Thursday, February 16, 2017

NEW RELEASES: MARK DE CLIVE-LOWE – LIVE AT THE BLUE WHALE; NICHOLAS PAYTON - AFRO-CARIBBEAN MIXTAPE; MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING – LOAFER’S HOLLOW

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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