An eclectic mix of new music this week with guitars and pianos featuring. This international mix of music also introduces a band that describe themselves as “minimalist rock” but whose compositions are influenced by bands that merged rock and jazz in their output. Tekrar Eden, from Sheffield U.K. offer a fresh perspective to the music.
AUDIO
SHOW PLAYLIST
Show Intro 00:00
Jorge Cariglino "Coming To NYC (feat. Byron Landham)" from After The Storm (Cezanne Producciones) 00:30
Tekrar Eden "Fractal" from Möbius (Self Released) 06:10
Val Gardena "See With Tranquillity" from The In Between Time (Self Released) 15:44
Satya "The Wild Rose" from Songs Of The Fathers (Resonant) 21:04
Jake Noble "Theme For A New Age" from Letting Go Of A Dream (Self Released) 34:16
Jay D'Amico with Marlon Martinez "Tenderly" from Melodia (Jazz Under Glass) 42:08
Leo Genovese "Forward Part 1 (Excerpt)” from Forward (577 Records) 47:48
Emmet Cohen "Vibe Provider" from Vibe Provider (Mack Avenue Records) 59:30
David Torn "Lost and Found And Lost At Sea (feat. Tim Berne)" from Sway The Palms (Self Released) 1:05:55
Michael Dease "Father Figure" from Grove's Groove (Le Cog Records) 1:17:50
Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey "Coaxing" from Brink (Intakt Records) 1:25:28
Doug MacDonald "Triste and Jobim" from Live at the Rancho Mirage Library (Dmac Music) 1:30:13
Greg Amirault Trio "I Wish I Knew" from A Change of Pace (Self Released) 1:36:48
Godwin Louis "Showers of Blessings/Kplolanyuiade" from Psalms and Proverbs (Blue Room Music) 1:43:38
The Headhunters "The Stunt Man" from The Stunt Man (Ropeadope) 1:49:04
Tekrar Eden "En Az" from Arrangement (Self Released) 1:55:00
SHOW NOTES
Jorge Cariglino - a jazz musician, guitarist, composer, arranger and producer. He was born in Buenos Aires where he studied with the most outstanding jazz musicians of the Buenos Aires scene, he developed his musical skills creating his own style based on the natural fusion of jazz with its cultural environment of the Rio de la Plata movement. He is an eclectic composer who, due to his long career, covers different styles but always with a very refined aesthetic and following the great stream of the jazz guitar masters, such as Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino. His guitar playing is fluid, virtuous, strong and his sound is warm and clean. He currently lives in Madrid, where he teaches jazz and contemporary music, as well as playing with his group throughout Spain. This latest album features renowned jazz masters such as Pat Bianchi and Byron Landham, Bobby Martinez and Carlos Rossi.
Tekrar Eden - Formed in early 2021 in Sheffield UK, this project was created to explore shared musical ideals. In February 2021, during the UK's third national lockdown, a spark of creativity connected Taran Ali and Joe Richards of Awooga and Gilmore Trail respectively. Acknowledging their shared influences, that spark has since grown into Sheffield's premier (only?) minimalist rock duo. They become a performing live band (featuring live guitarist David Ivall) and 11 months after the initial idea came into being, they released the Möbius EP. 2024 sees the release of their sophomore project - Arrangement. The duos love of the likes of Sonar, Silo, Cinematic Orchestra, Steve Reich, Bonobo, Can, The Necks, and King Crimson is reflected in their atmospheric compositions which effortlessly bridge the jazz-rock divide.
Val Gardena - In the early 90s, a few years into his storied tenure with Polygram Records promoting pop and jazz artists to international markets and eager to expand his creative horizons, Christopher James embarked on an exciting artist project with the blessing of label president Ed Eckstine. Partnering with bassist Jeff Leonard, the veteran keyboardist/composer – who launched his career scoring film and television projects in Germany – formed Val Gardena upon a multi-faceted sonic aesthetic he called “ambient soundtrack,” or “the soundtrack to your imagination.” The In Between Time is, a stylistically eclectic showcase for Christopher James’s dynamic skills as a composer and co-producer with keyboardist/saxophonist Andy Snitzer (seven tracks) and Bob Stark (four tracks), a previous collaborator on the early Val Gardena recordings. It is James’ first Val Gardena project since 2020’s Across the Divide, which marked the blossoming of his creative relationship with co-producer Snitzer (after first working together on James’ 2019 solo album Grace from Persistence) and featured trumpeter Chris Botti on “Two of One” and “Back in Time.” On The In Between Time, his compositions are brought to glorious life by some of contemporary jazz’s brightest artists and musicians. In addition to Snitzer (keyboards, sax) and Stark, various tracks feature pianists Greg Goebel, Mike Richiutti and Taylor Eigsti, keyboardist Alain Mallet (including B-3 and Fender Rhodes), bassists John Patitucci, Damian Erskine and Tim Lefebvre, guitarist James Harrah, saxophonist John Nastos and drummer Lil’ John Roberts.
On the featured track
Keyboards, Saxophone, Percussion and Programming - Andy Snitzer
Piano - Mike Ricciuti
Additional Piano - Taylor Eigsti
Guitar - Leonardo Amuedo
Bass - John Patitucci
Satya - a celebration of the music of Abdullah Ibrahim. Abdullah Ibrahim was mentored and introduced to the public by Duke Ellington in the 1960's. He won Ellington's admiration for his composition skills and ability as an improviser. When Ellington took a sabbatical Ibrahim was trusted with the direction of the orchestra. Ibrahim became a world-renowned musician who along with Hugh Masekela, gained notoriety in South Africa for what became known as Cape Jazz. The band Satya (pronounced sought - yah) wanted to create a portrait that reveals a career that evolved dynamically and dramatically. The band members are:
Neil Alexander – Piano, Rhodes, Moog, Keyboards
Frank Doblekar – Tenor & Soprano Saxophone
Phil Raskin – Drums, Cymbals, Gongs, Djembe, Miscellaneous Percussion
Jake Noble - a bassist and composer based in New Orleans, where he is well known as both a bandleader and in-demand sideman. His debut album Letting Go of a Dream was initially conceived as a platform to honour his greatest musical influences: Bill Evans, Charlie Haden, and Kenny Garrett. Early on in the writing process though, a more complete vision for the album began to emerge. “As I began writing this music, I realized that I wanted to convey the story of my own journey of self-discovery in the midst of our overwhelmingly digitized society.” Each piece on the album represents a step forward on the journey towards self-acceptance. Letting Go of a Dream represents the next stage of Noble’s search for authenticity as both a bassist and composer. It is an exciting musical statement by a fine up and coming New Orleans musician.
Jay D'Amico with Marlon Martinez - D’Amico’s inspiration to dedicate himself to the piano came from his love for the music of pianist-composer Fredrick Chopin. Over time, Jay became aware that Chopin’s music was an amalgam of Polish forms such as the Polonaise and Mazurka, combined with strong influences from the lyrical vocal styles of the opera. D’Amico came to focus on singable melodies of Classical and Jazz music, as typified by his title Ponte Novello. D’Amico attended a Jazz workshop taught by Milt Hinton and the two men hit it off in a big way, with Jay going on to teach the workshop with Hinton. Their association as educators lasted for 18 years. The collaboration with Bassist Marlon Martinez came via a recommendation of John Clayton who, like D’Amico, was a disciple of the Milt Hinton. Marlon was recommended primarily as an excellent Arco as well as Pizzicato player. The piano bass duo delivers a naunced meeting of jazz and classical influences.
Leo Genovese - For over 20 years, pianist Genovese has been traveling the globe playing unforgettable cosmic music for the people. As one of 577 Records’ main collaborators, he has made many popular albums with the label. Now they’re teaming up again for his debut solo release with the company. The dreamlike, two-track Forward features captivating abstract music that can only be described as wild, free, and alive! It was recorded live at his March 2024 performance at the New York Forward Festival in Brooklyn, an arts-focused event that has become a worldwide phenomenon. Forward will be available on CD and digital download beginning October 4, 2024.
Emmet Cohen - Emmet Cohen, among the most extraordinary pianist-composers of his generation, has certainly provided many venues and studios with a vibe. Especially online, in his phenomenal performance series Live From Emmet’s Place, the 34-year-old improviser has acted as an ambassador for the best and most essential principles of the jazz tradition. He creates his fresh, personal sound using lessons culled from his profound reverence for jazz royalty. He matches his dazzling technical command with a rare gift for melody and musical pathos. And he strives to make every gig, every livestream, a celebration of community—connecting his jazz-rich homebase of Harlem to the massive global fanbase he’s garnered online. But Cohen isn’t explicitly the Vibe Provider referenced in the title of his superb new Mack Avenue album. A mix of original music and deftly chosen standards, Vibe Provider features players who, like Cohen, address jazz history in the present tense: the core trio of bassist Philip Norris and drummer Kyle Poole or Joe Farnsworth; plus, on select tracks, saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, trumpeter Bruce Harris and trombonist Frank Lacy. The original Vibe Provider, per his lovingly earned nickname, was the late, great Funmi Ononaiye, a Harlem-based creative who changed Cohen’s ideas about music, life and humanity. Ononaiye, who died of cancer in December 2023, worked as a programmer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, a DJ and an A&R executive, among other professional roles. But more than anything, the worldly Nigerian-born New Yorker was an omnipresent force of positivity and spiritual healing — “the mayor of Harlem,” Cohen says, whose generous presence could elevate any gig, festival or dancefloor.
David Torn - of this release David says ““Sway the Palms” is another substantially non-directional movement in this series of improvised compositions, which i’d re-started in earnest in 2019. Each piece’s genesis begins with me performing and recording a contiguous solo guitar/electronics performance live in my little studio, Cell Labs East. Of course, NB that my guitaring def includes the attendant electronics that i play simultaneously along w/the guitar, and that these improvised pieces are really intended to stand on their own. The few additions i might make to one of these piece’s arrangement -post-facto- are not presented as “sweeteners”, but as deepeners. I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to invite & involve remarkably illuminating musical friends to engage with a piece, after i feel the solo guitar piece is whole; each of the musicians plays to an otherwise nearly finished piece: a pre-Mix.”
Michael Dease - The legendary trumpeter Roy Hargrove is usually – and justly – depicted as a generation-defining voice and a radiant, troubled genius. What gets lost in that characterization is Hargrove’s equally vital role as a mentor for younger musicians who shared his deeply felt commitment to exploring the full spectrum of jazz and in carrying the blazing torch of tradition determinedly forward. Among those whose life and career were touched by Hargrove’s influence is the multi-instrumentalist and composer Michael Dease. With his enthralling new album Grove’s Groove – the second on which the acclaimed trombonist focuses solely on the baritone saxophone – pays tribute, says thanks, and bids farewell to one of modern jazz’s most iconic figures. “After Roy passed, I found myself thinking a lot about him and about the enduring impact he made on me,” Dease says. “Roy gave me advice about how to stay away from uninspired playing and how to be authentic. I’m still learning from his life lessons, and I try to impart some of them upon my daughters.” Released August 23 via Le Coq Records, Grove’s Groove convenes a band full of Hargrove alumni, friends and devotees. Dease, trombonist Steve Davis, trumpeter Terell Stafford, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. player with Hargrove or were close to him. Only pianist Bill Cunliffe and guitarist/vocalist Jocelyn Gould lack a direct connection, though as a former student of Dease’s at Michigan State University Gould represents the next generation in the chain of tutelage passed on from the trumpeter. The fact that Dease leaves his trombone in the case once again is just one aspect of his continually evolving career to which Hargrove can claim a degree of credit. Dease is a lifelong saxophonist, having started on alto during middle school before the discovery of Curtis Fuller on John Coltrane’s Blue Train redirected his passions.
Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey - Since 2017, the two virtuoso improvisers and unmistakable stylists have been celebrating music as a duo. A classic duo that releases energy, pulsating vividly while simultaneously withdrawing into intimacy. A celebration of successful interplay, burning for the moment. Brink is a fascinating example of jazz as the art of dialogue. In a profound and telepathic way, Laubrock and Rainey understand each other and speak to each other through the music. "We listeners will often find ourselves breathing as Ingrid and Tom breathe, as they cherish space along with vivid instrumental ideas", writes Nels Cline in the liner notes and adds: "The duo of Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey has been its own beautiful story as this golden couple has coalesced to create music that, while evincing the natural breaths of humble human existence, also possesses magic.“
Doug MacDonald - the guitarist with his rhythm section of of Larry Holloway - bass, and, Tim Pleasant - drums with guest Big Black on Djembe
Greg Amirault Trio - Called “one of the most significant jazz guitarists/composers on the scene today” by The Whole Note magazine, Amirault announces the release of A Change of Pace, his 4th album as a leader. For this recording, the Montreal based guitarist returns to leading a trio - his favourite musical format - having previously recorded with a quartet on his critically acclaimed third recording News Blues. A Change of Pace includes recordings of six of Amirault's original compositions and three classic standards. The album features a refreshing mix of straight ahead swing, gliding even eighths, plus two pieces influenced by the folk music traditions of Amirault’s native Nova Scotia. The album features bassist Adrian Vedady, one of Montreal’s most in demand bassists, and drummer André White, one of Canada’s best-known jazz musicians. By the time the trio entered the studio, they’d already played together for hundreds of hours, having hosted a weekly jam session in Montreal for more than a year.
Godwin Louis - Godwin Louis, Grammy Award-nominated saxophonist, composer, and educator is a trailblazer in the world of music and beyond. Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Au Prince, Haiti, his music taps all corners of a multicultural background rooted in his Haitian heritage. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, Louis has studied and performed with Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry, Ron Carter, Al Foster, Wynton Marsalis, The New York Philharmonic Orchestra just to name a few. As an educator, Godwin is a professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. As a composer and arranger, he received a Grammy nomination for his work on world-renowned vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant's album Mélusine; was awarded a Jerome Foundation Emerging Artist Grant; and was named a 2013 Jazz Gallery Residency Commission recipient. Louis’s debut album as a leader, Global, was released in February 2019. His album Psalms and Proverbs released on August 23, 2024 on the Blue Room Music label.
The Headhunters - The Stunt Man is The Headhunters new studio album out on Ropeadope October 11th, 2024. Recorded at the legendary Hyde Street Studios in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco in August 2023, The Stunt Man features seven songs spanning the genre-bending repertoire of the 50 year old ensemble co-led by original members Bill Summers on percussion and Mike Clark on drums. The original and unique musical partnership between Summer and Clark who recorded on Herbie Hancock’s seminal albums Head Hunters, Thrust, Flood and Man Child before embarking on a blockbuster five decade career has stood the test of time and has honed a quintet of epic proportions featuring Donald Harrison on sax, Kyle Roussel on keys and Chris Severin on bass who collectively wrote, produced and recorded the seven track album. Starting out with the funk synth-driven ripping title track The Stunt Man released as a single on August 16th, the album also features originals Sand Castle Head Hunter written by Harrison, and Attitude of Gratitude written by Roussel. Two timeless jazz standards Embraceable You by George Gershwin and ESP by Wayne Shorter are reimagined in energetic new ways. Clark is featured on his jazz drums in space track Avant Clark and Summers closes the album with his pensive percussion track New Levels, New Devils.