Mary Halvorson (guitar) Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records; 2010)
So when I first wrote about Mary Halvorson a few months back I enthusiastically said I was addicted to her music and her latest release, Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records). Since then I have acquired a boat load of other releases featuring Halvorson; including the spectacular trio album from drummer Tom Rainey, which features some phenomenal playing from Halvorson.
But let's stay focused on the real album at hand. Saturn Sings is a powerful statement from a guitarist who really stands high and above most of her contemporaries, even if a large majority of the jazz public doesn't know who she is...yet.
Saturn Sings features the same trio from her first album as leader, Dragon's Head (Ches Smith (drums) and John Hebert (bass))now expanded into a quintet with Jon Irabagon on sax and Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet. This adds a little more body and rhythm to some of the recordings. But it doesn't interfere with free flowing atmosphere of the original group. In fact I think it gives the musicians more strength and room to breath or expand on different themes.
Halvorson is still the leader but allows the band to do some of the talking as on "Mile High Like" which Irabagon, Finlayson and Smith rip through notes while Halvorson's floats above and sometimes just underneath the rhythm. This is one the best examples of how this quintet melds together beautifully throughout Saturn Sings.
"Crack In Sky" and more importantly "Moon Traps In Seven Rings" are almost ballad-esque, with a loose abstract construction from Halvorson. Finlayson is the standout on "Moon Traps In Seven Rings" until about two thirds of the way in when Halvorson takes a Marc Ribot like solo and the group returns to the original melody. This is a great piece of writing. "Crack In Sky" sees Irabagon and Halvorson interplay beautifully--displaying Mary Halvorson can combine tradition and avant garde into something magical (similar to her mentor Anthony Braxton).
"Sea Seizure" again expresses the more indie-rock leaning side of Halvorson. It's a groove-laden track with aggression and agitation that could sit alongside anything Sonic Youth or Praxis could write. The title track, "Saturn Sings" opens with marching order-like quality led by Halvorson and Smith, only to return to a wonderful group dynamic played out by the rhythm section. Saturn Sings is an album that is another step up for Mary Halvorson in song writing, leadership and performance.
You may have noticed the headline of today's entry was slightly different. I purposely don't like to rank my "Best Albums" because I feel its too difficult to make your deciding factors on how they should be ranked. So I'd rather just talk about them. But in the case of Mary Halvorson's Saturn Sings--I have made the rare judgement that this by far is my #1 Album Of The Year.
I wanted to talk about it early in the week in case a lot of you are not around towards the end of week/year. The sooner you know about this album the better. If you want an album and an artist that is going to knock you socks off or change your thoughts on what the guitar means to jazz, than Mary Halvorson's Saturn Sings is the place you should start. Beyond Highly Recommended.
Soil & Pimp Sessions have done their fair share of DJing and guest billing on other albums for the last few years. In addition, they have pulled off an amazing feat in today's music world, of releasing five albums since their formation in 2003.
The Japanese "Death Jazz" (their term, not ours) sextet, returned with their sixth album this year. Aptly titled 6, was a raucous and relentless release with buzz saw crowd pleasers like "Papa's Got A Brand New PigBag," "Pop Korn" and "Quartz and Chronometer" blazing the way to the dancefloor.
But the group has grown into more than just a consistent source of dance heavy tunes. They have managed to turn on the lovelight with the midtempo stomp of "My Foolish Heart" and "Double Time." The bands constant touring globally has sharpened their influences more so now than on their previous records.
6 spreads the themes around with tinges of Latin funk on "Paraiso" and soulful grooves of both "Mirror Boy" and a second version of "My Foolish Heart." British semi-pop superstar, Jamie Cullim sits in on "Stolen Moments" surprising recreating Mark Murphy but it works.
If it always sounds like a good time on Soil & Pimp Sessions records, its because they try to recorded everything live in the club. That's no different here. You get the feeling of party and you have the feeling its never gonna stop.
Soil & Pimp Sessions have remained in the "underground' for far too long. This is by far their best and most cohesive album to date and well worth seeking out. 6 is a party album, no doubt about it. But its the kind of album that will also have you stopping in your tracks to listen to "that" song again...and again...and again.
Over the next two weeks JazzWrap revisits our favourite albums of 2010.
Soweto Kinch (sax, vocals; b.1978) The New Emancipation (Soweto Kinch Recordings)
Resurfacing this year with an incredible document, The New Emancipation (SK Recordings), Soweto Kinch may have established himself as the premier storyteller of the new British jazz generation influenced by Hip Hop. This fertile underground mind delivers the trials and tribulations young London life trying to reach the better horizon.
That story is capsulized in perfectly on the opener, "Trying To Be A Star". Maybe in a similar fashion as some of Courtney Pine's earlier records but with a more updated and solid vision.
One of the brilliant things to come out The New Emancipation for me was the way Kinch has grown as a musician on sax. His playing especially on the hard bop of "A People With No Past" is very reminiscent of Branford Marsalis circa Crazy People Music. In the first two full tracks Kinch has made his case that Jazz and Hip Hop an coexist within the same sphere.
The influence of both someone like Branford, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McClean and Hip Hop artists Mos Def, KRS-One and Black Thought (of The Roots) can be felt throughout Soweto's discography but even more so on The New Emancipation.
And it's not just Soweto who stands out here either. He's band a superb. Guitarist, Femi Temowo and drummer Justin Brown act as wonderful counters to Kinch's fierce, rolling vision on the more traditional jazz pieces, including "The Never Ending" and "Suspended Adolescence."
The rhythm based pieces such "Raise Your Spirit," "Axis Of Evil" and the hilarious "Paris Heights" show the lighter yet bold side of Soweto's lyrical storytelling. But overall, The New Emancipation is sold jazz album. It balances Hip Hop and Jazz to perfection. This lyrical delivery of Soweto Kinch has never been more clear than now. Soweto has become a more mature and focused player and songwriter.
The New Emancipation is not only a statement of our culture. It is a blueprint of what Jazz and Hip Hop should sound like. It was one of my favourite albums during the second half of the year and I haven't stopped listening.
Over the next two weeks JazzWrap revisits our favourite albums of 2010.
One For All (group; formed 1997) Incorrigible (JLP)
Eric Alexander (sax) Jim Rotondi (trumpet) David Hazeltine (piano) Joe Farnsworth (drums) John Weber (bass) Steve Davis (trombone)
One For All have consistently delivered albums of quality and distinction for over a decade now (15 albums in all). This years, Incorrigible (Jazz Legacy Productions) was no exception.
Driven by an unparalleled sense of unity, each member of One For All writes music for their records. Incorrigible demonstrates once again that One For All are that rare breed of band that you can tell has been together for a long time. They play off each other extremely well. They challenge each other with every note. And they have fun doing it.
From the eternal standard "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", the lovely tribute to Freddie Hubbard "Voice" to what could easily become a standard in twenty years, the Steve Davis penned "Spirit Waltz"--Incorrigible is an album that is quite accessible for any music fan.
One For All have always been compared to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (a comparison they enjoy in fact). But they continue to show that they are a new breed for a new generation of jazz fans. This is a group enjoys playing together while having their own highly successful individual careers.
The title track, "Incorrigible," was written by Eric Alexander and it rips with delight. Jim Rotondi's playing is immaculate as always and the interchanges between the horn section are superb. But as with all One For All records each musician standout in their own way. Hazeltine, Webber and Farnsworth all have shinning moments throughout Incorrigible and that's what makes One For All one of the most important jazz groups of the last decade.
One For All are not a band out to reinvent the wheel--but they definitely make the wheel look alot better with each outing. Their sense of unity and continuing drive of making the perfect record is one of the things we have always enjoyed. Incorrigible is highly recommended and one of JazzWrap's favourites this year.
