Martin Archer's Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere returns with Theta Five (Discus, 2020), fifth album of this project, recorded in two studio sessions (october 2019 and august 2020). The leader, on saxes, clarinet, flute, organ, mellotron, software instruments, voices, was accompanied by Steve Dinsdale (drums, synths), Lorin Halsall (double bass, electric upright bass, electronics), Yvonna Magda (violin, electronics), Andy Peake (rhodes, synths), Walt Shaw (percussion, electronics), Jan Todd (vocals, voices, lyrics, harps, electronics, laptop, midi keys, bowed acoustic bass guitar, glockenspiel, 12 string guitar, Korg wave drum, Idiopan) and Terry Todd (electric bass guitar, acoustic 12 string guitar) in four compositions, notably the 42-minute Pillared Space, always featuring an avantgarde jazz-rock mostly improvised.
Studio recorded in june 2018, the 2CD and also DoLP Cuts Open (RareNoise, 2020) is the fifth release by the trio of Mats Gustafsson (flute, baritone sax, electronics, percussion), Masami Akita aka Merzbow (electronics, percussion) and Balazs Pandi (drums and percussion). The themes of these four side-long pieces were composed by Gustafsson, quickly evolving in long improvisations.
Fabian Mazur Percussion Lab WAV
Frequency Disasters (Confront, 2020) documents a studio december 2018 session by the namesake project created by Steve Beresford (here on prepared piano, toys, electronics) and comprising of Valentina Magaletti (drums, percussion) and Pierpaolo Martino (double bass). The eleven pieces the leader composed feature avantgarde rock, noise and jazz improvisations.
Share The Wealth (Blue Note, 2020) documents the Nels Cline Singers, the project the guitarist created in 2001, who, on his electric, leads Skerik (sax), Trevor Dunn (bass), Scott Amendola (drums), Brian Marsella (piano) and Cyro Baptista (percussion). Among the ten pieces, the 17-minute Stump The Panel and the 16-minute A Place On The Moon. Studio recorded in may 2019.
Focus And Field (Meta, 2020) features Adam Rudolph on handrumset along with: Sumie Kaneko on koto, shamisen & voice, Kaoru Watanabe on noh kan, shinobue, taiko & percussion, Stephanie Griffin on viola, Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon, Ned Rothenberg on shakuhachi & bass clarinet, gamin on piri & saenghwang, Ivan Barenboim on b-flat & contra-alto clarinets, and Michel Gentile on flutes. Recorded live in march 2020, this album sports chamber music influenced by oriental ethnic.
The Catch Of A Ghost (Dischi Di Angelica, 2020) features Peter Brötzmann (woodwinds), Hamid Drake (percussion) and the gnawa musician Maalem Moukhtar Gania (guembri, voice). Recorded in may 2019, this performance, that mixes world music and free jazz, sports four pieces, notably the 33-minute title-track.
Two new CDs by Intakt. The 2CD set The Deceptive 4 marks the return of Tim Berne's Snakeoil. The quartet, with the leader on alto sax, Matt Mitchell on piano, Oscar Noriega on clarinets and Ches Smith on drums and percussion, presents on Disc 1 four lenghty pieces from a Snakeoil concert recorded in december 2017; on Disc 2 other four pieces coming from two old unissued studio sessions (november 2009 and june 2010), notably the 21-minute Hemphill. Instead, Slow Pieces For Aki documents a piano solo by Alexander Von Schlippenbach, who gathered twenty-one brief compositions studio recorded in november 2019. Half of them are improvisations. The album is dedicated to his wife Aki Takase.
Recorded, as say credits, "at RAI studios in Rome, Italy in 1976 for the television broadcast Incontro con Don Cherry presented by Franco Fayenz", Om Shanti Om (Black Sweat, 2020) documents a Don Cherry's quartet concert comprising of eight pieces. Playing trumpet, flute and kora, Don Cherry led Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, Italian guitarist and flutist Gian Piero Pramaggiore, and tamburist Moki Cherry, his wife. That concert was plenty of world music and improvisations.
Stretch Woven (Astro Imprint, 2020) features Nels Cline on guitars, loops, effects & megamouth and Scott Amendola on drums, percussion, loops, electronics & mbira, in seven tracks studio recorded in september 2017. Collectively composed, these pieces sport a mixing of avntgarde jazz, rock and electronics, especially the 14-minute Substitute Angels.
Ivo Perelman, in celebration of his 30th recording career anniversary and 100 CDs, releases three new recordigs. The Purity Of Desire ( Not Two, 2020) documents the saxtenorist along with Gordon Grdina (oud) and Hamin Honari (tombak, daf, percussion), featuring eight pieces studio recorded in january 2020. Dust Of Light/Ears Drawings Sounds ( Setola di Maiale, 2020) is a collaboration with Pascal Marzan (who played ten strings microtonal acoustic guitar); their twelve pieces were studio recorded in february 2020. Shamanism (Mahakala, 2020) is a trio with Joe Morris (electric guitar) and Matthew Shipp (piano). They recorded ten pieces in april 2018.
Still by Intakt, It's About Time documents the OM project, i.e. Urs Leimgruber (soprano and tenor saxes), Christy Doran (electric guitar and devices), and the Swiss rhythm section of Bobby Burri (double bass and devices) and Fredy Studer (drums, percussion, bowed metal). The quartet, born in 1972 and returned in 2008 after a long break after 1982, recorded this album in february 2020, producing eight new pieces. OM was created in 1974 by the current lineup, whose sessionography is: Montreux Live & More (Indian, 1975), whose side A, the suite (Fuddler) On The Roof, was recorded live in july 1974 at Montreux Jazz Festival, and side B collects three studio pieces recorded in september 1974; Kirikuki (Japo, 1976; re-released by ECM in 2019), studio recorded in october 1975; Rautionaha (Japo, 1977), recorded in december 1976; With Dom Um Romao (Japo, 1978; re-released by ECM in 2019) recorded in august 1977 with the well known percussionist as guest; Cerberus (Japo, 1980), recorded in january 1980 and now out of print; the live Willisau (Intakt, 2010), recorded in august 2008, that documents a twelve-part improvised session. Their ECM 2006 Retrospective collects tracks from four of their albums.
Second Sight has been the forgotten Dave Douglas' project, created by the trumpeter in 1985 along with pianist John Esposito and disbanded after two releases. Flying With The Comet, the first album, was recorded at a date in 1986, and featured the pianist and the trumpetist along with Allen Murphy (bass), Jeff Siegel 8drum), and Jeff Marx (sax). Tiger Tracks, just released by Sunjump, was their second and until now unissued session, adding Frederick Berryhill on percussion. Recorded at a date in 1987, it features nine tracks all composed by Esposito, notably Fu Jow Pai, presented in two alternated takes (12 and 14 minutes).
Conspiracy is the new Terje Rypdal's album released for ECM in two decades. It features six new pieces composed by the guitarist, here on electric along with Stale Storlokken (keyboards), Endre Hareide Hallre (fretless bass) and veteran Pal Thowsen (drums, percussion). Recorded in february 2019.
The vinyl Lining Out (Hidenbell, 2020) documents two side-long compositions studio recorded in january 2018 by Jason Kahn, who, on voice, drums, cymbals, bells and percussion, interpreted gaelic psalm singing by the Free Churches on the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, with a lot of improvisation. Still by Kahn, the vinyl Spirits (Editions, 2020) features two side-long compositions performed on voice, lap slide resonator guitar and studio recorded in december 2019 along with Swiss percussionist Christian Wolfarth. Quite totally improvised.
The 3CD set The Consummation Of Right And Wrong (Important, 2020) features the latest work by avantgarde jazz guitarist David First, who, on guitar and harmonica, leads his eight-piece ensemble, The Western Enisphere, comprising of Jeanann Dara (viola), Sam Kulik (trombone), Jeff Tobias (bass clarinet), James Ilgenfritz (upright bass), Danny Tunick (percussion/conductor), Ian Douglas Moore (guitar), William Stanton (laptop). This is a document of "droning music", whoxse music was composed in 2017. Among the pieces, it's worth mentioning the third CD, with the 46-minute Section 2.
Every Dog Has His Day But It Doesn't Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter (ESP, 2020) features the Okuden Quartet, led by reedist Mat Walerian (alto sax, clarinets and flute), and comprising of Matthew Shipp (piano), William Parker (double bass, shakuhachi) and Hamid Drake (drums, percussion). Studio recorded in may 2018, this 2CD set sports eight lenghty tracks, all composed by Walerian.
News from Dave Rempis and his label Aerophonic. His project Ballister returns with Znachki Stilyag, performed by the leader on saxes along with Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello & electronics and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion. Recorded in october 2019. Among the pieces, the 38-minute F*ck the Money Changers. The Dave Rempis project Kuzu released his third album, Purple Dark Opal. Rempis, on various saxes, leads Tashi Dorji (guitar) and Tyler Damon (drums) in the 56-minute suite To The Quick, recorded in october 2018. The 2CD set Codes/Myths documents the duo of Dave Rempis (alto, tenor and baritone saxes) and Frank Rosaly (drums and percussion) in four studio tracks recorded in january 2018, notably the 32-minute Aletheia and the 29-minute Patterns In Distance. Finally, the label also released the Vol. 2 of Of Things Beyond Thule, performed, as the Vol. 1, with Tomka Reid (cello), Brandon Lopez (bass), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) and Joe McPhee (trumpet). Recorded in december 2018 (the same session of Vol. 1), the CD fesatures four lenghty pieces, notably the 18-minute Osel. 2ff7e9595c
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