It’s been a while since I last blogged about new records or anything else, as I had been writing on a chronicle that isn’t yet finished, but getting there and is allowing me a little break now. More about that soon. Covid 19 is still holding the world in its grip and it seems that it will take a few more months until we learn to live with it, given that there won’t be any more dangerous variants to deal with. But thankfully live gigs are happening again slowly and artists get a chance to earn some money for a change. Let’s hope we can enjoy some summer jazz festivals again next year. While we are waiting to have a ‘normal’ concert situation again, we have recorded music to listen to and there is lots of it … I have recently listened to the following records and can recommend all of them.
Hakon Kornstad / For You Alone – This is the second album of the trio featuring, beside singer and sax player Kornstad, accordionist Frode Haltli and bass player Mats Eilertsen. As on the first record they perform a set of songs and arias mixed with deepfelt jazz. The trio’s unique sound fits the selected songs perfectly and their arrangements plus Kornstad’s voice gives new life to the songs and arias by, among others, Tosti, Costa, Geehl, Webern, Macagni and Richard Strauss. The recording shows respect for the old compositions, but takes them with care into a more modern context. Kornstad’s singing is improving year by year and is immaculate here, as are the contributions of his group members. Music without genres, outstanding and highly recommended!
Eivind Aarset / Phantasmagoria or A Different Kind Of Journey – this recording by the quartet of guitarist Aarset features Audun Erlien on bass and on drummers Wetle Holte and Erland Dahlen plus guests Arve Henriksen trumpet, sampler Jan Bang and field recorder John Derek Bishop. Together they create the sound bed for Aarset’s guitar excursions and sound manipulations. From relaxed and meditative ambient sounds to groovy tracks and electronic art rock, the album offers everything and over all that hover the colourful sounds of Eivind Aarset’s guitar. An album that needs time to develop and reveal its inner musical secrets, as each listen will open new and unexpected windows to the core of the songs.
Obed Calvaire, Bob Franceschini, Kevin Hays & Orlando Le Fleming /Whole Lotta Love: The Music of Led Zeppelin – a surprising repertoire choice for a jazz quartet, but then, why not? They play around the original vocal melodies and riffs and create something utterly surprising and fun .. and great music on top of it. Sax player Franceschini and pianist Hays are soloing extremely well and taking the original guitar parts into new territory with their instruments and Le Fleming and Calvaire give the groove and heartbeat to the songs. Outstanding their version of ‘Battle Of Evermore’ with some wonderful work by Hays and Franceschini. Amazing as well when Le Fleming morphs at one point the riff of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ into Miles’ ‘So What’. Fascinating!
Sons Of Kemet / Black To The Future – Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings band’s fourth album is a powerful and angry, but overall uplifting, collection of songs. As usual, beside Hutchings, the band features Theon Cross on tuba and drummers, percussionists Edward Wakili-Hick and Tom Skinner and they groove amazingly. Little melodies floating around, influences from Caribbean music to hip-hop inform the compositions and guest vocalists Kojey Radical, Lianne La Havas, D Double E and Joshua Idehen add colour and more emotional depth to the songs. An album born in our times with a clear message and great and lasting music!
Peter Knight & Australian Art Orchestra / Crossed & Recrossed – Trumpet player, sound designer and artistic director of the Australian Art Orchestra Peter Knight took inspiration for the new album from Gerald Murnane’s novel ‘The Plains’. The three-part suite ‘The Plains’ reflects the endless spaces of the novel, using minimalistic music and electronics to create images of openness and having the orchestra adding colours and movement. ‘Diomira’ on the other hand is inspired by Italo Calvino’s wonderful ‘Invisible Cities’ and musically is, as the book, a meditation on what it means being human. With the new album the AAO has proven to be one of the most exciting big bands of today. Splendid!
Dave Liebman / Selflessness – To celebrate his 75th birthday, sax master Liebman and his band Expansions, featuring alto saxophonist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, drummer Alex Ritz and bassist Tony Marino, released nine newly arranged and personalised Coltrane compositions. Liebman plays soprano only on the new record and from the start shows why he is considered one of the giants on the instrument: fluid and deep improvisations, transporting emotional content to the listener direct and powerful. His sidemen are incredible as well, especially Avey on his intro to ‘My Favourite Things’ and Marino in his duo with Liebman in ‘One Up One Down’. Vashlishan adds colour and depth to the band and Ritz delivers a steadiness needed for the rest of the gang to let go sometimes. A fitting tribute to the main inspiration of Dave Liebman. Happy Birthday!
Florian Arbenz / Conversations # 2 & 3 – On this second Conversations album, drummer Arbenz is conversing over 6 tracks with Jim Hart, vibes and marimba and then, for # 3, is adding bass player Heiri Känzig, to perform another 6 tracks. The duos with Hart are rhythmic and open, as conversations are, taking twists and turns, but are always responsive to the other musician. From their own compositions to Harris’ ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ and Monk’s ‘Evidence’, the duo communicates ideas and variations of the themes perfectly. The addition of bass player Känzig brings colour and depth and helps to open up spaces for Hart and Arbenz’ rhythmic excursions. The trio closes the album with another Monk composition, ‘Epistrophy’, which is wonderful and monkish in its delivery. A great continuation of the Conversations series, keeping the high quality of the first album up.
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