Brooklyn-based bassist/composer Kenneth Jimenez presents his new work 'Sonnet to Silence' on We Jazz Records, 17 November. Consisting of 7 original compositions by Jimenez performed by his quartet including pianist Angelica Sanchez, drummer Gerald Cleaver and saxophonist Hery Paz, 'Sonnet to Silence' echoes the original fire of New York free jazz while stepping into a terrain of its own, boldly forward-thinking. Jimenez, originally from Costa Rica, has a knack at composing pieces that breathe naturally and take fight on the wings provided by the first-rate quartet, joining scene stalwarts and newcomers together as a coherent unit. "Since I was a kid I’ve had this reoccurring dream of running towards the edge of a mountain and suddenly discovering myself flying down to the valley, feeling weightless and fearless", say Jimenez. "This record is the materialization of that dream. The uncompromising voices in the band and our shared desire to explore the unknown make this music live and breathe. It feels that the possibilities become endless when creating with these master improvisers, and the only thing that matters is to take that initial jump into the abyss."' As a whole, the album lets the band loose at times, while the music maintains its natural flow. With 'Sonnet to Silence', Kenneth Jimenez establishes himself as a composer and bandleader with remarkably strong presence.
Chicago drummer, bandleader, composer Mike Reed shares new single and video “Floating With An Intimate Stranger” off of The Separatist Party, his new album out October 27th on Astral Spirits/We Jazz. Highlighting the strengths of the group Reed assembled for the record – cornetist Ben LaMar Gay, poet and spoken word artist Marvin Tate, and members of Bitchin Bajas (Rob Frye, Cooper Crain, and Dan Quinlivan) – “Floating With An Intimate Stranger” is a sleek mid-tempo groover that brings an orchestral depth harkening back to Sun Ra Arkestra’s Chicago days of the 1950’s. Reed explains how while the song’s video “is simply scenes from the road, the song is there to help you get outside of your own body. Sometimes you meditate, sometimes you need substances, and sometimes you share the most intimate thoughts and desires with complete strangers . . . they’re different ways to be free.” With influences ranging from jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders and Don Cherry to the motoric rhythms of krautrock, the musicians “surge through grimy post-rock or drift into ethereal, odd-metered, electrified airspaces with whiffs of Ethio-jazz” (New York Times). These world-spanning influences meld into a propulsive brew that speaks to the turbulence of the times we find ourselves in.rating vital live music venues Constellation and The Hungry Brain.
Twospeak are band leader and saxophonist Ronan Perrett’s bold and dynamic four-piece that draw inspiration equally from the world of contemporary London jazz, bands like The Bad Plus as well as the 1970’s Canterbury Scene of Soft Machine and Caravan, Hot Rats-era Zappa and Deerhoof-esque indie rock, putting this all together in a heady brew and sounding uniquely themselves. Second single 'For Henry Moore (Reclining Figure 1984)' is a charged, dissonant, energetic bomb of a tune. Brown’s flipped-out rhythm and De Souza’s razor sharp guitar drives the band rattling through changes and gear shifts as Perrett’s sax runs freely over the top. Imagine Lunch Money Life covering Trout Mask Replica and you might be somewhere close. Ronan says of the inspiration behind the song “For Henry Moore is based on a captivating sculpture of a large golden reclining figure, coincidentally created in 1984. It immediately captured my imagination as I saw it rising up and striding off to cause chaos.”Born in the contemporary jazz scene, the band features musicians from groups such as Waaju, Byron Wallen’s Four Corners, Caravela and Dizraeli. Fictions will be available on LP and digitally from None More Records on November 17.
Joshua Moshe (FKA Josh Kelly/JK GROUP) share his debut album 'Inner Search', under his own name on La Sape Records. Following a challenging recovery period after chemotherapy in late 2021, Joshua Moshe embarked on a transformative musical journey, shedding his band persona and embracing a solo identity. The culmination of this artistic exploration is his debut album ‘Inner Search’, recorded six months after completing treatment. For this project, Moshe assembled a rejuvenated lineup of incredible collaborators: Felix Bloxsom, Erica Tucceri, Angus Radley, Cazeuax O.S.L.O., Phil Noy, Niran Dasika, James Bowers, Javier Fredes, and Matthew Hayes, whilst maintaining a strong partnership with long-standing producer, Lewis Moody. 'Inner Search' showcases an eclectic blend of influences drawing inspiration from Late Modal Jazz (Pharaoh Sanders, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane), Afro-Cuban Music, Jewish Music, Garage, Broken Beat, Nu-Jazz, and Modern Jazz. Such breadth of influence signifies a departure from the traditional dancey-crossover style, evolving the JK GROUP sound into something truly distinctive and extraordinary.
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