NEW RELEASES: LES FRERES SMITH – FREE TO GO; JACK DEJOHNETTE – MADE IN CHICAGO; BAAST – DIMENSIONS

LES FRERES SMITH – FREE TO GO

This killer combo starts a fire right from the very first note on the set – then continues to burn strongly all the way through – with a vibe that's even sharper and tighter than their first set of Afro Funk a few years back! Les Freres Smith travel in familiar territory, but have a way of making their sound come out at a very personal, unique sort of level – one that's often rawer on the percussion tip than most other contemporary groups, and which layers the keyboards in with the horns, so that there's a sense of counterpoint that pushes both instruments away from their usual comfort zone! There's some slight psych touches on the production – but never in a way that gets away from the core funk of the combo – and the balance of the music is really hard to peg in words, but comes through right away with the very first listen. One of the freshest Afro Funk sets we've heard in years – with tracks that include "Supermandingue", "Liar", "Better Thing", "Djilan", "Koni", "Nia Mangolo", "AK 54", and "Crisis". ~ Dusty Groove

JACK DEJOHNETTE – MADE IN CHICAGO

A brilliant reunion of some key members of the AACM in Chicago – recorded at the Chicago Jazz Festival in a stunning performance that features drummer Jack DeJohnette in the lead, plus Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Henry Threadgill on alto and flute, and Roscoe Mitchell on a variety of reeds! Bassist Larry Gray completes the group, and also plays a bit of cello – and the music has this wonderfully freewheeling, organic quality that really takes us back to the early years of the avant scene in Chicago – that very special sense of improvisation that the players forged back in the day – with an especially sonic-sensitive ear tuned towards the musicianship. The album is neither the usual ECM mode, nor even what we'd expect from DeJohnette – and instead takes us back to the earliest utterings from Chicago on labels like Delmark or Nessa. Titles include "Chant", "Jack 5", "Leave Don't Go Away", "Ten Minutes", and "Museum Of Time".  ~ Dusty Groove

BAAST – DIMENSIONS

A surprising new project from the same Cali underground assemblage that gave us some of the Heru Avenger records from years back – done in a style that's even more jazz-based and spiritual than before! All tracks are long and spiraling – with heavy bass at the bottom from Heru Avenger, plus trumpet, saxes, keyboards, and lots of percussion – and a bit of voice on two tracks. Titles include the side-long "Dimension Beyond" – plus "Ascend Rising", "Terra Earthen", and "Suspension Aloft".  ~ Dusty Groove