NEW MUSIC: REBECCA TRESCHER ENSEMBLE 11 – FLOATING FLOOD; KOKOTOB – FLYING HEART; ANGELS 9 – DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE SUN

REBECCA TRESCHER ENSEMBLE 11 – FLOATING FLOOD

Rebecca Trescher strongly wields her clarinet on the cover – but throughout the album, her approach is much more subtle – and wrapped up beautifully with the other sounds from her Ensemble 11! The music is a mixture of jazz and larger compositional ideals – with the leader on both standard and bass clarinet – in a group that also features beautiful woodwind currents on flute, alto, and tenor – alongside cello, harp, vibes, and piano – plus some very subtle voice, which often seems to be wordless, but drifts in like another instrument amidst the woodwinds! The approach is beautiful – almost with the tonal properties of some of the best compositions by Moacir Santos, especially on the long "Floating Food" suite, which takes up most of the album. The two other titles include "Der Fruhe Vogel" and "Malachit".  ~ Dusty Groove

KOKOTOB – FLYING HEART

A really unusual combination of instruments – or, that is, a familiar combination – but used here in really unusual ways! The group features Taiko Saito on vibes and marimba, Niko Meinhold on piano, and Tobias Schirmer on clarinet and bass clarinet – and all instruments are often used at the gentlest side of their sonic range – so that the flow of the tones together is almost more important than the performance of any individual member – always tuneful, even when dark – but also extremely creative in the way the sounds are put together! We're used to hearing modern clarinet players work with unusual phrasings from the time of Jimmy Giuffre onward – but we've never heard that instrument combined this way with piano and vibes – with a sound that reminds us that the right players can always unlock new possibilities from familiar instruments. Titles include "Wellen", "Etude In Eb", "Snow Moon Flower", "Bikkuri", "Komodo No Kodomo", and "Feldmannchen".  ~ Dusty Groove

ANGELS 9 – DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE SUN

A really fantastic set from this Swedish nine piece ensemble – a record that's overflowing with brash performance and unbridled energy – adventurous, but never totally free – and always given the right sort of focus to make things come across with a tremendous amount of power! The feel is almost like a Moserobie Records take on a Charles Mingus style – and the lineup features Martin Kuchen on alto and tenor – who also composed the album's five long tracks – plus Magnus Broo on trumpet, Matthias Stahl on vibes, Goran Kajfes on cornet, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Eirik Hegdal on baritone, Alexander Zethson on piano, Johan Berthling on bass, and Andreas Werliin on drums. If you know any of those players at all, you can imagine the greatness of the group – on titles that include "Adror", "Equality & Death", "Pacemaker", "Disappeared Behind The Sun", and "Love Flee Thy House".  ~ Dusty Groove