#ROGER FARBEY

[riffsstrides]

Walter Smith III

TWIO

Whirlwind, 2018

Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone;

Harish Raghaven: bass (1,2,6-7);

Eric Harland: drums;

Guests:

Christian McBride: bass (3,5,8-9);

Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone (3,9).

The unashamedly retro cover art of Twio accurately signposts the content of this imaginative album's track selection of jazz classics and standards. The only exception to this programme is Walter Smith III's original composition "Contrafact," chordally based on "Like Someone In Love" but given a 5/4 makeover. This involves the twin tenors of Smith and guest Joshua Redman opening the number in unison and progressing to an effervescent treatment adopted throughout the choruses. The two tracks teaming-up Smith and Redman recall the pairing of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims on You 'N Me  or John Coltrane and Hank Mobley on Two Tenors  and sees the two saxophonists voraciously swapping licks on Ferde Grofé's "On The Trail." The lively opener, Monk's "Ask Me Now" is indicative of Smith's feisty yet sensitive approach to the album. "We'll Be Together Again," here only accompanied by Eric Harland on drums, proves that Smith can play just as effectively in ballad mode, lovingly teasing out every last note of the melody. Wayne Shorter's "Adam's Apple" evinces a satisfyingly robust outing, with the lack of a chordal instrument proving inconsequential yet again. Jimmy Rowles's "The Peacock" is given a sombre, pensive treatment by Smith, to some extent channelling—but not copying—the original 1975 Stan Getz recording. The humorous false start to Gigi Grye's "Social Call" gives a clue as to the atmosphere surrounding this relaxed and good natured session with Smith and guest bassist Christian McBride performing a short yet pleasing duet. Smith has worked with many leading figures in jazz including Roy Haynes, Terence Blanchard and Joe Lovano and this follow-up to 2014's Still Casual, consolidates his talent and reinforces the proposition that he now must surely rank highly amongst the finest saxophonists playing today.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[podilatokafe]

Aki Rissanen: Another North

Aki Rissanen: Another North

Aki Rissanen: Another North jazz review by Roger Farbey, published on October 19, 2017. Find thousands reviews at All About Jazz! Πηγή: Aki Rissanen: Another North

[jazzworldquest-blog]

JAPAN/USA/UK: Gary Husband A Meeting Of Spirits Japan Tour and guesting with Soft Machine  

GARY HUSBAND

first solo tour of Japan

promoting his latest solo album on EDITION RECORDS

A MEETING OF SPIRITS

Dear Friends in Music

Gary Husband is frequenting lately very often the MoonJune Universe. The extraordinarily talented British drummer / pianist / keyboardist / composer is celebrated for his high level association with world class jazz, fusion and rock icons and legends such as Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce, Gary Moore, Robin Trower, Billy Cobham, and he is lately recording and performing with MoonJune Records recording artists such as Beledo, Dewa Budjana, Dusan Jevtovic, Mark Wingfield, Asaf Sirkis and Jason Smith. Gary Husband will appear for these second time in Japan as a very special guest with the British progressive jazz-rock institution Soft Machine, on July 28th and 29th in Tokyo and on July 31st in Osaka, with John Etheridge on guitar, Theo Travis on sax/flute, Roy Babbington on bass and John Marshall on drums. During the same visit to Japan, maestro Gary Husband will perform there solo concerts; in Yokohama on July 26th, in Osaka on July 30th and in Nagoya on August 1st.

"A Meeting Of Spirits In Japan Tour" is not only the promotion of Gary's latest album on the English record label Edition, but also celebration of the music of John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth and his own music.

I am encouraging You to hear this truly amazing album, and buying on BandCamp You are supporting directly both the artist and his independent record label.

"A Meting Of Spirits" is available in CD and Download format on:

www.garyhusbandmusic.bandcamp.com

CDs are £9.99 +shipping (shipped from UK)

Instant download is £8.20 (FLAC/WAV/ALAC, MP3-320 formats)

"A Meting Of Spirits" is released on Edition Records, UK:

www.editionrecords.com

"Gary Husband is a musician of many talents – his instruments are piano, in-piano percussion, voice and bell – and has been at the forefront of the international jazz scene for many years. He is that rare breed: a musician equally fluent in expression, and internationally lauded, on two instruments, in this case, drums and keyboard. Even more singular is his ability to bring together the fruits of a career that have included classical training, improvisational versatility and long experience on the pop, rock, funk and blues circuits into a distinctive and influential musical personality." - Grady Harp, Amazon

"A Meeting Of Spirits succeeds as an interpretational and at times, impressionistic representation of the music of McLaughlin, the undeniable maestro of jazz. It also serves as a timely reminder of the massive contribution that McLaughlin has made to music, whilst all the while Husband effortlessly exudes a prodigious talent of his own. - Roger Farbey, All About Jazz

"What's most remarkable is how Husband's own pieces mesh with McLaughlin's, creating a common ground that reflects of a deeper understanding of McLaughlin's vast vernacular, along with Husband's own evolving language and virtuosic pianism. McLaughlin has never sounded so dark, so abstract or so contextually unfettered. But equally, Husband finds the line that threads through McLaughlin's stylistically diverse career, making A Meeting of Spirits an innovative tribute that's reverential but always speaks with its own voice." - John Kelman, All About Jazz

Gary Husband has been at the forefront of the international jazz scene for many years. He is that rare breed: a musician equally fluent in expression, and internationally lauded, on two instruments, in this case, drums and keyboard. Even more singular is his ability to bring together the fruits of a career that have included classical training, improvisational versatility and long experience on the pop, rock, funk and blues circuits into a distinctive and influential musical personality. Gary’s latest album, and his first for Edition, A Meeting of Spirits is an innovative re-interpretation of the music of legendary guitarist, bandleader and composer John McLaughlin that in many ways demonstrates the totality of Husband’s multifaceted talent. In “...dissecting, reforming and freshly presenting...” the music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Husband - a long time collaborator with McLaughlin - pays personal and intimate homage to the iconic guitarist while showcasing his own highly distinctive creativity and personal expression. And McLaughlin returns the compliment, summing up this beautiful work: "Gary Husband the pianist has long been overshadowed by Gary Husband the drummer. I can personally testify to it. However, here we have a recording which will probably achieve the reverse of what I just wrote. In addition, he has chosen to base this recording primarily on my own compositions. I am honoured. This is a recording that is full of surprises; and the fact that I have difficulty in recognizing one or two of my own compositions is only one of them! But Gary is no ordinary musician: full of invention and surprises, modulations and inversions of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic content abound.” While the album is a tribute to McLaughlin’s music, it’s no slavish copy. As arranger and composer Michael Gibbs suggests: “I’m not sure that the word interpretations is the right one for these performances - they go so much further - not even close to what the industry calls covers - so individual are they.” Gary’s now thirteen-year-long involvement with John McLaughlin (and the band The 4th Dimension) has sat alongside tenures with Billy Cobham (most recently in Cobham’s Spectrum 40 band), regular projects with Hamburg’s NDR Big Band, further touring or recording commitments with artists such as Lenny White, Didier Lockwood, Joachim Kuhn and Enrico Rava, in addition to activity in the legendary ground-breaking over three-decades-long association he shared with the late Allan Holdsworth. But despite these fruitful encounters, it’s with this personal and rewarding project that we are placed directly in touch with just how significantly - as an arranger, composer and multi-instrumentalist - Gary Husband has evolved. Of this - the second of his two “Interpretations Of” piano albums - he says “I’m proudest, to date, of this album ... actually of both these works.”

          GARY HUSBAND performing with SOFT MACHINE in 2018

JULY 28 - Tokyo, Japan (Billboard Live) - 2 show (piano/keyboards)

JULY 29 - Tokyo, Japan (Billboard Live) - 2 show (piano/keyboards)

JULY 31 - Osaka, Japan (Billboard Live) - 2 show (piano/keyboards)

OCTOBER 16, Tue - Toronto, ON (Mod Club) - (drums)

OCTOBER 17, Wed - Buffalo, NY (The Tralf) - (drums)

OCTOBER 18, Thu - Cleveland, OH (Beachland Music Hall) - (drums)

OCTOBER 19, Fri - Indianapolis, IN (Irving Theater) - (drums)

OCTOBER 21, Sun - Chicago (Reggie's, Progtober Fest) - (drums)

OCTOBER 22, Mon - Milwaukee, WI (Shank Hall) - (drums)

OCTOBER 23, Tue - St. Paul, MN (The Turf) - (drums)

          GARY HUSBAND is appearing on the following albums on MoonJune Records.

You can stream fully all albums on BandCamp.

    CD $10 / DOWNLOAD $7

2CD $15 / DOWNLOAD $10

    BELEDO

Dreamland Mechanism

feat. GARY HUSBAND, LINCOLN GOINES with guests DEWA BUDJANA.

DORON LEV, TONY STEELE,

RUDY ZULKARNAEAN

        DEWA BUDJANA

Zentuary

feat. TONY LEVIN, GARY HUSBAND,

JACK DEJOHNETTE with guests

TIM GARLAND, GUTHRIE GOVAN, DANNY MARKOVITCH

    DOWNLOAD $7

CD $10 / DOWNLOAD $7

    JASON SMITH

Tipping Point

feat. GARY HUSBAND,

DAVE CARPENTER

        DEWA BUDJANA

Surya Namaskar

feat. JIMMY JOHNSON,

VINNIE COLAIUTA, special guests GARY HUSBAND, MICHAEL LANDAU

          CDs will be shipped on August 2. Downloads available immediately.

      via Blogger https://ift.tt/2AhpbK3

[riffsstrides]

Eyolf Dale

Wolf Valley

Edition, 2016

Eyolf Dale: piano;

André Roligheten: tenor sax & clarinet;

Hayden Powell: trumpet;

Kristoffer Kompen: trombone;

Rob Waring: vibraphone;

Adrian Løseth Waade: violin;

Per Zanussi; bass & saw;

Gard Nilssen (drums).

Thirty one year old pianist Eyolf Dale is a leading figure in contemporary jazz in his home country of Norway and an Associate Professor of applied piano at the Norwegian Academy of Music department of jazz studies. The album's title, Wolf Valley, is actually a play on his name as in Norwegian, Eyolf means wolf and Dale means valley. This is chamber jazz of sorts, but paradoxically packing a surprisingly satisfying punch too. "Furet" initially evokes a feel of Birth Of The Coolbut soon transmutes into something else entirely with Eyolf Dales fluttering piano and a resounding ensemble resolution. The centrepiece of the elegant "Fernanda" is Adrian Løseth Waade's pensive violin solo whilst the ensemble passages are worthy of Carla Bley. "Shostachoral" has a lugubrious feel punctuated by the rise and fall of the ensemble. It was originally an improvised organ chorale from Dale's solo album Hometown Interludes. Introduced by delicate vibraphone, "Ban Joe" has a touch of Michael Gibbs about it, particularly when the piano joins the vibes to play a repeated motif whilst the ensemble overlays a seductively slinky melody line. Piano and vibes again join forces on the hypnotic "Sideways," Dale's left hand evincing a slightly menacing, percussive piano accompaniment followed by an exquisite trombone solo from Kristoffer Kompen. Courtesy of the infrequently-heard musical saw,Per Zanussi produces some feedback-like sounds on "Teglstein" which extend throughout this strange and ethereal piece. But by contrast, "The Creek" is very third stream, benefitting from a flowing cohesion whilst simultaneously exploring the possibilities of disparate groupings of instruments. This track surely evokes the essence of George Russell. "Silent Ways" (Dale's compositions are frequently afforded punning titles) perfectly demonstrates how the leader's piano is both restrained yet effective, whilst the finale, "The Walk" is a rousing vehicle for solos from UK-born Hayden Powell on trumpet and the American vibraphonist Rob Waring.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Jasper Høiby

Fellow Creatures

Edition, 2016

Jasper Høiby: double bass;

Mark Lockheart: tenor saxophone;

Laura Jurd: trumpet, flugelhorn;

Will Barry: piano;

Corrie Dick: drums.

Taking a break from his highly (and justifiably) praised trio Phronesis, virtuoso bassist Jasper Hoiby described the rationale for Fellow Creatures thus: "it's been a dream of mine for a while to start a larger ensemble and to have the option of writing for two melody instruments as well as the trio." Høiby also regards the album in three ways; first he wanted to tell a story with a whole album, establishing a relationship between the album and its listeners by enticing them to play it over and over again so that they became intimately familiar with the music. Secondly, the titles are inspired by author Naomi Klein's 2014 best-selling book "This Changes Everything," whose politically-charged environmental propositions are shared by Høiby. Finally the album is dedicated to Høiby's sister Janette who passed away earlier this year. Høiby describes the music presented here as "less explosive" (than Phronesis), which it certainly is. From the start, the pastoral "Folk Song" is nearer the writing of Jan Garbarek with its delicate melody introduced by Polar Bear's Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone and rising British jazz star Laura Jurd, heard here on flugelhorn. By contrast, the ensuing title track gathers pace, with Jurd here producing some feisty trumpet runs interspersed by Lockheart's brazen tenor. On "World Of Contradictions" the melody evinced by the two horns is played over Will Barry's deft piano line which dominates the piece. Again Barry is heard leading "Little Song For Mankind" over an inexorably building ensemble and the piece is enhanced by Corrie Dick's subtle drumming. "Song For The Bees" signals a heart- warming break from previous numbers with Jasper Hoiby's pizzicato bass vamp evincing an almost Calypso-like rhythm. Corrie Dick's drums create a vital backdrop to the hypnotic "Tangible" whereas the shorter "Collective Spaces," led by the twin horns, is imbued by a contrapuntal pre-electric Ornette Coleman feel. The tranquil "Suddenly, Everyone" affords ample soloing opportunities for Lockheart, Jurd and Høiby, whereas "Before" beginning with a staccato riff, is a lithe double bass and tenor sax duet breaking down into a more regular rhythmic pattern courtesy of Høiby's obligato bass line over which Lockheart solos before both instruments erratically take up the riff once more, slowing to a conclusion. The final track "Plastic Island," beginning with laughing and growling voices, is the most strident of all the numbers, an ensemble riff played over a contrasting piano melody and insistent rhythm. Jasper Hoiby's wistful yet vibrant compositions are uniformly irresistible and with excellent performances all round, this seductively addictive album is going to yield frequent and satisfying plays. So, measured by that criterion, Høiby's intentions have been most definitely realised.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Stuart McCallum, Mike Walker

The Space Between

Edition, 2016

Stuart McCallum: acoustic guitar, electronics;

Mike Walker: electric guitar.

Laura Senior, Gemma South: violin;

Lucy Nolan: viola;

Peggy Nolan: cello on tracks 1,3,6,7.

The Space Between is the follow-up album to this intriguing guitar duo's first album from 2014, Beholden. Both of these British guitarists, long-time friends hailing from the North West of England (the Greater Manchester area to be precise) probably need no introduction since they've been making waves on the jazz scene and beyond for years. The opener, paradoxically entitled "And Finally" begins with a melody that teasingly almost perverts that most well-known theme from Beethoven's "Ode To Joy." It also contains some of the raunchiest of Mike Walker's electric guitar work to be found on the album. Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" doesn't need much commentary other than to say it's elegantly executed by the two sumptuously interwoven guitars. The pastoral "Moment," embellished by strings, has an intriguing background effect that comes close to the sound of a distant steam train but this doesn't mar the overall enchantment of the lyrical haunting melody. "Yewfield" is the very embodiment of the term pastoral but also exudes a Pat Metheny-like quality. Debussy's "String Quartet In G Minor (excerpt from the 3rd movement)" is arranged and expertly performed by Stuart McCallum, evincing a keenly dulcet interpretation. Its title is somewhat ironic considering that the duo employed an actual string quartet for four of the numbers here, but not on this piece. The filmic title track is augmented in places by the strings, serving to emphasise its languid, hypnotic feel. Walker renders a bluesy accompaniment to McCallum's languorous acoustic guitar on "As The Trees Waltz," the duo being joined by the string quartet in the middle section to add emotional heft. The Whiting and Chase standard "My Ideal" is given a relaxed interpretation, with Walker's crystalline guitar tones sounding nearer to Bill Frisell. The final number "Sky Dancer" is underpinned by percussive tabla-like effects, adding to a slightly Eastern ambience, but crucially is adorned mid-way by Walker's coruscating electric guitar solo. Whilst generally on the album, the guitarist is restrained, here he is not and this feistiness is definitely his strong suit. The six new pieces presented here were composed by McCallum, and the album consistently highlights the originality and natural compatibility of these two virtuoso guitarists. It's an album you instantly want to play over again.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Morten Schantz

Godspeed

Edition, 2017

Morten Schantz: Fender Rhodes; Electric Piano; Sequential Prophet 6; Roland Juno 60; Moog Sub 37; Korg MS-20 mini; Korg Volca Keys; Solina String Ensemble; Waldorf Streichfett; Arturia Beatstep Pro; Upright Piano & handclaps;

Marius Neset: soprano and tenor saxophones; Korg MS-10 bass synth on “Martial Arts”; rhodes solo; handclaps;

Anton Eger: drums, percussion & handclaps.

The three Scandinavian musicians featured on Godspeed are also members of the eclectic JazzKamikaze quintet. By 2014, Morten Schantz had released eight albums, four as a soloist and four with JazzKamikaze. Saxophonist Marius Neset has played alongside Django Bates and Anton Eger is also drummer with Phronesis. JazzKamikaze produces a fairly frenetic sound whereas Godspeed is relatively more sophisticated, but no less dynamic. This is Schantz's follow-up to his 2014 recording Unicorn which was predominantly acoustic, whereas Godspeed bears some comparison to his earlier album, 2004's Segment. The lugubriousness of the short opener "Silence In The Tempest (Part I)," belies what is about to ensue. It rapidly becomes difficult not to compare Godspeed to the many and various incarnations of Weather Report, particularly on numbers like the title track, with Marius Neset's soaring soprano sax prominent. "Escape Velocity" with a heavy bass riff and synth voices all adding to a highly charged atmosphere, invokes an instant reminder of Joe Zawinul's immeasurable contribution to music. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest and most memorable tracks on the album. Both Anton Eger's drumming and Schantz's electric piano work are positively electrifying. However, not all of these Morten Schantz written compositions are high velocity; the aptly named and languid "Growing Sense" is far from that. The chameleon-like "Martial Arts" intertwines a high-octane vamp with a more wistful one and even manages to insinuate some soulful chord changes. The short electronic soundscape of "Airglow" contrasts sharply with "Ceasefire" where Schantz himself proves his keyboards virtuosity with a Rhodes solo and Neset pays homage to Wayne Shorter on incandescent soprano. Schantz then reverts to acoustic piano on the languorously elegant "Cathedral." The erratic "Drill" arguably owes more to JazzKamikaze than anything else and makes excellent use of staccato multi-tracked saxophones whereas "Nuclear Fusion" is more like a Frank Zappa-esque freak out for synths. The various pulsating electronica meld satisfyingly with analog instruments, specifically tenor sax, on the anthemic "Dark Matter" and the set closes with the elegiac "Silence In The Tempest (Part II)." Godspeed unceasingly rewards repeated plays and easily qualifies as one of the most exciting and engaging recordings for a long time. Schantz has surely now found his true métier.

ROGER FARBEY in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Olli Hirvonen

New Helsinki

Edition, 2017

Olli Hirvonen: guitar;

Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone;

Adam O’Farrill: trumpet;

Luke Marantz: piano, Fender Rhodes;

Marty Kenney: bass;

Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

Hailing from Finland but now resident in Brooklyn, New York, Olli Hirvonen won first prize in the 2016 Socar Montreux Jazz Electric Guitar Competition. Significantly, the jury was presided over by John McLaughlin. "Arps" opens with cascades of Robert Fripp-like quick-fire obligato notes, rapidly ascending and descending the fretboard and instantly hooking the listener. The tentative beginning to "Gravity" belies its complexity, first sounding the very essence of McLaughlin's 4th Dimension but by the guitar break Hirvonen's guitar begins to emulate the allegrissimo glissandi so typical of Allan Holdsworth in full flight. There's also some fine tenor work here from Walter Smith III. It's not all sound and fury though, as tracks like the intricately subtle "Invisible" attest. From the outset, with its keen memorable guitar-led head, the frenetic-paced "Fundamental" is storming and one of the album's highlights. "N.E.B." benefits from superb ensemble interplay between the horns and guitar and the lengthy "Absolute" is a positive tour de force for trumpeter Adam O'Farrill. So the album is by no means merely a showpiece for Hirvonen. It's very much a team effort, but undoubtedly the guitarist's strong and imaginative compositions are key. Hirvonen himself is something of a stylistic magpie, having the rare ability to play anything from coruscating metal to fluid, bluesy guitar as heard on the lyrical "Lavola." With the recent untimely passing of guitar maestro Larry Coryell and the venerable McLaughlin currently on a 'farewell' U.S. tour (hopefully not), the World probably is in need of another jazz guitar hero right now. As depicted on the inner liner of New Helsinki, Hirvonen holds an enviable Fender Jazzmaster (a solid indicator that this guy means business), and on the strength of this album he's most definitely a contender for guitar hero status.

ROGER FARBEY in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Gary Husband

A Meeting of Spirits

Edition, 2017

Gary Husband: piano, in-piano percussion, voice, bell.

Pianist and percussionist Gary Husband is one of the world's most gifted musicians. It would be more accurate to say that he is not merely supremely talented but also a true virtuoso of both drums and keyboards. He played on John McLaughlin's Industrial Zen, released in 2006 and with the guitarist's 4th Dimension since its 2010 debut recording, To The One, where he featured on keyboards. But as those lucky enough to have caught McLaughlin in concert will know, Husband occasionally switches to drums, displaying equal dexterity. Husband has played with some of the most legendary musicians in fusion, including the late Jack Bruce and Allan Holdsworth, for whom Husband released an album of music dedicated to the guitarist, The Things I See: Interpretations Of The Music Of Allan Holdsworth (Art Of Life, 2001). A Meeting Of Spirits is a paean to McLaughlin and was recorded in London in November 2005, well over a decade ago. On the opening to "Are You The One?" Husband conflates the melody of "You Know, You Know" from The Inner Mounting Flame with the semi-spoken lyric of "Are You The One? Are You The One?" which appeared on Electric Guitarist. Following the call and response multi-tracked vocal (echoing McLaughlin and Jack Bruce), the piece settles down to recall the funky rhythm of the original. The familiar strains of "The Dance Of Maya" again remind the listener of the paradigmatic-shifting significance of the The Inner Mounting Flame, surely McLaughlin's magnum opus. "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" from Birds Of Fire takes that track's memorable opening melody and necessarily transforms it from the frenetic Mahavishnu Orchestra version to an attractively lyrical one. Where Husband obviously can't reproduce Billy Cobham's incendiary drumming he makes do with what he refers to, rather aeronautically, as "in-piano percussion," but still, it works. The final four tracks "Alap"; "Lotus Feet (Reprise)"; "Earth Bound Hearts" and "Development And Closing" are partitioned into a segment entitled "Epilogue." "Lotus Feet" appeared on Shakti's eponymous debut album released in 1976. Husband's own "Lotus Feet Reflections" was inspired by McLaughlin's original composition from that Shakti album. "Alap" and "Development And Closing" are also Husband original compositions whereas "Earth Bound Hearts" is taken from Where Fortune Smiles. A Meeting Of Spirits succeeds as an interpretational and at times, impressionistic representation of the music of McLaughlin, the undeniable maestro of jazz. It also serves as a timely reminder of the massive contribution that McLaughlin, now at the venerable age of 75 (although looking a lot younger), has made to music, whilst all the while Husband effortlessly exudes a prodigious talent of his own.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Verneri Pohjola

Pekka

Edition Records, 2017

Verneri Pohjola: trumpet;

Tuomo Prättälä: Fender Rhodes;

Teemu Viinikainen: guitar;

Mika Kallio: drums;

Antti Lötjönen: bass.

The highly-anticipated follow-up to Verneri Pohjola's widely acclaimed 2015 album Bullhorn consolidates his position as Finland's foremost jazz musician. His prodigious talent is hardly surprising given that his late father was the internationally acclaimed jazz-influenced prog-rock bassist and composer Pekka Pohjola, who died in 2008 aged just 56. This album is a reworking of some of Pohjola senior's tunes, but integrated into his son's vibrant compositions. It necessarily takes a different turn from Pohjola's previous album, harnessing elements of jazz rock, but without being submerged by that idiom. "The Dragon Of Kätkävaara" (taken from his father's 1980 album Kätkävaaran Lohikäärme) opens in a subdued modal mood bestrewn with raindrop-like percussive effects (or perhaps Alien-like sound effects). But halfway in there's a dramatic shift as a menacingly heavy, vamp is introduced. Pohjola then proceeds to tear-up the furniture with a coruscating trumpet solo. His confident, clarion-like horn shining through yet another melee. "First Morning" ("Ensimmäinen Aamu") is from Pekka Pohjola's 1974 album Harakka Bialoipokku and is an absolute killer, its memorable and uplifting anthemic theme instantly sending shivers down the spine. A longish track at ten minutes, it's held-together by the natural cohesiveness of this quintet. Pohjola's soaring trumpet soloing here is spectacular. "Inke And Me" is a more introspective vehicle, the resonant bass and chiming electric piano redolent of Miles Davis's In A Silent Way with Pohjola's searching trumpet at times seeming to emulate the master. A repeated theme is taken up midway, disrupting the ambient sound, but without detriment to the whole piece. By contrast "Pinch" ("Nipistys"), from Pohjola senior's Pihkasilmä Kaarnakorva 1972 debut album, charges along with a galloping vamp and an additional short theme insinuated later for good measure. Startling in its sheer forcefulness it benefits from guitarist Teemu Viinikainen acquitting himself here with panache. The spacey "Madness Subsides" ("Sekoilu Seestyy"), also from the album Harakka Bialoipokku, includes a rich bass solo from Antti Lötjönen and a tintinnabulating guitar solo plus echoey trumpet from Pohjola amid a soundscape of crackling and popping FX. "Benjamin" starts as an elegant, pastoral exploration with double-tracked trumpet followed by a brief accelerando passage midway through and a chiming electric piano solo, concluding with the twin horns in a fanfare coda. The final number, "Innocent Questions" is a placid duet between keyboard and trumpet, the two instruments endlessly circling each other in the midst of a dulcet melody. What Pekka successfully achieves here is to afford his father's compositions a potential for far greater exposure than they originally received and inevitably precipitating many a search through his back catalogue of albums. But crucially, Pekka will most definitely and justifiably raise Verneri Pohjola's profile with an unequivocally superb record that marks an exciting and electrifying new course for this Finnish virtuoso.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Aki Rissanen

Another North

Edition Records, 2017

Aki Rissanen: piano;

Antti Lötjönen: bass;

Teppo Mäkynen: drums

Following on from 2016's Amorandom, Finnish pianist Aki Rissanen has produced yet another satisfying album. Born in 1980 he has already released nine albums as leader or co-leader. Rissanen studied classical piano at Finland's Kuopio Conservatory from 1990-2000 and then jazz music at Helsinki Polytechnic School and in 2009 gained a Master's degree in jazz piano and composition from the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department, also in Helsinki. He also studied improvised music at Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris. From the outset Another North contrasts notably with its slightly more pastoral predecessor. There's certainly more crackling electrical energy witnessed here. "Blind Desert," as a prime example, evinces shades of Terry Riley and Philip Glass with Rissanen's deployment of streams of obligato piano notes coupled with an oscillating stereo mix. There's a similar device deployed on "John's Sons" but this time with echoey, subtle drums. A masterly, languid interpretation of György Ligeti's "Étude 5: Arc-En-Ciel Reimagined" is followed by some frenetic action as heard on the aptly named "Nature Of The Beast," again echoing the album's vibrant opener. "Before The Aftermath," which revolves around a stately repeated chord progression, moves a little into early-ish Keith Jarrett country and the set concludes with the lively "Hubble Bubble." The music presented here covers a broad spectrum of moods ranging from cerebral reflection to visceral excitement, but all of it is universally engaging.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Laginha, Argüelles, Norbakken

Setembro

Edition Records, 2017

Mário Laginha, piano

Julian Argüelles, soprano and tenor saxophones

Helge Andreas Norbakken, drums, percussion

Portuguese pianist Mário Laginha has teamed up with British saxophonist and ex-Loose Tuber Julian Argüelles and Norwegian percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken to record an album of captivating tunes, recorded in Porto, Portugal in July 2014. The first few plaintively wistful minutes of "Mãos na Parede" undergo a sudden and unexpected step change into a playfully vibrant coda. The upbeat mood continues with "Fisicamente" (translated as "physically," the essence of which it undoubtedly portrays), the soprano and piano initially tracing out the exuberant melody. Norbakken provides a subtle but insistent drumming pattern to "Serralves," which adds considerably to its overall dramatic effect. The helter skelter opening to "Coisas da Terra" subsides after two minutes to give way to a more sedate pace, and sees Argüelles's lithe soprano juxtaposed against a succession of Laginha's block chords before the piece melts into a more pastoral setting. Eight of the ten tracks on the album are composed by Laginha but two are by Argüelles. "Hugger Mugger" is quietly lugubrious and segues seamlessly into Arguelles's second composition on the album, "Yada Yada," which is more forceful than the preceding track, largely due to Norbakken's often disquieting percussive contribution. Nevertheless, a groove, of sorts, is eventually revealed. On the final two numbers it becomes clear that Norbakken's presence is vital as he sporadically throws into the mix disconcerting, sometimes almost imperceptible percussive sounds, quiet hand drumming, faint cymbal swooshes or discombobulating bangs and crashes, which uncannily bind the sax and piano together. Ultimately, this gorgeous album leaves the listener in a state of sublime tranquillity.

ROGER FARBEY in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Patrick Naylor

Days of Blue

2015

Patrick Naylor: guitar; Ian East: sax; David Beebee: piano, bass; Milo Fell: drums; Natalie Rozario: cello; Dan Teper: accordion; Alex Keen: bass (tracks 5,6,7 and 9); Sophie Alloway: drums; Stephanie O'Brien: vocals; Sara Mitra: vocals

"Baba" opens this album by British guitarist Patrick Naylor, with a middle eastern-tinged sax melody embellished with fast, acrobatic interplay between guitar and sax. Vocalist Stephanie O'Brien guests on the exquisitely executed song "Naggar" with elegant cello from Natalie Rozario, and this is all underpinned by graceful accordion from Daniel Teper. On "Rifferama" Naylor's quiet yet confident approach to his instrument is apparent. He's not short of technique, allowing himself just enough flowing runs to demonstrate his chops. The title track, sung by Sara Mitra, is the sort of song that in an ideal world would top the charts, but is ironically just too tasteful and subtle. It opens with almost imperceptibly quiet triangle and majestic cello from Natalie Rozario who gives a magnificent solo too. "Blue Morning" is a lengthy slinky bluesy workout, with a head arrangement and interspersed with a jam-like feel. "Waiting" is a quiet waltz with brushed snare drum and a resonant double bass solo from Alex Keen. The opening guitar work on "Restless" is most redolent of the under sung and under-recorded guitarist Amancio D'Silva, of Hum Dono fame, whose sensitive, almost gentle playing Naylor seems often to invoke. A sax and guitar duet opens "Lost Song," arranged as a quartet piece with bass and drums. "After Dark" sees Naylor on acoustic guitar and Ian East playing the melody line. The short solo by Naylor here is reminiscent of John Abercrombie in feel and the piece is augmented by deft percussion and piano. The final track "Vamp" offers a more extended yet restrained fuzz guitar solo from Naylor, who shows he is more than equal to the challenge of well-crafted and dextrous finger work. Naylor's unique selling point is that despite his undoubted technical ability and imaginative delivery he doesn't use the guitar as a weapon; his band is guitar-led but not guitar-dominated and this is the crucial difference. His talent, as with Miles Davis, is to push other soloists forward into the limelight. However, when he does solo, Naylor acquits himself with flying colours. This excellent album, mostly written by Naylor but with some of the other musicians too, stays with the listener long after it's finished.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Rob Luft

Riser

Edition Records, 2017

Rob Luft: guitar;

Joe Wright: tenor saxophone;

Joe Webb: Hammond organ, piano, harmonium;

Tom McRedie: bass;

Corrie Dick: drums.

London-based guitarist Rob Luft, an alumnus of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, reveals on tracks like the opener "Night Songs" a lightness and deftness of touch. There's also a trace of highlife West African influence too. But notably, Luft veers away from the more well-worn modern jazz guitar style, steadfastly avoiding the usual plethora of blues and jazz clichés. Nonetheless Luft intersperses his imaginative compositions with fast arpeggio runs a-plenty. The title track, even more so, offers a conglomeration of styles and more influences, and a dulcet quality as characterised by, say, Kurt Rosenwinkel. There are some memorable riffs too as evidenced on "Beware" Then there's a near-folky feel on the brief "Slow Potion" which segues into "Different Colours Of Silence," a Bill Frisell glissando-rich opening giving way to a fast tempo with more African-esque feel. The foot tapper "Shorty" exemplifies what a tight unit Luft has assembled. Joe Wright plays the melody and meatily underscores the proceeding with growling tenor, whilst the keen rhythm section holds it all together like glue. Luft takes a less prominent role here but it's no less effective. The closer, "We Are All Slowly Leaving," drifts along for its eight minutes, first in a pastoral haze, then gradually consolidating by virtue of an inexorably developing hypnotic pulse. With Riser Luft has produced a debut album of remarkable originality, strong compositions and he's assisted by a formidable quartet of musicians whose natural sensibilities and talents only serve to enhance the project.

ROGER FARBEY  in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Ahmad Jamal

Marseille

Jazz Village, 2017

Ahmad Jamal: piano;

James Cammack: double bass;

Herlin Riley: drums;

Manolo Badrena: percussion;

Abd Al Malik (4), Mina Agossi (8): vocals.

There are few true jazz legends left alive now let alone still recording albums of the calibre of Marseille. Ahmad Jamal is one such venerable figure and the octogenarian (born July 2, 1930) has recorded an album of consistent brilliance. Jamal prefers to refer to his playing as American classical music rather than jazz and he's been regarded as a "mainstream" pianist but to stylistically stereotype him in this fashion is to do him an injustice. The title track is afforded three different versions, the first being a mesmeric modally-inspired instrumental foray. The title is also a paean to a country that has enthusiastically supported Jamal throughout his long career culminating in the French government awarding him the prestigious Chevalier De L'Ordre Des Arts Et De Lettres in 2007. The album itself was recorded in Malakoff, a suburb on the outskirts of Paris. It's well-known that Miles Davis was a fan of Jamal's and admitted to being influenced by the pianist. Miles and Jamal became friends in the 1950s and Davis recorded Jamal's "Ahmad's Blues" on Workin' and "New Rhumba" on Miles Ahead. So on one level, it's not too surprising that on "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" Jamal includes a funky quote from Davis's "Jean Pierre" from We Want Miles, released in 1982. But on another level the inclusion of this vamp, which bookends the track, demonstrates how versatile is Jamal's approach, and how a standard can be completely transformed so seamlessly. The quoting continues on "Pots En Verre" with a repetition of two tantalisingly familiar chords from Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder." The French rapper Abd Al Malik contributes tersely spoken words in French on the next beguiling version of "Marseille" on which Jamal evinces an alternative chordal interpretation. "Autumn Leaves" is given a rich makeover, with percussionist Manolo Badrena and drummer Herlin Riley adding a Latin-esque feel and all underpinned by James Cammack's resonant double bass. There's even a micro-quote from Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" here too. The languid "I Came To See You / You Were Not There" and the more vibrant "Baalbeck" almost conclude this set but for the addition of a sumptuous third version of "Marseille," adorned by Mina Agossi's mellifluous vocals. It's undoubtedly Jamal's use of space and deft light and shade which characterise his playing and this proves that frenetic pyrotechnics are not necessary to make a huge impact on an audience. This extraordinarily beautiful album, simultaneously released on CD and double vinyl, demonstrates how age alone does not diminish an artist's musical ability and creativity. This superb album's appeal will be undoubtedly very wide indeed.

ROGER FARBEY in All About Jazz

[riffsstrides]

Alexi Tuomarila

Kingdom

Edition Records, 2017

Alexi Tuomarila piano

Mats Eilertsen double bass

Olavi Louhivuori drums

Piano-led power trios have proliferated over the last twenty years or more thanks to the likes of the Esbjorn SvenssonTrio and The Bad Plus whose respective approach was undeniably a more consciously dynamic one than the reflective approach of say Bill Evans or the redoubtable Keith Jarrett. There was also, inevitably, a move away from the old style of swinging piano trios such as those led by Erroll Garner or Oscar Peterson. Often, contemporary piano-led trios have embraced a more rock-influenced stance, whilst not in any way selling out. The drums have gotten louder (especially the snare), the amplified double bass has grown more resonant and the piano has utilised the sustain pedal in abundance. But this says more about the medium than the message, which still harbours the intrinsic tenets of jazz and maintains that crucial marriage of the cerebral and the visceral. So is time-up for the piano-led power trio? Well hardly. The phenomenon survives and thrives. A perfect exemplar must be Kingdom from Alexi Tuomarila. Following the first few lone piano chords, "The Sun Hillock" begins with a back beat-heavy rhythm section overlaid by an elegant melody. But then the mood changes rapidly with the pastoral "Rytter" dominated by ostinato piano and elegant arco bass courtesy of Mats Eilertsen. Tuomarila hails from Finland but gained his musical education in Belgium at the Royal Conservatory, Brussels. He's played and recorded with the great Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and in 1999, Tuomarila's Quartet won the trophy for best band at the international Jazz Hoeilaart competition in Belgium whilst he won the title of best soloist. Kingdom is the welcome follow-up to Tuomarila's 2013 recording Seven Hills, also on Edition. The piano-led vamp on "Vagabond" backed by an ostinato bass figure is simply irresistible. "Aalto" benefits from a memorable and repeated head and represents all that is good about Tuomarila's trio. Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" is given a refreshing and all-too-rare jazz reworking which, due to its insistent timeless melody, undoubtedly becomes the stand-out track on the album. Judging by this fully engaging and satisfying album the piano-led power trio is most definitely alive and well.

ROGER FARBEY in All About Jazz