NEW RELEASES: ROSCOE MITCHELL - DISCUSSIONS; SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA – UNDER BURNING SKIES; JERRY BERGONZI – DOG STAR

ROSCOE MITCHELL - DISCUSSIONS

The title's an apt one – as the music here is based on the improvisations from Roscoe Mitchell's earlier Conversations albums – but recast in a whole new way for an improvising orchestra! The group here features Mitchell on sopranino sax – a very strong voice out in the lead – but the larger ensemble really has a lot to add to the sound, in a lineup that includes flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, and oboe – reed elements used by Mitchell as in some of his previous "serious music" experiments – then mixed with violin, viola, electronics, trumpet, trombone, and percussion. The sound is a wonderful bridge between the compositional world of Mitchell and some of his looser small group improvisations – and the album satisfied both sides of that sonic spectrum in a great way. Titles include "Cascade", "Cracked Roses", "Who Dat", "Frenzy House", "Home Screen", and "I'll See You Out There".  ~ Dusty Groove

SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA – UNDER BURNING SKIES

Excellent work from Souljazz Orchestra – a group who've consistently been one of the strongest contemporary Afro Funk ensembles for the past decade or so! There's a richness to the Souljazz approach that sets them apart from other groups that might just be going through the motions – especially in the way that they always know that the sound of the sum of their parts is very reliant on the parts – which mean that the individual musicians are quite strong, and burst out with very vibrant energy every time they get to take a solo! These guys are also never stuck in a groove – and really have found a way to refine and update their sound – this time around by maybe borrowing a bit more from some early 80s African roots and styles, of the sort that have had strong discovery in recent years. Titles include "Dog Eat Dog", "Lufunki", "Under Burning Skies", "Adawe Boogie", "Aduna Jarul Naawo", "Tambour A Deux Peaux", and "Oblier Pour Un Jour".  ~ Dusty Groove

JERRY BERGONZI – DOG STAR

Jerry Bergonzi has been making records for decades – yet lately, he seems to be finding an even fresher way forward – with a set like this that can grab us right from the very first note, and having us get excited all over again about his music! Bergonzi's tenor sound is tremendous – that raw tone that's been building up right from the start – but maybe the strongest element here is the group, which seems to have this soaring vision that's even more than the sum of its parts – driven on by this excellent presence on bass from Johnny Aman, whose dark notes really color the music, and open up the moodiest side of Bergonzi's music – alongside the excellent Carl Winther on piano, who wrote songs on the record alongside Jerry – plus Phil Grenadier on trumpet, and Anders Mogensen on drums. The trumpet/tenor pairing, quite familiar in jazz, somehow manages to find all these new places throughout – bursting out beautifully on titles that include "Pleiades", "Dog Star", "Darkness", "Live Stream", "Vertigo", and "Repor-Pa-Int".  ~ Dusty Groove