Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
I'm often asked by friends and acquaintances at dinners and parties for recommendations of new jazz albums. The question is typically followed by a halting look, like, "Oh, yeah, I forgot, you only write about stuff from the 1940s and '50s." Believe it or not, I listen to a ton of cutting-edge new jazz. The problem is very little is of interest to me or worth telling you about. Of the 50 new CDs I receive each week, I fall in love with just two or three and hang onto them until my roundups. In some cases I need to let you know about them right away.
That's the case today. Here are three new sensational jazz albums and audio clips—proof that it's possible to dig Charlie Barnet and Clifford Brown as well as music that's going down now. These will surely be on my list of favorites this year:
Marc Cary—Rhodes Ahead Vol. 2 (Motema). Marc Cary plays Fender Rhodes, access virus (a synthesizer) and Hammond B3, and is deeply influenced by the hypnotic electronic jazz Herbie Hancock made famous in the 1970s. It's a saturated sound rich with mood and textured improvisation. Cary is accompanied by Tarus Mateen on bass, Terreon Gully on drums, Sameer Gupta on tabla, Igmar Thomas on trumpet, Jabari Exum on djembe, Daniel Moreno on percussion, Sharif Simmons on vocals, Arun Ramamurthy on violin, Burniss Travis II on bass and Aurelian Budynek on guitar. A album that brilliantly weaves together punch, purpose and pulsating electronica. Go here.
Reggie Quinerly—Invictus (Redefinition). It's easy to draw parallels between Reggie Quinerly's group and Bobby Hutcherson's groups in the mid-1960s. Drummer Quinerly's music has that sound, especially with Warren Wolf on vibes, Yotam Silberstein on guitar, Christian Sands on piano and Alan Hampton on bass. The quintet has a crystalline clarity and modern energy. All of the tracks but one was composed by Quinerly, and his music soars in the hands of this accomplished group. An album with deep intellect and vision. Go here.
Ben Williams—Coming of Age (Concord). Bassist Ben Williams wrote and arranged nearly all of the songs on this album. He's joined by saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Matthew Stevens, Christian Sands on piano and Fender Rhodes, Masayuki “Big Yuki” Hirano on synths and Fender Rhodes, drummer John Davis and percussionist Etienne Charles. I love the sparkling, brooding feel here and the electronic touches. There's a '70s inspiration at play, but Williams keeps it contemporary with strings, gorgeous use of the electric piano and power drums. Due April 6. Go here.
Used with permission by Marc Myers
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