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.

Harish Raghavan: Calls For Action

Several factors make bassist Harish Raghavan's debut album remarkable. The first and most striking is the sense of extreme urgency in the tone of the compositions as well as the disjointed manner with which the instruments search for common ground in and around each other. Another factor can be found in the understated melodic motifs whose arcs sometimes stretch over the entire duration of a tune. Melody in general is critical to the album's appeal. Most of the interplay and compositional foundation is based on melodic ideas rather than harmonic ones.

Four of the bassist's earliest compositions for this quintet shape the head of the record in a suite-like fashion. Prefaced by a spicy bass solo for an intro, "Newe" opens with heavy, chordal bass-strokes and excited rhythmic drum work. The saxophone howls out the first notes of the melodic head before the vibraphone joins in unison. Piano, saxophone and vibes trade lines to jumpy bass accents and drum workouts until another small section in melodic unison leads back to the main theme. All of this is presented within the frame of rapid 6/8 time. Follow-up "Los Angels" differs from its predecessor in almost every way. A slower pulse gives way for sound and atmosphere to develop and drums and bass to place syncopations more carefully and to more dramatic effect. Pianist Micah Thomas is given more space to harmonically unfold in the beginning sequence of "Sangeet" before the second half of the piece cuts back to quicker and more narrow interplay between vibraphone and saxophone.

It would be easy to group this collection of songs into faster and slower ones or darker and lighter ones. However, that wouldn't do these meticulously wrought compositions justice. Each track has its place on the album for different reasons and each instrumentalist shines on the various songs with different virtues. More extensive cuts, such as "Seaminer" or "Shift," combine a number of divers elements and approaches to form a coherent entity that melds improvisation and composition in a unique fashion. Their elaborate length leads to progressive structures featuring ferocious solo passages by all involved. Vibraphonist Joel Ross is highlighted in the mix and forms a fitting sonic counterpart to the piano. Both players go about interpreting their harmonic roles in very different manners and thereby create an intriguing friction.

Calls for Action is an accomplished debut outing. It's a more than promising statement to what Raghavan's future might hold for today's stream of jazz music and sets him apart from many of his peers. At the same time the album blends right in to the canon of contemporary jazz highlights from a younger generation (Scopes or Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens' In Common, for instance) which has found a home over at Whirlwind Recordings.

Track Listing: Intro; Newe; Los Angeles; Sangeet; I'll Go and Come Back; Caged; Seaminer; The Meters; 4560 Round Trip; Shift; Lunatico; Junior; Calls For Action; Seven; AS.

Personnel: Harich Raghavan: bass; Joel Ross: vibraphone; Kweku Sumbry: drums; Micah Thomas; Immanuel Wilkins: saxophone.

Title: Calls For Action | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Whirlwind Recordings

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Josiah Everhart: Yearn in Years

Video game soundtracks immerse players by provoking a strong emotional response, either in the cozyness of a welcoming melody, the eerie dread of cold synths or the encouraging energy of an upbeat jazzy theme.

Given how versatile and emotional this music can be for those who grow up with it, it is no surprise that Josiah Everhart, a singer-songwriter who began his musical career by posting covers of songs from video games on YouTube, would make an album like Yearn in Years. Everhart's debut full-length album almost perfectly captures the appeal of the music he covers and establishes his unique voice as a songwriter, creating a final product just as catchy as it is heartbreaking.

After years of posting his folksy reinterpretations of songs from classic video games online, the Oregon-native released his first collection of original music, the seven-track album Songs Come and Gone, (Self Produced) in 2017. While the material on Songs Come and Gone delivered a similar sound to his covers, with minimal instrumentation and intimate vocals, Yearn in Years represents a complete evolution of his sound, using grand instrumental palettes and generous effects to create more theatrical and engrossing songs.

Opener "Dead Moons" establishes Everhart's more lavish sound with a dark synth jam soaked in atmospheric effects and airy vocals. The track's repetitive chords and stiff programmed drums could easily become stale if not for the track's eerie and somber soundscape, which complements Everhart's moody, vaguely sci-fi lyrics with ghostly vocal harmonies and synths.

The album's dynamic and detailed production reaches its peak on "Hey, Mister," where the core acoustic arpeggios, spacey drums and soft bass are elevated with glorious layers of backing harmonies and watery slide guitar licks. The track elevates its simple structure with a surprising compositional move in the midsection, introducing brighter chords and delicate atmospherics in a twist reminiscent of Radiohead's songwriting on tracks like "Let Down." "Hey, Mister" ends with one last added layer of distant electric guitar, bringing this intricate soundscape to an epic conclusion.

Unfortunately, the one track where the album's spacey production becomes muddy is on the closer, "Without." After opening with beautiful splashes of muffled guitars, the song builds with layers of soft synths and a simple beat into a chorus so washed out that all the cymbal crashes and bright synths melt together. The short three minutes of "Without" does not quite provide enough time to build up to such a climax, resulting in a track that feels messy.

Even when the production falters, Everhart's confessional and poetic songwriting keeps the album entertaining and potent. Although Everhart has always had a knack for writing lovely, melancholy songs, his work on Yearn in Years takes a much darker and more personal turn, using lavish sounds to highlight uncompromisingly honest lyrics.

On its surface, "I Just Want To" is a happy song, using a bossa nova groove, warm keyboards, cheerful vocal harmonies and bouncy synth tones to create an instant earworm. And the song's title seems to suggest some quaint topic Everhart had addressed before, like longing for love or the innocence of childhood.

Instead, Everhart sings about losing the will to live, painting a bleak picture of a struggle to find motivation and hope. He belts out lyrics about not being able to get out of bed and calls being abandoned and left in a gutter "more than I deserve." The contrast between the carefree instrumental and crushing lyrics make "I Just Want To" gut-wrenching at times and darkly funny in others, but always a beautiful and courageous artistic statement.

Everhart follows this track with the bittersweet "Moons of Jupiter," which pairs achingly gorgeous vocal melodies with sparkling acoustic arpeggios, soft synth tones and a spacey programmed drum beat. The song's serene escapism, realized through dreamy harmonies and a lovely saxophone solo from jazz multi-instrumentalist and fellow YouTube musician Carlos Eiene, makes Everhart's lyrics about lost love and death even more impactful.

Although its production can seem amatuer at times, Yearn in Years is an endlessly replayable folk and singer-songwriter triumph that brings Josiah Everhart's unique voice far beyond the shadow of the composers he covers.

Track Listing: Dead Moons; Rewind; The Pines; Hey, Mister; Still Spinning; Never Hear; I Just Want To; Moons of Jupiter; Anyhow; Without.

Personnel: Josiah Everhart: guitar, synths and vocals; Austin Perrilloux: drums; Richard Bichler: electric guitar; Carlos Eiene: tenor saxophone; Amie Waters: synths.

Title: Yearn in Years | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced

Saburo K, Saitama, Japon.

Burak Bedikyan: Istanbul Junction

Istanbul-born and New York-based pianist Burak Bedikyan is an inventive composer and intelligent improviser with a subtle touch. His fifth release, the intimate and cinematic Istanbul Junction, showcases his talents fully as he leads a new band through nine of his captivating originals.

The album's overall ambience is dramatic and darkly-hued, and the various tracks expand within it with vibrant poetry. The main theme of "Moods," for example, consists of expectant and simmering refrains. These progress into an intriguing and serpentine melody out of which emerge Bedikyan's dense chords, forming an elegant and crystalline improvisation. Hungarian saxophonist Gabor Bolla contributes a warm, sinewy solo which is yearning and emotive, and fades seamlessly into the closing head.

Middle Eastern influences delightfully color some of the music, like the tender and wistful "Toprak"; it starts with Bedikyan's resonant and sparse notes which the band's undulating refrains follow. Over Turkish drummer Can Kozlu's rustling lithe beats and American bassist Matthew Hall's reverberating thumps Bedikyan's extemporization expands with simmering lines. Bolla's eloquent and bittersweet tenor mirrors Bedkyan in spontaneity and lyricism.

Equally engrossing is the charmingly angular "Innerview (For Ayse)" which finds Bedikyan, unaccompanied, flirting with dissonance. The tune itself is deeply introspective and passionate with overlapping chords and breathtaking cascades which demonstrate Bedikyan's virtuosity on the keys.

Bedikyan pays homage to one of his idols, the ingenious 20th century composer Olivier Messiaen, on the moving and mellifluous "L'ombre Lumineuse." The piece eschews overtly Western Classical phraseology and is more akin to a jazz ballad. Kozlu's sparkling percussion and Hall's agile lines form a restless and supportive rhythmic framework. Bedikyan infuses his pianism with a bittersweet melancholy while Bolla builds an intricate extemporization with graceful facility and raw emotion. The ensemble concludes with a sublimely synergistic performance.

Istanbul Junction is a cohesive work, and a high point of Bedikyan's superb career. As Kozlu points out in the liner notes, Bedikyan has singularly fused various traditions into a personal artistic statement. The record is, perhaps, his most mature and unique to date.

Track Listing: Particles; Moods; Toprak; Aquarian; Valentine; Reminiscence; Innerview (for Ayse); L'ombre Lumineuse (Dedicated To Olivier Messiaen); Postlude.

Personnel: Burak Bedikyan: piano; Matthew Hall: bass; Can Kozlu: drums; Gabor Bolla: tenor sax

Title: Istanbul Junction | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Steeplechase Lookout

Saburo K, Saitama, Japon.

Jon Irabagon: Invisible Horizon

Saxophonist Jon Irabagon has explored an immense amount of territory so far in his career such as mainstream and progressive jazz, hip hop, free improvisation and many other areas. This new two disc effort brings two of his more off-the-beaten-path projects together. CD 1, Invisible Guests, contains classical works featuring a string quartet while CD 2, Dark Horizon: Live From The Mausoleum, is a set of live solo improvisations on the mezzo soprano saxophone.

The meat of the first CD is the suite "Invisible Guests" played by the Mivos Quartet and pianist Matt Mitchell. The suite is inspired by the game of mahjongg and has constant interaction between the quartet and piano. it begins with vigorous layered turbulence from the strings eventually augmented by Mitchell's banging chords. The pianist's calm solo playing on "Heaven's Blessing" is followed by a thicket of bowed and plucked strings which eventually works itself into a delirious whirlpool. 'Benevolence, Sincerity and Devoutness" is more subdued and eerie on both sides and conjures up an atmosphere of dark romance.

The mood of the suite constantly shifts. Dense string chugging and icy piano notes mix on "Red Four." The quartet swirls around Mitchell's descending cascades on "The Dreamer" and the intricate agitation of the final movement. "Catching the Fish" eventually dissipates into wispy string echoes that make way for a final collage of motifs that includes an Asian folk melody, a tango and an Irish jig. It's an intense work that brings out the power of the quartet's playing and shows how well Matt Mitchell can fit into this kind of formal atmosphere.

This disc also includes two pieces where Irabagon himself joins the Mivos Quartet on sopranino saxophone. On the first he plays with no mouthpiece, emitting sickly whistles and scraping noises against an imposing wall of groaning strings. With the mouthpiece, his sound is a lot more forceful coming out as siren wails, lush howls, scraps of blues, shredding noise and high-pitched, bubbly runs, all making a fierce contrast to the thick string edifice.

The solo recital on the second disc is a continuation of the exploration of lesser known saxophones. Irabagon began with his exploration of solo sopranino sax on his Inaction Is An Action, (Irabbagast, 2015). This time he turns to the Conn mezzo soprano saxophone, an instrument that has not been manufactured since the 1920s.'

This performance was recorded in an actual mausoleum in Norway that produces a nineteen-second reverb. That allows Irabagon to play around with deep textures using echo and delay. His sound comes out as delirious romantic chatter in "Dark Horizon (entrance)" and shrill, pealing twists on "Dragonwort." Long interludes of creaking and spitting noises on "Forest & Field" and "Eternal Rest" are enhanced by ghostly echoes due to the reverb. On "Half A World Away" unbroken streams of single notes broken up by honks and rapid-fire stutters sound cavernous. In the midst of all this, a recognizable tune shockingly appears, "Good Old Pals," the theme for the old Little Rascals comedy shorts. Irabagon plays the melody straight the first time around, then immediately starts pulling it apart like taffy with stretched notes, pauses and dying moans.

This release shows the boundless reach of Jon Irabagon's musical curiosity. He can write strong classical music and has become one of the most interesting saxophone experimenters around, in addition to all his other credits. This is one of his more unusual releases but it is definitely worth hearing.

Track Listing: CD1 Invisible Guests: Vignette For Mouthpieceless Sopranino Saxophone And String Quartet; Invisible Guests: West Wing; Heaven’s Blessing; Benevolence, Sincerity, And Devoutness; Red Four; The Dreamer; Catching The Fish At The Bottom Of The River; Vignette For Sopranino Saxophone And String Quartet; CD2 Dark Horizon: Live From The Mausoleum: Dark Horizon (entrance); Dragonwort; Forest & Field; Holy Smoke; Good Old Days (Theme From The Little Rascals); Eternal Rest; Half A World Away; Dark Horizon (exit bow).

Personnel: Jon Irabagon: sopranino saxophone, mezzo-soprano saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano; Mivos Quartet: Olivia de Prato: violin; Lauren Cauley Kalal: violin; Victor Lowrie Tafoya: viola; Mariel Roberts: cello.

Title: Invisible Horizon | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Irabbagast Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Wadada Leo Smith: Rosa Parks: Pure Love

Wadada Leo Smith has been on a roll in the 2010s, recording and composing in several formats, including ambitious, long-form works such as the Pulitzer-nominated Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform, 2012,) which dealt mostly with the history of race relations in America. His latest work concentrates on one specific figure mentioned in that suite, Rosa Parks, the woman whose defiance of racial segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama triggered a bus boycott that helped spark the civil rights movement from the mid 1950s onward. Smith celebrates her with a seven song oratorio performed by varying combinations of three vocalists, a string quartet, a trumpet quartet and a drummer plus electronics, in addition to some vintage free jazz samples. 

Overall the music is stark and dramatic. The string quartet carries the majority of the instrumental load. The players fill the space, bowing in long arcs with elements of wariness and tension. Intermittent statements from the horns and drums give the music color while the voices add humanity and body. The singers take turns performing texts mostly written by Smith and each contributes a different texture and feeling. Their contrasting approaches really stand out in the section that comprises "Change It!," "The Truth," and "No Fear," accompanied by either the string quartet's edgy drones or a single, hovering viola or cello with Pheeroan AkLaff adding drum accents. 

The "Vision Dance" sections of the oratorio bring the trumpets into the picture. They interact with the strings and percussion, bubbling up from an agitated murmur on "Rosa's Blue Lake" and pealing out of a hazy weave on "Defiance." Smith steps briefly to the front for crying and calling exchanges with Graham Haynes on "A Blue Casa" and a solo on "Apartheid." In addition, Smith leads in and out of certain sections with bits of old solo recordings by himself and his partners in the early AACM group, the Creative Construction Company: Steve McCall, Anthony Braxton and Leroy Jenkins. 

This is a moving work. The dignified presentation of the singers is enhanced by the flowing tapestry of sound woven together by the various musical units. It has a spiritual beauty that is appropriate to the legacy of Rosa Parks and is yet another testament to Wadada Leo Smith's creativity.

Track Listing: Prelude: Journey; Vision Dance 1: Resistance and Unity; Rosa Parks: Mercy, Music for Double Quartet; Song 1: The Montgomery Bus Boycott - 381 Days of Fire; Song 2: The First Light, Gold; Vision Dance 2: Defiance, Justice and Liberation; Song 3: Change It!; Song 4: The Truth; Song 5: No Fear; Vision Dance 3: Rosa´s Blue Lake; Song 6: The Second Light; Vision Dance 4: A Blue Casa; Song 7: Pure Love; The Known World: Apartheid; Postlude: Victory!

Personnel: Blue Trumpet Quartet: Wadada Leo Smith: composer, trumpet; Ted Daniel: trumpet; Hugh Ragin: trumpet; Graham Haynes: cornet. Red Koral String Quartet: Andrew McIntosh: viola; Mona Tian: violin; Shalini Vijayan: violin; Ashley Walters; cello. Diamond Voices: Min Xiao-Fen, Carmina Escobar, Karen Parks: vocals. Janus Duo: Pheeroan akLatf: drum set; Hardedge: electronics. Musical excerpts: Anthony Braxton: alto saxophone (6); Leroy Jenkins: violin (7); Steve McCall, drum-set (6).

Title: Rosa Parks: Pure Love | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: TUM Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

The Jamie Baum Septet: Bridges

Far from prolific, Jamie Baum has recorded just four albums in the past decade. However, each recording has clearly been created because the flutist was inspired to contribute something new. Bridges is presented as six songs separated equally by the three part "Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite." This almost cinematic 20-minute centerpiece composition is an expansive dedication to the country and its people following the destruction and loss wrought by an earthquake just three years prior. At times regal and calm, at others ominous or triumphant, the septet captures a rich and colorful tapestry of emotions, led by Baum's impressive compositional ability. 

That same talent as composer is the very thing which elevates Bridges well above the mundane. While Baum's skill as a flutist is commendable (she was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in 2015), her ability to skillfully weave together sounds from almost a dozen instruments as well as a few occasional vocalists is most impressive. Of course, it helps that she has surrounded herself once again with top-tier talent, giving her the ability to write specifically to her band member's strengths. Rather than reigning her septet in, she gives the musicians freedom to explore within the songs they've developed. This has the effect of giving the album's songs character as well as structure. 

Aside from the album's suite, a few standouts include "Joyful Lament," wherein Brad Shepik showcases his talent as a guitarist, ending the song with a 2 ½ minute solo serving as a culmination to the relentless, driving melody established before it. While the album-opening "From the Well" allows Baum a chance to weave her flute together with Sam Sadigursky's saxophone in a blustering, anxious number, pianist John Escreet plainly steals "There Are No Words." He yields an exuberant solo, giving heft to Baum's flute playing while causing the whole ensemble to seem effortless. 

Continuing to meld her Jewish, Arabic, and South Asian influences with meaningful music fashioned primarily from feelings of anguish and spiritual contemplation, Bridges is the most polished and coherent of Jamie Baum's Septet+ albums. It feels like a natural progression within her discography, offering a more impressive level of composition and arrangement than she has released yet.

Track Listing: From The Well; Song Without Words (for S. James Baum); There Are No Words; Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite Part 1 - The Earthquake; Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite Part 2 - Renewal ; Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite Part 3 - Contemplation; Joyful Lament; Mantra; UCross Me.

Personnel: Jamie Baum: flutes, singing bowl; Amir ElSaffar: trumpet, vocals; Sam Sadigursky: alto saxophone/bass clarinet; Chris Komer: French horn; Brad Sheik: guitar; John Escreet: piano; Zack Lober: bass, singing bowl; Jeff Hirshfield: drums; Jamey Haddad: percussion; Navin Chettri: percussion, vocals.

Title: Bridges | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Mat Maneri / Matthew Shipp: Conference Of The Mat/Ts

Although their paths have crossed in other ensembles, this release is a follow-up to pianist Matthew Shipp and violist Mat Maneri's initial duet release, Gravitational Systems (Hat Hut, 2000). Here, the immensely talented improvisers perform a set that emphasizes their spontaneous instincts and deep understanding of each other's sense of direction, highlighted by a laser-like focus throughout this sparkling audio production. 

The duo experiments atop a fundamental jazz base, along with chamber-like overtones. On "Conference #1" Shipp and Maneri execute stark contrasts and toggle courses between sensitive underpinnings and mild disturbances via adroit exchanges, and an ending that steers the listener toward an unresolved argument or something along those lines. No doubt, the musicians score high marks in the 'imagery' department. As other movements include nip and tuck discourses amid Maneri's shimmering staccato lines and Shipp's sonorous chord voicings and nimble right-hand soloing etudes that often encircle or deconstruct a given theme or current. 

The artists delve into some rambunctious and excitable free-jazz regimens along with mutable cadences. And they occasionally counterbalance austerity with playful detours. Although "Conference #7" is a sanguine and introspective ballad-framed work, where Maneri's arcing and overlapping notes are accentuated by Shipp's intermittent block chords, rendered within a complex storyline, swarming with an impassioned outlook. But the plot shifts during "Conference #8," which is another semi-structured improv conveyed with fleeting statements and a fast and frisky impetus, heightened by the pianist's blazing single note runs. 

Several passages feature swirling dialogues, edgy treatments and a bit of angst. Yet the musicians' near effortless advances and perceptive theme-building sprees may hide the fact that these works are largely improvised. However, when you expect master-craftsmen to perform an expert job or service, the outcomes usually meet or exceed expectations, substantiated throughout this provocative musical event.

Track Listing: Conference #1; Conference #2; Conference #3; Conference #4; Conference #5; Conference #5; Conference #6; Conference #7; Conference #8; Conference #9; Conference #10; Conference #11; Conference #12; Conference #13.

Personnel: Mat Maneri: viola; Matthew Shipp: piano.

Title: Conference Of The Mat/ts | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Rogueart Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Marion Brown/Dave Burrell: Live At The Black Musicians' Conference, 1981

One of the benefits of our digital music world is the ability to drive deeply into the jazz narrative. By that I mean, preserving the story of important musicians, the ones whose story was omitted from the Ken Burns' CliffsNotes history of jazz. Without a few labels and several producers, musicians like Bobby Naughton, Clifford Thornton, Jacques Coursil, and Marion Brown, might be lost forever. Well, at least to those of us who aren't avid crate digging vinyl freaks. 

Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981 is not a re-issue of a long lost LP, but a time capsule sent to the future (now) to awaken adventurous listeners to music's rich history. The setting was a week-long collection of workshops, concerts, lectures at UMass Amherst coordinated by Archie Shepp and Roman Wiggins. The opening concert was this duo between Marion Brown and Dave Burrell who was a substitute for Hilton Ruiz. The pianist was not just any old stand-in. Burrell and Brown had a history together, recording together on Brown's now classic Three For Shepp (Impulse!, 1967), and the long out-of-print Juba-Lee (Fontana, 1967), and Live In Japan (DIW, 1983). In between Burrell's early years in New York performing fire music with Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders and this 1981 date, the pianist had steeped himself in the jazz tradition. He was just as comfortable with the music of Jelly Roll Morton as that of Cecil Taylor. Later he would go on to record exceptional music with saxophonist David Murray, and today has become a 21st century jazz patriarch. 

This live recording is analogous to the classic session Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1963), if not only because the pair cover two Billy Strayhorn compositions, "My Little Brown Book" and "Lush Life," but because they take it upon themselves to project maximum warmth with this music. The Strayhorn songs are cradled lovingly and performed as if the two had nothing to prove to each other or the audience. Indeed, they didn't. 

The theme constant here is a musical gentleness. Brown's "Gossip/Fortunado" is a vehicle of investigation and interplay. Brown provides momentum and Burrell accompanies, filling and expanding the spaces the music allows. The pianist draws as much from Morton as he does from Monk and Duke here, a fitting complement to Brown's matured and delicate tone. Even though both of these musicians had their sound forged in the 1960's New York free jazz fires, this reunion opted for a suspension of hostilities.

Track Listing: Gossip/Fortunado; La Placita; My Little Brown Book; Punaluu Peter; Pua Mae ’Ole; Crucificado; Lush Life.

Personnel: Marion Brown: alto saxophone; Dave Burrell: piano.

Title: Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981 | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: NoBusiness Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Eric Dolphy: Musical Prophet:The Expanded 1963 New York Sessions

Eric Dolphy's Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Sessions was released as a limited-edition vinyl recording in November 2018 and a CD and digital collection two months afterward. Flautist James Newton, Jason Moran and Resonance Records aided in procuring and restoring the original tapes for this box set. The multi-instrumentalist Dolphy enjoyed only a brief recording career but this collection demonstrates a wide range of interests. Free jazz, avant-garde, mainstream, and classical influences share space in this eclectic collection. 

Disc One is the album Conversations (FM Records, 1963). Disc two is the mono Iron Man which was recorded in 1963 but not released until 1968, four years after Dolphy died (Douglas International Records). The final disc consists of outtakes from both sessions, highlighted by two versions of Dolphy's alto solo "Love Me" and an alternate take on the Dolphy-Richard Davis "Alone Together" duet. A previously unreleased bonus track, "Jim Crow" is a cross between free jazz and opera. At fifteen minutes, it is not one of Dolphy's finest moments but there are plenty of those such as Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" and the Prince Lasha/Sonny Simmons piece "Music Matador." Simmons, the teenage trumpeter, Woody Shaw and Bobby Hutcherson offer stirring contributions. 

The two albums represent a transition period for Dolphy and even within the confines of Conversations where we hear Latin jazz, traditional and avant-garde in close proximity. But with so few years to record, Dolphy was always looking forward with one eye on the past. He began his recording career with the bebop-oriented Outward Bound (New Jazz, 1960) and never fully embraced the style again. With his final studio album Out to Lunch! (Blue Note, 1964) Dolphy shaped an avant-garde classic but with elements of free jazz and third stream in the mix. Musical Prophet highlights two somewhat overlooked albums and is a worthwhile collection for Dolphy fans.

Track Listing: Disc 1: Jitterbug Waltz; Music Matador; Love Me; Alone Together; Muses For Richard Davis (previously unissued 1); Muses For Richard Davis (previously unissued 2). Disc 2: Iron Man; Mandrake; Come Sunday; Burning Spear; Ode to Charlie Parker; A Personal Statement (previously unissued); Disc 3: Music Matador (alternate take); Love Me (alternate take 1); Love Me (alternate take 2); Alone Together (alternate take); Jitterbug Waltz; Mandrake (alternate take); Burning Spear (alternate take).

Personnel: Eric Dolphy: alto sax, flute, bass clarinet; William "Prince" Lasha: flute; Huey "Sonny" Simmons: alto sax; Clifford Jordan: soprano sax; Woody Shaw: trumpet; Garvin Bushell: bassoon; Bobby Hutcherson: vibes; Richard Davis: bass; Eddie Kahn: bass; J.C. Moses: drums; Charles Moffett: drums. Track 2-6: Bob James, piano; Roy Brooks: bass; Robert Pozar: percussion; David Schwartz: vocals.

Title: Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Sessions | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Resonance Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Jake Hertzog & Yishai Fisher: Stringscapes

It can't be easy to keep thinking of different places to go when one's career is already as eclectic as Jake Hertzog's, but he doesn't seem in any danger of running out of ideas. The guitarist has run an impressive gamut already, from the electric Pat Metheny-inspired fusion session Evolution (Buckyball, 2011) to the more straightforward jazz of Throwback (Zoho, 2013) and the conceptual solo outing Well Lit Shadow (Self Produced, 2016). Teaming up with classical guitarist Yishai Fisher for an all-acoustic expressionist work is really right in character—a step that's natural, inventive and completely unexpected. 

'Natural' is indeed the key word here. Stringscapes leans closest to Well Lit Shadow, in that it's based on painting musical pictures rather than playing 'songs' in any recognizable mode—but that's where any similarity to Hertzog's past works (or indeed anyone else's) ends. This is a series of multi-part suites themed around picturesque settings and landscapes. While the simplicity of the two-guitar format could potentially be limiting, these two turn it expansive instead: their respective backgrounds and string tones beautifully complement without any clash. 

Within such a bare-bones framework, the remaining variety comes from Hertzog's compositions themselves, each with a story or image behind its structure. "Oceans" starts with the pair bouncing from one not-really-formless motif to another with the suddenness of sloshing waves, for example, before they slow down to portray the quiet mystery of the lower depths. The lines of "Forest" overlap like endless layers of branches, complete with a few skittering taps to suggest wild creatures in the trees. "Arctic" moves from some surprisingly busy counterpoint (the descending notes meant to represent ice caves collapsing), before a sparse stretch that's calm and empty as the tundra. Hertzog and Fisher deliver their intimate recital in fluid unison with taste and eloquence. An affair for engagement over mere passive listening, Stringscapes spins these seemingly simple motifs into a sharply-crafted and evocative journey for the mind.

Track Listing: Forest 1 - Endless Trees; Forest 2 - Funeral in Green; Forest 3 - Leaves in the Dark; Arctic 1 - Stone Blue Veil; Arctic 2 - The Great White Space; Arctic 3 - Cold Life; Oceans 1 - Cascade; Oceans 2 - The Deep; Oceans 3 - Tides; Desert 1 - Dream Catcher; Dream 2 - Ghost of the Mine; Desert 3 - Where the Red Sand Lives.

Personnel: Jake Hertzog: steel-string guitar; Yishai Fisher: nylon-string guitar.

Title: Stringscapes: A Portrait of the World in Nylon & Steel | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Fret Monkey Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Dine Doneff: Rousilvo

There is more to bassist and composer Dine Doneff's record Rousilvo than simply a blending of styles and genres and eras and approaches. Certainly among his many talents is his uncanny ability to blur the line between the avant-garde, free-improv, classical, world music and jazz. It's a maneuver he has perfected over the years as the leader of his adventurous projects or as a sideman musician in other bands. With this project, Doneff certainly expands on that aesthetic and dives deep into his past. 

Rousilvo is the Slavic name of a village of Doneff's birth in today's Northern Greece that is now known as Xanthogeia. The village is abandoned now as are many villages that were once populated by Macedonians in this region also known as Aegean Macedonia. Even though Doneff has resided in Germany for the past several years, he is a descendant of the Macedonian community that has survived years of series of ethnic cleansings and forced Hellenic assimilation of the Slavic population in Greece. Not only were Slavic names to cities and people changed but the territory Macedonia was forbidden for use. It's an ongoing clash and struggle that still has not been forgotten. Even today, on the eve of the historic agreement between Macedonia and Greece, the term Macedonia and its citizens still pose a problem which hopefully will resolve with this agreement. 

Effectively depicting the struggles of the Macedonians during that era presents a challenge for anyone, but Doneff has been able to channel his emotions into his skills as a sensitive and free-thinking composer. And for this album, he dives deep into his past and emotions in order to come out with music that is emotional, spiritual and panoramic. Rousilvo is like a musical drama with several suites with spacious, clean, disciplined arrangements and long, reflective, graceful and mournful improvised melodic lines. In between the compositions, he inserts elderly women singing acapella songs and laments which adds weight to this music. These were recorded on locations scattered throughout Northern Greece. Much of what he reconstructs is a picture of people's lives from a bygone era or that were either killed during the Civil War in Greece or have fled across the borders to run from the ethnic cleansing that ensued when the Civil War ended. That mournful feel is an elegy to the uprooted people, a part of his childhood memories. 

As a musician, Doneff's thrives on empathy. His musical inspirations have come in response to his experiences and memories. As a result, it follows that Doneff would seek out empathetic musicians and provide them with open-minded compositional vehicles that deliver myriad opportunities to share that emotional load. Rather than the standard supporting role, the musicians here have unusually lyrical, impressionistic contributions that seem to be as much a part of the narrative, thus advancing the overall moods and themes. 

This record is a debut release on the author's own label neRED which is strongly supported by the German record label ECM from Munich, both distribution and promotion-wise. The artwork is also done by Fotini Potamia who has also worked on ECM's recent cover art designs. All of this may also reveal why the production qualities on this record closely resemble this renowned label's own. 

Rousilvo stands up even if the listener is not aware of the subject matter, but knowing the backstory definitely helps. This work is Doneff's most personal project, and he has laid his soul bare. If in the end we are the sum of our experiences, then the work of the musicians is a reflection of the events that touch our lives. Rousilvo is a spiritual narrative that explores the depth and the vast range of human emotions.

Track Listing: Narrative; Penelopes Of Xanthogeia; Oblivion; Mirka; Natsko; Requiem; Aide Sl'ntse; Zaidi (Traditional Macedonian); Apatris; Kaimaktsalan; Implacable Grief; Song Of The Unquietness; 12 As A Story.

Personnel: Dine Doneff: double bass, tabla, guitar; Takis Farazis: piano, accordion; Kyriakos Tapakis: oud, mandola; Pantelis Stoikos: trumpet; Dimos Dimitriadis: alto saxophone, flute; Antonis Andreou: trombone; Kostas Anastasiadis: drums; Slava Pop'va-Evdoxia Georgiou: voice; Lizeta Kalimeri voice; Martha Mavroidi: voice; Lada Kandarjieva: soprano; Elena Ginina: soprano; Elitsa Dankova: mezzo; Irina Gotcheva: alto.

Title: Rousilvo | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Nered

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

The Nobuki Takamen Trio

Nobuki Takamen is, in all probability, the best jazz guitarist Japan has ever produced. Nowadays he lives in New Jersey but tours his homeland regularly. His playing is marked by good taste and sensitivity. He is a highly inventive guitarist, his runs and progressions never quite going where you expect them to go but always making perfect sense. 

He doesn't overburden his playing with technique, staying accessible to a wide range of listeners. He names his influences as Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Pat Martino, George Van Eps, Jimi Hendrix and—somewhat strangely—Akira Takasaki, of the Japanese glam rock band Loudness. As usual, Takamen is accompanied on this, his seventh album, by fellow countrymen, Toshiyuki Tanahashi on bass and Naoki Aikawa, drums. 

Ten of Takamen's own compositions are featured. Mostly these are in honour of the countries visited on his last European tour. One of them—the Latin-tinged "A-Tico-Ta"—was named by his four-year-old daughter and features special guest Akhito Yoshikawa on percussion. It's highly attractive, light and airy, one of the best numbers on the CD. 

The album opens with a fast bop piece, "The Circle Game," on which Takamen goes to town, demonstrating his fabulous technique. His solo is followed by one from Aikawa on drums, backed by Tanahashi, before the song returns to its theme. It's followed by the wistful ballad, "Helsingin Taivas," Finnish for "Helsinki Sky," conjuring up summer nights when the sun never truly sets. 

"3AM" is a gentle up-tempo piece with a very catchy theme—at times there is almost a country feel to it. Takamen's solo is masterly, visiting all manner of places while never completely losing touch with the melody. 

"Wonderful Days" speaks for itself, the days concerned long and lazy—perhaps Scandinavian? Wes Montgomery's influence is to the fore, though without recourse to the master's trademark use of octaves. "Blues Alberta" is the album's only blues, laid-back but solid, featuring some fast runs by the leader in his solo, which is followed by one from Tanahashi, interspersed with tasteful drumming by Aikawa. 

Takamen's rock influences come out in "25," which is fast and (almost) flashy. "Piece For Peace" is very different, far more reverent and reminiscent of Oscar Peterson's civil rights anthem "Hymn To Freedom."

Track Listing: The Circle Game; Helsingin Taivas (Helsinki Sky); 3AM; Fox’s Tail; Wonderful Days; A-Tico-Ta ; Blues Alberta; Sjećanja za Pamćenje (Memories to Remember); 25; Piece for Peace.

Personnel: Nobuki Takamen: guitar; Toshiyuki Tanahashi: bass; Naoki Aikawa: drums; Akihito Yoshikawa: percussion (6).

Title: The Nobuki Takamen Trio | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Self Produced

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.

Balazs Balogh: Borderline Inspirations

Hungarian drummer Balázs Balogh leads a multinational group on his intelligent and charming debut Borderline Inspirations. For it he has also penned seven elegant, poetic and sometimes provocative originals. Balogh has been leading an award-winning quintet since 2014 that includes several of those who appear on this captivating album which also showcases Balogh's noteworthy compositional skills. 

One of the highlights of this uniformly engaging release is the multilayered "Metamorphosis." Opening with a dark, expectant mood, Balogh's compatriot, pianist Lajos Toth, lets loose tense lines as the leader takes a thrillingly polyrhythmic solo. The second half of the track becomes warmer and more expansive yet no less dramatic as it features Hungarian guitarist Márton Fenyvesi's intriguing and intricate improvisation and Austrian saxophonist Tobias Pustelnik's muscular phrases. 

Balogh drives the engrossing and effervescent "Daybreak" with his understated beats and lays down complex rhythms with Austrian bassist Thomas Wilding. Brazilian flutist and saxophonist Marcelo Valezi and Montegroan guitarist Pippo Corvino exchange mellifluous refrains that coalesce around Tóth's bright and chiming keys. The bluesy piano contrasts nicely with Corvino's blistering rock and roll influenced chords. 

Elsewhere, on the mystical "Evening Song," Croatian bassist Ivar Roban Krizic matches with his lyrical eloquence Valezi's lilting and contemplative saxophone. A crepuscular ambience permeates the tune as Tóth mixes silent pauses and cascading notes into a stimulating extemporization. 

Tóth opens the suave and melancholic "Things That Should Have Been Said" with haunting chimes. After Balogh and Brazilian bassist Gustavo Boni joins the trio and creates a crystalline and shimmering harmonic backdrop. Czech flutist Andrea Sulcová flitters over the kaleidoscopic piece in fluid lines. 

With this delightfully unique work Balogh has proven himself a mature composer, an exciting performer and deft bandleader. As a recording that is both creative and accessible Borderline Inspirations should have a wide appeal. It sounds like the beginning of a brilliant career.

Track Listing: Intro; Evening Song; Remonkable; Daybreak; Passing Fancy; Metamorphosis; Things That Should Have Been Said.

Personnel: Balázs Balogh: drums; Tobias Pustelnik: tenor saxophone; Andrea Slucová: flute; Marcelo Valezi: tenor saxophone, flute; Lajos Tóth: piano; Márton Fenyvesi: guitar; Pippo Corvino: guitar; Ivar Krizic: bass; Gustavo Boni: bass; Thomas Wilding: bass.

Title: Borderline Inspirations | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Unit Records

Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.