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New releases Aug-Sep 2024, T-Z

Records offered for review to Jazz Journal in July-August 2024

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The Verge: The Verge

They say : The Norwegian jazz-rock quartet The Verge consists of four still up-and-coming musicians who are all active members of the Norwegian jazz scene. Sonic landscapes that vary from fiery melodic jazz music to hysterical prog rock, atmospheric free-improvisation and heavy riffs are what define The Verge’s debut record. (Is it Jazz? Records, KAR263)

Themen, Art Organ Trio: Live In Soho

They say : Described by The Observer as “One of the tiny handful of undeniably perfect jazz musicians” Art Themen has been an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 60 years. Live In Soho is the third release from Art’s Organ Trio, which features organist Pete Whittaker and drummer George Double and captures a magical night at PizzaExpressLive in Dean Street in 2023. (Ubuntu Music UBU0167)

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Thomas, Micah: Mountains

They say : This ambitious project marks celebrated pianist and composer Micah Thomas’ first large ensemble work, offering an expansive and emotionally rich listening experience that explores the depths of musical storytelling. This exploratory project features Thomas alongside some of the most inventive luminaries in modern jazz, including trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, trombonist Caleb Smith, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall and drummer Kweku Sumbry. (Artwork Records)

Thomas, Veronica: They Say It’s Wonderful

They say : Vocalist Thomas’ follow-up to her acclaimed debut “Times Like These” reflects her charm as she swings smoothly through a collection of standards and originals. (Nica Carrington Productions )

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Tizer, Lao: Amplify

They say : Colorado-bred, LA-based keyboardist Lao Tizer embodies what it means to be a 21st-century musician inhabiting the jazz sphere – that being one who embraces musical diversity and has no fear of crossing boundaries.

Tommaso, Giovanni: Via G.T.

They say : Nothing. (Red Records RR1231962 CD)

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Tommaso, Giovanni: Via G.T.

They say : Nothing. (Red Records RR231961 LP)

Torres, Álvaro: Live In Barcelona

They say : Álvaro Torres (p), Tony Malaby (ts), Masa Kamaguchi (b), Kresten Osgood (d) (Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT-681)

Torres, Álvaro: Iris

They say : The past three years have been indispensable in pianist Álvaro Torres’s musical development. The essential ingredient being his adoption of New York City as his home and source of inspiration. Torres’s investment in the deepest jazz scene in the world has allowed him rare opportunities to know and perform with his musical heroes, as he does on his new recording, Iris, which features the legendary drummer Barry Altschul and bass great John Hébert. (Sunnyside Records SC1724)

Tsiganov, Misha: Painter Of Dreams

They say : Like its predecessor, Painter of Dreams features two highly reworked standards along with six recent melody-forward compositions, to which Tsiganov applies his signature blend of radical reharmonization, mixed meters, shifting tempos, and changing keys. Otherwise, this ambitious recital presents documents several “firsts. (Criss Cross 1421)

Tsumbu, Niwel: Milimo

They say : Milimo is Niwel Tsumbu’s virtuosic debut album for solo guitar. Born in the DRC and now based in Ireland, Tsumbu blends influences from Bach to Parker, transcending classical, African, and jazz traditions. His music forges a unique, borderless sound, earning him recognition worldwide, including touring with Rhiannon Giddens. (Diatribe Records DIACD048 )

Tuca: Adishatz

They say : Jazz rock French quintet TUCA (meaning ‘sand dune’ in Gascon language) offers original compositions by leader and trumpeter Louis Gachet, and some others by guitarist Thomas Gaucher. With Martin Ferreyros (electric guitar), Cyril Drape (bass) and Arnaud Bichon (drums), their music draws in Fantasy, rock and jazz music. (Deluge)

Twin Talk: Twin Talk Live

They say : On Twin Talk Live, the long-running Chicago trio Twin Talk blur the boundaries between near-telepathic collective improvisation and highly composed songs. Saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, bassist/singer Katie Ernst, and drummer Andrew Green have developed a staggering ability to converse quickly and lyrically within their music, resulting in a studio album with all the viscerality of their live shows. (Shifting Paradigm Records, SP209)

Vadims Dmitrijevs Quintet: Integration!

They say : Young and promising Latvian trombonist’s debut on Jeriska Records. Recorded live Direct-to-Tape at the Riga’s jazz club M/Darbnīca. (Jersika Records)

Vaughan, Sarah: Out Of This World

They say : Nothing. (Supper Club 049SP LP)

Washington, Dinah: Queen of the Blues

They say : Queen of the Blues was Alabama-born Ruth Lee Jones (1924-1963), who became, “Dinah Washington”, “the most influential female singer of the last 40 years” (Jazz, The Rough Guide). With her utterly individual style she was hugely successful in the R&B field and, also gave countless memorable interpretations of popular standards. (Retrospective RTS 4420)

Weber, Florian: Imaginary Cycle

They say : Florian Weber’s “Imaginary Cycle” is a hybrid of musical languages that seamlessly blends the harmonious with the oblique. Here, Weber presents a four-part cycle, plus an opening and epilogue, where the German pianist is joined by brass ensemble, flute and the seldomly heard “serpent”, performing a work that blurs the line between improvisation and composition. (ECM Records 5595098)

Weberndoerfer, Philip: Tides

They say : Tides is a sonic portrayal of the human condition, revealing itself in being at the mercy of a strong current, while seeking to find trust deep within oneself that this current is a benevolent force that eventually is going to carry us to safe shores. New York guitarist Philip Weberndoerfer created an imaginative album that celebrates space and openness, an apparent familiarity amongst the musicians, and a bold approach towards interplay, drifting between melancholy, lightheartedness and fervor. (Shifting Paradigm Records, SP207)

Wilde, Doug: The Sixth Dimension

They say : What happens when a composer with a keen sense of melody creates music with an unconventional tonal system? Keyboardist and composer Doug Wilde has a long history of creating memorable and unique music, often seamlessly incorporating complex harmonic and rhythmic material – most notably with Manteca (described as “One of contemporary music’s most accomplished and original artists” by Jazz Times Magazine.) Music created for his new recording The Sixth Dimension goes one step further (or maybe many steps further), taking us into a harmonic world that has rarely been used in a jazz context. (Independent)

Williamson, John: The Northern Sea

They say : Ubuntu Music proudly presents the signing and release of bassist/composer John Williamson’s debut album. Produced by Nikki Iles and featuring an all-star cast of the modern British jazz scene including Alex Hitchcock, ‘The Northern Sea’ is set to release on July 12th. (Ubuntu Music UBU182)

Wright, John Trio: South Side Soul

They say : John Wright, a Chicago native — if you couldn’t already tell by his LP’s title — was a self-taught pianist as a child who later enlisted in the army, played across Europe, and proceeded to become a regular on the jazz scene. By 1960, he released this album, the celebrated South Side Soul which the Chicago Reader gushed is, “an album that swaggers hard.” A figure who’s lesser known despite his outsized talent, Wright was given the Walter Dyett Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, in 2009. Bolstered by Wendell Roberts on bass and Walter McCants on drums, the debut features a slinky-cool title track, which cemented “South Side Soul” as Wright’s nickname. Meanwhile, a pair of harmonic escapes, “Sin Corner” and “Amen Corner,” nod ever so slyly to Wrights’ roots playing in a Baptist church. (Original Jazz Classic / Craft)

Xu, Christine: Seek And Find

They say : This is Chinese young female contemporary jazz Vocal/Composer Christine Xu’s debut jazz album ”Seek and Find”, which included her 10 original compositions.Album collaborated with 3 top Chinese musicians, release on June.21.2024. Christine graduated from Jazz music in Queens College-CUNY, she is deeply influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane. (StreetVoice Music)

Zaleski, Glenn: Star Dreams

They say : The health of the jazz ecosystem can be discerned by sampling musicians who use tried and true means to express themselves. By listening, it can be ascertained whether there is proper respect for the tradition blended with creative touches that move the music ahead. The piano trio is a perfect vehicle to demonstrate this phenomenon and Glenn Zaleski’s trio is an ideal example of a group that holds true to jazz traditions while trying to add something more. Presenting their third release on Sunnyside Records, Star Dreams, Zaleski, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Willie Jones III present an ideal contemporary program that swings but also broadens the language and repertory of the jazz piano trio. (Sunnyside Records SC1744)

Zawadzki, Alice Fred Thomas Misha Mullov-Abbado: Za Gòrami

They say : Vocalist/violinist Alice Zawadzki, pianist Fred Thomas (who also plays the vielle and drums) and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado present a rare alchemy on their trio debut, fusing idioms from a multitude of sources with free-flowing interplay and fluid structures. Inhabiting their own stylistic realm, the trio encompasses folk song, chamber music, acoustic jazz and improvisation. (ECM Records 6512008)

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