Wednesday, December 17, 2014

NEW RELEASES: STANLEY CONWELL - ARE YOU REAL?; AMABIS - TRABALHOS CARNIVOROS; LARS BARTKUHN - PASSION DANCE ORCHESTRA

STANLEY CONWELL - ARE YOU REAL?

Stanley Cowell has always been one of the greatest pianists of his generation – yet somehow, in recent years, it seems like he just keeps on getting better and better! This album's got an understated brilliance that's a true testament to Cowell's continued growth over the years – as Stanley's able wax warmly in lyrical modes one minute, hit these angular modern elements the next, and still find plenty of space for the deeper, more spiritual ruminations we first came to love in his music. The balance here is subtle, but extremely rewarding – and the group features some equally sensitive accompaniment from Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. Titles include "The Wedding Recessional", "Photon In A Paper World", "Mrs Parker Of KC", "I Remember Diz", "Are You Real", and "You Taught My Heart To Sing. ‘Dusty Groove

AMABIS - TRABALHOS CARNIVOROS

The best we've heard so far from Gui Amabis – a really wonderful little record that we might put right up there with work by Moreno Veloso and his fellow +2 trio members! Gui's got this slow-paced, raspy style of singing that's really compelling – a mode that grabs us strongly, even when we can't understand the lyrics – in a way that has us somehow feeling his intent, as it's echoed by the album's spare, but textural instrumentation – which often have this other sense of rasp too, a mode that evokes older history, even amidst the relatively contemporary presentation of the album. The album's got all the fresh, unique qualities of some of our favorite new Brazilian work of the past ten years – and titles include "Um Bom Filme", "Pausa", "Merece Quem Aceita", "Tiro", and "Crepusculo". ~ Dusty Groove


LARS BARTKUHN - PASSION DANCE ORCHESTRA 

A beautiful batch of genre-straddling grooves from German guitarist Lars Bartkuhn and his Passion Dance Orchestra – wonderful stuff that brings together jazz and folk, acoustic sounds and electronics, in a warmly cohesive way! Bartkuhn is on guitars, voice and electronics, leading a group that works strongly whether it's intimately-arranged, or fairly sweeping arrangements, depending on the mood at hand – with keys, flutes, oboe, strings and wind. The way he balances bigger sounding orchestrations and more intimate moments is pretty great! Very strong work from a player we've admired from the get-go, and seems to getting better and better! Includes "Folksong", "The Oracle", "All Goes Onward", "Through Hills And Valleys", "Mind And Time", "Quasar", "Alegria (Children's Dance)", "Long Life", "Zenrock", "When We Arive" and "The World Is Everything". ~ Dusty Groove


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