I have been really lazy when it came to write something in my blog this summer. Not only because of the prolonged heat wave that baked most of Europe, or because of a few trips I and we made to see family and friends, but simply because I felt lazy and didn’t listen to much new music for a change and sitting somewhere on a terrace with a cold beer seemed always the better option than being in a hot office writing. But now it is time to catch up a bit and here I am starting to listen to music some of my friends have recorded and released over the last few weeks. All recordings I can recommend for their musical quality and deepfelt expressions.
Let’s start with one of my closest friends for almost 40 years: Wolfgang Puschnig, saxophonist extraordinaire and musician who embraces the various cultures and grooves of the world. Therefore, the title of his new 4 CD box set World Embrace makes complete sense. The four discs were recorded over 4 nights live in Vienna and are titled Sources I to IV with different sub-titles, in case of CD 1 it is The Philly Connection and features long-time collaborators Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass and guitarist Rick Iannacone, plus Tim Hutson on drums and Asha Puthli on vocals. Groovy music in the spirit of Ornette Coleman, but all Puschnig in sound and expression on his alto or flutes. Puthli guests on Coleman’s ‘What Reason Could I Give’ and revives her stunning performance from the 1972 original. On Songlines, Puschnig combines jazz instrumentalists (himself and Jon Sass on tuba, Christian Bakanic on accordion and Mamadou Diabate on kora and balafon) with 2 vocal ensembles – one European (schnittpunktvokal), the other African (Isingizi) and creates so true ‘world music’ by merging the various sounds into unique songs of emotions and humanity. Homegrown is the self-explanatory title of CD three and showcases a great band featuring Paul Urbanek on piano, Raphael Preuschl on bass and Lukas König on drums. They reflect together on Puschnig’s roots and Austrian heritage, in an open jazzy way with some wonderful performances, especially by the leader and pianist Urbanek. The final CD is Korean Spirit and features the Korean percussion ensemble SamulNori, with whom Puschnig has worked since the late 1980’s. Beside the trio Red Sun (Puschnig, Tacuma and pianist Karen Asatrian) the drummers are as well performing with another of Wolfgang’s many formations, the saxophone quartet Saxofour, to create a special final for the four nights. This show was recorded on the day of the musicians 60th birthday and he couldn’t have given himself a better present: music without borders … in terms of culture, genre or expression. The box set, beside displaying an immaculate sound, shows what Wolfgang Puschnig is all about as a musician – embracing the grooves and melodies of the globe, guiding others into musical worlds they didn’t know existed and, leading by example, making them feel at home. A wonderful collection of live recordings by a European jazz legend.
Ketil Bjørnstad / New Morning – a new solo recording by Norwegian composer and pianist Bjørnstad for me is always an event, as I simply love his little melodies, the deepfelt emotions expressed and the wonderful improvisations he comes up with. This album, released in a CD/DVD set and recorded Live at the club Sentralen in Oslo in April 2020, is no exception. Maybe it is different to the studio solo albums, as it was recorded live as part of a digital festival, without audience – a concept by Christer Falck, who produced the various shows. Says Ketil: “I prepared for a concert which I thought was to be quite introverted, without any consequences, like an echo from a time we experienced, so often alone only with our thoughts”. In the end the music wasn’t as introverted as he had expected and showed powerful pieces next to dreamy ballads, always maintaining and radiating strength and hope. The compositions are from throughout Ketil’s recording career and are including an incredible version of his ‘Ray Of Light’, originally recorded in the trio format. Another beauty in sound is ‘Floating’, with just over 7 minutes the longest of these miniatures and an example of touching improvisation. ‘New Morning’ adds another highlight to the canon of amazing (solo) recordings by this wonderful human being and musician.
Badi Assad / Ilha – After her outstanding 2020 solo recording ‘Around The World’, Brazilian composer, singer and guitarist Badi Assad is back with a new album, this time with a small group and a few guests. The record opens with the touching beautiful ‘Ilha Das Flores’, with her voice floating immaculate and melodically over the music. Her compositions display a deep melodic sense and Brazilian rhythms and in combination with her voice and guitar become little jewels in sound. ‘Fruto’ is a great example for this, here with additional instruments to give more colour and depths to the song. ‘Palavra’ is another highlight of a very strong album, and so are ‘Traga’ and ‘Eterno’, the closing number of this 8-song record. Badi Assad once more proves that she is a timeless and genre-defying artist of the highest order.
Café Drechsler / Let It Touch You – The Austrian Trio, featuring my friend and drummer Alex Deutsch, bass player Oliver Steger and saxophonist Ulrich Drechsler, released their first album in 2002 and with the new record are celebrating 22 years of recording and performing together. For this celebration they invited a few guests to join them in the recording session and to create their usual and engaging mix of soul, jazz, rap and hip hop. The trio track ‘Fast House’ is a groovy number with fun rhythms, a great bass line and some wonderful sax improvisations on top – danceable, but still very cool and deep music! ‘International Connections’ features guest vocalist and keyboarder King Batson (formerly of Arrested Development) over some heavy beats, while the outstanding ‘On Your Mind’, a soulful rap song, features Origami Punani, a really great neo-soul/hip-hop quartet from Vienna. Singer Martin Klein joins the trio on ‘Sense Of Coming’ a beautiful ballad. 14 great tracks, a lot of music to dance to, others to listen and discover or take a breather from moving your legs … Café Drechsler are still fresh and full of power. Their ‘Let It Touch You’ did exactly that!!
Rudi Berger / Longings – This new quartet recording by violinist Berger features Mauro Rodrigues on flute, Peter Madsen on piano, Rosario Bonaccorso on bass and vocals and Lukas Böck on drums – a truly international line up! And this global aspect is reflected in the music of this album, as all musicians (except Böck) contributed compositions for the recording. The album starts with Madsen’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’, a beautiful piece that gives Berger a chance to shine and show his amazing skills, swinging through the song with ease. Madsen’s piano solo is worth checking out too and so is Rodrigues’ contribution on flute. Other highlights of the album are Berger’s ‘Traumfluss’, with some amazing soloing by the violinist and his ‘Longings’, the beautiful title track. Berger’s sound is round and warm and his playing getting better and better.
Florian Arbenz / Conversations # 6 &7 – Swiss drummer and composerArbenz continues his epic Conversations series with a double album, featuring first duos with legendary pianist Kirk Lightsey and then adding bass player Tibor Elekes and saxophonist Domenic Landolf to the group. Arbenz is a delicate partner for Lightsey, supporting the pianists’ ideas and improvisations with complex drum work, while at the same time giving an anchor to the music. The duos are touching musical dialogs and reveal as well the art of listening, as both musicians react to the others’ ideas with respect and deepfelt musicality. ‘Dancing With Kirk’ is a good example for this art of communicating and so is ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’, a song that Arbenz has recorded meanwhile five times within the series, but each version is captivating and innovative and amazing in its own right. About the Quartet session Arbenz says: “Most of the tunes of the session are originals, but I also re-arranged Pinocchio (Wayne Shorter), a tune which I played often with Lightsey and Ah-Leu-Cha (Ch. Parker), with the hope that our versions show a little different perspective on those tunes….”. They do indeed and give as well all four excellent musicians space and time to shine on this wonderful experimental, but straight jazz double album.
Sachal Vasandani & Romain Collin / Still Life – The second album of singer Sachal and pianist Collin is as intimate and beautiful as the first recording is. The first track, ‘No More Tears’, a Vasandani original, first recorded on his underrated 2015 album ‘Slow Motion Miracles’, sets the tone and raises the bar, but they manage to keep the amazing quality of their music making throughout the 12 tracks they recorded. From originals to jazz standards and pop covers, they make all the selected songs their own by performing them with emotion and respect for the source material. Sachal’s phrasing is immaculate and in support of each song and Romain’s subtle accompaniment and soloing is enhancing each performance. While their take of ‘The Sound Of Silence’ is delicate and touching, ‘Freight Train’ swings lightly and made me smile … and so it goes on: not a single dull moment on this outstanding record, that finishes with their excellent version of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Washing Of The Water’. The art of the vocal/piano duo executed perfectly. Highly recommended and uplifting!!
Bugge Wesseltoft / Be Am – Norwegian composer, pianist, keyboarder and producer Wesseltoft decided after many various projects to once again record a solo album. But without limits in terms of his playing or improvising or use of additional instruments – even going so far as to invite for two tracks exceptional saxophonist Hakon Kornstad to give company to the soloist. I fully agree to the pr text, when it states that “The music of “Be Am” carries ghosts of uncertainty, whispers of resignation, and faint echoes of frustration. But throughout there are rays of hope, a warm clear light of peace and tranquillity, and growing flames of an unquenchable fire of determination. It is music of, and for, the human soul”. Bugge’s little piano melodies are like rays of light on a cloudy afternoon and Hakon’s saxophone adds colour and soul, beauty in sound. It is great that Bugge sometimes moves out of his groove projects and let’s us be part of his vulnerability, his softer side in music making. And with ‘Be Am’ the artist simply says ‘this is me as well and I want you to know this side of me’ and gladly we go all the way with him. A deep, personal and hauntingly beautiful record.
That’s it for this time … I have a bunch of albums to listen to and to review and will do so very soon … and are looking forward to hear the new Claudia Acuna, a really amazing albums of duos, which will be out soon, plus the new Dhafer Youssef, which is sensational in musical terms and when it comes to the line-up, … and of course there will be the new Julian Lage album, with special guest Bill Frisell … the fall of 2022 won’t be boring at all!!!!
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