Russian music in the key of New Jazz on Leo Records part 1

Leo Records' efforts in documenting improv scene in Russia continue and the results are as inspiring as ever. Russia's scene seems to be flourishing and I gathered below (and in the next post) my favourite examples of the trend. (You can also check previous posts about Alexey Kurglov's "Identification", his performance with Jaak Sooar trio  or "Pandora's Pitcher by Second Approach Trio).



Evgeny Masloboev and Anastasia Masloboeva
"Your Beutiful Face Makes Me Cry"

Evgeny Masloboev - cymbalo, drums, turkish and soviet cymbals, darbuk, block-flutes, trumpet, folk wooden and clay whistles, hunters manki, african transtsa, digital and acoustic piano, prepared piano, prepared guitar, kitchen utensils, metal plates, metal and plastic pipes, voice
Anastasia Masloboeva - main vocal, reverse singing

Leo Records 2012

This the fourth duo's release on Leo Records (previous titles are "Russian Folksongs in the Key of Rhythm", "...in the Key of Sadness" and "...in the key of Winter"). In the centre of the music there's Anastatasia's voice - pure and bright, slightly distant, ethereal.

Krakow Concert Schedule 27.01-02.02

Monday and Tuesday are obligatory presence for any serious improv fan in Krakow. Then a rock poetry for something completely different and you get the rest of the week off to listen to "Baby It's Cold Outside" and drink hot tea in the warm comfort of your chair.

27.01 Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love at Alchemia
The gutsy rebels among the avant-garde jazz. Both musicians musicians need no introduction. There will be some serious business happening on Alchemia's stage tomorrow evening. I found no duo videos on the web so the trio The Thing will have to do:

Roscoe Mitchell & Mike Reed - In Pursuit of Magic [482 Music]

Roscoe Mitchell - woodwinds,
Mike Reed - drums, percussion

482 Music 2013

A meeting of an avant-guard legend and a few decades younger disciple, one of the most active animators of the modern jazz scene in Chicago- ain't that a definitive prove of art's continuity? Roscoe Mitchell and Mike Reed, that duo not so long ago mesmerized the audience, my fortunate self included, during the Made in Chicago festival in Poznan. Together, they created a world of sculpted sounds, in constant "pursuit of magic", a sucessfull pursuit I'd like to add as I believe the concert to be THE concert of 2013.

Fire! Orchestra - Exit! [Rune Grammofon]

Fire! Orchestra:
voice: Mariam Wallentin, Emil Svanangen (+ guitar), Sofia Jernberg
trumpet: Niklas Barno, Magnus Broo, Emil Strandberg; trombone: Mats Aleklint; tuba: Per-Ake Holmlander
reeds: Anna Hogber (alto), Mats Gustafsson (tenor + live electronics), Elin Larsson (tenor), Fredrik Ljungkvist (baritone, clarinet), Christer Bothen (bass clarinet + guimbri), Jonas Kullhammar (bass sax)
guitar: Andres Soderstrom, Soren Runolf, David Stackenas
piano and electronic: Sten Sandell; electronics: Joachim Nordwall; organ: Tomas Hallonsten
electric bass: Johan Berthling; double bass: Joel Grip, Joe Williamson, Dan Berglund
drums: Andreas Werlin, Thomas Mera Gartz, Johan Holmegard, Raymond Strid

Rune Grammofon 2013

Fire! burned hot with improvised psychodelia on their latest trio release ("Without noticing") as well as previous ones featuring guest guitarists ("Unreleased?" with Jim O' Rourke on the blog as well). Mats Gustafsson however is ever a restless and exploratory soul and "Exit!" is a fruit of that.

Gustafsson's fondness for playing in larger groups is evident (vital member of Chicago Tentent, and Barry Guy's LJCO as well as New Orchestra for many years now) but It was not until the Krakow Jazz Autumn and Nu Ensemble performance I had a pleasure to see him lead his own unit, performing his own material, I was  

Fire! Orchestra not only predates the Autumn festival (the material presented on "Exit!" was recorded in the january of 2012), it features Gustafsson's musical vision expanded into even larger, 28-piece strong ensemble.

Krakow Concert Schedule 20-26.01

Another week and another portion of concerts to consider. Hope to see you around.

20.01 Free The Dance at Alchemia
First performance of the Free The Dance company in the 2014, the musicians will be Wiktor Krzak (basson), Patryk Zakrocki (violin and stuff) and Michal Brombosz (cello). The dancers will be Malgorzata Haduch, Basia Bujakowska and Paweł Kinior.

21.01 Samara Lubelski + Artur Mackowiak at Piekny Pies
Samara is a indie-rock artist, frequently involved with the likes of Thurton Moore of Sonic Youth, her concert will be a part of prom-tour for the freshly released cd.
Artur Mackowiak made an impact on polish indie scene with the groups Potty Umbrella and Something Like Elvis. His experimental solo work on guitar is minimalistic in pattern but he's not shy of noise and distorion.

Albatre - A Descent in the Maelstrom [Shhpuma]

Albatre:
Hugo Costa - alto sax, loops
Goncalo Almeida - bass, effects
Philipp Ernsting - drums, electronics


Shhpuma 2013

Goncalo Almeida has appeared on the blog previously with the LAMA trio and "Oneiros" on which he was responsible for most of the compositions. Do you remember the oniric landscapes he painted with the help of Susana Santos Silva (trumpet) and Greg Smith (drums)? If yes, do not expect them again. Albatre is a different sort of animal alltogether. A slightly brutal one.

Stone Quartet (Leandre / Campbell / Crispell / Maneri) - Live at Vision Festival [Ayler]

Stone Quartet:
Joelle Leandre - double bass, voice
Roy Campbell - trumpet, flutes
Marilyn Crispell - piano
Mat Maneri - viola

Ayler Records 2011

The jazz community has been painfully experienced last week with some sad news, the echo of which reverbed through jazz sites, blogs, social networks etc. This post is an echo, dedicated to Roy Campbell, but also Amiri Baraka and Izumi Uchida who passed away almost at the same time.

Roy Campbell appeared on the blog just twice, on the occasion of his duo cd with Ehran Elisha, and a concert with Nu Band. Fortunately I had a chance to see him play on a few occasions in Krakow, always in top form on stage, his playing filled with blues infusions, spirited and joyfull. His trio cd with Hamid Drake and William Parker "Ethnic, Stew and Brew" remains one of my favourites, a perfect introduction to the free jazz music.

Krakow Concert Schedule 13-19.01

There's a Murphy's law saying - if there are two good partys this week, they're most certainly happening at the same time in two different places. Somehow it happens to be right too often.

15-16.01 Slawek Pezda Trio at Piec'ART

Slawek Pezda is one of my favourite young musicians from Krakow, a tenor sax player with broad tone and free spirit (clearly inspired by Albert Ayler). His trio will feature Kuba Dworak on bass and Patryk Dobosz on drums (known from the High Definition quartet among other projects).

Hera XL with Hamid Drake - Seven Lines [Multikulti]

Hera 

Waclaw Zimpel - clarinet, alto clarinet, harmonium

Pawel Postaremczak - tenor & soprano sax, harmonium

Maciek Cierliński - hurdy-gurdy

Raphael Rogiński - guitar

Ksawery Wojciński - double bass

Paweł Szpura - drums

and special guest Hamid Drake - drums

Multikulti 2013

It's high time to end the holiday break on jazz alchemist blog and "Seven Lines" is perfect album to do that, for many reasons. the most important being this is possibly some of the most beautiful music released in 2013 (and 'tis the season for the list of various kinds). There's a proven recipe to make great records - just release great concerts, when they happen, and "Seven Lines" is a chance, for those few who were lucky to be there, to get back to the fond memories of one evening in October 2012, at Manggha Museum in Krakow, where IT happened. I wrote ecstatic words afterwards, and today I stand by them with even more conviction: