Jazz is alive and well and thriving all over the globe. And to prove the point, my ten favourite albums
of 2012 emanate from Japan to Scotland, by way of darkest Slovenia! The albums feature upcoming musicians performing with established
names, traditional forms mixing with the new, and jazz influenced by classical,
rock and folk. Most of my choices appear on small independent labels, which often
allows for greater freedom of expression.
As always it was a tough choice, and there is plenty of
music I’ve not managed to hear. So, in no particular order......Robert Jukic – Operation Charlie (dit’e nat’)
A jazz album disguised as a soundtrack album, with a sleeve image that could easily be a still from The Sting. And no, not a band from Chicago, but a quintet from Slovenia led by bassist Robert Jukic.
Robert is one of those musicians who fails to recognise
musical boundaries and his output is all the better for it. The album has track
titles based around a gangster storyline on the sleeve. The cast comprises top
Slovenian talent, plus Daniels D’Agaro and Noesig from Italy and Austria
respectively.
It’s interesting to have both bass and tuba in a band this
size, but it works well, thanks to the agile playing of Robert and Goran Krmac.
A new take on traditional forms and great fun.
Tom Bancroft’s Trio Red – First Hello to Last Goodbye (Interrupto Music)
Tom is an undersung hero of the Scottish scene, having
produced some excellent albums with Trio AAB and Orchestra Interrupto. His new
trio features Norwegian bassist Per Zanussi, an established leader in his own right
and pianist Tom Cawley, who has been making waves on the UK scene for the past
decade. And although this trio only had a short time together before recording,
the album comes across as a mature statement, mixing free improvisation with
composed pieces.
It’s an album that takes time to reveal its treasures. In
fact I think it holds some of Tom Cawley’s best playing on record.
Friends & Neighbors – No Beat Policy (Ora Fonogram)
Not another soap opera, but a superb free-bop quintet from
Norway, featuring Thomas Johansson on trumpet, Andre Roligheten on reeds, Oscar
Gronberg on piano, Jon Rune Strom on bass and Tollef Ostvang at the drums.
It’s been a great year for the burgeoning Nordic scene with
exciting young bands popping up all over Scandinavia. Friends and Neighbors (yes,
that is the spelling) are yet another product of that nursery of jazz talent,
Trondheim. The CD was released at the end of last year....but was too late to
appear on my 2011 listing.
Leaping Fish Trio - Sankofa (El Gallo Rojo)
An Italian trio with an album that reeks of the blues. Sadly
we hear too little from the Italian scene in the UK, but the always inventive
El Gallo Rojo is a label well worth keeping an eye (and ear) on.
Sankofa comprises
15 short tracks and features three of the labels key protagonists, Paolo Botti,
Enrico Terragnoli and Zeno de Rossi. Between them Paolo and Enrico play a range
of stringed instruments, including viola, dobro, banjo and mandolin, whereas
Zeno contents himself with drums and percussion. Composition duties are shared,
with one track from Franco D’Andrea, plus the Morton/Armstrong composition Wild Man Blues.
As with the Robert Jukic album above, it’s a modern look at
the roots of jazz and highly recommended.
Lochs Balthaus
Herskedal - Choices (Berthold)
Another trio now.....but with a somewhat different
sound..... akin to a mini brass band with piano. Bert Lochs, Dirk Balthaus and
Daniel Herskedal.....on flugelhorn or trumpet, keyboards and tuba respectively.
The liner notes tell of the trio’s fascination with beauty,
and that is evident in the tunes on this album, all penned by the threesome.
Three of the tracks feature Michael Moore as a guest, and his reed playing
complements the trio perfectly.
Choices is their second
album and was recorded in Hilversum 18 months ago. I must get hold of their first !
Ted Nash – The Creep (Plastic Sax)
An album with a 12 cent comic book cover, and another
sleeve-note storyline to match. There’s nothing cheap about the music though,
and it’s good to hear saxophonist Ted Nash in a relatively free setting without
piano or guitar. He is given excellent support from the vastly under-rated Ron
Horton on trumpet, Paul Sikivie, bass and Ulysses Owens, drums.
Ted has been a key player on the New York scene for many
years, most notably as part of the Jazz Composers Collective. The JCC recently celebrated 20 years in
existence with a series of concerts, including one by this line-up. Oh to have
been there.
The album can be found on Ted’s own label, Plastic Sax
Records. More please.
Daniel Humair – Sweet
& Sour (Laborie)
Daniel Humair is one of the elder statesmen of European
jazz, having played with most of the leading names over the past 50 years. He’s
a Swiss musician who established his credentials on the French scene, and despite
his age he seems to revel in mixing it with younger players. His Baby Boom
quintet garnered a great deal of praise, and now we have Sweet and Sour, which I think is also the name of the band.
Their mix of accordion with saxophone, bass and drums
creates music that falls somewhere between the cafe and free jazz. Vincent
Peirani is no ‘ordinary’ squeezebox player and it’s good to see saxophonist
Emile Parisien working outside the confines of his own quartet. Bassist Jerome
Regard completes a tight foursome.
Gato Libre – Forever
(Libra)
Another quartet with accordion, this time played by Satoko Fujii.
Satoko and Natsuki Tamura have many outlets for their music,
and Gato Libre is the most lyrical, incorporating traditional folk elements
into the mix. It’s their 5th release, and alongside Satoko on
accordion and Natsuki on trumpet are Kazuhiko Tsumura on guitar and Norikatsu
Koreyasu on bass.
It’s a hauntingly beautiful album, made even more poignant
as Norikatsu died shortly after this recording in Tokyo in September last year.
This album is dedicated to him. And a loving tribute it is.
Dino & Franco
Piana Septet – Seven (Alpha Music)
The most mainstream album in my selection. Beautifully
arranged and recorded, it features nine (!) top Italian musicians including
trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso, pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and drummer Roberto Gatto.
Enrico Rava guests on one track.
The band is led by father and son team Dino and
Franco Piana, on valve trombone and trumpet respectively. All the compositions
and arrangements are by Franco and he shows he is world class talent. One of
his compositions is titled Eighty and One,
which was the age of his father at the time of recording. I’ll be happy if I
can carry a trombone at that age, let alone play it with the energy of Dino!
TOPP Quartet – Kadmos
(Gligg)
TOPP, an appropriate acronym constructed from the musicians surnames.
Michel Pilz is a master of the bass clarinet, and he focuses on that instrument
alone. His outings on record are few and far between, so this recent release is
very welcome. Even more so, as his compatriots in the TOPP Quartet are no
slouches either.
Trombonist Christof Thewes is a band leader in his own
right, with numerous recordings under his belt, often including bassist Jan
Oestreich. Drummer Peter Perfido is American by birth and has played in Michel’s
trio and quartet (with Bob Degen). The composed tunes on Kadmos were written by Christof and allow plenty of space for
Michel to stretch his wings. There are also two freely improvised pieces.
Not Forgetting......
As always, picking ten albums is tough. So here is an
armful of other recordings that came my way this year that deserve a mention.....
Neon Quartet – Subjekt
(Edition); Verneri Pohjola Quartet –
Ancient History (ACT); Hans Ludemann –
Die Kunst des Trios 1-5 (BMC); Ken
Aldcroft’s Convergence Ensemble – Sneaky Pete / Slugs (Trio); Tva For Tommy - Tva For Tommy (Found
You Recordings); Hybrid
10tet – On the Move (BBB); Bjurstrom Quartet – Ookpik (Marmouzic);
Olaf Lind Quartet – Drift
(Jazzhausmusik); Fred Hess Big Band
– Speak (Alison); Theo Ceccaldi Trio
– Carrousel (Ayler); Peter Vandenberghe
& Bart Maris – Glits (self-released); Steven Kamperman’s Carrousel – Mallemolen (Loplop); Trombari – The Devil’s Hopyard
(Jazzmaniac); Quarterpounder –
Becoming (self-released); Viktor Toth
– Popping Bopping (BMC); Benjamin Koppel
- Quatre Trois Deux Un (Cowbell); Ola
Kvernberg – Liarbird (Jazzland); Rich
Halley 4 – Back from Beyond (Pine Eagle); Natsuki Tamura & Satoko Fujii – Muku (Libra); Duck Baker Trio – Amnesia in Trastevere
(Les Cousins); Team Hegdal – Vol 2 (Ora
Fonogram); Michael Moore Quartet –
Easter Sunday (Ramboy)
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