Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura are improvisers on the same level of exploration as Morton Feldman and Sylvie Courvoisier. Their work together is far-reaching and minimalistic but provide a hidden harmonies that slowly open up to the listener.
Over the span of four albums they have continued to expand on these themes in various ways. On their fifth album Muku, Fujii and Tamura go deeper and further than before.
Muku is a haunting and imaginative mixture of compositional structures. The pieces seem simple on the outset, before growing more complex as you move forward. "Dune And Star" open this passageway with dark, subtle tones from Tamura with suspenseful and palpitating notes provided by Fujii. All this results in a sublime but easily digestible piece experimental chamber music in a duo setting.
"Muku" should give anyone a chill. It quietly creeps inside and might even bring a tear and sense of sadness to you. A ballad that is delicately structured and resonates across the entire session. "Clone" is vibrant but still carries an improvised structure. Fujii has a number rolling hypnotic lines while Tamura lays a palate of diverse hues making it a ferocious ending to very calm, experiment driven journey.
Always challenging Natsuki Tamura and Satoko Fujii once again create a document that can be enjoyed on various levels. While not everyone may like the improvised pieces, there are elements of subtle beauty laid throughout Muku that should make this a richly satisfying experiment for those seeking something different to listen to right now.
I really hadn't listen to much from Jacam Manricks. I had seen his music around town and seen his name a few random times on bills for different clubs. But for some reason it just never stuck. Until I sat and finally listened to his fourth album on Posi-Tone, Cloud Nine. It is simply fantastic and maintains close contemporary themes.
Manricks' compositions are rich and sophisticated. "Cloud Nine" introduces a strong, romantic and very tight set of musicians. Rogers and the always superb, Yahel set a quiet but impulsive tone that sits just underneath Manricks chords.
On "Take The Five Train" Manricks tears across the sheet music with some urgent lines that show that he can really move with the best of his contemporaries. His opening solo could have been the entire song and I would have recommended it. Yahel's accompaniment stays close but never overtakes the leader. The number is a real standout.
"Alibis And Lullabies" features some lovely interchanges with guest trumpeter, David Weiss. It's an idyllic piece with great passages from Yahel that are subtle in nature. The main focus for most listeners will be on Weiss and Manricks. Wilson shines on "Loaf," an uptempo piece with Manricks coming in loud and clear. He has real command of the setting. Here he lets Rogers ride through most of the tune. And Roges delivers with a full bodied performance that is deep with harmony.
Cloud Nine is an uplifting and emmensely satisfying effort from a sill young and growing talent. Jacam Manricks, while being one to watch is most certainly one to start spreading the news after you've experienced it. Great stuff.
On a typical cold night in February a friend of mine and I made our what seems annual pilgrimage to see Fred Hersch play a series of dates at the legendary Village Vanguard. Seeing Hersch live in any configuration is always going to be exciting and celebratory. Where as his solo performances are obviously more intimate and personal, in the trio setting he really lets loose and creates a sense of vitality with each performance.
This series of performances are captured splendidly on Alive At The Vanguard. "Tristesse" is a sweet tribute to the late drummer, Paul Motian. It's a ballad the embodies everything Motian projected. The piece is well crafted with subtle harmonies and a soft tone of haunting beauty. Hersch's own "Dream Of Monk" and the Sonny Rollins classic "Doxy" are both pure delights. Hersch's intimacy and detail shine on these two pieces. The influence of both legends can be felt in the humour of "Dream Of Monk" and romantic blues-like flow of "Doxy." Hebert and McPherson give the "Doxy" a bit more jump allowing you to focus and the feel the tunes emotional impact.
Some cool beats and fast complex notes inhabit, "Jackalope." Hebert and McPherson ignite a very uptempo rhythm for Hersch to playfully swerve in and out. Probably the fiercest track on this set, it's a compelling piece wrapped in a few layers infectious funky little notes delivered by the trio. Combining two classic Hammerstein and Monk tunes, "The Song Is You/Played Twice" is a soft and tender touch of genius. The trio go from a compassionate slow down version of the classic "Song..." to a wonderful improvised jaunt of "Twice," that has all the energy of a Monk number. And an excellent way to close out the night.
This live session was great to see. I have no idea if any of the songs are from the night I went but its great to have a tangible memory of it. A solid document of a week long run at the legendary club. This very well could be my favourite live album from Fred Hersch. Alive At The Vanguard is definitely one of my albums of the year. Highly Recommended!
Two divergent releases from Portuguese label, Clean Feed, filled my listening over the last few days. And they are both worth checking out for different reasons.
Born in Slovenia but raised on the diverse traditions of both American and European Jazz, Igor Lumpert has a style that is both relaxed and complex. His training and performing with the likes of Reggie Workman, Buster Williams and Chico Hamilton to name a few probably has a lot to do it. But on Innertextures Live, Lumpert's third release as leader, he begins to shape his voice, vision and destiny.
Innertextures seems to be a revolving cast of musicians that each delicately and diversely interprets Lumpert's richly molded compositions. This approach reminds me of a less cerebral approach to Chicago Underground, led by Rob Manzrek. But here, Lumpert is more concerned with taking the listener on a journey of colourful expressions and hard bop tonality.
"Still Dreaming" gets things off to delightful start. Tordini's slow infectious bassline is wrapped tightly by the always exciting Waits kit. Lumpert throws bold and muscular notes that intersect at various points with his bandmates but shows that this live outing is going modern but with a few twist and turns. "Perug" rips along in furious succession. Tordini and Waits are giving space to create some nice, big solos with lots of creative pace. Lumpert's fury throughout this piece felt like mid-period Coltrane.
Lumpert shows great skill and beauty on "This Is For Billy Holiday." A lovely ballad with poise and passion. It's heavy and introspective but filled with Lumpert taking a delicate and exact approach. This piece really shows the diversity in his performance and compositions on Innertextures Live.
Remaining introspective but moving almost completely in the opposite direction, Swedish reedman, Martin Kuchen returns with a set from his Trespass Trio. Molded and wrapped in more layers than the previous two sessions with this trio, Kuchen explores more personal family history (which he has done in recent years). This time about his relative who was a World War I Jewish German veteran who later became a Monk. A passionate and intense celebration can be felt throughout the trio debut, Bruder Beda (named for the relative).
There is a deep sense of solitude from the piece "Don't Ruin Me." Per Zanusi and Raymond Strid provide a Jewish heritage backdrop with their steady notes and rhythm. This allows Kuchen to stretch and create a dialogue that tells the story smoothly but with thick texture. "Todays Better Than Tomorrow" feels like a suite. The opening movement is a rich cavalcade of emotions led by Kuchen. This moves effortlessly into quiet, atmospheric tones which Strid does a good majority of the improvising. The final movement sees the trio rejoining its original themes with a harder edge and then gently taking the listener downward to fade out.
The blistering "A Different Koko" and the third outtake of "Ein Krieg In Einem Kind" both present Kuchen's ability to scale the heights of free form expression but also still maintain a sense of inner depth. That density is something even the non-familiar Kuchen listener can be drawn to. Kuchen's lyricism envelops you by the end of this emotional journey. Very exciting work.
Igor Lumpert's Innertextures Live is a wonderful work of romanticism and hard bop that is slightly not what you expect from the avant garde jazz label. Marting Kuchen again shows that he is one of the talented and well-sought after musicians on the European scene with Bruder Beda. With two ends of the spectrum represented - one with a modern approach, the other more spiritual and thought-provoking. You would do well to experience both of these great saxophonists. Highly Recommended and richly enjoyable.
Natsuki Tamura (trumpet)
