Zero Centigrade: Unknown Distances

Zero Centigrade

Unknown Distances (Audio Tong; 2011)
Tonino Taiuti (acoustic guitar, found sounds)

Vincenzo De Luce (trumpet, found sounds)

Duo recordings are nothing new. But what makes Zero Centigrade so interesting is the combination of guitar and trumpet. Not your usual duo. We saw this last year with the duo Nate Wooley and Joe Morris done expertly. Zero Centigrade have been recording since 2009 but have built up a small and intriguing body of work.

On their latest release, Unknown Distances (Audio Tong) Tonino Taiuti and Vincenzo De Luce bring a set of subtle, spacious and erie sounds to life with a real sense of adventure. It's a bit less deconstructive than their previous 2010 effort, I'm Not Like You (featuring one of my favourite pieces by the duo "Dirty Times") and you can find some structure within all the improvisation.

There's a combination of folk, blues, jazz and avant garde circling throughout the session. "Snake's Tail" moves slowly with Taiuti's mild stretches across the guitar, and fluctuations back and forth from De Luce's trumpet. It all turns into an interesting ride that has you wondering what sound comes next. "Now & Them"'s dark quality feels like moments out of Sonic Youth's Evol (think "Halloween"). Taiuti's playing is pretty straight forward with De Luce adding the improvised moments with striking passages of brilliance.

"Dry River" is probably the most well structured piece on Unknown Distances. Opening quietly with a bluesy theme from Taiuti and slowly expanding into an experimental exhibition of manipulated trumpet, guitar tapping and random sounds.

While Taiuti's guitar does dominate this session "Cloud #2" is a beautiful listening experience with both musicians working in tandem creating an emotional and minimalist soundscape. De Luce rips loose towards the end with real vigor and it carries over in the track "Upward" which De Luce uses varies breathing techniques to create some inspiring sounds. Unknown Distances closes with "Other Voices," a calm two chord piece with some warm passages crafted by De Luce.

In all, Unknown Distances is rich in its simplicity and deep in its desire to utilize space, minimalism and improvisation. It will be a hard listen for most but it is very rewarding. It's a small leap forward but retains the Zero Centigrade spirit for exploration and discovery. 

Craig Taborn: Avenging Angel

Craig Taborn (piano)

Avenging Angel (ECM; 2011)

Stripped bear of the technology of Taborn's last few outings as leader and sideman, Avenging Angel (ECM) is simply put---PERFECT. Taborn has always been a musician who loves to play with space and technique and here you get to experience the heart and soul of his compositions.

Avenging Angel has the elements of a classic recital as well the energy of a intimate improvised session. Opening gently on the rolling patterns of "The Broad Day King", Taborn gives a good indication of the albums main themes--expressionism along on a journey of unknown discovery. Taborn is making a massive statement utilizing very little space. The notes are sparse but crisp. The intimacy and intensity of these pieces is gripping, chilling and enveloping.

"Glossolalia" with it's repetitive theme and roller coaster movements invites you on a trail that builds to great yet subtle highs and quickly disappears. "Spirit Hard Kick" is a similar movement in which Taborn exercises the space on the keys with fast paced rhythms and thoughts which eventually encompass the listener in a wash of beautiful sounds. "Forgetful" may be the most lush and focused piece on Avenging Angel. A romantic ballad with a European classical feel to it. Touching, drifting and affective.

The piano is at the heart of Avenging Angel and Craig Taborn has made it sound more simple, sweet and beautiful than you can imagine. His compositions stripped bare allow you hear a musician who will hopefully gain wider recognition from this album and who is thinking on a divergent path than many of his contemporaries. Excellent stuff.

Nadav Remez: So Far

Nadav Remez (guitar)

So Far (BJU Records; 2011)

Shal Maestro (piano)

Jmaes Wylie (sax, clarinet)

Avri Borochov (bass)

Ziv Ravitz (drums)

Steve Brickman (sax)

Itamar Borochov (trumpet)

For some reason, I've been really enjoying a lot of the guitar albums I listened to over the last few months. The obvious stand outs have been Mary Halvorson and Travis Reuter. But each album I've heard has its own amazingly moments that have me coming back again and again. The debut album from Nadav Remez, So Far (BJU Records) is one of those albums--surprising and rewarding. Subtle. Beautiful. And gets into your psyche after a couple of spins.

The arrangements on So Far play while tightly woven, still manage to give space to the musicians, allowing them to create some beautiful and encompassing passages. The ensemble really moves as a unit. Even Remez seems a member, allowing his group to speak for itself not as group of session musicians following its leader.

"Pinchas" sets out providing the ethereal space the album is laid in. The movements are free and Nadav provides a soft guide map for his mates to follow. James Wylie and Steve Brickman both give "Pinchas" an added element of punch when needed. "Last Exile" a tune Remez describes as a conversation about the time after wars is delightful and does has a "dream journey" quality to it. It's a song of hope. The group have time to expand and stretch a bit with this composition. Remez and Brickman's exchanges are boisterous but provide the much needed dialogue for the conversation.

"Untitled" sees Maestro moving to organ which gives the track a grittier feel. Ravitz and Borochov both move the rhythm along with some stellar patterns on drums and plucking of the bass. Remez's has a lovely mastery of his instrument. For me it was reminiscent of some of the better Pat Metheny works. "From Above" is a relaxing ballad written for Remez's late grandmother. It really shines with the interchanges between Maestro and Remez. This group has played together in various forms. So it would be expected that they are comfortable with each other and know the others movements. "From Above" is a group working in and around different structures and timings. The piece moves up and down in tempo but remains a ballad in spirit. And an emotionally effect one at that.

So Far closes with another tribute, "Susu" written for Remez's grandfather. It's a solo piece that combines both Remez's improvising and song structure in a very intimate setting. The material carved out on So Far really is rich, thoughtful and altogether beautiful to experience. It really requires a few spins before ever songs sinks in and has an emotional impact on you. Remez spent a good time under the studying and playing along some great musicians in Boston and New York after moving to the States from Israel just over five years ago. With So Far, Nadav Remez has shown himself to be an emerging talent on guitar in addition to being a well structured leader. This is one of those silent albums that you will returned to over and over again...

The Intersection: Jachna/Buhl

The Intersection is an ongoing feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that have blended jazz, world and electronica in new and highly creative ways.

Jachna/Buhl

Niedokonczone Ksiazki (translated: Unfinished Books) (Audio Tong Music, 2011)

Wojtek Jachna (trumpet, electronics)

Jacek Buhl (drums)

A recent and unbelievably exciting discovery from fellow blogger Maciej at Polish Jazz is the second release from the duo Jachna & Buhl, Niedokonczone Ksiazki (translated: Unfinished Books).

Utilizing elements of jazz, electronica, early prog and found sound, Jachna and Buhl have created a wonderful and riveting document of rhythms, tones and ideas that will have you decidedly beside yourself as to what to call this - Jazz? Avant Garde? Third Stream Jazz? Electronica? World? Or what? There are places on Unfishised Books, where you may hear influences of Faust, My Bloody Valentine or Jon Hassell. I have been listening to this record non-stop for the last two weeks (twice a day in some cases).


In a similar vein to Mikrokolektyw from last year, this duo consist of drums and trumpet/electronics. But that's really where the similarities end. Jachna/Buhl employ their acoustic instruments with limited electronic manipulation. This gives the record a raw feel but also adds an experimental quality when the electronics are introduced. On "Modlitwa", the duo utilize all the space available and conjure a rich and expansive acoustic dialogue that is both exciting as it is exploratory. "Bernstein's Mood" rolls out with a funky repetitive pattern from Buhl and phrasing from Jachna that could fit neatly along side a piece of West Side Story (if West Side Story were an experimental musical). 

"Przyplyw Odplyw" has an ambient-dub quality to it that is reminiscent of mid-period Jon Hassell. It's a slow developing piece that is mainly dominated by Buhl's rhythmic passages. Jachna's performance is layered in beautifully. "Przyplyw Odplyw" moves upward and out but still maintains a melody, expression and direction that holds your interest throughout. Both musicians along with the electronic elements deployed in this piece are truly sublime. "Zmeczony Los" closes out the session with a slow moving rhythm, manipulated trumpet and other found sounds that feel more ethnological in structure than jazz based. The drums feel very tribal and Buhl's playing is eerie and emotional. It's ambient, dub, experimental and electronica rolled into six minutes of solitude. 

This is one of those records that is always up our alley at JazzWrap. Wojtek Jachna and Jacek Buhl have created an album that is strikingly different than most of the material you will hear this year. Fusing various elements of the musical spectrum, they have maintained the acoustic richness of their instruments with the far-reaching spirit of third stream jazz to create an album--Unfinished Books -- that is worth every dollar, euro or pound it takes you to find it. Highly Recommended.