Zero Centigrade (duo)
Birch (Obs, 2014)
Tonino Taiuti (guitars; electronics)
Vincenzo de Luce (guitars; electronics)
One of my favourite duos, Zero Centigrade return with albeit short but highly effective album, Birch, that continues there quest in manipulating sound structures in beautiful new ways.
Birch is essentially one long piece with a number of different movements nestled inside. Opening with a common theme of folk/blues style plucking that we have become accustomed to from the duo, it gently slides into move melodic heavy drones around the six minute mark. This effectively represent the next movement which has a number of rising octaves and tremolos that haunt the senses and permeates throughout the reminder of the piece.
The hypnotic nature of the middle movements also incorporate a number of found sounds that provided the added space and intrigue to Birch. The final structure to Birch returns to the first movement with more delicate, romantic but short chords from Taiuti wrapped with searing electronic lines across the top from de Luce.
Another beautiful and absorbing release from the Italian duo. Birch continues to explore the territory that their last release, Selce did but with even more imagination left to the listener. Birch is a wonderful and meditative piece that is both engrossing with and without headphones. Highly Recommended.
Mary Halvorson (guitar)
Matt Wilson (drums)
Kirk Knuffke (cornet)
Sifter (Relative Pitch; 2013)
While this stellar collaboration actually came out last year, Sifter has been on repeat in house for some time now. It is probably one of the most fun and expressive releases I have heard Mary Halvorson on in a long time. The trio of Halvorson, Knuffke and Wilson demonstrate a unique companionship, they have worked with each other on various projects over the last the years, but Sifter for me, is one of their standout projects.
The performances are very melodic in their phrasing but as each musician bounces off each other the tunes become vitalized with a real hyper sense of jubilation. "Cramps" and "Don Knots" both provide rustic twang balanced out with jagged notes that mold themselves into a unified piece very quickly. Both pieces provide an element of melody that becomes very catchy and foot-stomping good.
Halvorson and Knuffke give "Original Blimp" that dangerous element with some both providing different directions for the song to follow. Halvorson guitar flows with a fun haunting and rolling pace, while Knuffke's cornet rises high along with Wilson steady kit work. All this makes for a grooving little marching number which reminded me of slowed down ska number.
"Forever Runs Slow in Cold Water" and "Absent Across Skies" are ballads but with very twisted chord changes. The trio show how their fun can turn serious a complex ed within seconds. Both pieces are intense and really shine light on how specific, calculated and united the musicians are within each number. Halvorson's looping lines towards the closing of "Forever.." are marvelous.
While I may talk about Mary Halvorson allot throughout this piece, it really is a trio session. Each musician provides writing credits for the music in the session. They each challenge each other and each rise to that challenge. But what makes this one of the my favourite records right now is the sheer fun they are having on every single track. Sifter is a good damn brilliant piece of work that every fan of these musicians should seek out quickly. Highly Highly Recommended!
Tomasz Dabrowski (trumpet)
Tyshawn Sorey (drums, piano)
Steps (For-Tune Records; 2013)
An awesome collaboration from two rising creative talents on the jazz scene, Tyshawn Sorey and Tomasz Dabrowski. Steps is a really exhilarating session that is expansive in its ideas as it is in it's performances.
Originating from linear structured material, Steps weaves a beautiful course between it's detailed outline and it's subtle improvised moments. "Song 8," features a rampage of consecutive notes from both musicians. Sorey's rolling dash across the kit and Dabrowski with blistering pacing eventually evens out into modular groove towards the final movement. But its really the consistency of their notes that I felt was the most captivating measures of the piece.
You know, it had taken me a long time to write this piece as I was so engrossed with the intricacies of the Dabrowski and Sorey subtle movements with each note. This evident on "Song 6 (steps)" and "Song 3" both have some wonderful counter-movements that sound funkier and avant garde at the same time. Dabrowski's tones are sometimes reminiscent of Don Cherry at his peak. But Dabrowski is really coming into his own with a variety of stylistic approaches on each record. While Sorey seems to grow, absorb and spread influential techniques and thoughts with each session and musician he records with.
Steps is a great exploration in rhythms, patterns and free thought. Both Sorey and Dabrowski are shinning new light on the duo setting as well their ability to generate new and interesting material both separately and in collaboration. A highly rewarding session and deserve continued and deep listening.
Kasper Tom 5
Ost Bingo Skruer (Barefoot Records; 2013)
Kasper Tom (drums)
Rudi Mahall (clarinet)
Jens Mikkel Madsen (bass)
Tomasz Dabrowski (trumpet)
Petter Hangsel (trombone)
I have enjoyed recent releases from Danish drummer, Kasper Tom--most notably his work with Fusk. On his latest project, the Kasper Tom 5 and their debut Os Bingo Skruer, Tom shows again an excellent sense of diversity and creativity.
Ost Bingo Skruer is fun and widely expansive. At times the horn based quintet resembles a dream meeting of The Vandermark 5 and Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The opener, "Doner macht schoner" embodies some odd arrangements and structures but somehow floats into a very catchy groove enhanced by Mikkel Madsen's infectious plucking.
"Kusk" opens with some quiet yet free moving lines from Tom as each member slows joins in. Mahall's playing stands out here as the clarinet becomes the main focus in the earlier stages. Then Mahall shares sublime exchanges with Dabrowski and Hangsel.
"Everything All The Time" is a great display of the quintet's expansive sound as they improvise and cut a blistering patten that turns inward in its final chords but strikes a lasting response in the listeners consciousness. "Parat Krabat" closes out a very dynamic session date with surprisingly hard bop traditional influences on display. A great way to end a complex yet captivating date.
Kasper Tom as shown himself again as a bold and resourceful composer who can gather the musicians into a challenging situation and produce some material of wonder and fresh exuberance. Ost Bingo Skruer is a great record that challenges conventions but is also rich and fun to experience.
