NEW MUSIC: ROY NATHANSON – NEARNESS AND YOU; WILLIAM PARKER / LOSA SOKOLOV / COOPER-MOORE – STAN’S HAT FLAPPING IN THE WIND; HARRIS EISENSTADT – OLD GROWN FOREST

ROY NATHANSON – NEARNESS AND YOU

The famous standard used for the title here might give some indication of the feel of the record – as it does feature some mellower, more laidback moments – but in true Roy Nathanson fashion, the initial performance of that song is followed by tracks titled "The Nearness Of Ewes", "The Nearness Of Youse", and "The Nearness Of Jews" – all improvised variations as playful as their names! In between, Roy also contributes some of his own song structures – which are extrapolated in duets between Nathanson and his musical partners on the record – a lineup that includes Arturo O'Farrill on piano, Marc Ribot on guitar, Curtis Fowlkes on trombone, Anthony Coleman on piano, Myra Melford on piano, and Lucy Hollier on trombone. Roy himself plays alto, soprano, baritone, and piano – and other titles include "Ludmilla's Lament", "What Shoes", "The Low Daze", and "A Surprisingly Pastoral Moment".  ~ Dusty Groove

WILLIAM PARKER / LOSA SOKOLOV / COOPER-MOORE – STAN’S HAT FLAPPING IN THE WIND

Really beautiful work from bassist William Parker – a set of tracks that are every bit as righteous as some of his other albums, but in a completely different way! The music here is from a musical production that Parker's been creating over the past two-decades – beautiful vocal tunes that are some of the most poetic he's ever penned – sung here by Lisa Sokolov, alongside piano from Cooper Moore – a stripped-down approach that really gets to the heart of the lyrics, but never with any sort of sleepy presentation, given the vibrancy of Sokolov's approach. One tune features an additional cello, but overall the album is just voice and piano – Parker just acts as composer and producer – and titles include "The Death Of Death", "Footnote To A Dream", "For Jeanne Lee", "Poem For June Jordan", "Invocation (for David S Ware)", "Angel's Tear", and "Soul In Heaven". ~ Dusty Groove

HARRIS EISENSTADT – OLD GROWN FOREST

Drummer Harris Eisenstadt's been giving us some wonderful records in recent years – and this well-conceived quartet session certainly continues that tradition! The group's perfectly matched here – a very friendly lineup that includes Tony Malaby on tenor, Jason Roebke on bass, and Jeb Bishop on trombone – players who both have a sense of structure and freedom at once – able to come together, spring apart, yet never lose sight of the others – nor make you feel like they're spending too much of their attention either – an almost organic energy that makes for incredible sounds throughout – and music that's as boldy modern and individual as anything that Harris has given us in the past. The music also has this toneful quality and sense of inner poetry that lives up to the evocative title – on tracks that include "Larch", "Pine", "Hemlock", "Big Basin", "Cedar", and "Fir". ~ Dusty Groove