jazz

The twitterverse is getting crowded, here are some of our latest finds: @Western Vinyl label home to Balmorhea, Composer @Rhys Chatham, @Sawako, @Hypnotic Brass Band, @Pauline Oliveros

Just to mark this point in time, in which I’m feeling quite relaxed with the sun shining on my balcony and I have a peace of mind, and it feels great. Off Dave Pike’s Manhattan Latin album

Strong contender for the best album of the year In the Country’s “Whiteout” is transcendal music at its best. Norwegian trios third album on Rune Grammofon is a one-of-a-kind mixture of contemporary jazz (or post-jazz) progressive music and classical composition.

One of the most advanced new generation jazz composer/players is undoubtedly NYC’s Steve Lehman. In fact he can easily be singled out as the most exciting in recent years. His newest album Travail, Transformation and Flow on Pi Records continues to explore the idiosyncratic Lehman sound familiar from 2007’s “On Meaning“, with 8 people this time.

From Oakland, California, Edmund Welles: The Bass Clarinet Quartet invented and engineered their so-called “heavy chamber music”. Four bass clarinettes and no other instruments! Debut review from our friend Caglar Kanzik / Etrafta.

Bright and cheerful selection inspired by bright blue skies and white fluffy clouds. We have tracks from Christian Prommer, Nomo, Pat Metheny, Chaz Jankel and Horst Jankowski! Come inside!

Continuing in the vein of the last few albums of accessible John Zorn material is Filmworks #23: El General original score to a documentary about the controversial Mexican dictator Plutarco Elias Calles from the early 20th century. El General is a welcome departure from klezmer to latino tinged music reminiscent of a cinematic and dramatic Los Cubanos Postizos mixed with The Dreamers.

Belonging to a new generation of jazz artists that are slowly taking over the contemporary jazz world 30 year old trumpeter Corey Wilkes has successfully finished his up and coming stage which included graduating from Berklee, playing with the likes of Roscoe Mitchell, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Coleman and replacing the late Lester Bowie on the ranks of the immortal Art Ensemble of Chicago.