Thursday, June 23, 2016

NEW MUSIC: PETER KUHN TRIO – THE OTHER SHORE; JAZZTRONIK – KEYSTONE; ELZA SOARES – WOMAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD (A MULHER DO FIM DO MUNDO)

PETER KUHN TRIO – THE OTHER SHORE

It seems like it's been many years since we last heard from reedman Peter Kuhn – but the sharpness of this set hardly marks the passage of time, as Kuhn's every bit as vibrant as he was a force on the avant scene of the late 70s and early 80s! As before, Kuhn handles a lot of b-flat and bass clarinet – but he also blows a bit of tenor and alto too – shaping sounds in very open territory, in a trio with Kyle Motl on bass and Nathan Hubbard on drums, in a mix of freedom and spirituality that almost recalls the New York loft jazz mode of decades back. Titles include "Not Two", "Unstrung Heroes", "Is Love Enough", "Beginning Anew", and "No Coming No Going". ~ Dusty Groove


JAZZTRONIK – KEYSTONE

Beautiful sounds from Jazztronik – a set that reminds us why we first fell in love with his music so many years ago! The album mixes wonderful keyboard lines and warmly soulful vocals – the former from the man himself, Ryo Nozaki – the latter from guests who include Valerie Etienne, Eliana, Love, Kaori Takeda, and Sumire – singers whose presence is interspersed with instrumental tracks that further the lyrical vision of Nozaki's music! Nozaki's really upped his vision here – and not only works in strings on some of the more soaring numbers, but also creates these gentler, poetic passages at mellower moments – all blended together at a level that makes this the most sophisticated Jazztronik set we've ever heard. Titles include "Now", "DGA", "Lost Melody", "Parade", "Warp", "The City Beyond", "Peach Boy", and "A New Phase Of Life".  ~ Dusty Groove

ELZA SOARES – WOMAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD (A MULHER DO FIM DO MUNDO)

A stunning new set from the legendary Elza Soares – the samba singer who gave us some wonderful music in the 70s, but who hits a completely different sound here! The set really focuses around Soares' amazing vocals – which are often sometimes out there completely on her own – but the instrumentation is unusually contemporary, and uses bits of electronics, fuzzy guitar, and some especially great basslines to create these very different soundscapes for her vocal performance! The shift is a bit like those late-life projects that Gil Scott-Heron did – such as his I'm New Here album – although with a different vibe, given Soares' background in Brazilian music. Titles include "Coracao Do Mar", "Comigo", "Danca", "O Canal", "Solto", "Pra Fuder", and "Luz Vermelha".  ~ Dusty Groove


No comments:

Post a Comment