’s at an age where many trumpet players think about retiring due to the demands of the trumpet. Instead, Harrell has pared down his working group to a quartet without another horn to carry the weight, and has focused more and more on the trumpet rather than the easier-to-play flugelhorn (which he left at home for this gig). What’s more, he does not play rehearsed “licks” or repeat himself – live, you could see and hear him creating melodic lines in the moment, always with the risk of running out of ideas or playing bad notes. Those imperfections are part of what makes Harrell’s playing so moving – even in the face of challenges from age and his health, he embodies what is best about jazz – playing music that’s real, that embodies experience and life, and is centered on beautiful expression that comes straight from the heart (and the brain too). See him when you have the chance.

It’s been a slow summer at TNB, but now we’re deep into September – the year is just flying by! The fall months are bringing a lot of great new music that we look forward to digging into and sharing with you. In the meantime, here are some of the albums we loved during the hot summer months, and we hope you will enjoy them, too.

TNB Pick!
David Virelles with Ben Street and Eric McPherson – Carta
(released June 16, 2023)

David Virelles – Piano
Ben Street – Acoustic Bass
Eric McPherson – Drums, Percussion

The piano trio may be the most difficult format to make your mark – from Ahmad Jamal to Keith Jarrett to Hank Jones to Tommy Flanagan, the great geniuses of that instrument have already put their stamp on the format. For that reason, many pianists take their time before making a trio record – what is there new to say? Following up on last year’s brilliant Nuna, which is (mostly) a solo recital, keyboard star Virelles has given us the piano trio we’ve been waiting for. Bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric McPherson are the perfect accompanists, and the music is evocative at every turn. Virelles’ take on the trio is highly rhythmic – the tunes have a dark Monk-ish sensibility, the writing is sharply percussive, and Eric McPherson’s clave-derived beats are essential. Highlights included the dense overlapping lines of “NYChepinson,” the poise and authority at a medium tempo on “Confidential,” and the lovely blending of tradition and the avant-garde on “Tiempos.” Virelles goes from strength to strength with each release – he’s shown each time he’s one of the most vital players alive. More Virelles to come at TNB!

TNB Pick!
Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet – As Things Do
(released May 19, 2023)

Michael Formanek – Double Bass
Tony Malaby – Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
Kris Davis – Piano
Ches Smith – Drums & Vibes

A new release from Michael Formanek is an event, and the terrific As Things Do showcases Michael Formanek’s “triple threat” talent as a composer, bassist, and bandleader. This is one of the year’s best releases. Formanek wrote all the tunes, balancing memorable melodies, clever arrangements, and open spaces for the soloists to leave their mark. This material brings out terrific playing from everybody. Formanek’s bass is full of rhythmic poise and beauty, Tony Malaby sounds fantastic here (especially on tenor), Kris Davis’s piano always takes the music in a new and exciting direction, and Ches Smith has the style and restraint to organize all of the fun explorations going on about him. An instant classical from start to finish.

TNB Pick!
jaimie branch – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (​(​world war​)​)
(released August 25, 2023)

jaimie branch – trumpet, voice, keyboard, percussion, happy apple
Lester St. Louis – cello, voice, flute, marimba, keyboard
Jason Ajemian – double bass, electric bass, voice, marimba
Chad Taylor – drums, mbira, timpani, bells, marimba

The arrival of another Jaimie Branch album would have been a cause for celebration, but now that feeling is tinged with somber reflection. Branch’s death last year at age 39 has sadly left a void in the music landscape, and on Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (​(​world war​)​), Branch’s 3rd album with the “Fly or Die” band, you can hear the fulfillment of a promise made by her 2017 debut album. On that first record, Branch showed a way of making creative and “avant-garde” music accessible, urgent, and understandable, qualities that are fully realized in this new recording. The importance of directness is something Branch emphasized in interviews such as this one with Burning Ambulance – she did not favor esoteric, complex song forms and instead wanted to find a way to write simple tunes that shared feeling and meaning. That ability to communicate is all over Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (​(​world war​)​), from the earthy rhythms of “borealis dancing” to the joyous “baba louie,” or the urgent vocals Branch deploys on “burning grey” and “take over the world.” Branch was a transcendent talent that will be sorely missed.

TNB Pick!
Guillermo Klein Quinteto – Telmo’s Tune
(released August 18, 2023)

Chris Cheek – tenor and soprano saxophones
Leo Genovese – Fender Rhodes and keyboards
Matt Pavolka – bass
Allan Mednard – drums
Guillermo Klein – piano

Reid Anderson described Klien’s music in a 2006 interview as “ethereal yet accessible . . . rich in detail, combining rhythmic and contrapuntal intensity with flights of pure melodic joy.” That description is just as accurate today, and we can’t have enough music from one of the greatest writers and arrangers in music. Usually, Klien presents his big band, but on Telmo’s Tune, he employs a small group recorded after a stint last year at the Village Vanguard. Even without the huge palette of the large group, the writing and arranging have a rare and striking beauty. Telmo’s Tune starts with a joyous aplomb on the opener, “Criolla,” which uses a dancing melody played by Chris Cheek on soprano sax set over the bouncy rhythms of the keyboards and percussion. Elsewhere, Klien uses stillness and open spaces (“Push Me Not and “Is cos me queres”) to let us admire the architecture of deconstructed rhythmic language and gorgeous sound and textures produced by the band. Denser arrangements return on the album’s back half, bridging a gap between traditional South American rhythms and the exciting, modern playing of sax player Cheek and keyboards from Genovese. Invariably, stunning beauty is at the center.

Emma Rawicz – Chroma
(released August 25, 2023)

Emma Rawicz – Tenor saxophone and Bass Clarinet
Ivo Neame – Piano
Ant Law – Guitar
Conor Chaplin – Upright and electric bass
Asaf Sirkis – Drums and vocals
Immy Churchill – Vocals

Emma Rawicz’s new album Chroma proves she is one of London’s most exciting new sax players. To hear Rawicz’s solo prowess, skip to the third tune on the record, “Rangwali.” On Rawicz’s tenor solo, you hear a biting tone and complex, elastic sax lines that reminded me of Bob Berg (one of my favorites!). Rawicz has assembled a fire-breathing group, with especially exciting playing from guitarist Ant Law and pianist Ivo Neame. Impressive! What will Rawicz and this band will do next?

Otis Sandsjö – Y​-​OTIS 2
(released July 24, 2020)

Otis Sandsjö – tenor saxophone & clarinet
Petter Eldh – bass & synthesizers
Dan Nicholls – keyboards & synthesizers
Tilo Weber – drums

I’m new to this project/band, a sequel to an album (Y​-​OTIS) that I have not heard yet, but I’ve loved bassist Petter Eldh’s music (check out his Koma Saxo), and I knew I had to listen to this. I’m glad I did! The best tracks here (“Tremendoce,” “Oisters,” and “Atombahn”) sound amazing and unique, with their multi-tracked and displaced world of woozy synths set over beats. The band calls the sound “liquid jazz of tomorrow” – take the plunge!

Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente – Cometa
(released August 25, 2023)

Luciana Souza – vocals
Fabio Torres – piano
Paulo Paulelli – bass
Edu Ribeiro – drums

It’s great to hear Luciana Souza back with “a new recording highlighting the pleasures of community, music making, and the Brazilian songbook,” as the album’s Bandcamp page says. Pianist Fabio Torres of Trio Corrente invited LA-based Souza to return to Brazil for concerts in the fall of 2022, coinciding with the election of Lula da Silva as Brazil’s new president. The performances went so well that Souza and Trio Corrente immediately decided to record an album featuring a combination of Brazilian classics and group originals. You can hear the air of celebration and uplift in the music, which celebrates rich tradition and a moment of hope for a new Brazil.

Nora Stanley and Benny Bock – Distance of the Moon
(released June 9, 2023)

Benny Bock – Steinway Grand Piano, Steinway Prepared Upright Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer 200a, Hammond B3, Estey Pump Organ, Percussion, Baritone Guitar, ARP 2600, Yamaha CS60, Moog Minimoog, Prophet 5, UDO Super 6, Oberheim Two Voice Pro, Soma Lyra & Pulsar 23, Drum Programming
Nora Stanley – Saxophone, Korg Maxikorg 800, Soma Pulsar, Moog Minimoog, Percussion, Kalimba, Drum Programming
and other musicians

Distance of the Moon sounds like a late fall or winter album, but its quiet luminosity has also been lovely to listen to through the summer months. Keyboardist and composer Benny Bock created a series of duets with composer and saxophonist Nora Stanley, employing a giant battery of instruments to develop spare and charming music. The album’s highlight is the lilting, evocative melody of “March,” which features memorable playing. The rest is this album can cast a spell – I know I’ll return to it when the weather turns and the leaves start falling.

Trickster: Live in Brooklyn
(released August 15, 2023)

Miles Okazaki – guitar, compositions
Sean Rickman – drums
Matt Mitchell – piano
Anthony Tidd – bass

Trickster is led by guitarist Miles Okazaki, and finally gets to show what it can do in front of an audience on the appropriately titled Trickster: Live in Brooklyn. Trickster has been well-documented on several studio albums (such as Trickster from 2017 and The Sky Below from 2019). However, the lockdown intervened when Okazaki wanted to take the band on the road and make a live album in 2020. Instead, we got a “recorded live at home” record (Trickster’s Dreamtriuckers). With the Pandemic behind us, we finally get a document of Trickster at a small club in Brooklyn in front of an enthusiastic audience. The highlight of this double album has to be “Mischief/Caduceus Steps,” which takes two themes by Okazaki and smashes them into Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.” To hear Matt Mitchell solo over Trane’s legendary tune is worth the price of admission alone! The jam flavor of the Trickster project seems endlessly renewable and, by the evidence here, a must-see live. Also, check out the cool vinyl issue of the album on Bandcamp.

Joe Farnsworth – In What Direction Are You Headed?
(released May 19, 2023)

Joe Farnsworth – drums
Kurt Rosenwinkel – guitar
Immanuel Wilkins – saxophone
Julius Rodriguez – piano
Robert Hurst – bass

Joe Farnsworth has always celebrated the jazz greats by playing with them, such as his collaborations with Cedar Walton, Harold Maburn, and George Coleman. With In What Direction Are You Headed? Farnsworth signals a change of approach and has recorded with younger players like saxist of the minute Immanuel Wilkins and vet guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. The shift in direction injects this album with energy and a new sense of adventure. Farnsworth’s sound has constantly reminded me of Billy Higgins, a drummer who could play with Cedar Walton and Ornette Coleman. Now Farnsworth has embraced open and exciting music forms still grounded in the tradition with this stimulating new direction!

Archival TNB Pick!
Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy
(released July 14, 2023)

Link to Spotify
Link to Apple Music

John Coltrane – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Eric Dolphy – alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute
Art Davis – double bass
Elvin Jones – drums
McCoy Tyner – piano
Reggie Workman – double bass

Play this newly discovered music and come time traveling to the Village Gate in the summer of 1961. You’ll hear the crackling fission of Coltrane and Eric Dolphy developing this unsettled, searching, and land-breaking music, right before your ears. The so-so audio only adds to the experience – you feel like you are eavesdropping on history in the making. Coltrane stretches out on the almost 16-minute-long “My Favorite Things” and burns on “Impressions.” Don’t skip the set closer “Africa,” making its only known recorded live performance. Coltrane had recently recorded “Africa” on the phenomenal Africa/Brass, which was, along with “My Favorite Things,” a formative launchpad for his concept of experimental music that embraced world influences and spirituality. The live version of “Africa” jumps out from the other performances due to the earth-shaking groove developed by Elvin Jones and the drama of the galloping arrangement set against dynamic solos by Coltrane and Dolphy—the highlight of a fantastic set captured on this essential release.

Performances discussed:
Jessica Pavone (solo)

J.D. Parran N’ the Spirit (Andrew Drury, Alexis Marcelo, Sharif Kales)

Blue Reality Quartet (Warren Smith, Joe McPhee, Michael Marcus, Jay Rosen)

Although the best place to experience music may be in a small club with few distractions, summer music in an outdoor setting has undeniable charm. That charm was a big part of the afternoon of music at Socrates Sculpture Park on Saturday, August 5th, 2023. The event, called “Lotic Time,” used a sculptural installation by Mary Mattingly as a backdrop to performances by a fantastic array of improvising artists, including dancing by Valerie Green and Dance Entropy, and music from Jessica Pavone, Ronnie Barrage, J.D. Parran, and the Blue Reality Quartet, which features tenor and trumpet legend, Joe McPhee.

(“Ebb of a Spring Tide” – image by Jesse Koblin)

It is fascinating to base an afternoon of music and dance around a sculpture; in this case, Mary Mattingly’s “Ebb of a Spring Tide.” This large scaffolded structure holds suspended garden planters full of greenery and is irrigated by tubes of water from below the structure. Those tubes emit sprays of mist that beautify and sustain the greenery suspended in the air. The effect is lovely, especially since the greenery is interspersed with artifacts discarded by humans, such as a door at the top of the scalloping (does it open?), what appear to be teapots and other artfully placed debris. The publicity for the event highlights the interaction between the performers and “Ebb of a Spring Tide,” inviting the audience to a “unique experience [which] combines the power of sound and movement to explore the intricate rhythms of nature and the ever-changing scales of time as witnessed through our nearby waterways.”

(Jessica Pavone, solo viola)

We arrived at “Lotic Time” just as viola player Jessica Pavone started her solo music set. Pavone, a Queens resident with a deep connection to Socrates Sculpture Park, said at the start of her set that she would play music inspired by the space around her. She played over a half-hour of beautiful solo viola, utilizing sweeping lines that were reflective, energetic, serene, and subtly adventurous. The whole set was an enchanting exploration of sonorities and textures that cast a spell on the small audience gathering about the gazebo next to the Mattingly sculpture. Pavone’s set was the most rewarding of the afternoon – we’ve had the sound of it in our ears all week.

Your authors took a break to get nachos and fried plantains (shout out to the friendly servers at Fresco’s Cantina on 31st Ave!) and then returned to the festivities. We got back at the end of drummer Ronnie Burrage’s set, which provided energetic drumming while dancer Valerie Green and Dance Entropy danced to the music. The performers of Dance Entropy climbed around and on top of the “Ebb of a Spring Tide,” which was amazing to see. Too bad I missed most of Burrage’s set – we’ll have to catch him again some other time.

(Parran and his band, L-R, Alexis Marcelo, Sharif Kales, J.D. Parran, Andrew Drury)

Next up was multi-reed player J.D. Parran, with his group composed of drummer Andrew Drury, keyboardist Alexis Marcelo, and trumpet player Sharif Kales. Parran seems to always be out of the spotlight even though he’s been active in music for 50 years. He has been a crucial sideperson to luminaries such as Anthony Davis and Anthony Braxton (not to mention having recorded with Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and The Band). Yet, he’s hardly made any records as a leader (we only know of one, 1997’s, J. D. Parran & Spirit Stage). It seems appropriate that Parran looked so happy being up on the stage leading his group – he took his time introducing the songs he performed, and the band played out each piece with full solos from Parran and his sidemen. Their set consisted of energetic, driving post-bop tunes in the timeless style of Charles Tolliver or Jackie McClean, whose “Blue Rondo” was the opening song. Remarkably, Parran stuck to tenor and soprano despite a legendary reputation for playing the entire clarinet family. The music was accessible and firey, and the crowd of park visitors was clearly digging it. Parran’s band was also terrific; we loved the tart sound of the combination of Parran’s tenor sax blended with Sharif Kales’ trumpet. Alexis Marcelo could get a lot out of a little Yamaha keyboard! And it was fun watching drummer Drury play barefoot – don’t think we’ve seen before.

Parran finished at 6:25 PM, and during the 20 minutes or so it took to set up for the Blue Reality Quartet, there was an air of anticipation (at least for me). The Blue Reality Quartet is a proper all-star group of the avant-garde, made up of sax great Joe McPhee (profiled by TNB here!), who partnered with reed player Michael Marcus, and percussionists Jay Rosen and Warren Smith. (Smith played vibes at the Socrates Sculpture Park gig). These players released two notable albums of improvised music during the pandemic, 2021’s Blue Reality Quartet! and 2022’s Ella’s Island. Seeing this group waiting in the wings to regale the park with their music was super exciting! Warren Smith was sitting just a few feet from us watching Parran’s set (Paran played a tribute to the great percussionist with a song dedicated to him); McPhee looked so cool in black sunglasses and his trademark red sneakers, ready to blow the crowd away like in legendary live recordings Nation Time and The Willisau Concert.

(Blue Reality Group, L-R, Warren Smith, Michael Marcus, Joe McPhee, Jay Rosen)

However, there must have been some hard 7 PM end time for the event, because we only heard two tunes from Joe McPhee and company. They were compelling tunes, though! First, Blue Reality Group played “Love Exists Everywhere,” the kick-off track from their 2021 album. The song is built around Jay Rosen’s hypnotic, slowly modulating drums, which were especially pronounced live, his crisp symbol beat guiding the band forward. The band then plunged into the dense chordal squalls of the title track from Ella’s Island, which allowed us to hear Marcus’ bass reeds and lovely vibe playing from Smith. It felt like the next tune would bring the McPhee feature we were waiting for, but suddenly the set was over! I’m sure we were not the only ones disappointed by the abrupt end, but the summer air was warm, the sounds from the river gently washed over the park, and the music we got was great. Maybe next time, they’ll work out the scheduling wrinkles, but why complain when you can hear all this wonderful music for free? “Lotic Time” was a big success, and we look forward to its organizers returning with more next year.

I’m posting the TNB album round-up a few days into July, and a few days late. You can blame the summer doldrums – I’ll try and catch up soon. As always, a wealth of great music to report about. Below are some of the best of the month!

TNB Pick!
Peter Brötzmann / William Parker / Hamid Drake – Song Sentimentale
(released June 6, 2023)

Peter Brotzmann – tenor sax, b-flat clarinet, tárogató
William Parker – double bass, guembri, skakuhachi, shenai
Hamid Drake – drums, frame drums, voice

After the recent death of Brötzmann in late June, we’ve been giving this remarkable release extra attention. Song Sentimentale was recorded over three nights at Cafe OTO in January 2015, with performances previously released in part but never before collected all in one place. Here you can appreciate Brötzmann’s horns’ awesome power, attention to detail, and poetry in ballads like “Dark Blues.” There are so many great Brötzmann records to listen to, and he’s one of the titans of modern avant-garde music. There’s no better place to start than with this release. Brötzmann lives!

TNB Pick!
Carlos Bica – Playing With Beethoven
(released June 23, 2023)

Carlos Bica – double bass
Daniel Erdmann – tenor and soprano saxophones
João Barradas – accordion
Dj Illvibe – turntables

Serious fun! Bassist Bica takes themes from Beethoven and creates a dialogue with them from a modern (or post-modern?) perspective. The gambit sees melodies from the 7th, 9th, and 5th symphonies, the Moonlight sonata, and other familiar Beethovenalia sharing company with metal guitars, melted opera singers, a turntablist, prohibition blues, and some stylish jazz playing. Surprisingly, most of it works, and I doubt you’ve heard anything like it. The audacity and execution of the project get top marks and keep me coming back—my most played album of June 2023.

Chris Speed Trio with Chris Tordini and Dave King – Despite Obstacles
(released June 16, 2023)

Chris Speed – tenor saxophone, clarinet
Chris Tordini – acoustic bass
Dave King – drums

While listening to Chris Speed’s new album, I thought of Coltrane Plays the Blues. Not that Speed, who has his own unique approach, sounds anything like Trane, but his new album has the classic vibe of tracks like “Blues to Bechet” and “Mr. Syms.” One of the things I love about Speeds’ album is the deeply satisfying range of emotions it conveys – from the upbeat “Advil” to the dreamy “Wrangled” or the beauty of “Sunset Park In July.” Despite Obstacles is the perfect album title to capture these emotions – like the Blues, this music depicts a mercurial and mesmerizing range of attitudes.

Linda May Han Oh – The Glass Hours
(released June 2, 2023)

Linda May Han Oh – electric/acoustic bass + voice
Mark Turner – tenor saxophone
Sara Serpa – voice
Fabian Almazan – piano + electronics
Obed Calvaire – drums

The influence of progressive rock on jazz is all over bassist Linda May Han Oh’s new album, The Glass Hours. Often the music sounds like something from Soft Machine, but with playing that is very much of the here and now. The Bandcamp page says the collection is “based on abstract themes of the fragility of time and life; exploring paradoxes seeded within our individual and societal values.” To expose these ideas, Oh employs Sara Serpa to sing both wordlessly as a “horn” (often in unison with Mark Turner’s sax) and with lyrics such as on the songs “Antiquity” and “Jus Ad Vellum.” Under the vocal and sax lines, the accompanying frisson of advanced bass, keyboard playing, and drumming is exhilarating.

Peggy Lee – A Giving Way
(released June 9, 2023)

Brad Turner – trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet
Jon Bentley – tenor saxophone
Jeremy Berkman – trombone
Peggy Lee – cello, compositions
Ron Samworth – 6 & 12 string electric guitars, acoustic guitar
Tony Wilson – electric guitar
André Lachance – electric bass
Dylan van der Schyff – drums

Peggy Lee (the cellist and composer, not the singer) is new to me, and this profile and interview is a great place to catch up with her inventive music. Lee and her band hail from Vancouver, and this album, her 6th, has especially strong writing for Lee’s octet. I’ll single out trumpet player Brad Turner, who plays magnificent solos on “Boat Ride Into Go Home Bay” and “Internal Structures,” but the musicians are all great and get lots of space to shine. Discovering this album and discovering Lee remind me what’s so great about creative music – there’s always a new gem awaiting you.

Gerald Cleaver – 22 / 23
(released May 26, 2023)

Gerald Cleaver – electronics, voice
Jean Carla Rodea – voice
Andrew Dahlke – alto & tenor saxophones

While driving in a rain and wind-swept June morning, I put on Gerald Cleaver’s new electronic album, 22/23, as the rain pelted the car’s roof, and Cleaver’s ominous electronic humming mixed into the din. The blips beat on as hard rain blasted the hood, and processed kick drums pounded the doors along with gravel from the tarmac. The experience was overwhelming (I had to turn to music off for a bit), but that’s the power that Cleaver’s densely textured electronic compositions can have. If you read TNB’s Cleaver profile, you know how we’ve been looking forward to this one, his follow-up to 2020’s Signs, and 2021’s Griots. The best tracks here, such as “Twins,” “MDD,” and “OK Now,” show more complexity than those prior records. However, note that the CD, LP, and digital releases have different lengths and different tracks included. The digital release consists of a whopping 22 tracks and is over 2 hours – frankly, some of the music could have stayed in the can. The shorter LP and CD programs are much more compelling; the latter hits all the high points and is the way to go.

Wild Up – Julius Eastman Vol. 3: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
(released June 16, 2023)

The Eastman Renaissance continues with Wild Up’s terrific third volume of the late composer’s music. This time the offerings are even more experimental than on last year’s Vol 2: Joy Boy. Vol. 3 consists of performances of three Eastman works. “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?” (1977) leans into extended vocal techniques buttressed by a dramatic orchestral score. “The Moon’s Silent Modulation” (1970) is the recording debut of work accompanying a ballet. The multi-media nature of the piece is obvious on the recording – the band stomps, claps, chants, and emotes over tense string arrangements. Best of all is “Evil N–r” (1979), which uses two pianos rather than the four usually employed, together with the orchestra to create a lush, spellbinding, and eventually claustrophobic atmosphere. The result is fantastic – don’t miss it.

Illegal Crowns – Unclosing
(released June 2, 2023)

Tomas Fujiwara – drums
Taylor Ho Bynum – cornet, flugelhorn
Mary Halvorson – guitar
Benoît Delbecq – piano

Illegal Crowns starts with a blast. Fujiwara’s “Crooked Frame” is a minor mode tune with an odd meter that already had grit, even before Mary Halvorson’s solo. But what a solo! It sent me hitting the “rewind” button (or slider, which is what that is now) to listen again to some of the sickest playing Halvorson has committed to record. This is a supergroup; Taylor Ho Bynum’s cornet is beautiful, Fujiwara’s drums always impress, and Delbecq’s piano is striking throughout. But on Halvorsen’s “Osmosis Crown,” she does it again – plays a solo that flips the ship over and squeezes all the oxygen out now the room. Illegal Crowns features terrific writing and solos by some of the best, plus a genius of modern music who keeps getting better and better. Hire Mary Halvorsen at your own risk – she is always the star!

John Dikeman, Pat Thomas, John Edwards, Steve Noble – Volume 2
(released June 23, 2023)

John Dikeman – tenor saxophone
Pat Thomas – piano
John Edwards – bass
Steve Noble – drums

For those who don’t share our obsession with Pat Thomas, you can skip this one if you wish. But that would be a mistake because you’d miss the second dispatch from a great band. Vol. 2 consists of two more long tracks to add to last year’s Vol. 1, all sourced from one epic night of music at Cafe OTO in February 2019. As on Vol. 1, the group sound is balanced, with plenty of space for imposing solo statements. Not only are we digging Thomas, but saxophonist Dikeman is a revelation – his playing is fiery and unrelating in the best way. Bassist Edwards fills the music with energy from below, and drummer Noble is authoritative and has a very organized concept that focuses the band beautifully. Like its predecessor, Vol. 2 shows how mesmerizing and fun-free playing can be.

Zoh Amba featuring William Parker and Francisco Mela – O Life, O Light Vol. 2
(released June 9, 2023)

Zoh Amba – tenor saxophone, flute
William Parker – bass, gralla
Francisco Mela – drums

I knew I had to hear Zoh Amba as soon as I saw this album cover and read this from the liner notes: “New York-based Zoh Amba first cultivated her musical passion in the lush forests of the Appalachian mountains, playing to the woods around her home . . . her music honors her roots, full of folk melodies, mesmerizing refrains, repeated incantations and powerfully-executed Free Jazz.” The music on O Life, O Light Vol. 2 does not disappoint – Amba delivers fiery, old-school free jazz in the Albert Ayler mold. Then on side B, Amba switches to flute, and the music turns introspective but no less passionate. William Parker and Francisco Mela are the perfect rhythm section, as well. Album highlight: on the first track, Parker suddenly switches to gralla (a Catalan double reed instrument), and Amba and Parker’s reeds go toe to toe, with drums and some yelling, maybe from Mela—an instant classic.

Ben van Gelder – MANIFOLD
(released June 16, 2023)

Ben van Gelder – alto saxophone and flute
Kit Downes – pipe organ
Fuensanta – voice and lyrics
Joris Roloefs – bass clarinet
Hristo Goleminov – tenor saxophone
Jean-Paul Estiévenart – trumpet
Antoine Pierre – drums
Tijs Klaassen – bass

What a sound! MANIFOLD is built around the pipe organ that Kit Downes plays here (we usually hear him playing piano). The result is a recording soaked in atmosphere – you feel as if you’re seated in the church where this recording was made and that the music is unfolding around you. The key track that will give you the idea is “Spectrum.” The music develops episodically – after a brief opening from the horns, there’s gentle murmuring led by flute and voice, then the pipe organ appears like the sun sweeping away the fog. More idyllic settings develop with Van Gelder’s alto on top of the mix, segues into a gently swaying theme played by the whole band, and finally into a coda of organ and voice. The track is striking, and the entire album sounds unique to my ears. A wondrous recording.

Archival release pick!
Evan Parker – NYC 1978
(released June 2, 2023)

Evan Parker – soprano saxophone (1,3,5,6) tenor saxophone (2, 4)

Solo recitals are so dramatic because they demand the performer bring their A-game – when you are standing alone in front of the audience, you need to win the room over with a compelling vision and the chops to back it up. Solo performers should take notes on what Evan Parker can do and what he pulls off in this 1978 live recording. Parker dominates the audience with the 17 minutes opening salvo that literally had me gaping in wonder at its audacity and execution. Parker’s solo soprano cycles through an intense, continuous drone using cyclical breathing – no breaks for a breath of air! This 1978 recording was Parker’s first solo tour of the United States, and it allows you to imagine being in the room at Environ (a legendary and short-lived outpost for progressive and avant-garde music). This a potent reminder of how great the still active Evan Parker is.

(A collage of both Hatfield and the North album covers; Image created by Jesse Koblin )

Hatfield and The North (Virgin Records; Virgin – V2008 and A1M, recorded at The Manor Studios in 1973, initially issued February or March, 1974)
Link to Apple Music
Link to Spotify
Link to YouTube

Hatfield and the North are:
Phil Miller – electric guitar and acoustic guitars
Dave Stewart – Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, Hohner Pianet, piano, tone generator, Minimoog
Richard Sinclair – bass guitar, vocals
Pip Pyle – drums, percussion
Guest musicians:
Robert Wyatt – vocals
Barbara Gaskin – vocals
Amanda Parsons – vocals
Ann Rosenthal – vocals

The so-called “Canterbury sound” is a unique and idiosyncratic blend of rock, jazz and a pure English sensibility like nothing else in music. It grew from Canterbury, Kent in England during the early 1970s, where a roster of core musicians incestuously jetted between the same fusion bands and conjured a soup of cosmic rock-n’-roll grounded in British humor. No band or album more exemplifies the Canterbury Sound’s odd beauty than the self-titled first album of Hatfield and The North. During a short existence from 1972-1975 (and a later brief reunion), Hatfield and The North released two albums that epitomize the sensibility of Canterbury, and distill the brilliant music of this place in space and time for future generations to enjoy. And enjoyment is a key concept here – miraculously, the band’s music is unrepentantly experimental and individualistic, yet totally pleasing and unabrasive. This is a delicate balance, yet Hatfield and the North walk the tightrope between noodling jammy psychedelia and humorous melodic vision, keeping the music experimental without fully veering into the dissonant avant-garde.

1974’s album Hatfield and The North is the ideal place to start exploring their work. Even though it’s a debut album, the band had already developed a sophisticated vocabulary and sonic vision that reflected the involvement of key musicians in 70’s English music. Foremost is Richard Sinclair, whose mellifluous voice is a distinctive component – relaxed, charismatic, warm, and yes, totally British. Sinclair’s contribution is central to Hatfield and the North’s sound, just as it was during his previous work with Caravan (check out the all-time classic, In the Land of the Grey and Pink). His singing is unorthodox, sometimes failing on high notes or blundering through a chord; but these vocals are never unpleasant, positioning Sinclair’s performances as both delightful and earnest. Because Sinclair’s voice is so unique, it may be easy to overlook his bass playing. With Hatfield and the North, the virtuosity and strong sound of the bass is very much equal to the other instruments.

Sinclar’s backing band is just as strong, composed of a cooperative who’s-who of Canterbury Scene auteurs. In Pip Pyle, Hatfield and the North had an ideal drummer to bridge their rock and jazz influences. Pyle has a loose swinging time, he never overplays and always contributes interesting and varied textures to the music. An unheralded great! On keyboards, Dave Stewart is a renowned player in Canterbury music, and his battery of varied synth sounds are by turns whimsical and energetic. Stewart went on to form National Health and also made key albums with Bill Bruford (profile by TNB here), where his distinctive keyboard performances always stand out. Finally, Phil Miller’s guitar is an invaluable sonic tool lending the band myriad sounds, whether it’s texture and melody, or pure rock, such as on “Rifferama.”

So let’s turn to the album that is the centerpiece of this post. Recorded by Richard Branson’s fledgling Virgin label, the band was provided time and budget that allowed them to realize their vision. And what a vision it is! Hatfield and the North is a continuous opus, its songs both musically and thematically bridged together into a fevered journey. A protean movability tugs the music between acrid, jubilant, and angelic based on instrumental accompaniment and texture. Repeated melodic motifs and instrumental sounds wind throughout the track list, each appearance carrying specific narrative implications. For example, the “Big Jobs” melody (from the first full song on the album) recurs throughout the album, a melancholic downbeat theme with prominent bluesy guitar and high hats falling over the track like sheets of rain; each instance punctuates the track with a stolid sort of loneliness, establishing thematic continuity subconsciously. Reversed synth notes and awkward atonal crooning are transitional markers at the beginnings of songs, each appearance prefacing a new musical expedition. Horns signify hysteria, choir vocals are transcendence; a growling low-pitch synth summons terror, while high-pitch is euphoria. Perhaps the most notable thematic passage on the record comes at the center of “Shaving is Boring,” where the track progresses from bass-led elevator music to an uptempo jam suffused with anguish evoked by distorted guitar reverb. Suddenly, the jam abruptly stops as we hear the cassette the music is playing on being removed, footsteps panning between the ears inserting different cassettes playing motifs from across the album, then abruptly cutting back into the music, where we’ve jumped to a whole new melodic palette. Music is the vessel for the album’s rich universe, conveyed through the semiotic language of an exceptionally-talented band and sonic ingenuity.

Equally integral to the record’s tonal world are Richard Sinclair’s brilliant, hermetically-British lyrics. Hatfield and the North are referential to their status as musical entertainers, grounding their music in its own diegetic world. Foregrounding the entire record is the couplet from “Big Jobs,” “We try our best to make it sound nice / and hope that the music turns you on to our latest LP,” presenting the album as an enclosed, cogent work, and Sinclair as the omnipotent shepherd of its musical stylings, confident in purring acousmetre. On the song’s latter restatement and album closer, “Big Jobs No. 2,”, Sinclair’s character returns to announce that he’d like to sing this track “in a Hatfield style,” expressing his desire “to sing our songs and entertain.” This Fielding-esque narratorial self-reference bolsters the album’s erudite charm. Equally, the lyrics are suffused with twee musings on creature comforts and kitsch as well as morbid moments of self-loathing. On “Fitter Stoke Has a Bath,” Sinclair muses that he’s “happy just to sit around at home” with his wife “Pamela looking elegant and writing prose” – in the next line, he states “If anyone’s in need of me / I’m drowning in the bathroom.” The next verse of the song is sung submerged, distorted vocals and crackling synth warbling evoking the sudsy demise. The sardonic interplay of faux politeness and abrupt violence is deeply English, especially when abetted by whimsey. My favorite song was recorded on the same sessions but released as a separate single (as was the English custom – most of the great singles from 60s and 70s English bands did not appears on their LP’s). “Let’s Eat (Real Soon)” speaks from the perspective of a sentient toaster strudel, remarking “I’ll be tasty Mr. Pastry / Wouldn’t that be lovely?” The song’s instrumentation emulates a cheesy food commercial, complete with a straightforward drum meter and hokey rhythm piano. Few bands could pull off such a mix of unabashed musical joy and parody; Sinclair imploring “I’m vitamin-enriched / What’s more, I’m absolutely wholesome” amounts to absolute musical delight. Similarly, the aptly-named “Gigantic Land Crabs In Earth Takeover Bid” leaves nothing to the imagination, drawing on the dramatic juvenile ephemera of 1950’s sci-fi pulps. This band and record are unique and intoxicating; humorous, joyful, light, and paradoxically morbid, the record’s characteristic lyrical approach punctuates the fevered delirium of its cosmic musical arrangements. Give Hatfield and The North a listen with open ears and a mind open to its peculiar charms, and you will come away enchanted.

More Hatfield and the North:
Once you’re dug into what makes the music on Hatfield and the North’s first album so special, there are lots of adjacent avenues to explore:

Classic Album Cover. The album cover and inside fold compound the music’s thematic weight. The cover of Hatfield and the North depicts a sleepy, bucolic vignette of the Icelandic city Reykjavik, flanked overhead by a pink-hued rendition of Luca Signorelli’s 16th-century painting “The Damned” superimposed over the sky. The image of pastoral life, rows of desolate marshes and homesteads clashing with Signorelli’s supernatural lattice of bodies contorted by demons evoke the album’s meeting of quaint English folksiness with frenzied psychedelia and sardonicism. You can read a terrific blog post about the making of this cover here.

How they got their name. A band’s name can be so important to its mystique and part of its bond with the listener. One of many things about the band that is a bit cryptic and irredeemably British, Hatfield and the North is a reference to the road signs out of London, pointing to the A1 motorway – in the 1970s, they simply said “The North.” The current signs still have the same language, which you can see in this picture:

A look forward. If you’re digging Hatfield and the North, definitely listen to the rest of their slim but uniformly excellent discography. Their only other studio album is The Rotter’s Club, released in 1975, which manicures their discography with a shorter, stripped-back sophomore project wearing jazz and prog-rock influences on its sleeve. The Rotter’s Club is a formidable record, boasting an arguably-improved rendition of “Fitter Stoke Has a Bath,” the infectiously anthemic “Share It,” and the side-long sonic edifice “Mumps: Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Doughnut.” Nonetheless, there is an unadulterated charm to the self-titled record’s incendiary freshman mania and raconteur narration that is lost in The Rotter’s Club’s pursuit of aesthetic refinement. After their second album, the group broke up due to poor album sales and the constraints of band life, but they re-banded in 1990 with Sophia Domancich in place of Dave Stewart and recorded the excellent Live 1990.

And a look back. If you dig Richard Sinclair’s voice as much as we do, then you need to listen to the classic Caravan album which Sinclair made before he joined Hatfield and the North, In The Land of Grey and Pink. This 1971 album is arguably the high water mark of the Canterbury sound, and when you hear Sinclair sing on the album’s opener, “I chanced upon a golf girl, selling cups of tea,” you’ll never forget its quirky charm.

Sorry I’m posting this round-up of May 2023 albums a few days into June. My lateness is no reflection on the wealth of great releases in May – frankly, it’s just been too stressful to think about writing when the sky is blood red, and the world is on fire. But music is a comfort, a source of wisdom, power, and an example of what humanity can do to create a better world instead of destroying it. So enjoy the great albums of May 2023! Those here are wonderful, as are many others we could not get to.

TNB Pick Hit!
Henry Threadgill – The Other One
(released May 26, 2023)

Personnel:
Henry Threadgill – conductor
Alfredo Colón – alto saxophone
Noah Becker – alto saxophone, clarinet
Peyton Pleninger – tenor saxophone
Craig Weinrib – percussion, electronics
Sara Caswell – violin
Stephanie Griffin – viola
Mariel Roberts – cello
Christopher Hoffman – cello
Jose Davila – tuba
David Virelles – piano
Sara Schoenbeck – bassoon
Adam Cordero – bassoon

The Other One is a welcome return to form for Threadgill after the slightly underwhelming Poof. This album documents a three-part suite of music that shifts back and forth between a chamber music feel and the power of this 12-player orchestra. On The Other One, Threadgill writes and conducts the orchestra, and it’s a sign of how good the compositions are that you don’t miss the acidic intensity of his horn. David Virelles plays the album’s introductions and transitions with authority, filling a key role that makes you wonder why Threadgill didn’t use pianists for years. When the whole band comes in, it sounds terrific, with essential contributions from the strings (two cellos and violins and viola), two bassoons, a trio of saxes, and that trademark Threadgill tuba. The audio fidelity is good enough that only when I heard the applause of an audience at the end, did I realize I’d been listening to a live recording (taped last year at Roulette when the suite was premiered). The release of this album coincides with the publication of Threadgill’s incredible autobiography, so this is the time to celebrate one of the great voices in music. TNB will be doing a more extensive Threadgill post shortly – in the meantime, get your copy of Threadgills’ book and make sure you listen to this album!

TNB Pick Hit!
salami rose joe louis – Akousmatikous
(released May 19, 2023)

Salami Rose Joe Louis – Korg Polysix, Moog, Rhodes, synth clav, synth bass, drum machine/programming, vocals, guitar, Polybrute, Microkorg, with various musicians featured, including Danalogue (synths), Betamax (drums) (Soccer96), Jason Lindner (synths) and others.

The world needs pop music this experimental and strange. Salami Rose Joe Louis is Lindsay Olsen, a California-based musician building complex and trippy electronic tracks with her Roland MV-8800. The title for Akousmatikous (Ah-coooz-mat-e-koi) draws from “a sect of Pythagorean mystics from the 5th century BC that were called the “listeners” who focused on ritual, harmony, and ethical behavior.” The music is a dreamy mix of club drum tracks, enigmatic pop vocals, synth backgrounds employing jazz harmony, and oblique mystery. The album comes from an open place that makes it all sound fresh; as Lindsay says, “I am enamored with the concept of listening to a sound when you don’t know the source. The act of listening in this great expanse of the universe, for answers, for questions, or just for something undefinable that we seek.” Wise words for winning tones.

Tineke Postma – Aria
(released May 5, 2023)

Ben Monder – Guitar
Robert Landfermann – Bass
Tristan Renfrow – Drums

Looking up into the environmental hellscape over NYC on June 6, I thought of “The Sky Is Everywhere” from Tineke Postma’s new album, Aria. The song captures urgency and foreboding, which says a lot about the expressiveness of the music throughout this album. Tineke Postma has a powerful sound, both on alto saxophone with her compositions (Aria is all originals by Postma.) I didn’t know of Postma before this recording (her 8th!), but after hearing her expressive playing and intricate arrangements, I look forward to what she does next. Aria is also an ideal place to hear Ben Monder’s electric guitar – here, he’s given a lot of space to use his trademark effects and distortion to craft moments of energy or simple beauty.

Pat Thomas & Steve Beresford – One Or Two Pianos
(released May 5, 2023)

Pat Thomas & Steve Beresford – “Pianos are featured because on some tracks, one of the pair plays toys and other objects”

One Or Two Pianos is one of a pair of new albums from Pat Thomas, which continue to show why he’s one of the most compelling music makers in the world. Here Thomas is joined by pianist Steve Beresford for a meeting that Beresford calls “Pianos, Toys, Music, and Noise,” an apt description of the weird clash of pianism and chaotic noise-making. I’m especially fond of the maniacal honky-tonk nine-and-a-half minutes into “Fred” and the brilliance of paying tribute to the iconoclasm of Cecil Taylor with electronics and percussion rather than piano (on “Cecil”). All the tracks are fascinating, and the imaginative use of “toys” leaves you wondering, “what was that noise?”

Pat Thomas – Burdah Variatrions
(released May 21, 2023)

Pat Thomas – Electronics

More Pat Thomas! I almost did not put this album in the round-up. When you first play this album, mind your volume button/dial – Burdah Variations starts with some of the most unremittingly assaultive electronic noise I’ve ever heard. This album’s opening notes caused my ears to hurt, and I could feel tingling in my nose. Dangerous music! I had to shut it off, and only later, when I returned to this album (and corrected my volume), I discovered a record of inventive, imaginative, and exciting noise experiments that sound like nothing else. The music is much more varied than the first track led me to believe, exploring many different electronic textures and often contrasting synthetic sounds against “organic” ones such as bells and woodwinds. The religious motivation is also notable – the album’s title is drawn from a poem by Sufi poet Imam al-Busiri recited for its spiritual and healing qualities. But Thomas avoids any cliched genre or “world music” references – instead, he states, “These are pieces which are concerned with combining various timbral characteristics to make new sonic soundworlds. In my view music works best as music, and I hope the listener can enjoy the pieces as much as I did when I created them.” A fascinating and stimulating record that I will be returning to.

Fire! Orchestra – Echoes

Link to purchase from Rune Grammofon
Link to Apple Music

The legendary Fire! Orchestra, formed around 2000 by sax player Mats Gustafsson, bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin, has upped the ante with one album after the next. Echoes, their seventh, is the most audacious record from this group yet, clocking in at almost 2 hours long and employing up to 43 players. That massive orchestra sometimes plays in a riotous, overdriven sprawl, but more often patiently develops something even more rewarding. The first track, “Echoes: I See Your Eye Part 1,” exemplifies this approach, building around restrained playing by bass, drums, and a string quartet. The rhythm section gets lots of room to create a sophisticated, slinky groove until, five minutes in, Gustafsson’s wild baritone sax enters and thrillingly tears the whole thing apart. Drama, melody, and noise are all playing in the same sandbox. In Echoes, sometimes you get beauty, and sometimes Fire!

Kate Gentile | International Contemporary Ensemble – b i o m e i​.​i
(released May 19, 2023)

Isabel Lepanto Gleicher – flute, piccolo
Jennifer Curtis – violin
Joshua Rubin – clarinet, bass clarinet
Rebekah Heller – bassoon
Ross aKarre – vibraphone & percussion
Cory Smythe – piano
Kate Gentile – drums & percussion

In a recent radio interview with Gentile, host Dave Lake commented on the increasingly blurry line between classical and improvised music. Gentile’s new b i o m e i​.​i (pronounced “Biome two”) is right at this intersection, with Gentile shepherding music in an exciting new direction. b i o m e i​.​i is a suite of 13 compositions that segue into each other seamlessly. The musicians comprising the International Contemporary Ensemble (“ICE”) deserve major props here. ICE is co-credited on the album cover and commissioned this work from Gentile. The group’s flair and technique is awesome, with multiple moments of superb writing (by Gentile) and playing (by ICE with Gentile on drums) throughout. As I’ve listened to this album, I’ve found myself getting lost in the music and letting the imaginative combinations of instruments pull me along, then unexpectedly sitting up in wonder at a surprising turn of phrase or an idea executed in a way I didn’t think was possible. The fractured melodies and stuttered rhythms may seem demanding at first, but it goes down easy, with friendly echoes of prog rock and sci-fi soundtracks. I’m sure there is something here waiting for you. And there’s more after this too – b i o m e i​.​i is the first album from Obliquity Records, a label which Gentile just started with Matt Mitchell – Obliquity # 02 has just been announced and is due July 28!

Samuel Blaser – Routes
(released May 12, 2023)

Samuel Blaser trombone | Alex Wilson piano, hammond organ, melodica | Alan Weekes guitar | Ira
Coleman double bass and baby bass | Dion Parson drums (except 7) | Soweto Kinch alto sax, voc | Michael
Blake tenor sax | Edwin Sanz percussion (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) & drums (7)
And joined by:
Carroll Thompson vocals (2, 6) | Lee “Scratch” Perry vocals, dub (8, 9) | Steve Turre shells & trombone (4) |
John Fedchock trombone (4) | Glenn Ferris trombone (4) | Johan Escalante trombone (4) | Jennifer Warthon
bass trombone (4) | Heiri Känzig double bass (7)

Summer is here, and you need this album to kick-start your season of sun. If smoke from raging wildfires is choking the sun out, here’s the soundtrack to dance to on the edge of the apocalypse. Blaser revels in Jamaican roots music with the assistance of the late Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, saxophone from Michael Blake, trombone and shells from Steve Turre, with a whole trombone choir. As the liner notes say, “ROUTES is an adventure, a party and a celebration, and you’re invited.”

TNB Archival release of the month:
Milford Graves, Arthur Doyle, Hugh Glover – Children of the Forest
(released May 19, 2023)

Recorded: March 11, 1976
Milford Graves – drums and percussion
Arthur Doyle – tenor saxophone, flute
Hugh Glover – klaxon, percussion, vaccine
January 24, 1976
Milford Graves – drums and percussion
Hugh Glover – tenor saxophone
February 2, 1976
Milford Graves – drums and percussion

For those unfamiliar with Milford Graves’ drumming, go right to the last track of newly released archival material collected in Children of The Forest. There, you can hear the incredible power and complexity of Graves drumming in a solo performance – he can sound like an entire African drum choir. Once you’ve listened to what Graves is capable of, you’re prepared to dig into an hour of this powerful group, which adds scorched earth reads by Arthur Doyle on three blistering tracks and Hugh Glover on another four. Even though the audio is not hi-fi (it was recorded by Graves at his “legendary Queens basement laboratory and workshop”), the absolute passion and awesome capabilities of the musicians are never in doubt. An essential archival release.

London Brew – London Brew (2023, Concord Jazz)

If you have been following the press about the London jazz scene, you know about a new crop of musicians who draw on diverse music that connects with and engages a young, energetic audience. Skeptics who question whether the music matches the hype should listen to the new album London Brew, which features many of these new stars. In this post, we aim to introduce you to the musicians behind London Brew and recommend albums by its key players. Welcome to the London Brew Starter Kit!

Like many albums completed in the last year, disruption from the pandemic is a big part of the story. The music featured on London Brew is inspired by Miles Davis’ Bitches’ Brew and was initially planned to be presented in a series of 2020 concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Davis album. The first of these concerts was to be presented at The Barbican in London in early 2020 but was shut down due to the pandemic. In lockdown and unable to gig, the musicians decided to make a record from the music instead. For three days in December 2020, the London Brew band recorded hours of music, edited down to 90 minutes and now presented on two CDs or LPs if you buy the physical format.

(The London Brew band: L-R – Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Herbert, Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Nubya Garcia, Dave Okumu, Raven Bush, Dan See, Martin Terefe, Tom Skinner, Benji B, Nick Ramm, men with cap and wool hat unknown, Theon Cross at far right; photo credit Nathan Weber)

Regardless of the format you buy, the band you hear is a miniature who’s who of the young musicians making a name in the London jazz scene. The musical settings on London Brew are the work of producer Martin Terefe and guitarist Dave Okumu, who together took samples from Davis’ Bitches’ Brew, and used these excerpts to frame new performances. DJ Benji B then took these prepared tapes and played them live to the musicians during the recordings. Nubya Garcia’s tenor sax and Shabaka Hutchings’ reeds are at the heart of the music; the reeds bob and weave and play off each other throughout London Brew. One delight of the album is figuring out who is playing what, especially with pairs of saxes, keyboards, and drums – see below for a breakdown of the instrumentation.

Other instrumental highlights pop up and surprise you throughout. The drums of Tom Skinner and Dan See drive the record and occasionally lock together into a storm of rhythm, such as at the start of the second track, “London Brew, Part 2.” Theon Cross’ booming tuba appears on “More Ning Prayers,” giving the tune a contour and structure that contrast the ambiguous forms elsewhere on the record. Keyboards from Nikolaj Torp Larsen and Nick Ramm clash in jagged zones of dissonance through the two parts of the title track. The album closes out with serene amplified violin from Raven Bush. Even at an hour and a half of music without easily-accessed melodic lines, hooks, choruses, and other structure hallmarks, it all flows from intensity to atmospheric beauty and back – and it’s never boring!

Once you’ve absorbed and enjoyed London Brew, try listening to the music of the key musicians responsible for this record – it will be well rewarded.

(Shabaka Hutchings playing bass clarinet. Image: dirkneven1966 at The Vinyl Factory)

First up is Shabaka Hutchings – it’s hard to imagine London Brew happening without him. Hutchings (also known as Shabaka) first made his mark in 2013 with the debut album by Sons of Kemet, the band where Hutchings plays with Theon Cross and Tom Skinner, plus a second drummer (Eddie Hick since 2018). Sons of Kemet has perfected a style of riff-laden, groove-based music that is Afrocentric (and so cool), often combined with poetry about social justice and identity. The twin drums and tuba are already massively rhythmic, but Hutchings’s cyclical riffing patterns increase the intensity to 11. His approach sounds like the circular patterns of African drumming translated onto the saxophone. With all the energy, it’s easy to see why this band has made such an impression. This clip on YouTube shows you what it’s all about.

Hutchings is really prolific, and you can also check out his recordings with Shabaka and the Ancestors, as well as his solo album released as Shabaka, African Culture, where he concentrates on multi-instrumental Pharoah Sanders like atmospherics.

The Comet is Coming – Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (2022, Impulse)
Link to Spotify
Link to Apple Music

But the most compelling entry point is the most recent record by The Comet is Coming, Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam. Why here? This band creates energy and spontaneity captured in the story of how they came together. In an interview with M magazine, band drummer Max Hallett said he was playing a gig with keyboardist Dan Leavers when an audience member jumped on stage and started playing the saxophone. This was Hutchins, of course, though Hallett and Leavers had no idea who he was at the time. The sound they “created [was] an explosive shockwave of energy that stunned us all,” so they decided to record together and have since continued to hone their synth/drums/sax sound that leans into England’s famous rave culture. We dare you to stop dancing around your room after you put this album on! Also, if you’re in the New York area, you can catch The Comet Is Coming at Summerstage on August 3rd. You know we’ll be there!

(Nubya Garcia in 2019 Photograph: Peter Van Breukelen/Redferns at The Guardian)

Next, you must check out the other saxophone player on London Brew, Nubya Garcia. You may have heard of her already, even before you read this piece – Garcia has made a terrific splash in the music world, and her star has just started rising. Garcia released her ebullient debut EP Nubia’s 5ive in 2017, which features strong tunes, a dynamic band, and music that respects the jazz tradition while embracing an up-to-date rhythmic language. Garcia is prominently featured on the scene-defining We Out Here compilation (where she plays on five of the comp’s nine tracks) and made high-profile gigs, like playing to a packed house at Royal Albert Hall.

Nubya Garcia – Source (2020, Concord Jazz)

However, the place to start with Garcia’s music is Source, her debut full album. Source is uplifting from beginning to end, shaped by Garcia’s fully formed soloing and her fresh rhythm section of Daniel Casimer on bass, Joe Armon-Jones on piano and electric keyboards, and Sam Jones on drums. The album mixes various styles that draw from Garcia’s roots in the Caribbean, such as the Jamaican dub title track, or the nod to the bedrock of Latin American rhythms, “La cumbia me está llamando.” Elsewhere Garcia deploys soaring jazz harmonies on “The Message Continues,” and graceful balladry on “Together Is a Beautiful Place to Be.” Another strength of the album is its sincere connection to Garcia’s past. Garcia calls the album a story “about my heritage, my ancestry, exploring those places and those stories from my parents and my grandparents.” Lovely stuff – Garcia is only 31, and we can expect lots of great music to come.

Like Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, the music of Dave Okumu is driven by identity, and has a passion for creating new, relevant art that explores the past and the present. Okumu is the son of Kenyan immigrants and grew up in Vienna until his family moved to England at the age of ten. He has been on the scene for years and is one of the older players on London Brew at 46 years old. Okumu has been the guitar player in the indy rock band The Invisible, whose eponymous record from 2009 was nominated for a Mercury prize and was iTunes Album of the Year. The Invisible’s brand of mumbled vocals with subtly dark instrumentals framing sunny lyrics still sounds pretty good but only hints at the potential realized on Okumu’s new album, I Came From Love.

Dave Okumu & The 7 Generations – I Came From Love (2022)
Link to Bandcamp

Okumu says he regards I Came From Love as his first solo record because the music and themes represent his identity and history. The album draws from hip-hop, spoken word poetry, rhythm and blues, rock, jazz, and world music and is intensely autobiographical and political. One highlight is “Blood Ah Go Run,” which uses spoken narration from newspaper reports of a 1980’s fire that killed 13 Black teens. The track is propelled by thick, slightly funky baselines and backbeat even as the grim subject enfolds. Elsewhere, the album leans heavily into lyrics and poetry about slavery, Black identity, reclaiming history, and justice. Even though the issues are heavy, the music is not depressing, and the detailed production is often fascinating, with some tracks using layers of samples, effects, and instrumental detail. Given the variety, your mileage may vary from track to track, but the album’s range of approaches and ambition is impressive and easily recommended. Like the albums of Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, a personal story fuels a clear and compelling artistic vision.

Tom Skinner – Voices of Bishara (2022, International Anthem)

Like Okumu, drummer Tom Skinner is a scene veteran who has just released his first solo album, the fascinating EP Voices of Bishara. After playing with several jazz, electronic, and rock groups, Skinner co-founded Sons of Kemet in 2011 with Hutchings. Recently, Skinner has been the drummer for Thom Yorke’s non-Radiohead side project, The Smile. However, Voices of Bishara is Skinner’s first solo album, and he uses many of the same players from London Brew – Hutchins, Garcia, and bassist Matthew Herbert, joined by cello player Kareem Dayes. The album’s concept is right up our alley at TNB – Skinner says that during the pandemic, he found himself listening to Abdul Wadud’s By Myself, and he conceived this album as a reaction to the singular beauty of Wadud’s masterpiece. Skinner titled Voices of Bishara after the self-released imprint Wadud used for his classic, Bishara, which means “bringer of good news.” Skinner says his album is “an attempt to put something truthful into the world, through collaboration and community, at a time of rising dishonesty and disinformation.”

While this release is compact at six songs in 27 minutes, it makes a big impact using deep, resonant lines built around bass and cello under the double tenor sax front-line growl. Skinner explains that he arrived at an EP length after recording hours of music and using an extensive post-production process to boil it down to the most impactful material. This music reaches an apex during the tune “The Journey,” built around an interlocking, loping theme with an extroverted cello solo and the propulsive atmospherics created by post-production on “Voices (Of the Past).” Voices of Bishara was one of the remarkable releases of 2022, drawing on an ideal mix of spontaneity in the studio and deliberate post-production.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the London Brew Starter Kit! Hopefully, this has given you points of entry to appreciate and follow one of the world’s most exciting music scenes and to become part of the community of fans supporting these great musicians. We’ll keep following London Brew here and share what we find at The Necessary Blues.

London Brew album breakdown:

We promised to give you more detailed information about the players on London Brew and what they’re doing. Here’s the personnel and instrumentation according to the back cover of the album:

Benji B – “sonic recycling”
Raven Bush – electric violin, electronics
Theon Cross – tuba
Nubya Garcia – saxophone, flute
Shabaka Hutchings – saxophone, woodwinds
Tom Herbert – electric bass, double bass
Martin Terefe – guitar, electronics
Dave Okumu – electric guitar
Nick Ramm – Piano, synthesizers
Nikolaj Torp Larsen – synthesizers, melodica
Dan See – drums, percussion
Tom Skinner – drums, percussion

On an album that has multiple pairings of musicians playing the same instruments, it’s an interesting challenge to figure out who’s playing what. This is especially the case with Hutchings and Garcia, who are both credited as playing “saxophone” (that’s tenor sax), and Hutchings is also credited on “woodwinds.” On London Brew, Hutchings mostly sticks to the “woodwinds” (bass clarinet and B flat clarinet), but occasionally Hutchings and Garcia both play tenor at the same time. Even then, you can tell them apart. If you listen carefully, you can hear the difference between the two on tenor – Garcia has a lighter sound, and Hutchings has a more percussive, sharper attack. I probably don’t have it all down correctly, but here’s what I’m hearing Hutchings and Garcia playing:

“London Brew“: Hutchings on bass clarinet throughout; Garcia enters at 4:50 on tenor sax; Hutchings plays the B flat clarinet after 8:00; tenor sax at 10:00 played by Garcia; at 19:00 Hutchings on bass clarinet and Garcia on tenor sax in duet; at 22:00 both tenors playing at the same time – Hutchings playing short percussive phases, and Garcia playing longer, higher ones.

“London Brew, Part 2“: At 2:45, Garcia on tenor sax (played altissimo); at 5:20, woodwind counterpoint figure (oboe?) played by Hutchings; from 9:00 B flat clarinet (Hutchings) to 12:50.

“Miles Chases New Voodoo In The Church“: from 0:25 to 3:00, Garcia solos on tenor played through wah-wah pedal; at 3:10, Hutchings on B flat clarinet; at 4:50, Garcia on tenor in the background briefly.

“Nu Sha Ni Sha Nu Oss Ra“: This song is a feature for the tenor saxophonists, who both play tenor throughout. I believe it’s Garcia playing starting at 0:25 and Hutchings playing the second theme at 1:50; at 4:00, the saxophonists trade improvised lines until 7:00, and Garcia then plays to the end. Because I think Garcia plays the main theme, I believe Hutchings is playing the “breath” sounds (played through a tenor) that start and end the song.

“It’s One Of These“: This one features Hutchings, who solos on bass clarinet, first buried in the mix at 1:25, and then out front from 2:00 to 4:20. From 4:30 to the end, there are intermittent accents on tenor sax behind guitar and keyboards, played by what sounds like two sax players – Garcia and Hutchings.

“Bassics“: Garcia is credited by the liner notes as playing flute, and the only flute that I hear on the record occurs at 0:25. I hear no reeds on this track.

“Mor Ning Prayers“: The two reed players are featured again on this track. From 0:28 to 0:55, Garcia plays an opening theme, with Hutchings’s bass clarinet mixed way back. A guitar is featured from 0:55 to 3:37, and then Garcia and Hutchings return, now both on tenor. I believe Hutchings plays the main theme from 3:27, with Garcia joining with embroidered phases at 4:00. Hutchings continues with a repeated melodic phrase to 5:30, which goes into another guitar solo. The saxophones return at 7:45, this time with Garcia playing first and Hutchings joining at 8:10. Hutchings plays a repeated phrase, then returns to the theme he played at 5:30, and then ends the tune with a vibrato heavy slap-tongue phrase. Garcia is mixed to the left channel and Hutchings to the right – that will help you sort it out!

“Raven Flies Low“: This is a beautiful feature for Raven Bush’s violin. Hutchings plays a repeated background motif on the (B flat) clarinet at 3:15. At 4:55, there is riffing which sounds like the bass clarinet (Hutchings), which is way back in the mix. At 6:40, Hutchings’ B flat clarinet appears in the background, and at 7:40 comes to the front of the mix – Hutchings plays a long clarinet solo (7:40-10:20). I don’t hear any playing by Nubya Garcia on this track.

I hope you enjoy that analysis! One of the pleasures of music appreciation is trying to pull apart the music with your ears and figure out what’s going on. Please email me if you have corrections – I’d love to make it as accurate as possible!

April was a great month for new record releases. However, at the end of the month, we found ourselves at a loss for words to describe and categorize our finds. Words have their purpose, too – they help provide context and, when used thoughtfully, help us understand the music. It’s a struggle, though – writing about music is not easy, and words are a clumsy way to describe and analyze ineffable and elusive music. Unfortunately, a lot of writing about music falls into cliches (and I’m surely guilty of those), with the same tired phrases used over and over. So I’ll try to be brief and let the music do most of the talking.

TNB Pick!
Ben Wendel – All One
(released April 21, 2023)

Ben Wendel – Tenor and Soprano Saxophone, Bassoon, EFX, Hand Percussion
Cécile McLorin Salvant – Vocals
Terence Blanchard – Trumpet
Bill Frisell – Electric and Acoustic Guitar, EFX
Elena Pinderhughes – Flute and Alto Flute
José James – Vocals
Tigran Hamasyan – Piano
Steve and Beth Wood – Hand percussion

In two standout tracks from All One, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Ben Wendel makes old songs (“Tenderly” and “I Loves You Porgy”) sound new. The rest of the performances, where Wendel uses multiple layers of overdubs, are thrilling too. Recorded during the pandemic, Wendell created a concept and framework in isolation and then reached out to collaborators to create a “message of togetherness, friendship and unity.” A message to celebrate! The living room “pandemic album” becomes fascinating and eloquent with All One.

Ken Vandermark and Hamid Drake – Eternal River
(released April 7, 2023)

Ken Vandermark – tenor saxophone
Hamid Drake – drums

Vandermark and Drake are the perfect musicians to channel the untamed wildness of Don Cherry’s music. Vandermark’s sax is all texture and grit; Drake’s drums are dynamic and commanding. The live sound is excellent, too – you feel like you’re in the room during this October 2021 performance.

Gerald Cleaver, Brandon Lopez, Hprizm – In The Wilderness
(released March 17, 2023)

Hprizm – Electronics
Brandon Lopez – Bass
Gerald Cleaver – Drums

For those who missed the sound of drums on Signs and Griots, Cleaver makes In The Wilderness a drum clinic – his technique centers and propels these compositions. In The Wilderness is also a hip-hop soundtrack sans rappers, maybe a gateway drug from hip-hop to jazz or vice versa.

Matt Mitchell – Oblong Aplomb
(released April 14, 2023)

Oblong (tracks 1-12):
Matt Mitchell – piano, compositions
Kate Gentile – drums, percussion
Aplomb (tracks 13-24):
Matt Mitchell – piano, compositions
Ches Smith – drums, gongs, percussion, vibraphone, glockenspiel, tam-tam, timpani

We discussed this album with this month’s profile of drummer Kate Gentile. The piano/drum interplay is fascinating, and the intricate compositions and playing are addictive. Also, don’t sleep on disc two with Ches Smith on percussion – he brings the energy of his ride cymbal and quiet introspection with his glockenspiel.

Alexander Hawkins Trio with Neil Charles and Stephen Davis – Carnival Celestial
(released April 21, 2023)

Alexander Hawkins – Piano, Synthesiser, Sampler, Percussion
Neil Charles – Double bass, Percussion
Stephen Davis – Drums, Percussion

The Bandcamp page for this album says that Hawkins “celebrates the connection of freedom and structure.” It finds a great balance – the tunes have just enough melody but still leave space for the energy and spontaneity of improvisation. Interestingly, the album is totally of the moment and yet seems drawn from classics of the avant-garde. Two examples – “Fuga, the fast one” sounds like the best tribute to Andrew Hill I’ve heard in a long time, and the deep bass at the center of “Rupture” could be right from Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch. Good influences!

Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – Jerusalem
(released April 14, 2023)

The first new issue of music from Emahoy since the fabled Éthiopiques Volume 21 of 17 years ago. The Bandcamp page says another release is planned, which is welcome with Emahoy’s recent death at 99 years old. The world cannot have enough of her transporting music. See our recent post from December, celebrating her life and music.

Wadada Leo Smith and Orange Wave Electric – Fire Illuminations
(released March 31, 2023)

Wadada Leo Smith – Trumpet
Nels Cline – guitar
Brandon Ross – guitar
Lamar Smith – guitar
Bill Laswell – bass
Melvin Gibbs – bass
Hardedge – electronics
Mauro Refosco – percussion
Pheeroan akLaff – drums

Miles Davis’ electric music is more influential than ever (see this month’s Strange Brew below for one example). However, Wadada Leo Smith is the OG of channeling electric Miles, and it’s great to have this new album – he shows everybody how this electric/acoustic hybrid is supposed to sound. The album notes say, “the album [was recorded] in a series of sessions and configurations, compiling the final product through extensive post-production.” That sounds like you’d have a disorganized final product, but the album is far from it. Instead, it is well organized, charismatic, and has great features for the all-star band. Smith writes and plays like a painter, an analogy that is not lost on him. He says in the album notes, “orange is such a vitalizing color, it relates to the vitality of electricity that I’m working with in this ensemble.” Listen and hear the colors – also, orange is the best color!

Ingrid Laubrock – The Last Quiet Place
(released March 31, 2023)

Ingrid Laubrock – tenor and soprano saxophones
Mazz Swift – violin
Tomeka Reid – cello
Brandon Seabrook – guitar
Michael Formanek – double bass
Tom Rainey – drums

The opening notes from the strings immediately signal the album’s emphasis on unpretentious beauty, and the mysterious cover art matches the slippery and spare music. The writing and arrangements are the star here, at an intersection between structure and open expression, where both the tunes and the playing shine.

Dave King Trucking Company – old TV
(released April 7, 2023)

Erik Fratzke – electric guitar
Dave King – drums and piano
Chris Morrissey – acoustic bass
Chris Speed – tenor saxophone
Brandon Wozniak – tenor saxophone

It’s always exciting to have a new release from Dave King Trucking Company, whose music is super fun (and maybe underrated). King is always hiding a trick up his sleeve, and I guarantee there will be a point when you are surprised or delighted. Also, the duel tenor sax front line of Chris Speed and Brandon Wozniak always impresses. Make sure you go back and listen to Adopted Highway and Surrounded By The Night.

London Brew – London Brew
(released March 31, 2023)

We’ll be writing about this disc and the London Jazz scene in May, so we’ll save the analysis until then – suffice to say that the spirit of Miles’ Bitches Brew (and In A Silent Way) loom large, but London Brew is not just an exercise in crate digging, but music for here and now.

Steve Swell’s Fire Into Music – For Jemeel – Fire From The Road
(released April 7, 2023)

Steve Swell – trombone
Jemeel Moondoc – alto saxophone
William Parker – double bass
Hamid Drake – drums

A massive release – 3 CDs of live performances from 2004 and 2005. The musicians get to stretch out, and most of the tunes are 20 to 55 minutes long. Swell’s trombone is extroverted, and Moondoc’s alto has so much presence. For me, deep listening to the legendary Parker/Drake rhythm section will keep me coming back to this release – Parker’s tone, both playing pizzicato and arco, is impressive, and when Drake gets into high gear, it’s spellbinding. This release earns the use of “fire” in the title.

Ivo Perelman, Dave Burrell, Bobby Kapp – Trichotomy
(released March 31, 2023)

Ivo Perelman – tenor sax
Dave Burrell – piano
Bobby Kapp – drums

An ideal entry point into Perelman’s lavishly imposing discography, Burrell lights up this session with his staccato rhythms, bell-like overtones, and kernels of melody spread out under the din. The great pianist makes any session he’s on special, and Perelman responds with energy and, eventually, his own lyricism. This album has intrigued me to listen to more Perelman, and April’s two other Perelman releases, Artificial Intelligence and Live in Carrboro, also sound great.

Archival/Reissues:

Abdul Wadud – By Myself
(Reissue released April 30, 2023, by Gotta Groove Records)

Abdul Wadud – Cello

At long last, here is the reissue of one of music’s most elusive holy grails! There really is nothing we can say that we didn’t say here and here. This release is an event, and we thank The New York Times for publishing Hank Shteamer’s essay, where he calls the album a “landmark of self-determination.” Make sure you get your copy, which is available either on LP or streaming at Bandcamp.

Sun Ra & Arkestra – Hendersonia: Sun Ra Performs Fletcher Henderson
(released April 11, 2023)

All keyboards by Sun Ra
Arkestra personnel varies

A collection of live performances between 1976 and 1991 are a glorious throwback to the big band music of Sun Ra’s former boss, Fletcher Henderson. Ra’s performances of traditional jazz were always legendary and would captivate audiences when played on the heels of a long set of unrepentant free jazz. (I’m told) the joy was palpable live, and the infectious results came through on this uplifting disc. Join the party!