Baby Vortex: Not What You Think
Baby Vortex is a Bordeaux-based keyboard, guitar and drum trio led by pianist and composer Clément Simon that’s turned in a very effective set of electric fusion echoing and updating the sounds of Weather Report and Chick Corea. This is their debut digital album, released 17 October 2025. It opens with some rather empty chord noodling (or mood-building?) on Alpinist, but four minutes in a funk rhythm with a nippy jazz-rock theme emerges followed by a fluent jazz-rock guitar solo. Corea’s melodic style comes out on La Bonne Etoile, over an afrobeat rhythm. Then there’s a good guitar solo over modal changes, and the piano solo quotes some RTF tune. No bass player is mentioned in the documentation but the authentic sound of an electric bass is heard often on the record: keyboards can do marvellous things these days. Other flavours on the record include broken-beat, Head Hunters, British prog-rock and something of Frank Zappa. The trio’s pulsing but subtle fusion is well worth checking out, at, e.g., soundcloud.com/clementsimonmusic.
Discography
The Alpinist; La Bonne Etoile; Pistolaser Song; Wrong Pyramid; Igor Mortis; Cheval Fourbe; Not What You Think; Last Call (48.36)
Clément Simon (kyb); Jean-Loup Siaut (elg); Curtis Efoua Ela (d). France, c. 2025.
(Agile Musique)
Joshua Rager: Heart’s Pace
Montréal-based pianist Rager here leads a quartet completed by guitar, bass and drums that plays standards and powerful originals in a beautifully light and buoyant way. Aside from the actual originals, Rager makes standards his own too, for example introducing some delightful and unexpected harmonic punctuations in the opening I’ve Grown Accustomed. Peter Bernstein is the excellent guitarist, guesting with what is a longstanding piano, bass and drums trio. In the backline, the bass and drums swing lithely, the ride cymbal and hi-hat work on Centered a microcosmic illustration of the good taste of drummer Irwin. This is refined, highly musical mainstream, refreshing for both its creative treatments and generally upbeat tone. Rager says in his description “From swinging tempos to bright straight eighths and a sizzling ballad, this album covers all the ground a jazz lover would want.” That’ll do. Hear and see the Rager band’s version of I’ve Grown Accustomed on YouTube.
Discography
I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face; Centered; Heart’s Pace; Fathers And Sons; Bass Intro; Ebb And Flow; Within Reach; Dreamsville (50.27)
Rager (p); Peter Bernstein (elg); Alec Walkington (b); Richard Irwin (d). Probably Montréal. No date, but possibly 2024.
(Bent River Records BRR202503C0)
Gene Shelby: Melton
Melton is described in the publicity as “a shot of high-octane jazz fusion, featuring guitarists Mike Stern and Frank Gambale”. It’s both those things. It’s led by Australian drummer Gene Shelby, who earned a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and was signed with Warner/Chappell and worked in LA studios. Oddly enough, though, the record was made not in NY or LA but Jakarta. Gambale appears on one track, Gyro Spiral, and Stern on two (Melton Shuffle and After Jam) but another much lesser-known guitarist, Aiden Ishmael, elsewhere does good work with the tone of Gambale if not the mega-chops. Stylewise, it’s almost all brightly produced modal funk with reminders of Bob Berg and Chick Corea’s electric writing. The rhythm can seem a little relentless at times but overall the record does the job – all is very well played and contoured and there are some excellent solo moments. Check it on Spotify.
Discography
Melton Shuffle; Sir Dig It; After Jam; Gyro Spiral; Rhino Funk; Rainy Day (49.54)
Gene Shelby (d); Mike Stern, Frank Gambale, Aiden Ishmael (elg); Eghay Synth, Usereal Fitri (kyb); Franky Sadikin (elb); Ricard Hutapea (s). Jakarta, unknown date, c. 2025.
(Jenus Records)
