There's so much good jazz being recorded around the world....a lot of it on small labels....and yet it rarely gets airplay. JAZZ TODAY....in it's own small way....tries to put that right!

JAZZ TODAY is a weekly radio show on Cambridge105 Radio. It is broadcast live in Cambridge UK on 105FM, on DAB digital and at cambridge105.co.uk.

JAZZ TODAY ONLINE is a quarterly cloudcast of some of the best tracks to appear on JAZZ TODAY.


Sunday 27 December 2020

Playlist - Dec 27th 2020

The Dayna Stephens Quartet: Smoking Gun from Right Now! (Contagious Music)

Mauro Gargano: Nuages from Nuages (DigginMusic)

Chord Four: eii30 v2 from Bigger Smaller Nows (self-released)

Elina Duni & Rob Luft: Flying Kites from Lost Ships (ECM)

Alberto Pinton Trio: Never There Intro from All the Difference (Clear Now)

Alberto Pinton Trio: Dark from All the Difference (Clear Now)

Karin Nakagawa, Hans Tutzer & Paolino Dalla Porta: Colors of Autumn from Tamayura (Losen)

Santi Quintans’ Tiptrick : Clouds from Kiss the Joy (Yolk)

James Carney Sextet: Inharmonicity from Pure Heart (Sunnyside)

Alberto Pinton Trio: In Sight from All the Difference (Clear Now)

Dalgoo: Eens Oneens from Liberte' Egalite, Fraternite (Jazzwerkstatt)

The John Rae Trio: 5th Avenue from Where the Wild Clematis Grow (Thick)

The John Rae Trio: Where the Wild Clematis Grow from Where the Wild Clematis Grow (Thick)

Tani Tabbal Trio: Oh See OC Revisited from Now Then (Tao Forms)

Mauro Gargano: L’Isola di Arturo from Nuages (Diggin Music)

Tania Giannouli Trio: Night Flight from In Fading Light (Rattle)

Dalgoo: Listopad from Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Jazzwerkstatt)

Joshua Jaswon Octet: Maurice from Silent Sea (Ubuntu Music)


Sunday 20 December 2020

Pete's Pick of 2020

In a year of lockdowns, bubbles and covidiots, one thing has remained constant. The supply of creative jazz. In fact it gets more and more difficult to make a final selection. That said, here are the ten albums that have given me the greatest pleasure over the past 12 months, ranging from trio to tentet. Together with an appendix of other albums I wouldn’t be without….

 

Potsa Lotsa XL - Silk Songs for Space Dogs (Leo).

Potsa Lotsa XL is a ten piece ensemble led by saxophonist Silke Eberhard and harbours some top names from the Berlin scene, including trombonist Gerhard Gschlossl, cellist Johannes Fink and the excellent Taiko Saito, whose vibraphone adds a unifying hue to the music on this album.

Silke’s music is influenced by the work of Eric Dolphy. In fact an earlier album from the smaller Potsa Lotsa featured the complete Dolphy songbook. 

On Silk Songs for Space Dogs we have eight originals from the leader, often with striking arrangements. You can also hear a touch of Mingus (check out Silke’s work with the trio I Am Three, also on Leo Records) and shades of New Dutch Swing. And during lockdown I saw Potsa Lotsa XL ‘live’ at a couple of online Festivals. They served to reinforce the fact that this is a classy ensemble.

Last August, Silke received the Berlin Jazz Award. And now Pete’s Pick. It seems like the accolades keep coming!

 

Henri Texier - Chance (Label Bleu).

Another tour de force from the veteran French bass player, a musician who has graced the jazz stage for over 50 years….and has performed with many seminal figures on the scene. 

On his new release Chance, he brings along the same band that appeared on his previous album Sand Woman, an album that was one of my Picks of 2018. The two albums differ in that on the earlier release, all the compositions were by the leader, whereas here, all five musicians contribute.

As always, Henri’s playing is fluid, melodic and deceptively effortless. His son, Sebastien splits his time between clarinets and alto saxophone and Vincent Le Quang between tenor and soprano saxophones. Long-time associate Manu Codjia is on guitar and Gautier Garrigue, drums. And, as with many of Henri Texier’s albums, Chance comes adorned with the atmospheric photography of Guy Le Querrec.

 

Lucia Cadotsch – Speak Low II (We Jazz)

Lucia is one of the most interesting female vocalists on the European scene, not only in the quality of her voice, but in the settings she places it and the music she chooses. Speak Low II follows the acclaimed Speak Low released in 2016, and features the same band, with Otis Sandsjo on sax and Petter Eldh on bass.

Here there is a mix of standards, traditional and popular songs, from Kurt Weill to Randy Newman. The arrangements are far from ordinary, with Petter's throbbing bass and Otis’s quirky, sometimes anguished approach to the saxophone adding an edge to proceedings. Some tracks add guests Kit Downes on Hammond organ and Lucy Railton on cello.

Speak Low 2 was recorded in Berlin….where the Swiss vocalist is now based. Which may account for the sense of dark cabaret which pervades this recording.


Dinosaur - To the Earth (Edition).

The quartet Dinosaur comprises Laura Jurd, Elliot Galvin, Conor Chaplin and Corrie Dick, four musicians that have had a major impact on the UK scene over the past decade.

It’s the band’s third album, but unlike the first two, this is more of an acoustic outing. Not totally acoustic, but electronics are used judiciously. On occasion trumpeter Laura picks up the mute. She also features the fluegelhorn and tenor horn (a first on record for her I believe).

The album harbours five memorable originals from Laura, one jointly credited piece, plus a take on Billy Strayhorn’s Absinthe. There is humour throughout and nods to earlier forms of jazz (maybe not surprising considering Laura’s work with Chris Batchelor).

I recently saw the band perform at the virtual Cambridge Jazz Festival where they had a chance to stretch out on some of these numbers, confirming that this particular reptile is far from extinct.

 

chuffDRONE - Re:Actio / Actio (JazzWerkstatt).

One of the great pleasures of hosting a jazz radio show is coming across an artist or band that make you really stop and listen. Such was the case with chuffDRONE , a quintet from Vienna.

Their new album came my way at the beginning of the year, following their eponymous debut in 2018. In fact it’s a concurrent release of a CD and an LP with one track common to both. The seven track CD is titled Re:Actio, the four track LP Actio, with titles alluding to Newtons 3rd Law.

And even though composing duties are shared, there is a common style. It comes across as a kind of suite, with a touch of theatre and an underlying sense of mystery. Some of it reminds me a little of the music produced by that other Viennese stalwart, Max Nagl. Reed duties are split between Lisa Hofmaninger and Robert Schrock, with Jul Dillier on piano, Judith Ferstl bass and Judith Schwarz drums.

I was most impressed. So much so, that I ordered a copy of their first album. You can find Re-Actio  and Actio on the Jazzwerkstatt imprint, the Austrian label with that name not the German one.

 

Jasper Hoiby - Planet B (Edition).

Another ensemble led by a bassist. This time a trio. And an album with a strong political message about the state of our planet, whether it be the ecological crisis we’re facing, or issues around human interaction, all topics close to Jasper’s heart.

Jasper’s compositions allow plenty of space for Josh Arcoleo to show what an excellent saxophonist he is. Here Josh takes things out a little further than I’ve heard before. And Marc Michel’s impassioned drumming stokes the fire box. The music is interspersed with voice and sound samples to emphasise the underlying theme.

Planet B was one of the highlights of the 2018 Cambridge International Jazz Festival and the promo blurb indicates this is the first of four albums over the next four years. It would be nice if they could link each release with a visit to Cambridge.

 

Vincent Courtois, Robin Fincker & Daniel Erdmann - Love of Life (Label La Buissonne).

Mainly original music performed by the international trio of Vincent Courtois, cello, Robin Fincker tenor sax and clarinets and Daniel Erdmann tenor sax. Music inspired by the life and works of Jack London and recorded in Oakland, California, where the writer lived. In fact the album cover shows an image taken from an outdoor performance at the Jack London State Park.

Chamber jazz is the term that often is used to describe small group acoustic outings where there are classical overtones. However it doesn’t imply formality, especially not here, where the trio can slip into the blue, free up time or swing like crazy, often when least expected. Check out their take on the only non-original, Am I Blue.

It’s the trio’s third outing on record. Their first used the fairground for inspiration, their second, film music. One wonders where next. And if this clicks with you, then why not check out the trio Reverso (see below) where Vincent shares the stage with trombonist Ryan Keberle and pianist Frank Woeste.

 

Alberto Pinton Trio – All The Difference (Clear Now).

Imagine. The wonderfully rich sound of Alberto Pinton’s baritone saxophone underpinned by the strummed bass of Vilhelm Bromander and decorated with the loose drumming of Konrad Agnas. Who could resist?

Just one scenario on an album that was a late arrival on this list, coming my way mid-December. Elsewhere Alberto picks up clarinet, bass clarinet and alto flute, adding variety to the eleven originals.

The Italian reedsman has been a mainstay on the Swedish scene for over two decades and has graced many ensembles, from the Bohuslan Big Band to the quartet Dog Out. He’s someone who deserves to be better known. Let’s hope this latest outing does the trick.


I.P.A. - Bashing Mushrooms (Cuneiform).

It’s the fifth outing from the stellar Scandi quintet, their second on Cuneiform. Atle Nymo sax, Magnus Broo trumpet, Mattias Stahl, vibes, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, bass and Hakon Mjaset Johansen, drums. Three Norwegians and two Swedes, all with impressive CV’s, having performed with outfits such as Atomic, Motif and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.

A band that began its life paying homage to Don Cherry, but has now moved to create their own loose style, mining that fertile territory between post-bop and free.  

Atle tells me that they started as a trio, hence the initials, and added Magnus in 2008 and more recently Mattias. And there is a link with beer, albeit only in the sound of Magnus’ surname. And if you’ve not encountered them before, then this album would be the perfect place to start. It’s also a contender for album title of the year.

 

Daniel Bingert: Berit in Space (Moserobie).

An album that doubles as a warm blanket. Shades of Miles Davis and Oliver Nelson from a sextet led by composer, arranger and conductor Daniel Bingert. It’s a band that features top musicians from the Swedish scene, namely saxophonists Per ‘Texas’ Johansson and Jonas Kullhammar, trumpeter Karl Olandersson, pianist Charlie Malmberg, bass player Torbjörn Zetterberg and drummer Moussa Fadera.

Daniel Bingert was born in Stockholm, and spent some of his youth in Uruguay. He has worked in various musical settings including a Latin big band (with his father) and a jazz fusion trio. And although he is also a bass player, he leaves bass duties on Berit in Space in the capable hands of Torbjorn Z. 

The music herein eschews Latin and fusion and comes across as a 21st Century take on classic 50’s jazz, with some memorable compositions from the leader and the sextet often sounding like a larger ensemble.

Finally congratulations must go to Jonas Kullhammar and his Moserobie label who have been documenting the Scandinavian scene for twenty years. Here’s looking forward to another twenty.


…and…as always…more 2020 releases that I wouldn’t be without:

Susan Alcorn – Pedernal (Relative Pitch); Reverso - The Melodic Line (Out Note); Linley Hamilton Quintet - For the Record (Teddy D); Matt Ulery - Pollinator (Woolgathering); Serge Lazarevitch, Ben Sluijs & Teun Verbruggen - Still Three, Still Free (RAT); Michal Tomaszczyk & Petter Olofsson - Sketches from the North (self); Graham South Quartet – By and By (Efpi); Christoph Irniger Trio with Loren Stillman & Nils Wogram - Open City (Intakt); Maria Faust Sacrum Facere - Organ (Stunt); Andrea Grossi Blend Orchestra - Four Winds (We Insist); Keith Jarrett – Budapest Concert (ECM); Obradovic Tixier Duo - Stories of a Smoking Kettle (Naim); Jorge Roeder – El Suelo Mio (self); Moonmot – Going Down the Well (Unit); Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra – If You Listen Carefully the Music is Yours (Moserobie); Fred Hersch – Songs From Home (Palmetto); Waldemar 4 – The Buoy and the Sea (AMP); Nick Finzer – Cast of Characters (Outside In Music); Roberto Ottaviano – Resonance & Rhapsodies (Dodicilune); Misha Mullov Abbado – Dream Circus (Edition); Torbjorn Zetterberg & Den Stora Fragan – Are You Happy? (Moserobie); Calum Gourlay Quartet – New Ears (Ubuntu); Mihaly Borbely Quartet – Grenadilla (BMC); Geof Bradfield, Ben Goldberg & Dana Hall – General Semantics (Delmark); Samo Salamon & Friends - Almost Alone Vol 1 (Samo); Clover - Vert Emeraude (Yolk); Dylan Jack Quartet -The Tale of the Twelve Foot Man (Creative Nation Music); Giovanni Falzone Open Quartet - L’albero Delle Fate (Parco Della Musica); Convergence – Convergence (self)


Sunday 13 December 2020

Playlist - Dec 13th / 14th 2020

Walter Smith III, Matthew Stevens, Micah Thomas, Linda May Han Oh & Nate Smith: Opera from In Common 2 (Whirlwind)

Walter Smith III, Matthew Stevens, Micah Thomas, Linda May Han Oh & Nate Smith: Roy Allen from In Common 2 (Whirlwind)

Tara Minton: Eugenie from Please Do Not Ignore The Mermaid (Lateralize)

Michael Feinberg: Pontiac from From Where We Came (SteepleChase)

Maria Schneider Orchestra: Sanzenin from Data Lords  (Artist Share)

LAN Trio: Juroom from Atlantico (Edition)

Keith Jarrett: Part V from Budapest Concert (ECM)

Keith Jarrett: Part VI from Budapest Concert (ECM)

Balance: Carolling from For We Know in Part (BMC)

Michal Tomaszczyk & Petter Olofsson: Landscapes from Sketches from the North (self-released)

Melissa Acchiardi, Christophe Gauvert, Clement Gibert, Guillaume Greanard & Christian Rollet: Something Sweet, Something Tender from InDolphylites (ARFI)

Melissa Acchiardi, Christophe Gauvert, Clement Gibert, Guillaume Greanard & Christian Rollet: Quelque Chose de Doux, Quelque Chose de Tendre from InDolphylites (ARFI)

Francois Houle 4: Big Time Felter from Recoder (Songlines)

Tania Giannouli Trio: Ingravida from In Fading Light (Rattle)

Maria Schneider Orchestra: Braided Together from Data Lords (Artist Share)

Maria Chiara Argiro & Jamie Leeming: Opening from Flow (Cavalo)

Maria Chiara Argiro & Jamie Leeming: Kosetsu from Flow (Cavalo)

Emily Kuhn: Fit from Sky Stories (BACE)

Leo Genovese, Mariano Otero & Sergio Verdinelli: 3 Grooves from Sin Tiempo (Ears & Eyes)

Mikkel Ploug: Varvise from Balcony Lullabies (Stunt)

Tara Minton: Undine Undying from Please Do Not Ignore The Mermaid (Lateralize)