It’s that
time of year again. Time to say thanks to those musicians who have stirred my
head, heart and feet over the past 12 months. As always, I’ve only heard a
fraction of the new releases and I’m sure there’s plenty more good stuff out
there that I’ve missed. So....in no particular order.....
Team Hegdal – Vol 4 (Particular Recordings)
A band that
fall into the category ‘deserving wider recognition’. Team Hegdal Vol 3 was one of my Picks of 2015. And I
make no apology for adding Vol 4 to
my list for 2017.
There’s something
about the way a number of Scandinavian jazz musicians have integrated past and
present. This isn’t your fragile Nordic ambience. If anything these are sounds
closer to Chicago. This is thorny free-bop.
Eirik Hegdal
and Andre Roligheten, reeds, Oscar Gronberg, piano, Ole Morten Vagen, bass and
Gard Nilssen, drums; four Norwegians and one Swede, interpreting 13
compositions from Eirik Hegdal, a musician best known for directing the
prestigious Trondheim Jazz Orchestra from 2002 to 2016. The reedsmen split
their time between a range of clarinets and saxophones to add variety to the
group sound. And Eirik
assures me that the cover image is not a self portrait. Although he did
paint it. Roll on Vol 5.
Tamara Mozes – Moozing (Yolk)
I’m no great lover of vocal jazz, mainly because it often veers to middle of the road and loses that edge that I find so important. However the music of vocalist Tamara Mozes caught my ear. Tamara hails from Hungary where she was classically trained at the Liszt Ferenc University of Music in Budapest. She followed up with studies in improvisation in France and Belgium.
On this, her 3rd album, she integrates voice and piano in a creative way utilising both lyrics and scat. Her playing harbours a great deal of joy and her compositions take inspiration from popular song, folk music and French chanson. Someone to keep tabs on methinks.
CVDG Project – Paradise (Trouble in the East)
Six Berlin-based
musicians all versed in the art of free improv, taking a backwards glance at
the heyday of jazz. There’s no parody here though, just good foot-tapping music,
with references to Monk, Ellington and Basie. Nine originals interspersed with
five short free-form ‘miniatures’.
Leader of
the project is pianist Christian von der Goltz, a musician I’ve not encountered
before. He’s pulled together a classy line-up, comprising Henrik Walsdorff,
alto saxophone, Rudi Mahall, bass clarinet, Martin Klingeberg, trumpet, Jan
Roder, bass and Kay Luebke, drums.
And although
the music may allude to the 1950’s, the solos retain a current day sensibility.
And every time I hear the reeds of Rudi Mahall, it reinforces my view that he
has one of the most characteristic sounds in today’s jazz, regardless of
setting.
The album issued
by a small independent label run by musicians Gerhard Gschlossl, Alberto
Cavenati and Sunk Poschl. The label’s name alludes to a composition by Ornette
Coleman and the musicians’ East German heritage. Check out their other
releases. All are worth a listen.
Eric Revis – Sing Me Some Cry (CleanFeed)
As with so
many of today’s jazz musicians, bass player Eric Revis can deliver the goods
regardless of whether the music falls right or left of centre. Here the music tends to left field, but never
loses sight of the history.
On this, his
5th outing on the adventurous Clean Feed Label, he brings along the
earthy reeds of Ken Vandermark, the angular piano of Kris Davis and the
propulsive drums of Chad Taylor. All four contribute compositions and at times,
such as Eric’s composition PT 44, the
performances can get incandescent. And Drunkards
Lullaby is anything but. In all cases, its music that rewards repeat
listening.
A quartet
that demonstrates how far the sax, piano, bass and drum configuration has
progressed over the past couple of decades.
Kati Briens Dream Band – Happy Music (self produced)
The great
thing about online sites such as Bandcamp is that they give musicians the
opportunity to release their music to a wider audience. This can be a two-edged sword in the sense
that the quality can sometimes be suspect. However there are occasions, as with
this band, that a gem appears.
Kati Briens Dream Band have been together for 7 years, although I believe this is their debut on record. They have the interesting instrumental line-up of two alto saxophone (Kati Brien and Bastian Duncker), bass clarinet (Viktor Wolf), trombone (Andrej Ugoljew), bass (Simon Quinn) and drums (Tilo Weber). Key to their success are Kati’s compositions and arrangements. Her compositions are often melodic, sometimes quirky. And the sextet creates some wonderful harmonies.
There are a number of exciting young bands emanating from Berlin at present. Kati is in her late 20’s, has been a member of the German Jazz Orchestra and has studied with the likes of Greg Cohen and Kurt Rosenwinkel. She’s definitely a musician to keep an eye on.
Kati Briens Dream Band have been together for 7 years, although I believe this is their debut on record. They have the interesting instrumental line-up of two alto saxophone (Kati Brien and Bastian Duncker), bass clarinet (Viktor Wolf), trombone (Andrej Ugoljew), bass (Simon Quinn) and drums (Tilo Weber). Key to their success are Kati’s compositions and arrangements. Her compositions are often melodic, sometimes quirky. And the sextet creates some wonderful harmonies.
There are a number of exciting young bands emanating from Berlin at present. Kati is in her late 20’s, has been a member of the German Jazz Orchestra and has studied with the likes of Greg Cohen and Kurt Rosenwinkel. She’s definitely a musician to keep an eye on.
Anton Hunter – Article XI (efpi)
And it’s not
only Germany that is producing new talent. There appears to be a number of forward-looking
musicians linking Manchester and London, musicians that feature in bands such
as Sloth Racket, Favourite Animals and the Beats and Pieces Big Band.
One of the
prime movers is guitarist Anton Hunter, who has recently issued the debut album
of his eleven-piece ensemble Article XI. The band was commissioned for the 2014
Manchester Jazz Festival, and a couple of the tracks come from that performance.
The remainder were recorded at The Vortex in London a few days later.
The band
harbours the reeds of Simon Prince, Cath Roberts, Mette Rasmussen and Sam
Andreae, the brass of Graham South, Nick Walters, Seth Bennett and Richard
Foote, plus the rhythm section of Anton Hunter, Eero Tikkanen and Johnny
Hunter. And the adventurous writing is credited to ‘Anton and all the band’. If
you like cutting edge jazz, then this album is well worth investigating.
Himpel Eskildsen Duo – 3rd Room (Jazzhausmusik)
Music that
seems to probe dark corners, before letting in the light. It’s my first
encounter with both musicians. Benjamin Himpel hails from Stuttgart and splits
his time between tenor and soprano saxophones and bass clarinet. Simon
Eskildsen is from Copenhagen and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in
Aarhus. He’s also a graphic artist of some pedigree and has designed the intriguing
CD cover.
All bar one
of the thirteen compositions have been penned by the duo, often romantic and with
classical overtones. It’s a engaging and mature debut.
Noah Preminger – Meditations on Freedom (self-released)
Noah
Preminger is a saxophonist growing in stature with each recording. This is his
6th outing, the third with his quartet, namely trumpeter
Jason Palmer, bassist Kim Cass and drummer Ian Froman. It mixes originals with
standards from Bruce Hornsby, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Sam Cooke. And
everything is riddled with the blues. Meditations on Freedom was released in the USA on January 20th,
Inauguration Day. And the political comment carries across to the originals,
with titles such as Women’s March, Mother Earth and Broken Treaties. A
saxophonist who plays with confidence and authority. A musician who has
something to say. And an excellent quartet to boot.
Dylan Jack Quartet – Diagrams
(Creative Nation Music)
Another
debut of note. And an album that insinuated itself into my psyche over time.
It’s my
first encounter with Dylan Jack. He hails from Boston, Massachusetts and has
written about and teaches drumming in the local area. He also composed all five
of the angular compositions herein, often with unusual meters. His band
comprises Todd Brunel on reeds, Eric Hofbauer, guitar and Anthony Leva, bass.
Dylan comes
across very much as a team player, allowing plenty of space for his bandmates
to have their say. And I’ve long been a fan of guitarist Eric Hofbauer, who
sticks to the amplified acoustic instrument throughout. Todd Brunel is a
musician who splits his time between classical and jazz work, and is also a
member of Eric’s Quintet. Here he sticks primarily to the clarinet (Bb and
bass). And I have not heard the bass of Anthony Leva before, but he contributes
equally to the success of this band. I look forward to their future output.
Roligheten – Homegrown (Clean Feed)
Another
example of the burgeoning Scandinavian scene. And a second mention for reedsman
Andre Roligheten, a musician who has appeared on Jazz Today numerous times,
most notably with the duo Albatrosh, the quintet Friends and Neighbours and the
aforementioned Team Hegdal.
Completing
his eponymous quartet are Adrian Loseth Waade on violin, Jon Rune Strom on bass
and Erik Nylander on drums. And the presence of a string instrument in the
front line adds a different dimension to this release. The band are capable of
swinging (with the wonderfully titled Telemark
Tango), introspection (Syvsover)
and freedom (Nidkjaer).
The album
cover shows an elderly man wearing headphones and wielding a mattock in the
middle of a pasture. Looks like a thankless task. Unlike the effort it would
take to track down this album.
Other 2017
releases I wouldn’t be without:
Olie Brice Quintet – Day After Day
(Babel); Misha Mullov-Abbado – Cross Platform Interchange (Edition); Masters of
Turbosilence – WinterReise (Fish Music); Slowfox – Gentle Giants (Traumton); Immigration
Booth – Hinterm Spiegel (Float Music); Vincent Courtois, Daniel Erdmann &
Robin Finker – Bandes Originales (Label La Buissone) ; David Arthur Skinner –
Skinner Plays Skinner (Losen); Operasjon Hegge – Midt Pa Natta (Particular);
OK:KO – Land E (AMP); Jason Stein Quartet – Lucille (Delmark); Pauli Lyytinen
Magnetia Orkesteri (Eclipse Music); David Chevallier Trio – Second Life
(Cristal); Mike Reed – Flesh & Bone (482 Music); Mikko Innanen 10+ (We
Jazz); Joy Ellis – Life on Land (F-IRE); Sophia Domancich – Alice’s Evidence
(Marge); Phil Schurger – Echoes of the Ancestors (Ears & Eyes); Hans
Ludemann’s Rooms – Blaue Kreise (BMC); Red Planet & Bill Carrothers
(Shifting Paradigm); Michel Portal – Eternal Stories (Erato); Lisa Stick Septett - Tyst (Jazzlab); The Gareth Lockrane Big Band - Fistfight at the Barndance (Whirlwind)
