dcl

"The first-time teaming of Poland’s dynamic Marcin Wasilewski Trio and big-toned US tenorist Joe Lovano brings forth special music of concentrated, deep feeling, in which lyricism and strength seem ideally balanced."

The Blue Nile, Hats (1989) includes 'Let's Go Out Tonight'

I've been looking forward to arrival of this recording in the mailbox. There is a dividing point, according to my wife: Pat Metheny + Lyle Mays v. Metheny post-Mays. This has the sonic signature, compositional style–the taste–of Mays with Metheny. I think it is marvelous. And, recorded before an audience, the sonics are impeccable. Read more here.

"A fresh and open music, delicate and space-conscious, is shaped as drummer Thomas Strønen and Ayumi Tanaka, previously heard in the ensemble Time Is A Blind Guide on Lucus, resurface in a new trio with clarinettist/singer/percussionist Marthe Lea. The group first came together at Oslo’s Royal Academy of Music, where for two years the players would meet each week for exploratory music making. Strønen: 'We always played freely- drifting between elements of contemporary classical music, folk music, jazz, whatever we were inspired by. Sometimes the music was very quiet and minimalistic: playing together generated some special experiences.' The spontaneous spirit of the music is reflected in the trio’s debut recording, which was made at the Lugano radio studio and produced by Manfred Eicher. With the exception of the title piece, based on a traditional Norwegian tune, the music on Bayou was collectively created in the moment."

Link.

Trond Kallevåg , Fengselsfugl "Trond Kallevåg’s Fengselsfugl (prison bird in english) might well be the soundtrack of the prison-movie that director Wim Wenders never made, closely related to the musical landscapes of Ry Cooder and Bill Frisell. Once again joined by fellow Hubroartist, the great Geir Sundstøl. “Fengselsfugl” is the long-awaited follow-up to his critically acclaimed album and Hubro debut Bedehus & Hawaii (Prayer house and Hawaii) from 2019 which was inspired by his deeply religious grandparents and their strange prayer house music that according to Trond sounded a bit like Hawaiian guitar-music or slack key. Both albums follow an artistic concept that is based upon his encounters with environments that stand next to the established. Bedehus & Hawaii was highlighted as one of the 15 best jazz albums in 2019 by Bandcamp - one of the world's largest websites for selling music: 'Kallevåg has created one of the most gorgeous recordings to hit the shelves in 2019!"…' The contemplative release from Trond Kallevåg is a deep dive into serenity, where melodic improvisations melt into indistinguishable shapes and take on the logic of dreams.' He has also by numerous reviewers been compared to guitarists like Ry Cooder and Bill Frisell. Bedehus & Hawaii locates Trond Kallevag Hansen at the right height on the heels of Ry Cooder and Bill Frisell"...Jazzaroundmag.

From Jazz Times The guitarist's new compositions filter his concepts through circuits "Those only familiar with Diego Barber’s Sunnyside Records output might be taken aback by his latest release on the label, Drago. Its largely electronic sounds seem to be a major departure for a virtuoso on the nylon-string guitar in both classical and jazz settings...Pure guitar may rarely appear on the record, but Barber did use his “best weapon” to generate many of the album’s sounds. He would employ a MIDI-equipped guitar to record a MIDI track, later used to trigger a Spectrasonics Omnisphere software synthesizer and Kontakt sample libraries. “That way I can get sounds that are far removed from the actual guitar,” he says. Less often, he recorded his guitar without MIDI and disguised it with effects. For the non-MIDI parts, Barber went direct and just grabbed an amp from Logic’s wealth of modeling options to form a foundation on which he would then build. “The guitar sound was modified many times, so I didn’t spend a lot of time on the basic tone,” he admits. “It was not the most important thing in this recording.” This artist is new to me and quite to my liking. It receives approval from overlords of Space & Sound (cats & wife).

A touching update to this story.

Openings, sometimes, set an anticipatory collective-mind-groove to come...

Thomas Strønen Time Is A Blind Guide, from Lucus

Elina Duni & Rob Luft (2020) “An out of the ordinary recording, yes by all means, but lyrical, melodic music and thought provoking all the same.” UK Vibe “The sparse, fragile, barely consonant chords of her piano style beautifully complement the rawness of her voice.” Songlines “Continues to haunt long after the final notes have faded” RnR “Delivers hope and optimism in the way she can reach out with her ability to communicate directely and intimately with her audience” Jazz Views London Jazz News interview with Eleni here (2019).

New to me from 2018, Downbeat review here.

Available through Bandcamp.

Also released on the Royal Albert Hall recording:

DK's 2020 release.

Pat Metheny, From This Place