2019 Jazz Releases, Vol. III

Playlist    7742

Battling for a place on our monthly playlist, the following 24 albums emerged as unbeaten winners; we did well! Wait a minute, just a few words about the jury, which consisted of 1) Imitonios, in a crazy mood, you know him, the one who loves hard groove, 2) the impartial critic Semitonian, who is obliged to suggest what it is worthy and must be heard,  3) the snob e-Mitoniac, who finds them all banal and  4) Hymettonious in despair, whose ears suffer from the incredible volume of new jazz releases!
By the way, do you listen to music with your left or right ear? They say it matters, google it!

Okay, it’s enough, let’s start listenin’ now!

  

(the two playlists are not identical, as Spotify is short of one album, though significant!
Don’ t worry, the flow is unaffected)

In case you like to know more about the albums appearing in the playlist:

Matt Dusk – JetSetJazz
(vocal jazz, big band)

Good crooners are scarce today, but Canadian Matt Dusk, with 12 new songs dedicated to Frank Sinatra and a fine, big orchestra, is a nice tenor and an overall funny case! (Video)

 

Jørgen Mathisen´s Instant Light – Mayhall´s Object
(modal jazz, free jazz)  [Clean Feed Rec]

What a masterpiece! Find it on a prominent position, here!

 

 

Snarky Puppy – Immigrance
(new funk, fusion) [Allmusic review]

A new album from the popular band that upsets the crowds and therefore we can not ignore it!

 

 

Contemporary Big Band Project – Nine Yards
(modern jazz, big band) – DE

Contemporary Big Band Project! The name of this German band is more than enough and no further explanation is needed! You will be quite pleased! (Stefan Merkl, conductor)

 

Kenneth Gill – The Good News
(smooth jazz/soul/funk) – Detroit

Trombonist Kenneth Gill’s super band is “swingin’ hard, funkin’ hard, groovin’ hard”!

 

 

Seamus Blake – Guardians of the Heart Machine
(post-bop) [Review]

Seamus Blake appears once more in our playlists, this time with an album under his name. He is one of the top contemporary tenor (and soprano) sax players! His playing may be too dense, but it keeps it quite melodic and completely rational!
With French partners: Tony Tixier (p), Florent Nisse (b), Gautier Garrigue (dr)

 Dr. Dundiff – The Distance
(new jazz, hip-hop/neo-soul) – Louisville, Kentucky [Bandcamp]

Producer Dr. Dundiff, on the road set by Robert Glasper (Video !)

 

 

University of St. Thomas Symphonic Wind Ensemble – The Other Side
(contemporary classical) – Minnesota  [Innova Rec.]

Here things are getting pleasantly serious! Modern, yet easy going compositions, commissioned by this outstanding classical wind ensemble

 

 Celso Pixinga – Slap Mania
(funk, fusion) – BR

Brazilian Celso Pixinga is known as one of the world’s fastest bassists in slap technique

 

 

Tom Harrell – Infinity
(post-bop)

72 y.o. legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell is again on fire, with ten new compositions and renown collaborators: Mark Turner (ts), Charles Altura (g), Ben Street (b), Johnathan Blake (dr)

 

 

RC & The Gritz – Analog World
(R&B, hip-hop/neo-soul) – Dallas, Texas – [Review] – [Bandcamp]

RC “Rceeezy” Williams & The Gritz had also kept us busy with their first album. Here they “employ” some more collaborators, for an “analog” and mostly lounge mood

 

Bangkok Lingo – Smells / Colours / Noise
(fusion, world) – Oslo, Norway – [Losen Records]

A remarkable youthful quintet, with strong rhythmical and melodic attitude

 

 

Øyvind Torvund – The Exotica Album
(contemporary classical, electronic, ambient) –  Norway – [Info]

Versatile Norwegian composer Øyvind Torvund achieves an interesting mix of modern classical sounds and electronics

 

 

Gino Sitson – Echo Chamber
(world jazz, vocal) – Νew Υork – [Review]

Gino Sitson is a virtuoso Cameroonian vocalist with a four-octave vocal range. On his 8th album, we can listen mostly to his African tunes, arranged for voices and classical instruments (violin, cello, clarinet).
Featuring Sarah Caswell (vl) and famous Manu Dibango, Maria João (voc)

Pete Coco – Lined with a Groove
(contemporary jazz) – NY

Double-bass singing and lyricism by Pete Coco, introduced by Sullivan Fortner (Cecile McLorin Salvant) and Matt Wilson (Bad Plus)

 

 

David Paul Mesler – Kromaticlysm 6
(avant-garde) – Seattle

Pianist and composer David Paul Mesler elaborately portrays the colorful sound spectrum of a contemporary symphonic ensemble

 

 

Etienne Charles – Carnival: The Sound of a People, Vol. 1
(modern jazz, afro-latin) – [Review]

The Album of the Month comes from trumpeter Etienne Charles (Juilliard School), who, at 35, is now a real killer! Read a praising review on Latin Jazz Net and indulge in the polyphonies and polyrhythms of black music!

Etienne Charles: trumpet, congas, djembé, percussion; Brian Hogans, Godwin Louis: alto saxophone; David Sanchez, Jacques Schwarz-Bart: tenor saxophone; Corey Wilcox: trombone; James Francies, Sullivan Fortner, Christian Sands: piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ; Alex Wintz: guitar; Ben Williams, Luques Curtis, Jonathan Michel, Russell Hall: bass; Obed Calvaire: drums and more than 50 participants!

(Unfortunately, this album is not available on Spotify, so we have a tune of it only on Deezer’s  playlist)

Tromboranga – Te Voy a Contar
(latin, salsa) – Barcelona, Spain – [Bandcamp]

New salsa generation is here!

 

 

Nicolas Folmer – So Miles
(modern jazz, fusion) – FR – [Cristal Rec]

At age 42, Nicolas Folmer proved to be mature enough to impress “Prince’s of Darkness” style and feel, at the same time sounding as fresh and fashionable, as Miles himself at his times, when expanding the jazz idiom.
His large group features Félix Roth (horn), Rick Margitza (ts),  Stéphane Guillaume (ss,ts,cl, fl), Antoine Favennec (as)

Paul Jost – Simple Life
(vocal jazz) – ΝΥ – [AAJ Review]

“Passionate storyteller” Paul Jost, with his deep voice and an interesting program cannot be ignored!

 

 

Amina Figarova – Road to the Sun
(post-bop) – [AAJ review]

Pianist and composer from Azerbaijan, Amina Figarova celebrates 20 years of creative presence on the international jazz scene, as always together with a host of named collaborators, such as Bart Platteau (fl), Alex Pope Norris (tp), Wayne Escoffery (ts),  Sara Caswell (vl), Luques Curtis (b), Jason Brown (dr)

Samuel Prather – G.O!
(soul, funk, jazz, fusion) – Washington DC – [Review]

Our party choice comes from multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Samuel Prather, “the man of 1,000 riffs, grooves and tunes” and his powerful Groove Οrchestra!

 

Yannick Bovy – Celebrates Nat King Cole
(vocal jazz, big band)

There are reasonable hopes that this style will never be outdated and the healthy romanticism will survive in modern times! Let’s rely on Belgian Yannick Bovy

 

 Louam – Wreckless Love
(R&B, neo-soul) – Oslo, Norway  – [Review]

Influenced by the vibrant era of 90’s R&B, Louam helps us to keep contact with reality

 

 

In case you lost it, the  playlist is here again:

  

So we finish, adding some more new releases, for everyone who may be interested in :

SAXOPHONISTS

TRUMPETERS

TROMBONISTS

  • Steve Davis – Correlations
    (Wayne Escoffery, Joshua Bruneau, Xavier Davis, Dezron Douglas, Jonathan Barber)
  • Nils Landgren (trb), Michael Wollny, Lars Danielsson & Wolfgang Haffner – 4 Wheel Drive

KEYBOARDISTS

DRUMMERS

VOCALISTS

VIBRAPHONIST

  • Dan McCarthy – Epoch
    (Ben Monder, Mark Feldman, Steve Swallow)

VIOLINIST

GROUPS

GREEK  ARTISTS / PRODUCTIONS  
Have a nice jazz time!