New Music Releases: Nu Era (Marc Mac); Sokratis Votskos Quartet; Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society

Nu Era (Marc Mac) - Evolve

Evolve is a great title for this full length set – as Marc Mac is one of the few talents from the 4Hero generation who's really evolved over the years, and who's continued to give us some really incredible music – a jazz-based take on the realm of beats and keyboards, with a cosmic-driven sort of energy that sends the grooves soaring out into time and space! The music is spare and simple, but so much more soulful than so many of his contemporaries – a masterpiece of doing a lot with a little, and creating surprising depth from very familiar elements. The tunes are all instrumental, but have a deeper spiritual meaning – and titles include "The Mind Of Jacob", "Around The Sun", "Closer To Mars", "Flying Colors", "Theme From Joe Smoke", and "Metal Butterfly". ~  Dusty Groove

Sokratis Votskos Quartet - Sketching The Unknown

A great global bit of spiritual jazz from reedman Sokratis Votskos – who works here in a style that not only follows some great European traditions of modal jazz, but which also resonates with some of the deeper roots of Greek music too! Sokratis plays soprano sax and bass clarinet – and the piano, bass, and drums weave these really magical rhythms that seem to set the leader free – often with echoes of a longer cultural tradition, but delivered with really personal intensity in the solos – in a way that makes us sure that Votskos is going to be a name to follow for years to come! A great new session that's very much in the tradition of some of the Spiritual Jazz compilations on the Jazzman label – with titles that include "Quadrum Waltz", "Syncopatient", "Sketching The Unknown", "Sevenates", and "Almopian Etude". ~ Dusty Groove

Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society - Mandatory Reality

A really fantastic album from bassist Joshua Abrams – a set that may well be his greatest to date – and that's saying a lot, given all the other work he's given us in recent years! The double-length set has Abrams working with this lineup of improvising jazz talents, but in a way that's very rhythmic, and very organic – slow-building songs that almost seem to mix jazz with inspiration from gamelan music, but with very spiritual currents overall – music that builds slowly and flows to the cosmos – almost in a way that reminds us of the seminal "On The Beach" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Yet Abrams is very much in his own territory here – working with a lineup that features the leader on guimbri, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium and gongs, Mikel Avery on tam-tam and gongs, Ben Boye on electric autoharp and piano, Hamid Drake on tabla and tar, Ben Lamar Gay on cornet, Nick Mazzarella on alto saxophone, and Jason Stein on bass clarinet – with every member of the ensemble also performing on flutes. The sound is incredible – music to build a bridge to the heavens – and titles include "In Memory's Prism", "Finite", "Shadow Conductor", and "Agree". ~ Dusty Groove