Rolling Jazz Thread 2019

Makaya McCraven just played a very good set with Jeff Parker of Tortoise at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles.

The best song was the first, an unreleased track called "In These Times," which sounded like a collaboration between Steve Reich and Eddie Hazel.

new yazz ahmed is fantastic.

Finally getting to Christian Scott's Ancestral Recall, discussed way upthread: instantly smitten by brittle impassioned brave climbing (because brittle might break) in this our distressed time and space and place(s), major within minor and vice-versa, orbits within orbits (nature's way and more contributed by mankind, for better and worse):idealism and experience and inquiry and reflection, but not imitation; assimilation of African diaspora incl. electric Miles and bits ingested by Radiohead and maybe Sigur Ros, and yes trap music and sounds like he might be listening to Jlin. "Reverse Flugelhorn" might be the way he (dropping the brittle) pushes against the grain, re expected mellowness of that instrument, while mining its riches, somewhat like Red Rodney (as heard live late in his life and on disc).
Main reservation (on first listening): toward the end there's a repetition of effect, where he's maybe too much the heroic herald---I'd like more of that divine interaction w Elena P. on "Before," please, and why is she only on this one track (OMG Logan Richardson on "Songs She Never Heard"!), and especially waiting for him to assimilate himself or shut up a little on the ironically titled "Double Consciousness." But then the pressure he puts on Saul Williams, during title track finale, that works, like most of the album does.
Right now I'm thinkin' it's in my Top Ten, and here's that link one more time, might as well:
https://christianscott.bandcamp.com/

Tension of looking out and drawing in, maybe especially re and via this century's cyber-connections and isolation. But you could say that about so many things of course. I haven't given him Top Ten blessing quite yet.

Yeah, the Christian Scott is my second favorite jazz album of the year, after Anna Webber. One I never really liked was that The Comet Is Coming album, but I'm loving the EP! It's a really well composed and dynamic suite of music.

Does the Christian Scott feature a great deal of spoken word?

https://noahpreminger.bandcamp.com/releases

this is my fave Noah Preminger album so far, episodic 48 minute jobbie that sort of reminds me of Zorn's Spillane. Kris Davis and Rudy Royston are in the band.

xp
Not sure what constitutes a "great deal" but while it's a prominent element on some tracks, it probably only takes up like 15% of the album (lol maybe idk). fwiw I think Williams' spoken word stuff is easier to get on board with than the kinda dated flow of the one rap. All that said, this is easily one of my albums of the year, and if you're at all curious, it's worth checking out.

Am I the only one who likes the Resavoir album? It's on International Anthem and is this superb blend of styles, at times it reminds me of Phil Ranelin and one track is very much in the Tortoise/Chicago Underground lineage. Really beautiful stuff!

Hmmm… I might check it out then. I find spoken word unreasonably off-putting in music (I hate words tbf).

vox on jazz albums are generally awful reedy vocals or some god awful community workshop spoken word bad poetry type shite. as soon as I hear one or the other I won't listen to it again.

Ha, I skipped through one track that had a lot of spoken word, but otherwise, I really liked the new Jaimie Branch in an immediate way.

Kris Davis is a recent honourable exception by using tapes of a Cecil Taylor interview to good effect and using a proper singer on her latest album.

Forevergirl is a really good vocal jazz track from Christian Scott:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MObfOsPra_s

I also liked the spoken word opening of the Comet is Coming EP :)

I haven't gotten around to listening to the EP, but the spoken word stuff on the Sons of Kemet album is great (and I am as allergic to the idea in general as you all are). It helps that it's closer to stuff like Linton Kwesi Johnson than 90s slam poetry. It is interesting how much it seems to be part of the new generation's approach, I assume due to their roots in community arts workshops and the like (?)

The Resavoir album is nice, ty.

Agreeing With Others Dept.:

Resavoir, Jaimie Branch, Kris Davis, and The Comet Is Coming are all really good. So's the new Yazz Ahmed, which came out Friday.

new Tomeka Reid Quartet w/Mary Halvorson is good as well.

Oh, I'll look for that.

me too!
Haven't taken in his lines yet, but I like the way the sound of Saul Williams's voice fits, no bombast or mumblecore, also like Branch's voice on https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/fly-or-die-ii-bird-dogs-of-paradise--but on both albums, there are some words in there, so if you don't want any, you're out of luck. "A luuuv song, for assholes, and clowns," a lullaby. Will check other recent mentions on here; so far y'all have steered me right.

Yazz has a bit of spoken word on a track, but it's about two minutes long and not too distracting.

And I love the Comet Is Coming EP as much as the album. Also has a non-corny spoken word track!

did someone already link Ben Flock's Mask Of The Muse on here? it might have been a burning ambulance review linked on here. it's probably a bit trad for some but it's so dreamy and lush I'm total sucker for it.

erroneous apostrophe there it is Flocks!

I wrote about it for Stereogum in August. It is nice.

Ben Flocks, Mask Of The Muse (West Cliff)
This is a fascinatingly weird, not-quite-retro album by an up-and-coming saxophonist. Flocks, along with guitarist and producer Art Chersky, keyboardist Frank LoCrasto (who’s worked with Jeremy Pelt), bassist Martin Nevin, and drummer Evan Hughes, tackle a collection of songs that aren’t standards, but are old, and associated with singers ranging from Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra to Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison and Patti Page. The arrangements are a little bit soul jazz, a little bit hard bop, and a little bit lounge-act, but there’s also an edge of weirdness to them, like something out of a David Lynch movie. The consistency of the mood is what makes the album really special; it’s like you’re hearing it in a dream. The band’s version of Sam Cooke’s “Smoke Rings” features gentle guitar and organ, and a slow-dance beat, over which Flocks’ tenor floats like he’s playing a 1950s prom.

The Yazz Ahmed is nice, but I'm not totally convinced by it. Apart from the second half of 2857, that is absolutely amazing! It's not like there's only room for one middle eastern inspired jazz album, but I did prefer Maurice Loucas 'Elephantine' from this year.

more great community-workshop-angry-spoken-word jazz: the Irreversible Entanglements album from a couple of years ago

Yeah, unperson turned me onto that upthread, when I was omg at Moor Mother on Art Ensemble of Chicago's We Are On The Edge---her Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes is out Nov.8

I interviewed Peter Brötzmann today - he's got a new solo album coming out in November that's almost all standards(!) - he does "I Surrender, Dear" and "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Con Alma" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It," among others. It's pretty awesome. At the end of our conversation I asked him if he'd consider making an album like this with a rhythm section; I suggested William Parker and Hamid Drake, and he countered saying either them or Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits, with whom he's also worked. We also talked about the time he played with Ginger Baker. He said they didn't get along too well until they finished the second bottle of whiskey.

I interviewed Marilyn Crispell for Down Beat.

saw Makaya McCraven on Friday, what a wonderful show, great ensemble, Jeff Parker on guitar, harpist who really added a lot, McCraven is a monster drummer and also had a a laptop that he played quotes about music, revolution, etc from historical figures, jazz ppl

so glad I went

I've never seen McCraven as a leader, but I'd love to. I saw him play with trumpeter Marquis Hill at Winter Jazzfest 2018 and he really is just astonishing behind the kit. He drove that band hard.

His show in Montreal this summer was one of the best I’ve seen in years. Jealous of Parker & harp though

I'm assuming it was Brandee Younger on harp; they've been working together for a while now. I saw her open for Tony Allen, in a duet with bassist Dezron Douglas.

looks like you are right! here's some more info, was a commission piece

Makaya McCraven: In These Times, with opener Astralblak


World Premiere/Walker Commission

“McCraven, a Chicago-based drummer, producer and beat maker, has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality.” —New York Times

Bridging generations of adventurous music with his improvisational genius and ecstatic beatwork, drummer and bandleader Makaya McCraven performs a timely Walker co-commissioned musical suite—his most ambitious work to date. A “beat scientist” who has galvanized audiences and garnered critical acclaim across the globe while helping to introduce jazz and improvisation to the next generation, McCraven is joined by trumpeter Marquis Hill, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise), bassist Jeremiah Hunt, saxophonist Greg Ward, pianist Greg Spero, violinist Macie Stewart, cellist Lia Kohl,harpist Brandee Younger (Moses Sumney), and improvisational video artist Kim Alpert. Music is community in this multimedia performance that includes strings and a video collage made from archival footage of black activists and influential music innovators.

That's a hell of a band. I just wrote about Marquis Hill's new record for Bandcamp, and Greg Ward's latest is great too.

what's the greg ward one called?

Hill and Ward's solo turns were fantastic

The Ward album is called Stomping Off From Greenwood; it came out way back in January.

oh I know that one, thought he'd released another!

Late to the party but Anna Webber's Clockwise is indeed superb.

yep!

aoty!

I should probably go see the Tomeka Reid Quartet w/Mary Halvorson, huh

(I mean I probably won't because I'm busy and bad at going to things, but I should)

Listening to the album now and it's sick
(https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/old-new)

Damn I might have to actually go

going to this tonight if anyone wants to say hi
https://roulette.org/event/mary-halvorson-john-dieterich-a-tangle-of-stars/

yeah that new Tomeka Reid/Mary Halv album is ace

Oh hey, new Bad Plus album! Sounds very Bad Plus-y so far, which is cool. More Bad Plus-y than the last one.

that about covers it, yes! and in a good way.

I love the matana roberts album