New Release Round-up,
Jazz New Release Round-Up - 15th November 2019
Interesting new releases just keep piling up at the moment, to the extent that it's sometimes a job finding time to properly listen to them all. There's a strong Japanese theme this week, with my Recording of the Week going to Eri Yamamoto's lush choral jazz piece Goshu Ondo Suite, and an excellent new release from Genzo Okabe and his quartet. There are also albums from Terri Lyne Carrington and her new group Social Science, fusing jazz, hip-hop, classical and world music, Craig Brann's tonal explorations on The Twelve, acoustic guitar duets from Charles Rumback and Ryley Walker, and Emilia Martensson's thoughtful Loredana.
This is the debut recording from Terri Lyne Carrington’s new band, Social Science, and stands as her commentary on current social and political issues. It's one of Carrington's most ambitious and inventive projects, expressing ‘an inclusive and compassionate view of humanity's common bonds through an eclectic program melding jazz, R&B, classic and indie rock, free improvisation, hip-hop and contemporary classical music’. Carrington’s drumming is as inventive and funky as ever.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
London-based Swedish vocalist Emilia Martensson's fourth LP Loredana is an introspective journey through the adversity and wilderness of the term ‘Mother’. A winning combination of Scandinavian folk, jazz and art pop, tracks range from the swathes of dreamy strings and pockets of brass instrumentation on opening number Arm Ourselves (Against Ourselves) to the delicate electronics of Weariest River.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
Genzo Okabe is a Japanese saxophonist who moved to Italy and then settled in the Netherlands and formed the Okabe Family, with whom he performs here. I’ve been enjoying his freewheeling approach to the quartet form, with plenty of catchy tunes in an involving set.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The title The Twelve on Craig Brann’s fifth album for Steeplechase refers to both the 12-bar blues and the chromatic scale; his use of the latter gives a slightly woozy sense of tonality, sliding in and out of focus on some of these tracks - but in a good way! Freddie Hendrix’s trumpet is a highlight, bright as a bell and cleanly articulated no matter how fast the tempo. They can also do slower, amiable pieces too, as on Sheol Song, where Ethan Herr’s piano really shines, but on the whole this is pulsing, consistently inspired post-bop.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
Please see my full Recording of the Week review here
Available Format: CD
Matt Groom - Head of Jazz
