NEW RELEASES: VIBRATION BLACK FINGER - BLACKISM; JEREMY PELT – MAKE NOISE!; CHIP WICKHAM – LA SOMBRA

VIBRATION BLACK FINGER - BLACKISM

Incredibly hip work from drummer Lascelle Gordon – a set that really lives up to the compelling name of the group, with a sound that instantly brings together a righteous 70s generation with the current cosmic underground scene! The music is a mix of spiritual and electric jazz modes, but also is unafraid to throw in a bit more in the way of electronics, too – never programmed rhythms, as Lascelle handles all those himself, live – but sometimes with phase shifts on some of the instruments, or a bit of processing – which evokes maybe a bit of electric Miles, or some of the Chicago Underground modes. Trumpet and tenor get nice space on the set, and the album features vocals from Maggie Nichols on one track – and titles include "Emin", "Sawalha", "Goodbye NYC", "Ofilli", "Drums For Peace", and "Bhamara/The Black Bee".  ~ Dusty Groove

JEREMY PELT – MAKE NOISE!

A joyous noise from trumpeter Jeremy Pelt – a player who just seems to get deeper and deeper as the years go on, and who's in very spiritual territory here – as he stretches out with a quintet on a host of beautiful original compositions! The lineup is heavy on the darker textures of the spectrum – with Victor Gould on piano, Vincente Archer on bass, Jonathan Barber on drums, and Jacquelene Acevedo on percussion – creating these shifting, blocking passages that really let Pelt's trumpet soar and shimmer over the top – maybe resonant with even more meaning than usual, as he blows these sublime lines that link him back to a righteous lineage we might never have expected from his early recordings. The whole thing's great – rock-solid, and free from gimmick – and titles include "Digression", "Cry Freedom", "Evolution", "Chateau D'Eau", "Your First Touch", and "Prince".  ~ Dusty Groove

CHIP WICKHAM – LA SOMBRA

Sublime spiritual sounds from reedman Chip Wickham – part of the new revival of soulful 70s modes that we see in the music of Nat Birchall and Matthew Halsall! Chip lists both of these musicians as key influence in the notes, and we can definitely hear that in the music, too – which is a mix of modal groovers and more spacious numbers that blossom with Strata East-like energy – all handled by a great quartet that features Chip on both flute and tenor, plus Gabriel Casanova on piano, David Salvador on bass, and Antonio Pax on both drums and vibes. The music also has some hip European echoes – with styles that recall older work by Harold McNair on the flute numbers, or maybe the best of the Saba/MPS acoustic years. Easily the most righteous album ever issued by the Lovemonk label – with titles that include "Sling Shot", "Red Planet", "The Detour", "La Sombra", "Pushed Too Far", and "La Leyenda Del Tiempo".  ~ Dusty Groove