Anima Mundi (Vazquez-Yoshigaki Project) - Primer Encuentro (2007)

Anima Mundi (Vazquez-Yoshigaki Project) - Primer Encuentro (2007)

(Glamorous Records, EWGL-0010) (Japan) (CD)

---

1. Tal Vez Llueva (9:42)
2. Reconstrucción (5:12)
3. El Trance del Almuerzo (6:03)
4. En Foco (11:01)
5. En Juliana (7:11)
6. Salida de Camiones (7:56)
7. Baile en el Playón (6:31)
8. Siete Hojas Flotando (13:47)
9. En una Gota que Gira (4:00)

---

Santiago Vazquez: cajon, tabla, bombo, tambourine, kalimba, berimbau, gongs, thinking bowls, slit drum, caxixi, toys, horn, plant, voice, etc.
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: drums, surdo, tambourine, talking drum, cymbals, bells, thinking bowl, berimbau, kalimba, caxixi, shaker, toys, voice, etc.
Kumiko Takara: vibraphone, antique cymbals, bass marimba, slit drum, engelhart, shaker, kalimba, tube horn, etc.
Yoichi Okabe (1-8): conga, bougarbou, tinbau, cajon, shaker, triangle, caxixi, cymbals, talking drum, beans, etc.
Alejandro Franov (1-8): piano, keyboards, sitar, wood flute, voice, dance
Uchihashi Kazuhisa (1, 2, 4, 8): guitar, daxophone, effects
GOMA (3, 7, 9): didjeridu

Produced by Yasuhiro Yoshigaki
Recorded by Tatsuki Masuko at IRC2 Studio, July 9 and 10, 2006
Mixed by Tatsuki Masuko at Float, October 30 and 31, November 1, and December 12, 2006
Mastered by Shuji Kitamura at Audio City, December 21, 2006
Photos and art direction by Hideaki Sasaki
Artwork by workshy-Oishi
Includes Japanese liner notes by Yasuhiro Yoshigaki

Released in March 2007

Find link in comments!

ABCs - ABCs (2001)

ABCs - ABCs (2001)

Personnel:
Gabriel Andruzzi - saxophone, guitar
Pete Cafarella - accordion, synthesize
Josh Blair - drums

Tracklisting:
01 - Luni 3
02 - 'Lil Lucky 7's
03 - Luni 2
04 - (Uh) Duh
05 - Newts
06 - Tiny Surgeons

This dynamic trio consists of Gabriel Andruzzi ( The Rapture) on sax, Pete Cafarella (Shy Child) on accordion, and Josh Blair of Orthrelm on drums -- a hardcore trio with free jazz intentions. Formed in 2000, the band wins crowds with their hypnotic, Steve Reich-like compositions. Their 2001 album ABCs on Troubleman Records follows this pattern with high-energy instrumental compositions focusing more on layer than melody.

Find links in comments!

Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats Gustafsson - Live @ Meltdown Festival, London (20.06.2009)

Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats Gustafsson - Live @ Meltdown Festival, London (20.06.2009)

Personnel:
Kieran Hebdan - electronics, sampler, laptop
Steve Reid - drums
Mats Gustafsson - sax

Following the release of their fourth collaborative record, NYC, at the end of 2008, Kieran Hebden AKA Four Tet and jazz drummer Steve Reid, perform a special gig with saxophonist Mats Gustafsson.

Find link in comments!

for ted.

Ben Perowsky Quartet - Esopus Opus (2009)

Ben Perowsky Quartet - Esopus Opus (2009)

Personnel:
Ben Perowsky: drums,
Chris Speed: clarinet, tenor saxophone;
Ted Reichman: accordion;
Drew Gress: bass.

Tracklisting:
01 - Key Lime
02 - Manic Depression
03 - Within You Without You
04 - Esopus Opus
05 - Perolas
06 - New Um Talvez
07 - Flying
08 - Murnau On The Bayou
09 - Present Distance
10 - Red Hook.

A ubiquitous presence in the Downtown New York scene, drummer Ben Perowsky founded and co-led the proto-fusion band Lost Tribe, served in Elysian Fields, Joan as Policewoman, and the Lounge Lizards, while continuing to perform sideman duties for Steven Bernstein, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, and John Zorn, among others.

An artist with eclectic interests, the debut of Perowsky's new quartet, Esopus Opus, features myriad genres—from classic rock covers and Brazilian favorites to his own mercurial originals. Interestingly, Perowsky's group inadvertently mirrors fellow percussionist John Hollenbeck's flagship ensemble, the Claudia Quintet. Both line-ups feature Chris Speed (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Ted Reichman (accordion), and Drew Gress (bass), with Hollenbeck's Quintet adding vibraphonist Matt Moran to the mix.

Despite similarities in personnel, Perowsky approaches writing for the same basic instrumentation from a different angle, drawing deeper from folk forms and popular music than Hollenbeck, whose more formal approach embraces aspects of neo-classicism and minimalism. Like two sides of the same coin, Perowsky uses a similar palette to obtain different results; his appealingly ragged tunes are more akin to punk rock than classical music.

A latecomer to jazz, Perowsky spent his formative years playing in rock bands. His choice of cover tunes reveals a fondness for the genre, with a knack for creatively reinterpreting straightforward pop melodies without abstracting them beyond recognition. Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression" is given a spirited collective treatment, while George Harrison's epic "Within You Without You" slowly builds in poignancy. Bolstered by Reichman's soaring accordion, Hermeto Pascoal's lush "Nem Um Talvez" enjoys a colorful reading, while The Beatles' tender "Flying" exemplifies unadorned splendor.

Eclectic to a fault, the album's original tunes veer from funky blues ("Key Lime") and cartoonish ebullience ("Esopus Opus") to testimonial Gospel ("Murnau on the Bayou") and a modal waltz ("Present Distance"). Perowsky even internalizes the classic rock of his youth, liberally quoting Argent's 1972 hit "Hold Your Head Up" on the moody closer, "Red Hook."

Beyond the catchy tunes, the record's lasting appeal rests in the stellar capabilities of Perowsky's veteran sidemen. Gress' subterranean bottom end complements the leader's percussive thrashings with machine-like precision while Reichman's rich chordal voicings lend an exotic air; his sonorous pedal tones provide the group with a vast, expansive sound. Playing clarinet for the majority of the session, Speed delivers a number of breathtaking statements, most notably on the Coltrane-esque "Present Distance," which features a lengthy, unfettered tenor solo—something one rarely hears on his own records.

A compelling statement from an up and coming new voice, Esopus Opus is a raw, enthusiastic exploration of the endless possibilities of contemporary music. [allaboutjazz]

Find link in comments!

Black Frames - Solarallergy (2002)

Black Frames - Solarallergy (2002)

"Solarallergy" is a jazz and groove studio album by Black Frames. Black Frames is a collaborative project by Mike Dillon, Earl Harvin, Skerik and Brad Houser from 2002. The album was accompanied by a national tour. Between the musicians are long-time associations: Dillon and Harvin from Ten Hands and Billy Goat; Skerik, Houser and Dillon from Critters Buggin. Though Dillon and Harvin are primarily percussionists, for "Solarallergy" all members are credited for percussion. Each musician is also credited for composition. [wiki]

Personnel:

Skerik - tenor saxophone, marimba, fancy sax
Mike Dillon - vibes, marimba, tabla, percussion
Earl Harvin - drums, vibes, marimba, guitar
Brad Houser - bass, sentir, timpani

Tracklisting:

01 - 25 Billion Stars Per Human (Dillon, Harvin)
02 - French Farse (Harvin)
03 - Hafta (Dillon)
04 - Sonic Vapor (Skerik, Houser)
05 - Mallet Cut (Dillon)
06 - Turbulance (Dillon)
07 - White Envelopes (Harvin)
08 - Gophers (Dillon, Harvin)
09 - Lucky Dog (Houser)

Find link in comments!

The Dead Kenny G's - Bewildered Herd (2009)

The Dead Kenny G's - Bewildered Herd (2009)

Personnel:
Skerik: tenor saxophone, boxxx, rhodes electric piano, micromoog synthesizer, efx.
Mike Dillon: drums, vibraphone, percussion, tabla
Brad Houser: bass, baritone saxophone

Tracklisting:
01 - Birther Blues
02 - I'm Your Manager, I'm Your Pimp
03 - Death Panel
04 - Bewildered Herd
05 - Black Goldman Sax
06 - Yeah, Cat
07 - Jake Brakin'
08 - Purgatory
09 - Hairy Bulgaria
10 - Byater Bhangra (improv #1)
11 - Shantiniketan (improv #2)

The Dead Kenny Gs is a duo started by Skerik and Mike Dillon in 2004. In 2005 they started adding Brian Haas, keyboard genius, for special shows, and a tour in 2006. Brad Houser, bass god from Critters Buggin, is currently the third member. Rotating members join the duo for necessary outings. The priority is for the name, The Dead Kenny Gs, to continue fighting injustice, cheese, and dishonesty in music, and society.

Just fucking incredible band!

Find link in comments!

The New Mellow Edwards - Big Choantza (2009)

The New Mellow Edwards - Big Choantza (2009)

Personnel:
Curtis Hasslebring: trombone
Chris Speed: clarinet, tenor saxophone
Trevor Dunn: acoustic bass
John Hollenbeck: drums and percussion

Tracklisting:
01 - Big Choantza
02 - First Loser
03 - Helkakelka, Helkakelka
04 - Sacks on the Beach
05 - Large Detective
06 - Annoying Guy
07 - Youth Against Fascism
08 - Good Job
09 - Backfat Vs. Fumi

The New Mellow Edwards, an eclectic ensemble signed to artist-run, Brooklyn-based Skirl Records, is led by trombonist Curtis Hasslebring, who draws upon a variety of influences for his unorthodox jazz compositions, including neo-classical formalism, elastic funk and tuneful indie rock.

One of Hasselbring's numerous side-projects, The New Mellow Edwards' impressive pedigree features clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Chris Speed (Human Feel, yeah NO), bassist Trevor Dunn (Fantomas, John Zorn) and drummer/percussionist John Hollenbeck (Claudia Quintet, Meredith Monk). Big Choantza, their second recording, finds the foursome exploring variations on the expansive vistas of their self-titled debut, The New Mellow Edwards (Skirl, 2006).

Embracing multiple genres and subtle electro-acoustic textures, the album veers from ebullient to austere. "Helkakelka, Helkakelka" is a riot of bristling, stop-start carnival rhythms and thorny unison themes, interrupted by a string of spasmodic solos from Hasselbring's blustery trombone and Speed's coarse tenor. "Annoying Guy" is the inverse, a droning minimalist tone poem awash in moody atmospherics.

Hasselbring's passion for indie rock is revealed on the punning "Sacks on the Beach," an anthemic rave-up driven by a steady eighth-note bass line that recalls early nineties indie rock legends The Pixies, whose "Ana" was covered on the quartet's previous session. Delving further into the genre, they invest a crackling instrumental cover of Sonic Youth's punky diatribe "Youth Against Fascism" with ecstatic brio.

Thriving on contrasting dynamics, Hasselbring's experiences in Either/Orchestra and Ken Schaphorst's Big Band can be heard in his cantilevered arrangements and contrapuntal charts. Following the brisk fanfare of the title track, "First Loser" builds gracefully, demonstrating the band's rhythmic acuity. Book-ended by languid funk vamps, the tune spotlights Speed's circuitous clarinet cadences, climaxing with the leader's effusive horn soaring over a buoyant Afro-Latin groove. The episodic "Good Job" threads staggered pointillist discourse into lush harmonies while "Backfat Vs. Fumi" encapsulates Hasselbring's multifarious talents. Modulating from cinematic introspection to syncopated cop show funk, the tune eventually deconstructs, with Dunn and Hollenbeck's oblique, fractured meters impelling Speed's cathartic tenor volleys.

Elevated by the stellar interpretations of his all-star band, Hasselbring's idiosyncratic compositions find accord in a set brimming with congenial interplay. Diverse, but not dilettantish, Hasselbring's mercurial writing is the real star of Big Choantza—a splendid sophomore effort from an under-sung composer. [allaboutjazz.com]

Find link in comments!