Wednesday, June 10, 2015

NEW RELEASES: CHICAGO REED QUARTET – WESTERN AUTOMATIC; BRIAN CHARETTE – ALPHABET CITY; MIGUEL ATWOOD-FERGUSON – LIBRARY SELECTION

CHICAGO REED QUARTET – WESTERN AUTOMATIC

A very different group than the sort of saxophone quartet you might remember from the 80s – one that's filled with fire, and really shows the evolution of the reed ensemble over the past few decades! All players here are very skilled improvisers on their own – Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Nick Mazzarella – and they come together at a level that still holds onto some of the restructured approach of the sax quartet, but which also feels free to open up, too – so that some passages have this very improvised vibe, yet never in a way that has the players getting in each others' way or getting too far off course – always with this amazing sense of cohesion that shows how great all the musicians can work together. Instrumentation includes alto, tenor, soprano, sopranino, and baritone saxes – plus clarinet and bass clarinet as well. Titles include "Detroit Fields", "The Rush", "Broken Record Fugue", "Burn Unit", and "Remnant".  ~ Dusty Groove

BRIAN CHARETTE – ALPHABET CITY

Sweet sweet Hammond from the great Brian Charette – a player who's easily becoming one of our favorite organists in contemporary jazz! Brian's got this way of spinning out a long line with effortless ease – a soaring approach to his instrument that takes us back to a space between Larry Young and Don Patterson in the 60s – set up in a very lean trio setting that just features Will Bernard on guitar and Rudy Royston on drums! Bernard's a great player in the setting too – really able to leap, soar, and carve out the right sort of sounds alongside the organ – this balance of groove and melody that's really illuminates the record, while Royston drives the whole thing along with his deft drums. Titles include "Sharpie Moustache", "East Village", "Detours", "Avenue A", "White Lies", "The Vague Reply", and "Hungarian Major".  ~ Dusty Groove

MIGUEL ATWOOD-FERGUSON – LIBRARY SELECTION

A beautiful record from Miguel Atwood Ferguson – an artist we first came to love for his work with the Carlos Nino spiritual jazz scene on the west coast – really stretching out on his own as a leader! Miguel plays viola, violin, and cello on the record – plus some piano as well – and he works here in this warm, spacious style that's almost like 70s ECM, but a lot warmer and spiritual too – that kind of energy that we know from his projects with Nino, but delivered here in a more personal mode. Ferguson's strings and piano are mixed with bits of Fender Rhodes, percussion, bass, guitar, and even some "nature and space sounds" contributed by Nino – and overall, the record has this laidback, organic quality that's very cosmic and powerful. Titles include "Magnolia", "Great Galactic", "Always", "Kazaru", "Did You Know", and "Computer Face/Pure Being".  ~ Dusty Groove



No comments:

Post a Comment