New Release Round-up,
Jazz New Release Round-Up - 24th September 2020
Welcome to the Presto Jazz new release round-up, where I’ve been looking back over some of the latest releases from the past few weeks. We’ve got a couple of new releases from ECM; Polish pianist Dominik Wania gives us some evocative solo piano, while bassist Michel Benita comes to us with some moody tunes inspired by the sounds of his bandmate’s Fender Rhodes. The legendary recording, John Coltrane’s Giant Steps, also celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and has been reissued as a special deluxe edition with extra tracks and is lovingly packaged. Bassist Orlando le Fleming has a new recording out on Whirlwind with his electric jazz ensemble Romantic Funk, while bandoneon player Paulo Russo has a new record with his Overland quartet. Two of this week’s releases also feature reworkings and reimaginings of past works; Tim Garland’s latest album ReFocus sees the saxophonist and composer reimagining the Stan Getz classic Focus, while Manchester trumpeter Graham South showcases his interpretations of the same African-American spirituals from Michael Tippett’s ‘A Child of Our Time’ for jazz quartet.
Following his recordings with the saxophonist Maciej Obara’s quartet, Polish pianist Dominik Wania’s latest record is a collection of solo works for piano. While drawing on his background in classical music with its tone and texture, the work itself is totally improvised. The work itself is at least in part inspired by the recording venue Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, and its piano’s storied history; the piano has been used by contemporaries like Tigran Hamasyan as well as the likes of Martha Argerich. Lonely Shadows makes for a beautiful collection of evocative pieces, likely to delight both classical and jazz fans alike.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Bassist Michel Benita also has some new sounds out on ECM this week. Featuring a revised quartet with flugelhorn player Matthieu Michel and drummer Philippe Garcia from his previous band, the new addition of keyboardist Jozef Dumoulin completes the quartet. It was Dumoulin’s Fender Rhodes, in fact, that inspired much of Benita’s music for the record, excited by the spacey, swirling sounds of the vintage keyboard. Looking at Sounds features mostly Benita originals with these atmospheric Rhodes sounds at its centre, with the rest of the band playing in these wide, washy landscapes.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
John Coltrane’s classic record Giant Steps celebrates its 60th anniversary this year with an attractive deluxe edition. Both versions include extra tracks of alternate studio takes and the CD version comes with a 24-page booklet.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
The vinyl edition deliberately mimics the original 1969 stereo pressing in its packaging, and also includes a 12-page booklet.
Available Format: 2 Vinyl Records
Bassist Orlando le Fleming and his band Romantic Funk’s latest recording is some fast, furious funk-induced fusion. Led by Fleming’s punchy electric bass and Pastorius-evoking style, Romantic Funk do an exceedingly good job at keeping up the pace with these frenetic tunes. In deliberate defiance of the digital age - where endless retakes and tinkering can be easily done - The Unfamiliar was all recorded live over a two-day period, leaving ample space for the band to play off each other.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
Composer and saxophonist Tim Garland has worked with everyone from the London Philharmonic Orchestra to Chick Corea. Garland’s approach on ReFocus is a reimagining of the Stan Getz classic Focus, originally released in 1962. Rather than a straight cover of the whole album - though it does begin with a cover of ‘I’m Late, I’m Late’ - Garland instead captures the spirit of Focus as well as the contemporary sounds of the 60’s; particularly the decade’s film music and other jazz sounds.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Bandoneon and occasional pianist Paolo Russo’s projects straddle the genre lines of moody Nordic jazz, classical and Argentinian tango. After the success of his 2019 record Overland, Russo reunites with his jazz quartet for Playground, a similarly varied record of tense piano and bandoneon duets, nostalgic jazz tunes, romantic waltzes and unpredictable improvisations.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Something of a long-awaited debut from the prolific Manchester-based trumpeter, By and By is a collection of African-American spirituals, the same that feature in Michael Tippett’s oratorio ‘A Child of Our Time’. South aims to pay respects not only to Tippett’s arrangements of the spirituals, but also to the historical significance of the music itself, originating as songs of African-American slaves. The very liberal interpretations of these spirituals demand attention, and By and By is far from a casual listen, though those familiar with the Tippett originals may find comparing South’s versions with those in ‘Child of Our Time’ interesting.
Available Format: CD
Joshua Lee - Jazz Content
