New Release Round-up,
Jazz New Release Round-Up - 23rd April 2021
For this week’s jazz releases round-up, we kick things off with a triple-bill of new ECM releases from Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey; trio Thomas Strønen, Ayumi Tanaka and Marthe Lea; and vocalist/kantele player Sinikka Langeland. Vocalist Sachal Vasandani and pianist Romain Collin revel in the simplicity of a piano and voice duet, Danish vocalist Lilly sings a selection of American Songbook classics, and finally pianist Simon Denizart and percussionist Elli Miller Maboungou offer up the intricate NOMAD.
Pianist Vijay Iyer leads a trio joined by bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, playing a selection of original Iyer repertoire as well as Cole Porter’s ‘Night and Day’ and Gerri Allen’s ‘Drummer’s Song’, with the original material spanning two decades of Iyer’s career. The trio’s ECM debut also makes a stand with some fiercely sociopolitical song titles, with equally spirited improvisation to match.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Available Format: 2 Vinyl Records
Drummer Thomas Strønen and pianist Ayumi Tanaka already have some collaborative history as part of the ensemble Time Is a Blind Guide’s album Lucus in 2019, and clarinetist Marthe Lea also joins the proceedings on Bayou making for a trio session. Equally as sparse as it is spontaneous, the entire record was written in the studio space by the trio, with the exception of ‘Bayou’, based on a traditional Norwegian piece.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Available Format: Vinyl Record
Integrating the sounds of folk hymns and traditional Norwegian music, vocalist kantele (a traditional plucked Finnish instrument) player Sinikka Langeland’s solo record Wolf Rune is an ode to the natural landscapes of her home country, hailing from Finnskogen (‘Forest of the Finns’). Recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in 2019, Langeland’s compositions are spacious, vast, and beautifully minimal.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The product of months of prolonged isolation, Midnight Shelter is the resulting record by vocalist Sachal Vasandani and pianist Romain Collin. A warm and uncomplicated record, Vasandani and Collin revel in the simplicity of the subdued piano and vocal duo. The choice of tunes spans many genres and eras; you’ll hear Harry Styles side-by-side with Nick Drake’s ‘River Man’, The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ and Wayne Shorter’s ‘Dance Cadaverous’.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Danish vocalist Lilly (aka Lilly-Ann Hertzman) sings a selection from the Great American Songbook alongside a familiar collaborator, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, and trumpeter Kirk Knuffke. Hertzman’s vocals sit neatly in the spotlight as Hekselman provides unobtrusive accompaniment, Knuffke’s trumpet sometimes politely entering the space. With past recordings mostly consisting of original material (though a Hertzman original also appears on this new album), The Song Is You sees Lilly celebrating her love of these old songs, having been significant parts of her musical upbringing.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
This collaboration between pianist Simon Denizart and percussionist Elli Miller Maboungou sounds bigger than the sum of its parts. Denizart is a skilled pianist, while Maboungou’s additions provide some welcome intricacies to these already highly rhythmic pieces, while also making use of synthesisers and some well-placed reverb for some brilliant atmospheres.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Joshua Lee - Jazz Content
