jazz2love

Album:  Quartet Vol 1 Artist:  Takeshi Asai Label:  Fono Bono Records Websites:  http://www.takeshiasai.com http://epk.takeshiasai.com/ Pianist-composer Takeshi Asai puts modern day sagas to music.  His latest release Quartet Vol 1 from Fono Bono Records parlays a string of stories into emotionally stirring compositions that incite audiences to reflect, to escape, and to daydream.  A savant at creating atmospheric soundscapes, Asai encapsulates decades of experiences into 9 original tracks, each expressive and each a log taken from a memoir. Upbeat and sublime, "Minor Holiday" brandishes a bopping groove tailored by bass player Bob Gingery and drummer Brian Woodruff, as Hashem Assadullahi's alto sax dazzles with improvised chord patterns.  Asai's keys joins in the cheerful mood with a pulsating vamp, culminatiing into a gamut of pyrotechnics.  The recording slows to a daydreamy atmosphere through "On-Hold Music." as Assadullahi's sax weaves lounging fur

Album:  Boptism Christmas Artist:  Rich Willey Label: Boptism Music Website: https://tinyurl.com/BopXmas https://boptism.com Call it old fashion, call it nostalgic but whatever people call holiday tunes garbed in traditional swing fixings and classic jazz decor, it is just what the soul needs.  Trumpet player Rich Willey tweaks an assortment of Christmas fan favorites with his own handcrafted stylizing and signature champagne-imbued cheer on his release Boptism Christmas .  Willey shines a spotlight on everything good about swing jazz.  He is endearingly the Lawrence Welk of his day. Willey's bubbly trumpet toots flutter and furl smoothly across "Silver Bells" as the smoky fumes of Alex Taub's organ embellish the liveliness surging along the melodic progression.  The fluid motion of Taub's keys cruising languidly along "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is accentuated by the soft undulations of Andy Page's guitar, creating a tranquil atmosphere

Album:  Gotham Artist:  Wayne Alpern Label:  Henri Elkan Music Website:  https://www.waynealpern.com Arranger, composer and bandleader Wayne Alpern has made substantial and meaningful contributions to the jazz emporium, and he continues go strong.  His 2024 release Gotham brings together elements of R&B, classic jazz, and sultry Latin swing to enhance a selection of classic standards.  Combined with his melodic sensibilities, the recording pulls the listener into Alpern's world of merrymaking and solemn reflection. The playful interaction of the horns cleated by a swinging Latin beat along "Desafinado," authored by Antonio Carlos Jobim, filament a lively mood and produce an elevating experience.  Turning reflective and amorous, Wayne's reimagination of "Norwegian Wood," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, opens with breathy guitar strings punctuated by the balmy riffs of the horns.  The smooth waltzing motion of the rhythmic beats are inviting, c

Album:  Owl Dreams Artist:  Dharma Down Label: Dharma Down Records DD001 Website: www.dharmadown.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/dharmadownband Instagram: www.instagram.com/dharmadownband/ Sensual and exotic, the music of Dharma Down shines a spotlight on the confluence of Arabic rhythms, folkloric tableaus, Eastern European vibrations, and modern jazz idioms.  Comprised of Duncan Hardy on alto saxophone and qanun, Mike Effenberger on piano, Scott Kiefner on acoustic bass, and John Mettam on drums, Dharma Down's debut recording Owl Dreams fascinates the listener's imagination and arouses positive sensations.  From the Klezmatic character of Hardy's vibrant raptures on the saxophone sprinting across "Bubu Jinn" to the tingling ripples of his performance on the Qanun, forming a swiveling motion through "Jalla Man," the experience is a veritable treat into lively dreamscapes.  The original scores are animated portraits of middle eastern music paired with mo

Album: Clement Kovalcheck Hamar Artist: Clement/Kovalcheck/Hamar Trio Label:  Self-Released Websites:  www.dawnclement.com https://www.kovalcheckmusic.com/ https://jonhamar.com/ The drummerless trio of pianist Dawn Clement, guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, and bass player Jon Hamar demonstrate a charming rapport that highlights their lyrical sensibilities and penchant for harmonious motifs, comprised of improvised turns and wayfaring musings.  The trio's latest release Clement Kovalcheck Hamar indulges their exploratory natures with all original compositions, probing and traversing in a winsome spirit as they form melodic patterns that send them wandering merrily. From the complex entanglements of "Blind" and the somber passages of "Spirit Spin" to the elegant soundscapes of "Lazy Dragon" and the balmy rhumba flare of "Paseo del Mar," the trio's sense of rhythm keeps the listener engaged.  The bebop pulse of "Hard Ball" is steep in

Album:  Descriptions of Useless Subtitles and Meaningful Sublimations Artists: Renato Diz and Peter Traunmueller Label:  W&J Productions Websites:  https://www.wjproductionsllc.com/artists/renato-diz-peter-traunmueller https://renatodizpetertraunmueller.bandcamp.com/album/descriptions-of-useless-subtitles-and-meaningful-sublimations  https://www.petertraunmueller.com Descriptions of Useless Subtitles and Meaningful Sublimations from keyboardist-composer Renato Diz and drummer-composer Peter Traunmueller is a multi-faceted project with José Diogo Neves mixing and mastering their recording. The project consists of their original recording along with an 18-page book of poems by the same title and authored by Diz and Traunmueller.  The book contains original black and white drawings by Pedro Marnoto to accompany each poem and corresponding track.  The three-fold project combines sound, poetry and visual, forming an unique "ecosystem," in the words of the book's authors.