Matt Brewer - Ganymede
An album of brooding intensity from bassist Matt Brewer – a
trio date that takes very special advantage of the tenor saxophone voice of
Mark Shim! Shim's very much at home here – blowing these long, complex solos
that have that sort of deep burning quality of his early work as a leader –
free, but not in a free jazz sort of way – really covering a lot of space, in
ways that are almost circular at times – as if he's slowly trying to plot out a
new universe in jazz! Drummer Damon Reid matches the intensity of Shim in a
great way – so much so that we're almost tempted to say that Brewer is the
quietest partner on the date – save for the fact that his deep tones on bass
have this low rumble that really sets the tone for the moodiness of the tenor.
Titles include "Triton", "Ganymede", "Don't Wake The
Violent Baby", "Afro Centric", "IO",
"Psalm", and "Willisee". ~ Dusty Groove
Edu Lobo, Romero Lubambo, & Mauro Senise - Quase Memoria
A beautiful meeting these thoughtful Brazilian creative
talents – in a mode that provide a perfect backdrop for the vocals of the great
Edu Lobo! Lobo's been a sophisticated force from the 60s bossa years onwards –
and in recent years, he's gotten even more subtle and personal in his approach
– in a way that really comes through here, with his well-phrased original
lyrics set up in light instrumental settings that feature the guitar of Romero
Lubambo and flute and saxes of Mauro Senise – with occasional guest work from
Cristovao Bastos on piano, Kiko Horta on accordion, and Anat Cohen on clarinet.
The tunes have all the charms of Lobo's lofty work from the 70s, but in a very
different way – and titles include "Rosinha", "Labia",
"As Mesmas Historias", "Terro Do Nunca",
"Peregrina", "Senhora Do Rio", and "Quase
Memoria". ~ Dusty Groove
Gabriele Mitelli & Rob Mazurek - Star Splitter
Some of the darkest sounds in years from the great Rob
Mazurek – a musician who's matched perfectly on every front by Gabriele Mitelli
– who does everything that Rob does on the record, and also throws in a bit of
soprano sax as well! The music is all improvised, and in that very deep blend
of electronic and acoustic elements that Mazurek has explored over the years –
with textures so intense, it's often difficult to figure out what's coming from
where – as Rob blows piccolo trumpet, Mitelli blows cornet, and both artists
served up a wealth of sounds on electronics, voice, and other objects too.
Titles include "Venus", "Mercury", "Mars", and
"Uranus". ~ Dusty Groove
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