jazz2love

Album:  Unfoldings Ian Wardenski Quintet Label Name: Self-Released Website:  http://ianwardenski.com https://ianwardenskiquintet.hearnow.com Unfoldings is the third offering from Ian Wardenski Quintet, featuring Wardenski's wife, soprano vocalist Tamara Tucker.   The recording is a five-movement suite composed by guitarist Wardenski.  Joining him are alto saxophonist Mercedes Beckman, pianist Savino Palumbo, bassist Amy Shook, and drummer Frank Russo.  Experimenting with rhythmic patterns and phrasing, Wardenski illustrates his leanings as a theorist, integrating erratic movements and constructs that randomly shift.  The compositions are orderly in a sporadic and chaotic fashion with instruments spreading, spiraling, flaring and withdrawing in an arbitrary formation. Tumultuous and fiery, "Movement I" is orderly chaos with each musician inputing dynamic verses to the cooperative.   Shook opens "Movement II" with bowing bass lines, which are ...

Album:  The World and Its People Artist:  Yosef Gutman Levitt Label:  Soul Song Label Website:  https://yosefgutman.com Bassist and composer Yosef Gutman Levitt of Jerusalem releases his latest offering, The World and Its People , available from Levitt’s recently formed Soul Song imprint.  Leading a drum-less, chamber-jazz-newgrass foursome influenced in part by The Goat Rodeo Sessions with Chris Thile, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan, Levitt delivers a collection of atmospheric melodies and spiritual renderings that have a soothing effect on the listener. The tracks are Levitt's original works cowritten and arranged by producer Gilad Ronen, with meaningful contributions from Levitt’s close musical associates Tal Yahalom on nylon and steel string acoustic guitars, Omri Mor on piano and Yoed Nir on cello.  Pairing elements of orchestral spirituals, country dance, Indian-Asian folkloric, ambient jazz, and improvisation, the quartet dazzles the listen...

Album:  Conspiracy Deliracy Artist:  Andrew Binder Label:  Self-Released Website:  andrewbindermusic.com Conspiracy Deliracy , the creation of bass player, composer and leader Andrew Binder, makes interesting commentaries about American culture both conceptually and musically.  A fusion of bop, blues, funk, improvisation, and cool jazz, many of the arrangements are reharmonized contrafacts, reimagining original works and revealing the inner workings of Binder's mind and ingenuity.  His music makes commentaries about current events and popular impressions fashioned from whittling improvised phrases, structured motifs and bop-inspired patterns that bridge traditional jazz with a modern day mindset. Examining “Mandela Effect,” named after South Africa's late president, Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013, the music is a light, fluffy assemble as the delicate feathering of Brian Stark's flute is encircled by Binder's soft bass pluckings. “Rush for Area 51” is styl...

Album:  Battle Lines Artist:  Steve Fidyk Label:  Blue Canteen Website:  https://www.bluecanteenmusic.com Battle Lines, the forthcoming release led by drummer Steve Fidyk is a reflection of the music that has been in his life as an avid fan of various styles of jazz and as a participating musician and composer to the craft.  His musical experiences have spanned from being a featured soloist with the Army Blues Big Band based in Washington, DC to performing in small groups led by tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and guitarist Jack Wilkins, and more recently performing with the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia led by trumpeter Terell Stafford.  For Battle Lines , Fidyk is supported by Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Xavier Perez on tenor saxophone, Peter Zak on piano, and Michael Karn on bass.  Their effort unites several decades of jazz music, bringing familiar traditions into the 21st century. The quintet's interpretation of Eddie Harris' bebop score "Ign...

Album:  Two Hands To Tango Artist:  Hakon Skogstad Label:  Avantango Records Website:  www.hmskogstad.net The dramatic lines and multi-textured progressions performed by pianist Hakon Skogstad on his latest recording Two Hands To Tango vacillate between the frolicking stride of “Milonga Impromptu” and the intense tone of “Tango Del Angel.”  A promising Beethoven, Chopin, Bartók, Hakon Skogstad puts his entire being into his improvisations, playing the piano with a level of passion and lyricism that bards like Shakespeare and Moliere put into their storytelling. The jostling action in the notes creates an oscillating motion through “Sur,” producing an agile mixture with lots of swerving and swiveling.  Conversely, the even keel in the carriage of “Norte” harvests a stream of warm sensations, performing a variation of the tango rhythm.  One hand plays notes that form perforating dings while the other hand moves in smooth, cruising lines across “Tris...