Hailu Mergia: Yene Mircha

While Mulatu Astatke is the musician most widely associated with the creation of Ethio-jazz, fellow keyboardist Hailu Mergia is among other significant figures. Astatke is best known overseas because he was the most outward looking of Ethio-jazz's first generation, studying at London's Trinity College of Music and Boston's Berklee College of Music and making his first records in New York in 1966. Mergia by comparison has always looked in the main to Ethiopian traditional music for vocabulary and form. In this respect he resembles his contemporary, the tenor saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya, whose excoriating style, which could make Albert Ayler sound like Candy Dulfer, was developed in total isolation from Impulse! or ESP releases and indeed jazz of any stripe.

Mergia relocated from Addis Ababa to Washington DC in the 1980s, but this did not immediately increase his overseas profile. Instead of seeking access to the US music scene he worked for many years as a cab driver, self-producing solo cassettes for the expatriate Ethiopian community and performing only at family gatherings. Lala Belu (Awesome Tapes, 2018) was his first studio album in 15 years. By the time it was recorded, Mergia had inevitably been exposed to a raft of American jazz and the album—an exquisitely beautiful affair on which he was accompanied by drummer Tony Buck, a founder member of The Necks, and double bassist Mike Majkowski—reflected those relatively recent influences.

Yene Mircha has stronger infusions of rock, reggae and funk than Lala Belu and its back-up band is workmanlike rather than striking. Mergia would appear to be reaching out to a crossover audience, and good luck to him, but the mostly laid-back album does not transmit quite so much magic. If Lala Belu was the aural equivalent of dropping acid, Yene Mircha better resembles kicking back with a couple of Mandrax. Whatever turns you on.

Track Listing

Semen Ena Debub; Yene Mircha; Bayne Lay Yihedal; Abichu Nega Nega; Yene Abeba; Shemendefer.

Personnel

Hailu Mergia: keyboards, accordion, melodica, vocals; Alemseged Kebede: bass guitar; Kenneth Joseph: drums; Setegn Atenaw: mesenqo (1); Abraham Rezene Habte: guitar (1); Moges Habte: saxophone (2); Ben Hall: trombone (2); Mike Ault: guitar (2, 6); Tsehay Kassa: vocals (4, 6).

Album Information

Title: Yene Mircha | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Awesome Tapes From Africa

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Rez Abbasi: OASIS

Guitarist Rez Abbasi and harpist Isabelle Olivier's OASIS (an acronym for Olivier Abbasi Sound In Sound) is embodiment of fusion. Not the variety you may recognize as jazz-rock fusion, more like fusion cooking, for example Korean-Mexican or sushi-pizza. Okay, not sushi-pizza, but you get the idea. Olivier and Abbasi are pulling together jazz, Indian-Pakistani, and European classical music without compromising the character of each.

Abbasi, a Pakistani-American is better known than his French partner (who lives part time in Chicago) via the the Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet, Rez Abbasi Trio, Rez Abbasi & Junction, and Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition. He has the skills and maybe more importantly the temperament to seamlessly switch between soul-jazz, South Asian music, post-bop, blues, and world music. With OASIS all those skills are exhibited, plus he deals with a new instrument, a harp and Olivier's compositions.

The harpist's music explores the elegantly delicate on "Cherry Blossoms," shifts into Hitchcock-like soundtrack scores with "Timeline," and employs ethereally contemplative ambiance on "Dodeca." Additionally, the pair decided to add two percussionists, David Paycha (drums) and Prabhu Edouard (tabla & kanjira), to the musical meal. The two-string and two-percussion approach frustrates any attempt to categorize this outing. Olivier's harp often morphs into a piano-like sound ("Stepping Stone") or it mimics a sitar on "Lemongrass," with Abbasi providing a bass line. Olivier's "Looking For Dad" and the quartet's cover of Richard Rodger's standard, "My Favorite Things," might be the best examples of this edible fusion. Like John Coltrane's version of MFT, they take a bit of saccharine and turn it into something savory. "Looking For Dad" combines the pieces without degrading parts. Indian tabla music acts as a pillar for both a Spanish-tinged guitar and some European chamber-meets-popular music.

OASIS is a melange with crisp edges.

Track Listing

My Favorite Things; Lemongrass; Cherry Blossom; Timeline; Cover Qui Bat; Stepping Stone; Road Movie; Dodeca; Other Tones; Looking For Dad.

Personnel

Rez Abbasi: guitar; Isabelle Olivier: harp; Prabhu Edouard: tablas; David Paycha: drums.

Album Information

Title: OASIS | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Enja Records/Yellowbird

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Teymur Phell: Master Volume

This crackling debut from Teymur Phell is a hearty, eclectic and loud funk-fusion party. He sets the tone right away with "Zero to Sixty"—a title that's actually a bit misleading since it kicks off already at sixty mph—and shows that he knows his way around a bass, and also has plenty of use for one with six strings, thank you very much. This jaunt as leader follows years of live and session work; he has clearly taken a lot away from his time supporting such names as Randy Brecker, Arturo Sandoval or Mike Stern (who adds an extra shot of electricity here), and is happy to build on that experience to excellent effect.

Refreshingly, after that blistering opener, Phell is equally willing to scale back the fireworks and serve the groove when that's best. The crew on Master Volume is as sharp and slick as the all-original songs, wailing through rock-ish jams and jazzy swing alike. One highlight, "Worth the Wait," harks back to Weather Report's catchiest point circa Heavy Weather (Columbia, 1976), while a couple of dreamier moments lean on saxophone and keys without any unduly excessive smoothness.

Even the closing piano-led jaunt of "Blues for Who?" sounds too cheerful to be hinting at any blues. Phell's tireless New York City attitude is as fiercely hard-hitting and upbeat as his low-end work throughout. It's an apt close to a relentlessly bright and colorful affair. This party is the kind which screams big city and bright lights—the kind that isn't worried about waking up the neighbors because they aren't going to bed until the night's mostly gone either.

Track Listing

Zero to Sixty; Papano Kimono; Old Window; Master Volume; Worth the Wait; Unfinished Business; Hayvanhana; Sweet Sweep; Chances Are; Blues for Who?.

Personnel

Teymur Phell: electric bass, vocals; Nitzan Gavrieli: piano, keys; Chad Lefkowitz Brown: tenor sax; Mike Stern: guitar; Lionel Cordew: drums; Dennis Chambers: drums; Daniel Sadownick: percussion; Itai Kriss: flute; Albert Leusink: trumpet; Brian Bonvissuto: trombone; Wisam Khoury: darbuka.

Album Information

Title: Master Volume | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Peter Slavov: Little Stories

While these ten tracks recorded by bassist Peter Slavov's variable-sized outfit were all fleshed out in the studio between 2017 and 2019, this debut album actually covers a wider span of time. Collecting music penned over the past 20 years, and attaching attendant stories for background and bridging purposes, Slavov essentially looks back over his entire professional career and beyond.

Fantasy, family, literature and life as we know it all play a part in the telling of these tales, but at the root of it all is Slavov's resounding bass. Whether serving as a harmonic pivot, an instrument of energy or the central voice, it's always on point. All of that is made clear within the first two numbers. Both enhanced with strings, they essentially cover two different sides of the same coin: "Prologue: Glide" references a dream of flight, ably manifested in the leader's catalytic lines, and "Gone," with its episodic introductions and flowing ideals, comes to terms with the nightmare of loss which accompanied Slavov's father's passing.

Further on, within the looser confines of "Bye," Slavov expands on his connection to his father with some help from the core band of pianist Nitzan Gavrieli, drummer Diego Ramirez and multi-reedist John Ellis (on bass clarinet). It's one of the most engrossing pieces on the program, but no single song, including that one, manages to capture the leader's multi-dimensional being. It takes the entire album to really cover his individualistic qualities.

As each story unfolds, the bassist lays out different parts of his past while inviting various friends to join in and highlight different facets of his writing. "Small Little Things," nodding to an unnamed important figure in Slavov's life, brings Mark Small's bass clarinet into a wondrous scenario; "History of Beauty," referencing Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, welcomes Mi Kim's wordless vocals and Marcio Philomena's guitar to a gorgeous Brazilian stream of thought; and the reflective "A.M.," recalling midnight walks through the snowy streets of Sofia in Bulgaria, offers both Mark McLean's understated drumming and Matt Marantz's inviting tenor saxophone a place at the table.

In the end—and, literally, at the end—Slavov leaves us with a reminder that, despite displays of kinship and connection, music retains certain solitary suggestions in its birthing and being. The semi-improvised "Elegy," putting the focus squarely on the bassist, proves to be a fitting way to close out a compelling program which speaks volumes about one man's history and artistry.

Track Listing

Prologue: Glide; Gone; Small Little Things; Photos; Bye; History of Beauty; Ghost; In Defense Of The Minotaur; A.M.; Elegy.

Personnel

Peter Slavov: bass, acoustic; John Ellis: saxophone; Matt Marantz: saxophone; Dan Kaufman: piano; Nitzan Gavrieli: piano; Mark McLean: drums; Diego Joaquin Ramirez: drums; Marcia Philomena: guitar; Entcho Todorov: violin; Patti Kilroy: violin; Jen Herman: viola; Yves Dharamraj: cello; Adele Stein: cello; Mi Kim: vocalist.

Album Information

Title: Little Stories | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Slavov Music

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Chicago Underground Quartet: Good Days

Of the many Rob Mazurek led groups, his Chicago Underground collective has been the most prolific and adventurous cooperative with seven duo outings and another four trio releases. The quartet version of Chicago Underground, like the 1998 "Orchestra" formation, had issued only one album, the self-titled debut on the Thrill Jockey label in 2001. A one-off quartet project (Chicago/London Underground) A Night Walking Through Mirrors (Cuneiform Records, 2017) featured Mazurek, drummer Chad Taylor, British pianist Alexander Hawkins, and bassist John Edwards.

Almost two decades later the "official" Chicago Underground quartet returns with Good Days. Regular Mazurek colleagues, guitarist Jeff Parker (Isotope 217 and Tortoise), and Taylor return from the original quartet. Bassist Noel Kupersmith is replaced here by multi-instrumentalist Josh Johnson who plays in Parker's New Breed group.

A ceaseless experimenter, Mazurek here leads the group in a very accessible and melodic outing as he did on his recent Desert Encrypts Vol. 1 (Astral Spirits, 2019). One of that album's compositions—"Encrypts 37"—is reimagined as "Unique Spiral," a pared-back, edgier take. "Good Days (For Lee Anne)" was written by Parker and first appeared on his trio album Bright Light in Winter (Delmark, 2012). Stunning in its original form, Mazurek's trumpet adds another, ethereal element. Idiosyncratic pieces are intermingled in the set: Taylor's log drum solo "Lomé" and "All the Bells" highlighting contemplative bells, the jangling of objects, and Mazurek's slurred, crackled piccolo trumpet.

Mazurek, Taylor, and Parker have collectively worked on dozens of projects and their telepathy is long-established. Johnson is an excellent, if somewhat understated addition, and his piano work shines here. Parker's contributions to Good Days can't be applauded enough; whether complex or simple, his playing is always meaningful. Chicago Underground releases are always welcome; this one is a superior example of what maturity and openness can net.

Track Listing

Orgasm; Strange Wing; Good Days (For Lee Anne); Batida; All The Bells; Unique Spiral; Lomé; Westview.

Personnel

Josh Johnson: synth bass, organ, piano; Rob Mazurek: piccolo trumpet, electronics, bells.

Album Information

Title: Good Days | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Astral Spirits

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Mehdi Nabti & Prototype: Grooves à Mystères

With no fanfare whatsoever, this outstanding fench-canadian recording, ''Grooves à Mystères'', features alto saxophonist, flautist and composer Mehdi Nabti with his band ''Prototype'' (Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass, Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar, Bertil Schulrabe: drums, derbouka, triangle, sheker) making an album for the ages.

Nabti starts the proceedings off with ''Antee'' and ''Eon'', two beautiful melodies and improvisations on a medium-slow derbuka rythm, spitting out the melodies of "Ayyur''. There's his inimitable clear and organic tone, sounding both sweet and sharp. There's his miraculous intensity, his roiling swing, and the tidal wave of fresh ideas, the constant creativity. During these three tunes Nabti never coasts.

"Mithra" and ''Promethee'' are similarly impressive, magnificent with superb work by Nabti who never lets up. Even the more lyrical pieces, the afrobeat "Esperanto", the trance dancing ''Timgad'' and the traditionnal folk song "So Maki Sum Se Rodila" are played with an exciting sound.

The rhythm section should not be neglected. They function as a unit, meshing with admirable precision and grooving, really grooving. Anandasivam is a formidable soloist and a very capable sideman. Lafortune is rock-solid, and Schulrabe is a strong and powerful timekeeper who also solos impressively on "Promethee".

Mehdi Nabti nominates his work ''Afro-Berber continuum''. He is trying to develop a contemporary improvised music based on musical techniques that he identified in North Africa and others influences...and he succees! If you missed him the other times around, now's the time to correct that oversight.

Track Listing: Antee, Ayyur, Eon, Esperanto, Mithra, Promethee, So Maki Sum Se Rodila, Timgad

Personnel: Mehdi Nabti : alto sax, moroccan flute (nira), clavé. Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass. Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar. Bertil Schulrabe: drums, derbouka, triangle, sheker

Title: Grooves à mystères | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Donna Khalifé: Hope is the Thing with Feathers

Lebanese vocalist and bassist Donna Khalifé is a consummate jazz artist. In addition to mastering singing in all its aspects, including scatting, she is a distinctive composer and an accomplished instrumentalist. On her second release Hope Is the Thing with Feathers she leads her quintet on intriguing interpretations of standards and her own originals.

This stimulating album opens with a unique take on Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things." After Khalifé's chant-like vocals, which the group's expectant refrains buoy, the song takes on an electric and funky groove. As Khalifé inventively scats, the undulating instrumental vamps contribute a relaxed intimacy. With urgency and swagger, Lebanese guitarist Raffi Mandalian launches into a blistering solo which brims with rock and roll sensibilities.

Mandalian and Khalifé engage in a delightful duet on the title track which progresses to feature French saxophonist Phillipe Lopes de Sa's acerbic muscular lines and passionate wail. Throughout the diverse tempo changes, Lebanese drummer Fouad Afra propels the music with his passionate and lithe polyrhythms. Afra is perfectly suited to the task as he is comfortable in a variety of settings and genres. At the core of the piece Armenian expat keyboardist Arthur Satyan's elegant and earthy chords simmer.

An award-winning pianist, and the head of the Lebanese National Conservatory's jazz program, Satyan improvises with inventiveness throughout the record. For instance, on the haunting "Koutalon Kharsa,'" as Khalifé's prayer-like articulation of the Arabic lyrics soars with breathtaking agility, Satyan peppers the spiritual ambience with sparse chiming notes which shimmer in the enveloping silence. Khalifé enhances the captivating and otherworldly atmosphere by overdubbing herself taking the tune from eerie and serene to mystical and bright.

Khalifé explores the range of her creativity from the soft lullaby-like opening of "Ta'iran" to her mesmerizing vocal acrobatics on "Sultan." She matches these with her understated poetry on the stand up bass. Perhaps the most intriguing demonstrations of her versatility are the two versions of the Swedish folk song "Uti var Hage"; the first is almost like a Baroque aria with the melancholic sounds of Swedish Vindla String Quartet providing lush support; the second is more soulful, and features the regular quintet; Khalifé's voice mirrors Lopes de Sa's serpentine phrases before the latter launches into an exciting spontaneous embellishment of the pastoral melody.

WIth her sophomore effort, leading a new ensemble, Khalifé has topped her already brilliant debut Heavy Dance (2017, Self Produced). Both her writing and performance demonstrate increased maturity and a singularly personal style. Despite the brevity of her recording career, Khalifé is already a sui generis musician destined for widespread success both at home and abroad.

Track Listing: My Favorite Things; Vocalism; Koutalon Kharsa'; Hope Is the Thing with Feathers; Uti Var Hage (feat. Vindla String Quartet); Romane; Ta'iran; Sultan; Uti Var Hage.

Personnel: Donna Khalifé : voice, double bass; Philippe Lopes de Sa: saxophones; Raffi Mandalian: guitar; Arthur Satyan: Rhodes piano; Fouad Afra: drums; Vindla String Quartet.

Title: Hope is the Thing with Feathers | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Self Produced

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.