■ JAZZ RECORD REVIEWS

Jazz Picks GREG DRYGALA PICKS SOME RECENTLY RELEASED JAZZ FAVOURITES

MARIO ROM’S INTERZONE THE SIRKIS/BIALAS INTERNATIONAL ASAF SIRKIS TRIO Everything is Permitted QUARTET The Monk Traumton 705304462225 Come to Me SAM Productions 8015948090152 Stonebird Productions B00PF81D12 Austrian trio This is an earlier Interzone is run This impressive recording from the by trumpeter project, co-led by trio, dating back Mario Rom, who an Israeli drummer to 2008, but I was composed six of and a Polish singer, tempted to revisit the ten pieces on brings together a it due to its electric this disc; three warm romantic instrumental line- more come from band-mate and bass player tradition with a up. I rate Sirkis highly for his versatility and Lukas Kranzelbinder. (The final track is the nostalgic journey through jazz landscapes. his bravery to jump into different territories: Bernie Wayne classic Blue Velvet.) The sound The International Quartet here is completed exploring, learning and adding even more throughout is fresh and vivid, showing great by British keyboard player Frank Harrison variety into his artillery of expression. The artistic imagination. From the first note, and American bassist Patrick Bettison, both Monk is altogether more minimal than other the opening trumpet solo’s straightforward of which make an important contribution. music I know from him, and is not even bright tone takes no prisoners, and the But the core co-operation here is the particularly rooted only in jazz. Careful section working hard behind shows the same mesmerising connection between Sylwia listening, however, helped me discover many unstoppable vitality. It’s hard to believe that Bialas and Asaf Sirkis, who listen to each connections between the band members, and such a wall of sound really comes from just other very closely and carefully, with I have to admit that I am still learning more three musicians. outstanding results. and more from this disc. Every band member has the room to The lyrics here are all in Polish (a Compositionwise it shows great maturity. show their individual skills in the slow translation is available in the liner notes) Asaf’s drumming creates very three compositions, and they do it brilliantly, and are more like short poems than songs. dimensional structures on which the guitar without any showing off. The title piece As Polish is my native language I take the notes find a foundation. It reminds me of mixes lovely Balkan harmonies with the words very much to heart, but am curious climbing, where one wouldn’t survive without best Jazz traditions, reminding me very to know how they would appeal to an other’s belaying. Asaf’s compatriot, bass much of Miles’ blowing on the Lift to the international audience. I certainly understand player Yaron Stavi, supplies a tight ‘walking’ Scaffold (Elevator to the Gallows) film score, the romantic nature of the poems, whose core for the rampant rides that Greek with similar madness lurking in the rhythm Polish folk and classical music traditions are guitarist Tassos Spiliotopoulos brings to the section, and the feeling of something perhaps comparable to Schubert Lieders, party. suspicious about to happen, just behind a whose feelings and emotions now belong to The music is a blend of many schools, and corner. every human being. Bialas’ gentle alto voice keeps challenging those listeners prepared The track Bill Lee, with its spooky creates a very intimate structure, and the trio to look for and find loose ends and knots. percussion sounds and drunken trumpet, accompanies her with great sensitivity, but it An interesting view comes on a piece called recalls Jim Jarmusch’s Down by Low, another can be even more challenging when her voice Alone, on which guest drummer Adriano excellent dark movie soundtrack, with a is presented in purely instrumental terms. Adewale takes the leader’s stool, and clearly mood somehow between The Lounge Lizards Here she dialogues with Sirkis’ drums as well shows the importance and fragility of a and Tom Waits’ sonic universes. The classic as the bass and piano, which often closely percussion framework. The Monk touches my closing theme is again inextricably linked repeat her lines. imagination; its strongest point is the way with movie memories, but when Angelo Nostalgia is constantly present, and the it changes new layers of engagement into Badalamenti’s sophisticated arrangement will bass lines often set a mood that reminds me listening pleasure. I’m interested in hearing keep forever Isabella Rosselini’s face in my of the 1970s. But 40 years on, nothing is the more music from this trio, to discover mind, Mario Rom’s approach would find me same; hence this modern approach. The so whether their music has any borders. asking Juliette Binoche to come to the dance called new is always harvesting from the past, floor of the transatlantic ship from Giuseppe but the most important thing is to find the Tornatore’s iconic The legend of 1900. seeds of creativity inside one’s own soul.

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GREG DRYGALA

TERENCE BLANCHARD KURT ELLING GERARDO NUNEZ FEATURING E-COLLECTIVE Passion World Jazzpańa Live Breathless Concord Jazz ACT Music 614427958525 Blue Note This American singer is well known across the This year’s Jazzpańa Live project is something This is Blanchard’s second great project since world for his extended songbooks, touching very special in ACT Music’s catalogue: his return to Blue Note two years ago, with the many subjects including, naturally, love. He essentially a return to the label’s roots. The Magnetic session I reviewed in 2013. Despite an certainly knows enough about it to make a original idea on which the whole concept apparent lack of recordings he’s always busy, and dedicated album, but this goes far beyond the was created was proved so right and was so has even recorded a so far unreleased jazz opera. normal boundaries of love songs. It embraces well received that it won a German Grammy Here, he has assembled the E-Collective passion, and also gathers influences from award in 1992, and again in Y2k when the band to explore a world of groovy fusions, many cultures to round off the complexity of second act called Jazzpańa II appeared. Now funky harmonies and R&B plethora. Right human affection. it has been revived again some 15 years later: from the opening bars, the version of Les It uses songs from around the world, when the Live tour hit the festivals its success McCann’s standard Comparing to What rides sometimes with original lyrics, like the was guaranteed. What started as a fusion of straight over the unsuspecting listener’s head Scottish Loch Tay Boat Song, or U2’s Where Jazz and Flamenco Nuevo stars two decades and takes no prisoners. With the phrasing of The Streets Have No Name. Those perfect back has continued to evolve, as has life itself, the trumpet howling and the band following examples have cultural contexts deeply but it has never lost its freshness or natural in a funky manner, P.J. Morton’s vocal brings anchored in tradition, but the artist’s vitality. to mind Prince and The Revolution at their makeover give them a completely new life, Without getting into the details, it’s best. Even his voice has a similar timbre. And and to take things even further he often sings obvious that the world we live in now has no I’ve not even mentioned the choirs, which will in original languages, like Portuguese Voce borders. Whether it’s Flamenco, Fiesta, Sol, come as a real surprise to the jazz fan, Ja Foi A Bahia, or Spanish Si Te Contara. or all the Jazz styles, it’s all there: sparkling, This is a versatile and eclectic project That gives the listener a chance to explore a vivid and communicating with today’s that is really easy to enjoy, and the more song through the specific feelings of various listener. With a line up based on familiar and time spent listening to it reveals ever greater nations. highly eloquent names, the entire band is like intellectual layers. Even for the dance-floor From love’s first discovery, through a a bulldozer going through a young forest. there is plenty that is fit for purpose. As routine of sadness to the mature acceptation Simply unstoppable. always with Blanchard I like both his respect of the life as it is, this miraculous album is When I bought the original Jazzpańa for tradition and his rare ability to make not only a journey through life and love’s when it first appeared I was just undergoing things sound fresh, even discounting his twisted paths, but also explores many of the transition from rock music moth to Jazz spectacular skills as an arranger. differences of human nature. The complexity butterfly. It opened my mind and shaped It is often difficult to handle controversial of life meets the complexity of the various me, so today, as I am writing these words, I subjects, but for me this recording is an Jazz styles mixed together here – too many cannot be more grateful. absolute revelation and the most important to list, but enough to show Jazz’s incredible thing in American popular music since the vitality and ability to blend with everything Rap movement in the 1980s ultimately else (just like love and life). And he didn’t spawned groups like Public Enemy. The even scat once. meaning here is similar, but the texture is rather different.

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