New Release Round-up,
Jazz New Release Round-up - 21st July, 2023
Well, we certainly have plenty of good picks for you this week! Setting the ball rolling, there's a new album, Hyperreal, from Finnish pianist Aki Rissanen (pictured above) and his rather loopy trio. The bassist Mark Lewandowski celebrates the musical legacy of Billie Holiday on A Bouquet (for Lady Day), while internationally-acclaimed musicians Enrico Pieranunzi and Bert Joris honour their musical mentor, Chet Baker, with Chet Remembered. In other news, there's the spectacularly spooky Postcards of Nostalgia from Matt Choboter, and the duo of pianist William Evans and bass-player Roberto Koch take us on their Quiet Journey. Lastly, we include the new anthology release of classic Sonny Rollins cuts entitled Go West!, which features recordings made right before the tenor titan took his fabled hiatus from performing in the late fifties.
Longtime Edition-artist Rissanen returns with an intriguing album of ethereal nature. Along with the sprightly trumpet lines of Verneri Pohjola and the cavorting breakbeats of drummer Robert Ikiz, expect a raucously inventive trip, from start to finish. Marking the shift from piano to electric keyboards, the cavorting Finnish musician expertly leads his ensemble as they showcase their funky and unusual chops in a manner surpassing expectations of a three-piece lineup.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Having sat in with the Mingus Big Band, it’s been a short ride to success for the Nottingham-born bassist, now based in New York. Following in the same vein as his debut album, Waller (2017), an inspired tribute to the music of the great Fats, his follow-up release reimagines the historical repertoire of another legend in the form of Billie Holiday. With the bewitching Heidi Vogel lending her pipes to classics such as ‘Lady Sings The Blues’ and ‘Left Alone’, this recording effortlessly soars in a fresh approach to these timeless standards.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The dazzling pairing of Italian pianist and composer Periannunzi and the internationally-renowned performer Bert Joris could not have been more fitting as the experienced players, along with the help of Frankfurt’s hr-Bigband, pay homage to their mutual mentor. Calling to mind the European sojourn that took place towards the winter of the late American trumpeter’s life, the ensemble takes us back to 1979, an era which saw the first encounter between the master and students. A top-class affair celebrating Baker, one of the purest talents in jazz.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
We don’t always review albums featuring music for microtonal prepared-piano in this department, but then again there aren’t many artists who fall between the cracks of avant-jazz, contemporary classical and electronic music in the way Matt Choboter does. A haunting journey of speculative reflection, this psychological experience poses as many questions as it does answers… Not one for the faint of heart!
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Navigating a setlist that ranges from the Great American Songbook to Jobim’s saudade-tinged bossa nova with melodic flair and lyrical precision alike, this album is a softly immersive sequence of songs that feel, somehow, eternal. Drummer Jorge Rossy shows up for a brief but vigorous display of passion, underpinning a pair of tunes explored in a refreshing trio setting. However, it’s the sensitive dynamic of the two core players, both akin to their partner’s feel and touch in equal measure, that radiates here.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
As mentioned in last week’s round-up, this box-set highlights the sporadic bursts of activity the legendary tenorist made for Lester Koenig’s label, Contemporary Records, on the West Coast between 1957-58. Newly cut from the original analogue tapes and featuring unheard alternate takes, revisit these classic albums that highlight a charming candour from Rollins as he ‘strolls’ over the reliable chordless accompaniment of bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne with resplendent freedom and ease.
Available Formats: 3 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
Barney Whittaker
