Tag: Free Jazz Blog
Marc Ribot says it best when he sings ‘why burn like a crazy Roman candle when you’ve got a hand grenade’. Musical shrapnel, sharp lyrics and well conceived mayhem explode from the second recording by Ribot’s Ceramic Dog.
Your Turn is seething, powerful, delightful, and one heck of a rock album. The collection of songs run the gamut from stom…
By Martin Schray
Berlin in a not too distant future after the musical revolution:
Three months ago Justin Bieber was arrested at the Russian border where he was trying to ask for musical exile – he was on the run. American Idol has been banned from television for good, the whereabouts of former stars like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and ma…
Bill Frisell – Silent Comedy (Tzadic, 2013) ****
Though not his first solo guitar album,Silent Comedyseems to be a pretty radical departure forguitarist Bill Frisell. While some of hisrecent recordings like the subtle and sublime Beautiful Dreamers and Signs of Lifefeatured mostly Americana influenced compositions, and the excellent All W…
Black Motor, a tough minded sax, bass and drum trio andtrumpeter Verneri Pohjola, bothfrom Finland, are new discoveries for me. Rubidium may mark their first release together, but without knowledge of their previous and separate works, all I can say is that it seems like a natural pairing.
Verneri Pohjola has worked with Helsinki based UMO Jaz…
Brian Groder and Tonino Miano’s FluiDensity is the work of a duo so conversant and solid that one could imagine that they were working off rather dense charts rather than engaged in the give and take of pure improvisation.Groder’smelodies are quiteengagingand Miano’s imaginative accompaniment never fails to be supportive.
Groder is New York b…
The strike of a string, a sudden atonal spark, a jarring rhythmic motif — in the hands of some this could be a recipe for an improvised disaster. However, under the guidance of two restless and experimental master chefs, the result is a setting of new expectations.
Guitarist’s Nels Cline and Elliot Sharp are both uncompromising musicians, pus…
Saxophonist Jon Irabagon’s playing is a treat on this recording with RED Trio members Hernani Faustino and Gabriel Ferrandini. His sax work is restained and searching at times and scorching and scathing at others throughout this focused but free program. Unlike the hearty swinging from the get go, on say his album Foxy or the recent 3Dom Fac…
Hailing from Rome, percussionist Claudio Scolari is the leader of the multi-layered Scolari Project. He is joined by percussion-oriented multi-instrumentalist Daniele Cavalca and trumpeter (and son) Simone Scolari for Synthesis, and intriguing blend of electronics, synthesizers, and acoustic instruments including the vibraphone and melodica.
F…
Recently, I had the luck to catch a duo show of Mary Halvorson and Ingrid Laubrock at the intimate JACKArts space in Brooklyn. I was struck by how well their melodic ideas and abstract inclinations played off each other so well. I assume that their various associations, like their work with the Tom Rainey Trio, has helped them develop these t…
3Dom Factorstarts with a big slide down a bass string, a couple clashes of percussion, and then the sax kicks in with an infectiously upbeat theme. The strong syncopations and vivacious melody are the work of free jazz drum legend Barry Altschul on his first outing as a leader in a long while.
The song, ‘The 3Dom Factor’ quickly leaves the …
The reviews today are, in a sense, opposites. Tusk by Sean Moran is a set of compositions of some forward thinking songs for a quintet. Birmingham, 02-15-11by Han-Park-Earl is avant jazz trio with two European free jazz luminaries. These two New York based guitarists have different approaches to expressing their creative energy and their efforts ar…
Our guitar week enters it second day, this time checking out some recent ‘power trio’ efforts. There is something wonderfully elemental with the combination of the guitar, bass and drums delivering a pared back but typically power packed jazz/rock.
Nilsson/Fonda/Nilsson – Powers (Konnex, 2013) ****
Scandinavian guitarist, and current Brook…
