Sonore: Live At Cafe Oto

Sonore (trio)

Live at Cafe Oto (Trost; 2012)

Peter Brotzmann (tenor, alto sax, clarinet, taragato)
Ken Vandermark (tenor sax, clarinet)
Mats Gustafsson (baritone sax)

When this trio gets together you can always expect high decibels and sonic architecture. Live at Cafe Oto is probably the shorter but most palatable of the four albums this trio has recorded. There's still a lot to digest over the span of four songs  in just under 40 minutes.

Each musician attacks the notes with aggression but also a sense of beauty, as they softly create and destroy patterns. "Fragments For An Endgame" comes swirling down upon you like hail drops through a funnel. The tones are sharp and crisp with spikes that build and build. They hit there peak quickly before descending further into a overpowering arpeggio.  The trio is all the while improvising each note. But these three have played together so often they know each other movements and changes down to a tie.

"Le Chien Perdu" see Brotzmann rip through the scales at will. The piece has a perfect balance between Brotzmann's howls and improvised segues accompanied by subtle tones of Vandermark and Gustafsson around the edges. "Oto" is just sheer fire in the well. The trio let loose a wall of sound but shift effortless back and forth between blistering chords changes and gentle swathes of harmonics. Only to end with a resounding joyful call to arms, New Orleans style.

Live At Cafe Oto is powerful stuff and by far the best Sonore record to date. Highly Recommend.

Outhouse: Straw, Sticks + Bricks

Outhouse (quartet)

Straws, Sticks + Bricks (Loop/Babel Music; 2011)

Robin Fincker (sax, clarinet)

Tom Challenger (sax)

Johnny Brierley (bass)

Dave Smith (drums)

Hilmar Jensson (guitar)

On their third outing, Outhouse seem to be completely focused and created a solid and highly auspicious album with Straw, Sticks + Bricks. It's big, loud, scratchy and sometimes brooding. But at it's center, Outhouse have made another statement as to why they are becoming one of the most exciting British bands on the scene.

At times you might think Outhouse were actually part of the Chicago scene. The set of horns, bass and drums provides a unique, bold and cacophonous quality that is sometimes associated with the aforementioned scene. But once you get into the heart of pieces like the opener, "Kitchen In The Middle" you realize this quartet have different intent altogether. I got the feeling I should be reading a creepy version of Jack and the Beanstalk. The succinct one beat of the drum kit and sax helped me tap out "fe fi fo fom." Pretty funny for me. You may not notice this. The addition of Hilmar Jensson on guitar pulls out a grit that was always there on previous Outhouse's records but is more crystallized on Straws, Sticks + Bricks.

"Fool" builds slowly and compounds a number of tones and rhythms. Finker and Challenger worked brilliantly off each other while Brierley and Smith add perfect time and pace. Jensson's guitar cuts across the patterns at just the acute time. "Fool" works it way to a quiet conclusion in its last two minutes. Steady and unwavering. A number of disjointed and aggressive emotions balance neatly like Kurt Rosenwinkel mixing it up with John Zorn and Ken Vandermark. Great work.

"Alignment," more of a ballad, opens with a gentle but steady beat from Smith before the rest of the group join in to provide a calm hypnotic aesthetic. The vibe was reminiscent of Aram Shelton's recent work. This is exploratory and emotional with deep revolving effects. "Long Notes" led by Smith's rolling patterns, some soft plucking from Brierley and some intersecting notes from the rest of the group create an intense, expressionist closing number but still manages to leave the listener hypnotized by Outhouse's ability to craft some really evocative notes.

Unlike a number of their compatriots, Outhouse don't tend to go for the thundering beat. They are an investigative quartet that seems to be searching for next process in the rhythm. This is a journey we at JazzWrap are always willing to go on. The British scene is definitely rising. And with Straw, Sticks + Bricks, Outhouse are continuing to stay right up there with Acoustic Ladyland/Polar Bear, Neil Cowley, et al. Brilliant stuff.

Oscar Penas: From Now On

Oscar Penas (guitar)

From Now On (BJU Records; 2011)

Dan Blake (sax)

Moto Fukushima (bass)

Richie Barshay (drums)

Franco Pinna (bombo leguero)

Gil Goldstein (piano, accordion)

Oscar Penas is an artist whose cultural heritage shines through in his work. And his latest, From Now On is no different. Penas fuses contemporary motifs around Spanish rhythms with delightful and romantic effect.

"Continuum" opens with a dreamy set of chords from Penas quickly joined by some absorbing tones employed by Blake. This is a lengthy piece that allows the musicians to stretch and expand. Penas creates a nice passage of time for the listener. This is a tune that moves up and down thanks to a number of different transition points but always remains rich, elegant, well composed. Gil Goldstein adds a delicious touch to "From Now On."

Penas has a delicate lyricism to his writing that makes this piece very personal and captures you on the first spin. Goldstein's playing is extremely engaging. "Julia" is one of my favourite tracks on the album. A midtempo ballad that celebrates passion, life and love. The piece is dedicated to Penas cousin but you really will get your own personal affection out of "Julia" without ever knowing the source of the selection. Barshay's soft brushes blend with Goldstein's accordion creating a truly divine and soulful overture that leaves you in awe.

From Now On is one of those romantic albums that grasps hold of you quickly. Warm, opening and refreshing--Oscar Penas hopefully won't be an unkept secret from many. From Now On is an album that should be universally praised and rewarded. A definite must listen...

Baloni: Fremdenzimmer

Baloni (group)

Fremdenzimmer (Clean Feed; 2011)

Joachim Badenhorst (clarinet; sax)

Pascal Niggenkemper (bass)

Frantz Loriot (viola)

Blending the urgency of improvised music with spacial aesthetics of classical chamber music, Baloni have debuted with the phenomenal and flawless, Fremdenzimmer (Clean Feed; 2011).

If you've been with us for awhile you know I have become a huge fan of both Badenhorst and Niggenkemper in the last year. They've teamed up again along with Frantz Loriot to compile 11 tracks of beguiling expertise and beauty.

I guess a way to describe it is free form improvised classical? Maybe? I guess?

"Lokomotive" moves in just as the title says. The train leaves the station slowly and builds up steam. The music sways and shifts like a Steve Riech piece but is challenging at every turn. A hypnotic number that utilizes space and calm that leaves you motionless. Badenhorst's manipulation on clarinet with Loriot and Niggenkemper's counterpoint structures on "Searching" had me sitting intensely trying to figure out which instrument to focus in on. It's a  dense piece with moving parts that are both quiet and bold. Niggenkemper and Loriot really shine from the halfway point through to the closing notes of this piece. Their string work is impressive and full of life.

"4am" is fragile and haunting. The trio, while starting on a structured path make it clear that within the borders of this piece they will roam freely with ideas. Loriot's plucking provides the creative constant within "4am." The backdrop is Badenhorst and Niggenkemper's one tone that locks the listener in and also sets in place the next piece, "27'10 Sous Les Neons."  A playful number which feels like it could be a commissioned piece for an avant-garde ballet.

The title track, I believe meaning "guest room" in German (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), is possible not the guest room you'd want to stay in. This is a delicate and well-crafted piece that has many angles and edges. Badenhorst and Loriot are unified in sound and compliment each other even during the slightly aggressive exchanges.

At a time when music needs to move forward, Baloni is one of those rare groups that can show us the way. Fremdenzimmer is an album of unexpected exchanges, harmonies and patterns that fans of challenging and introspective sounds must give a priority listen.