Change is the guiding force of this month’s selections. That’s not a particularly novel characteristic in the grand scheme of the modern jazz scene, as it seems like every new month is the next stage of the music’s evolution. But in the context of this particular column, there’s meaning to be drawn from the observation. Nearly all of the inclusions are from musicians whose current recording is a departure from what came before. In some instances, it’s a small change and, perhaps, even foreseen. For others, it’s out of the blue. Not sure I would have it any other way.
John Lurie
Painting With John
2 x Vinyl LP
The modern jazz scene wouldn’t have gotten to where it is today without John Lurie. Back in the ’80s, his ensemble Lounge Lizards shaped a distinctive sound that was also chameleonic in nature. Yes, it was jazz—but also kind of not, and sometimes not at all. He went where the music took him, and if that meant occasionally going into some other music’s backyard, well, he’d slip through the fence posts to get where he needed to be. That kind of approach is significant in the context of today’s scene, where the concept of jazz is often a vehicle for arriving at a sonic destination that has yet to be named. It’s something that drives the genre fetishists insane, but a fortuitous outcome for fans of unconventional, inventive music. All of that preamble segues nicely into the latest recording from Lurie, which behaves as something of an encapsulation of music that reaches back to his early days and follows the route to now. If this is your introduction to Lurie’s music, then I strongly recommend checking out the Lounge Lizard’s Voice of Chunk next. Released in 1989, it was a stunning vision of what jazz and improvised music could one day become; and looking over the modern jazz scene, it’s clear that vision was shared by others.
Cassie Kinoshi’s seed.
gratitude
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
What? No! That was my reaction when Cassie Kinoshi’s seed.’s album Gratitude reached its conclusion. Over too soon! And it still is. Kinoshi’s commissioned suite—bringing together a spectrum of musicians from the London Contemporary Orchestra to turntablist NikNak—is never short of breathtaking. At times a deluge of gorgeous harmonies, and other times nurturing the most tender melodic seeds, Kinoshi guides the ensemble to arguably my favorite album, thus far, of 2024.
Eva Novoa
Novoa / Gress / Gray Trio, Vol. 1
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
At its heart, Eva Novoa’s latest is a straightforward modern piano trio recording. But as the musicians traverse the hallway from first note to last, Novoa throws doors open, gesturing off into the distance at directions and places ripe for exploration. One door leads to an old-school jazz session, another to a place where all structure folds under pressure of randomness, and others leading to a cosmic landscape with electronics like fauna spreading uncontrollably. Ultimately, the trio of pianist Eva Novoa, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Devin Gray stay the course—which may, in fact, be why their succession of what ifs resonate so powerfully.
Trio HLK
Anthropometricks
Compact Disc (CD), 2 x Vinyl LP
Trio HLK’s 2018 release Standard Time wasn’t just limited to their imaginative deconstruction of jazz standards, it also gave a lasting impression of reincarnation, of giving new life to old sounds. It’s an approach that also yields success on their newest, and their description of the title track as a “highly encrypted recomposition of Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘Anthropology’” is symbolic of the trio’s forward-thinking focus.
Christopher Hoffman
Vision is the Identity
Vinyl LP, Sweater/Hoodie,
Based on Christopher Hoffman’s established association with Henry Threadgill’s Zooid, as well as the cellist’s bird-of-a-feather 2021 release Asp Nimbus, listeners might understandably have certain expectations of the way Vision is the Identity would sound. Hoffman would like to have a word with those expectations. The cellist’s latest steamrolls all of them with a strong electronic music influence and a focused, driven, rhythmic attitude. Melodically, the ensemble throws out some feints and misdirects, but more often than not, it lands right near the spot it had pointed to at the outset. Hoffman’s core is a trio with keyboardist Frank LoCrasto and drummer Bill Campbell, but adds some nifty guest appearances by Henry Threadgill, Anna Webber, Ryan Scott, and Alfredo Colón (on wind instruments, guitar, and EWI respectively).
Julieta Eugenio
STAY
On Stay, the trio of tenor saxophonist Julieta Eugenio, drummer Jonathan Barber, and bassist Matt Dwonszyk perform their acrobatics within a tight space. It creates a scenario where any time one musician goes out on a limb, the others stay joined at the hip. So when Dwonszyk’s bass mimics the sensation of vines crawling up the side of a building, Eugenio’s sax is dangling nearby from the fire escape while Barber’s drums bring definition to every brick in the façade. Keyboardist Leo Genovese guests on two tracks, and if we could bottle up the warmth they generate on “Breath I” and “Breath II” and spread it across the world, the uplift would be astonishing.
Signe Emmeluth
BANSHEE
Vinyl LP
In light of how this album is composed of heavy doses of old-school avant-garde, new school jazz, no-school electronic music, and all-schools Nordic folk, Banshee almost shouldn’t have come together this seamlessly. Some of the success is certainly attributable to Signe Emmeluth’s track record of bringing a semblance of sanity to sonic instability. But this feels like more than that. There’s a sense of force of vision at play here, of sheer willpower to manifest a vision in the recording studio. This music flutters wildly up into the air, it attains a propulsion that dances upon air currents, it fearlessly dives back down to the earth, swooping back up one thrilling moment after the next. For this session, Emmeluth’s septet consists of an array of percussion, wind instruments, and electronics. It embraces drama. It dishes out caprice.
De Beren Gieren
What Eludes Us
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
With De Beren Gieren, you often get the impression of musicians who are easily distracted—who toss aside the agreed-upon roadmap for a particular song and embark on the path of an entirely different one that happens to be nearby…and then another one after that, all in the space of a single album track. For those unfamiliar with the music of this Ghent, Belgium-based trio, that might seem like a hot mess. Instead, it’s the recipe for unpredictability, excitement, and uncontrollable smiles. With pianist-keyboardist Fulco Ottervanger, bass player Lieven Van Pée, and drummer Simon Segers, the trio’s frenetic minimalism—cut through with interludes of raw melodicism—is as likely to appeal to fans of Hauschka as it might Christian Wallumrød, Cinematic Orchestra as it would Jaga Jazzist.
Trish Clowes & Ross Stanley
Journey to Where
Compact Disc (CD), 2 x Vinyl LP
This is just sublime. Recorded at London’s Wigmore Hall, tenor saxophonist Trish Clowes and pianist Ross Stanley perform with the unwavering intimacy of two musicians locked together in thought, where the spontaneous inspirations of one are preternaturally predicted by the other. They nurture melodies that stretch on for miles, maintaining a presence even when their rhythmic dialogue surges to the forefront. Though straight-ahead and delivered with a simplicity of voice, it conveys the complexity of meaning, the intricacy of emotion. If life has mercilessly beaten you down, here is the reprieve you need before turning things around.
Ill Considered
Precipice
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Ill Considered’s cult following is directly attributable to their thrilling live performance recordings. While it’s impossible to fully capture in a recording the electricity flowing between musicians and audience, Ill Considered come damn close to pulling it off. Their newest recording is a stripped down version of that experience. This studio album is the burgeoning intensity of a fuse slowly burning in the lead-up to the big explosion.
Rajesh Mehta’s Sky Cage Quartet
Malagasy Breath
Compact Disc (CD), 7" Vinyl
Tension reigns on Malagasy Breath. It’s the sound of voices crying out in the night. It’s unseen forces rising up and making their presence felt. The music is sparse and, occasionally, it sighs peaceably. Rajesh Mehta’s use of hybrid trumpets and extensions leads to a sound that is positively riveting. Violinist Georges-Emmanuel Schneider cuts through the trumpet cries, then burrows live electronics through the fissures. Chad Popple’s percussion and tabla rustles at the edges, hinting at form and structure, while the electric guitar and electronics from Keith O’Brien point in an entirely different direction. The more I listen to this recording, the more I wonder how it’ll sound next.
Ian Carey & Wood Metal Plastic
Strange Arts
Compact Disc (CD)
The abiding musical personality of Ian Carey’s seven-piece ensemble Wood Metal Plastic recording is that of chamber jazz. The tension that results from guiding it into modern jazz and free improv territory is what makes Strange Arts so engrossing. When the influences of modern jazz hit, they resonate like streaks of sunlight through a cloudy sky. And the free improv influence causes an enticingly slow unraveling of structure, in that way a drop of blood gracefully spreads through a pool of water.
Other Albums of Note:
UK-based label Edition Records assembled a super-group quartet of saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Brad Mehldau, double bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade for a nifty straight-ahead session. Just by way of being an influential ensemble for 50 years is reason enough for celebration, but seeing as how Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is as vibrant as ever, it almost feels like the 50-plateau is merely a rest stop along the way to greater heights. The Elephant trio’s borderline ambient jazz recording is plenty mesmerizing, particularly how it’s manifested via vibraphone, trumpet, and percussion. Saxophonist Ayumi Ishito’s Roboquarians trio with guitarist George Draguns and drummer Kevin Shea runs on pure rocket fuel. And in a modern jazz scene where individuality of sound is commonplace, Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones ensemble is perhaps most distinctive of them all.
