Friday, August 25, 2017

NEW RELEASES: KIM TIBBS – KIM; TOM HARRELL – MOVING PICTURE; VIJAY IYER SEXTET – FAR FROM OVER

KIM TIBBS – KIM

The debut album from Kim Tibbs – not only a wonderful singer, but also a heck of a keyboardist too – as you'll hear here through her work on Hammond and Fender Rhodes! Kim's got a soaring style of soul – upbeat, positive, and with this flow that moves right along with the keyboards – not the simple "beats and keys" mode of underground soul from a generation before, but a really focused sense of energy that almost seems to glow with an Incognito sort of positivity! Co-producer Reginald Myricks handled a lot of the songs and instrumentation with Tibbs – and they're clearly an unbeatable pair together, with an undeniable energy that's underscored by the way that five of the album's twelve tracks are listed on the cover with an exclamation point! Titles include "Soul", "Drifting", "My Better Side", "A Building That'll Last", "The River", "My Reason For Life", "Come On By", and "I Need You For Your Love". CD also features a bonus – "Soul (rmx – ext DJ version)".  ~ Dusty Groove

TOM HARRELL – MOVING PICTURE

Tremendous work from trumpeter Tom Harrell – a musician who's been making records for decades, but just seems to sound better and better as the years go on! Tom's always been wonderful, but a record like this seems to have him on fire with a whole new sense of purpose – a fresh musical mission, even at a time when he could easily sit back and rest on his laurels – really soaring out in a range of beautiful new compositions, and working in this soulful quartet that includes excellent piano from Danny Grissett, plus bass from Ugonna Okegwo and drums from Adam Cruz. Harrell's command of his trumpet and flugelhorn is amazing – fresh sounds, fresh tones, fresh lines that continue to hold us rapt throughout – on titles that include "Time Passage", "Montego Bay", "Moving Picture", "Apple House", "Sea", "Four The Moment", and "Different Clouds".  ~ Dusty Groove

VIJAY IYER SEXTET – FAR FROM OVER

A fantastic statement from pianist Vijay Iyer – an album recorded with a sextet who really seem to help the artist leap forward strongly with a more spiritual vision than ever before! The group is great – with Graham Haynes on cornet, Mark Shim on tenor, Steve Lehman on alto, Stephan Crump on bass, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums – and in addition to boldly-phrased work on acoustic piano, Iyer also plays some Fender Rhodes – used in more spacious ways that are extremely beautiful, and which we find far more soulful than some of his more abstract use of electronics! The set's quite a surprise – both for ECM and Iyer – and titles include "Poles", "Far From Over", "End Of The Tunnel", "Down To The Wire", "For Amiri Baraka", and "Thrednody".  ~ Dusty Groove


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