Another dear friend of the blog, Samo Salamon from Slovenia, brings along a few friends for a well-done, gorgeously recorded improvisational album. Joining Salamon on this disc are Emanuele Parrini on violin and Vasco Trilla on drums and percussion. From Samo’s Bandcamp site: “A great improvising trio session of three Continue Reading
Jazz
Lucy Khanyan Quartet – Komitas Through the Eyes of Lucy Khanyan Quartet
Soghomon Soghomonian, the priest, ethnomusicologist and arranger who would be later known to millions of Armenian music aficionados as Komitas (Vardapet), is a figure who looms large in the history of the country’s music scene. Avant-garde pianist Lucy Khanyan does great justice to some of the works of Komitas, interpreting Continue Reading
Various Artists – Hip Holland Hip : Modern Jazz In The Netherlands 1950 – 1970
The Netherlands is a country so incredibly rich with music, yet they do an awful jon promoting it. Welcome, then, to the wild world of Dutch jazz, courtesy of Belgian label Sdban Records. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Delve into the Dutch jazz scene of the 1950s and 1960s with Continue Reading
Michał Urbaniak – Decadence – (Soundtrack Album)
Though this disc was released in 2014, this long-forgotten soundtrack has the sound of something from the 1980s. Michał Urbaniak is, of course, in fine form here, and it’s good to see he’s releasing a lot of material, both new and archival, on Bandcamp.
Cathrine Legardh, Sigurdur Flosason – Stilhed & Storm
Nordic jazz tends to be very warm in my experience. This collection of original tunes by Danish singer Cathrine Legardh and her sparring partner on this album, alto saxophonist Sigurður Flosason, make an album with songs of love, live and even dogs. It’s a mellow listen, something hotter than cool Continue Reading
Leisure Time 閒暇 – Normal Music
Taiwanese band Leisure Time 閒暇 produce a music that sits in that hazy area between real and fake jazz. I think the quote the band used by the legendary Donald Fagen of Steely Dan sums up their sound best: “There was sort of cheap music, tv music, movie music. By Continue Reading
Pray For Your Prey – Pray For Your Prey
At least as I understand it, there is a magnificent label out of Greece, Defkaz, releasing some really fine free jazz and world music. This particular album features one name whose work I’m very familiar with – the Hungarian drummer Balázs Pándi, who is magnificent. After hearing him work with Continue Reading
Christophe Rieger/H.J. Ayala – Mexican Spleen
Longtime friend of the blog Hector Javier Ayala collaborates with saxophonist Christophe Rieger to produce a slow, languid jazz album which has reference points in spaghetti western soundtracks and bossa nova, as well a touch of music from Mexico.
Joe Williams – Can’t Resist You – My Summer Love
This is simply a masterpiece. Joe Williams was one of the most lauded voice in the big band era, and worked with legends like Lionel Hampton and Count Basie. From Nagel Hayer’s Bandcamp site: “Simply one of the greatest Jazz or even Blues vocal albums of all time. Joe Williams Continue Reading
Ayako Shinozaki – Music Now For Harp
Great news, yet again, has been provided to us by our dear friends at Wewantsounds! From their Bandcamp site: “Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first international reissue of Ayako Shinozaki’s hard to find LP “Music Now For Harp” released in 1974 by Nippon Columbia. The LP was released on Continue Reading