Nate Wooley - The Almond (Pogus, 2012)

By Paul Acquaro

I think I may have had a 'moment of zen' while listening to this recording. I must admit that I cheated on this one a little at first, skimming the start of the recording, dipping the "play head" to see what was happening with what seemed to be a rather persistent chordal tone. Eventually though, I calmed down and just let it play.

It's safe to say that this recording is a slow build, a very slow one, one that requires far more patience then I thought I possessed. However, I'm quite happy that I eventually did just let it play, and build and build. At the 35 minute mark, I suddenly 'felt' it. A change that on it's own would not have been much but the proceeding minutes of sameness made the next build feel momentous. A new note or a change in the tone, however minuscule, each made a palpable impact. As it continued to change -- and not change -- the sound at times was more like an organ than a single overdubbed trumpet.

Some recent reviews of Wooley's work here with Peter Evans, the group Scowl or alone with an amplifier, highlight his extended techniques like the use of feedback, vocalization, and other avant-garde leanings. This time though the unusual technique is time. Extending these notes for essentially 70 minutes, introducing layers and tonal shifts, creates a hypnotic, meditative and altering piece.

I'm refraining from stars on this because it's hard to say … many stars for concept and experience, but as a piece of music? Not sure how to rank that. Regardless, it's a recording that refuses to leave my head.

© stef

Headbrain (Desert Poodle Records, 2011) ***½

By Paul Acquaro

Much of the music that I've reviewed here, usually in some abstracted way, has jazz underpinnings (though that is not the case with all of the other recordings reviewed here). Headbrain, however, is creating intriguing improvisational music that has its roots in rock and ambient music. For me, it's exciting to step outside my milieu and listen with the fresh attentiveness that newness brings, and from what I can hear, this is a trio following a trend and trajectory of their own.

The album begins with a percussive clatter and proceeds from there with ample keyboards and effects. The straight ahead beat and eviscerating effects at the start of 'The Day the Earth Turned to Stone' buoys the swirling organ and electronic washes that sounds, to me, somehow suggestive of a robot's digestive tract. It's a foreboding song that is tough but still accessible, and a nice set-up to the 'horror' that follows. Possibly lifting a cue from an Alice Cooper album that never was, the group delivers a soundscape that ostensibly explores the mind of a disturbed young man. It's a bit spooky and retains a good deal of campy fun. The songs 'Wonders of Shad' and 'Minimal Space' shift the tone considerably. Both feature variations of programmed synths and abstract melodies. The final song 'Coefficient River' is a long unfolding composition that seemingly celebrates the life of a strange and beautiful algorithm. The varying combination of straight ahead rhythms and oscillating electronics is both slightly discomfiting and, at the same time, warm.

Headbrain is comprised of Elizabeth Walsh on bass and keyboards, Adam Budofsky playing drums and effects, and Carl Baggaley on keyboards and synths. The electronics and effects are key elements in the construction and sculpting of the sound, adding depth and texture to the soundscapes.

Overall, who plays what instrument probably doesn't really matter, it is a collective voice that we hear, interdependent and intertwined. There is a feeling like this is a group whose sound is evolving and it will be interesting to see where it goes.

Available through eMusic or CDBaby

© stef

Jason Adasiewicz's Sun Rooms - Spacer (Delmark, 2011) ****

By Paul Acquaro

Last summer I had the pleasure of seeing Jason Adasiewicz play with Peter Brotzmann at the Vision Festival and it was the first time I had encountered a vibraphone being played by bow. Adasiewicz used the long fibers to extrude vibrant ringing tones from the metal bars, creating something new to my ears. On the solo piece that opens 'Spacer' he employs another technique that produces a percussive and staccato attack on the bars. Hearing these unexpected sounds helps help free the ears and cleanse the sonic palette.

Sunrooms is the trio of Nate McBride on bass, Mike Reed on drums and, of course, Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone. The sound is one full of space and suspense. Adasiewicz lets the vibes pulsate and ring as he plays through the tune heads, often sounding larger than a trio. There are intricate parts, where his intelligent melodies engage the listener, and there are lithe parts where the rhythms section's swing keeps the affair floating by. Several of the heads are Monk-like in their engaging catchy directness and unexpected knottiness.

The accompaniment is perfectly fitted too. The drums swing and give the proceedings great propulsion. McBride's solo breaks, like in 'Hi-Touch', help shift the timbre a bit provide a nice contrast to the ring of the vibes. I particular like the composed syncopations, like in 'Run Fly', that really highlights the effectiveness of McBrides and Reed's expert touch.

Though the the emphasis is on the vibes and it's rich pallets of overtones, there is ample room for all players. The songs of 'Spacer' showcase the players well and present a group that knows how to get the most out of the trio setting. There is not one note or tone too many or too few here.

© stef

Dorota - Dorota (2011, S10 records)

 

 

By Ananth Krishnan 

The first thing I happened to do before reviewing this album was to pump the internet for some background information but I was unable to find anything (not in English, at least!). Therefore I was very thankful for the small "dorota-eng" document that came with the album - it led me to a S10 records which again resulted with zilch on the internet but for a face book page which stated that the hometown was Budapest and the genres they dealt in were Hip/Hop, Electronica and Funk. What??! Wondering how this record made its way for review under this site, I hit the play button with a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

How does one review an album where there is no framework, no standards followed, no genre adhered too? Free - free to improvise, free to ignore norms, free to explore the unexplored, free to create - that is the one underlying theme this album overstates !! The opening track is one man moaning (I assume something in Hungarian) for more than a minute with some percussive effects and strained string-plucking in the background. Just when your eyebrows are at their top-most in bewilderment the second track opens up as a scorching straight out rock jam that would not be too alien in a Joe Satriani or Steve Vai album - this is a high energy track showcasing the writing skills of the band. Next up is a track that is more of an interlude lasting just under a minute with some simple guitar plucking but it segues beautifully into another post-rock jam (think Mogwai here) halfway through which you are treated to some more vocals and some riffs that reeks "classical" (semi-Indian almost!) - by now my eyes are wide quite astonished with the versatility behind what I was listening to.

To give you a sample of the diversity that follows - track 6 would fit snugly into western movie soundtrack (even the vocals in this track jibes with that feel) while track 9 is sure to remind you of your hard-rock-led-zeppelin-jam days. To add more flavours track 10 sounds like Sunn O))) indulging in their doom laden sound while track 11 could easily be one of the pieces that would adorn the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill (think Kiddo vs O-Ren at the Tokyo nightclub). That should tell you what this 50 odd minute musical journey is all about. Amidst all these are the little nuances thrown in by the band - the odd dissonant chord from the guitar, the rhythm section out on a odd-metered wild improv with the guitar wailing out its own solo not to mention some really weird vocals (track 8 and 9 are prime examples consisting of all of these, also the longest tracks on the album). It would be ideal, I think, to now introduce the brains behind all this - Makkai Dan on bass, Porteleki Áron wielding the drums and Somló Dávid fretting the guitar - I think these are musicians who understand each other and love playing off each other, they are such a tight-knit unit who seem to know as a whole, the parts and the sum of the parts they want to create.

Easily my most adventurous listen in a very long time, one thing is for sure - this is not free jazz, this is not even jazz. This is the just three musicians who seem to have an open mind enjoying themselves exploring, musicians who believe that music is a potent vehicle for communication that transcends the spoken or written. This is just pure fun but with a lot of effort to make true its creation. To the die-hards, yes - this review probably does not belong here but to all those adventurous listeners who believe that the journey is far more relevant than the destination - I will invite you to get on board the Dorota express, it is a journey that you are not going to forget that easily.

Download free here

(I have refrained from 'star-ing' this album because this music is not strictly in the vein of what this blog deals in. However I still felt the need to expose this music to the readers of this blog for I think that the spirit behind the making of such music is very relevant to what is usually dealt with here, it would be very interesting to see where the band heads on to next.)

© stef

Hank Roberts - Everything is Alive (Winter & Winter, 2011) ****

By Paul Acquaro

There is no argument in my mind that the Bill Frisell quartet(s) that recorded albums like "Where in the World" and "Look out for Hope" were on to something special. Mixing jazz, rock and Americana, they created a lasting and captivating blend of music, and it seems that some of the musicians who worked in these groups revisit the style in some fashion - often with Frisell's help. Kermit Driscoll's recent "Reveille" touched on it and "Everything is Alive" from cellist Hank Roberts certainly embraces it while putting its own stamp upon it.

While I have enjoyed other recent collaborations between Roberts and Frisell, such as Frisell's "Disfarmer" and "Signs of Life", I'm finding the intensity on the cellist's new album quite satisfying. Joining Roberts here is drummer Kenny Wollesen, bassist Jerome Harris and the aforementioned Frisell on guitar. Throughout the album, Roberts' compositions have intricate passages, big loping rhythms and streaks of humor mixed in with serious compositions.

The first song, "Crew Cut" is a great romp replete with a deep groove and power chords. Roberts' cello cuts through with legato melody and Frisell contributes off an energetic, dare I say, rocking solo. Following this is the pastorally spartan Cayuga, where Robert's builds up a folkish melody, full of space and longing. A few more cuts in is 'Joker's Ace', featuring a sound scape that build slowly with scattered percussion and eventually morphing into an askew hoe-down. The next tune 'Open Gate' features the back-beat loping feel, some folk-like motifs, and a devastatingly good solo from Roberts. 'Necklace' is atmospheric and delicate, with Wollesen providing accents and washes in lieu of steady rhythm.

Frisell and Robert's earlier work is simply a touchstone. Here, Roberts compositions with their masterful folklike whimsy breath and come to life and throughout, the group's interplay really shines. Frisell's guitar is both searing and sweet, Robert's colors the proceedings with well chosen dissonance, and Harris and Wollesen keep the songs moving. This album is fast becoming a frequent play on my iPod.

© stef

Wadada Leo Smith's Mbira - Dark Lady Of The Sonnets (TUM, 2011) ****½

 By Stef

Put on a record by Wadada Leo Smith, and each time you will lifted up into a different dimension, out of your daily routine, not into the mindlessness of relaxation entertainment, but into a realm rich in soul and spirituality, whether it's his funky electric Miles tribute albums, the sound universe of complex mastership with his Golden Quartet music, or his meditative and bluesy duo albums.

Smith's incredible strength is to suck the listener into his music ... deeply ... He can create a sound that makes the listener think "yes, I feel this too, this is me, yet I never managed to express it", whether joy, or aesthetic beauty, or peaceful calm or restless tribal energy.

On this album his powerful and uplifting trumpet songs are accompanied by Pheeroan akLaff on drums and Min Xiao-Fen on the Chinese pippa.The voice of the latter instrument is weak compared to the percussion and the trumpet, but yet the excellent sound quality compensates for that, together with the space Smith gives his trio and the solid unity of musical vision among the three artists. On the title track, a tribute to Billie Holiday, the vulnerable fragility is almost palpable, and you can only admire the akLaff's restraint in working his drums, barely audible, yet adding the necessary drama to the singing of voice and trumpet.

There is not much to say about the music, you should listen to it.

As I wrote earlier somewhere about his music : cosmic, rooted in the earth and so deeply human. A rare combination.

Again, I'm quite ecstatic about this album. Before you ask the question : why not a five-star rating as usual? Despite the quality, it is a further expansion of his former duo albums with a new line-up, and not really bringing a new musical vision. But still ...

Highly recommended.

Buy from Instantjazz.

© stef

Bigoni, Solborg and Brow - Hopscotch (Ilk Records 2011) ***½

Reviewed by Joe Higham

Maybe the first place to start with this album is to introduce the musicians. Bigoni, Solborg and Brow's full names are Francesco Bigoni (sax), Mark Solborg (guitar), Kevin Brow (drums). Since we don't always get much information with the CDs it's difficult to know whether (in this case) it's a group project, or someones specific group. However, listening to the album it doesn't take long to realize that this powerful trio produces some very accessible but challenging music. The three musicians compliment each other perfectly with no one musician standing alone but all acting together. The music veers between a sort of nu-jazz and semi-free, not unlike (if you know them) Trio AAB, Matthieu Donarier Trio, Hyperactive Kid and of course the long forgotten Human Feel (bless their cotton socks), in fact on first listen one cold possibly mistake Franceso Bigoni's playing for that of Chris Speed.

The album's 10 pieces have a nice mix of improvised and written themes that at times almost rock the house as opposed to the ballads which lean towards the melancholic ethereal feel that Jim Black's Alasnoaxis favors. The group blows up a powerful wind on tunes such as 'Elope Soon' (tk2), a rocking tune with a minimalistic pounding guitar/sax theme which also sets the scene for the tunes that follow. 'Brainwashing' (tk4) is a high powered shuffle tune that turns towards some excellent free form improvisation after the theme. 'Meet Mr Green'(tk5) a contrapuntal melody that uses the same idea for the solo with the sax and guitar shadowing each other closely. However not all the tunes race along at high speed, 'Almost' (tk6) is a gentle ballad type melody that is tender and sparse. What's interesting about this tune is that the melody and improvisation meld together almost without one noticing.

All the players have strong voices. Bigoni's sax almost cries at times such as on the lovely frail sounding '2' (tk1) and his tune 'Not Interesting, But True' (tk9). Here he repeats some very simple melodic ideas that the group builds on gradually giving the impression that each musician is searching for a new melody, very effective! But it is probably Mark Solborg's guitar which most links together the three players. His playing is particularly strong with a wide sonic pallet that comes up with a new solution for every tune. His playing is discreet yet utterly compelling. All in all this is very clearly a band which is a product of the post downtown movement, mixing jazz, rock and improv into a highly listenable mix which has a broad appeal…..well X-Factor listeners' should maybe be warned!

Buy from Ilk Records

© stef