MARK DE CLIVE-LOWE – LIVE AT THE BLUE WHALE
A jaw-dropper of a record from Mark De Clive-Lowe – much
more of a jazz album than anything he's ever done before – and a set that's
recorded live, too – which is also more of a change! The style here is
wonderful – with Mark handling piano, keyboards, and some live effects – in a
quartet that also features alto sax, bass, and drums – spinning out in
territory that's a bit 70s space jazz, but also inflected with a lot more 21st
Century phrasing, too. The blend is sublime – way more spiritual and
spontaneous than anything Mark's ever done before – even though we've really loved
most of his other music, too. It's wonderful to hear such a shift in someone
we've already dug for well over a decade – and the titles are dedicated to Sun
Ra, Ahmad Jamal, and Yusef Lateef – which should give you an idea of the spirit
that he's going for on the record. Titles include "Evergreen",
"L&H", "The Golden Lady", and
"Swahililand". ~ Dusty Groove
NICHOLAS PAYTON - AFRO-CARIBBEAN MIXTAPE
One of the most unusual projects we've ever heard from
trumpeter Nicholas Payton – a record that's not straight jazz, or a standard exploration
of some of the roots that have influenced his music – and instead a wonderfully
criss-crossing combination of sounds from the African diaspora – served up here
in a way that really lives up to the title! Payton plays his usual trumpet, but
also delivers sounds on Fender Rhodes, organ, and even a bit of vocals – in a
vibrant group that also includes more Rhodes, cello, sound effects, turntables,
percussion, and even a string ensemble – interspersed with vocal snippets from
Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Max Roach, and many others! Payton's always had a
sense of history in his music – but this may well be the first time he's taken
that history and focused it forward – really creating something new in the
process. The double-length set gives him plenty of room to express and
experiment – and titles include "La Guajira", "Jazz Is A Four
Letter Word", "Bamboula", "Kimathi", "Madmwazel
Ayiti", "Junie's Boogie", "Jewel", "Othello",
"The Egyptian Second Line", and "Call & Response". ~ Dusty Groove
MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING – LOAFER’S HOLLOW
Fantastic work from a group who never fail to blow our minds
– and who also seem to try out something different with each new record, yet
never falter at all in their progress forward! Mostly Other People Do The
Killing may have one of the longest names in jazz, but they've also got a brash
approach that really lives up to the cockiness of their name – a confident step
in whatever direction they want, which always leads them down the best path.
This time around, they're mixing both modern and trad jazz expressions with
literary inspiration from writers who include Thomas Pynchon, Kurt Vonnegut,
James Joyce, Cormac McCarthy, and David Foster Wallace – each of whom are
listed as reference points for certain songs – which are based around snippets
of their text, then transformed into a musical mode. The instrumentation is a
very offbeat take on trad – with Jon Irabgon on tenor and sopranino sax, Steven
Bernstein on trumpet and slide trumpet, Dave Taylor on bass trombone, Brandon
Seabrook on banjo and electronics, Kevin Shea on drums, Ron Stabinsky on piano,
and leader Moppa Elliott on bass. Titles include "Kilgore", "Hi
Nella", "Honey Hole", "Bloomsberg", "Glen
Riddle", "Mason & Dixon", and "Five". ~ Dusty Groove
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