LAMA - Oneiros [Clean Feed]

LAMA:
Susana Santos Silva - trumpet, electronics
Goncalo Almeida - double bass, effects and loops
Greg Smith - drums


Clean Feed 2012

Although 2/3 of the LAMA trio is portugese the band actually was created in Rotterdam, where Susana Santos Silva and Goncalo Almeida were studying at the jazz department of the city conseravatory. The music this trumpet trio proposes is somewhere between what's free and mainstream in jazz, the mixture nicely spiced up with an intelligent use of electronics. One can easily fall in love with the "Oneiros". 

Tomasz Dąbrowski - TOM Trio [ILK]

Tomasz Dąbrowski - trumpet, balkan horn
Nils Bo Davidsen - double bass
Anders Morgensen - drums


ILK Records 2012

"TOM Trio" is Tomasz Dąbrowski's debut as a leader, a young polish trumpeter played an active part in jazz/improvised music scene in Denmark for the last couple of years and the international trio's release is presented by the danish ILK Records label.

The disc presents 11 composed pieces, mostly in the coincise and focused song - format, with hummable and likeable melody that manages to match the slavic romantic nature and the scandinavian, nordic cool touch.

Jon Corbett's Dangerous Musics - Kongens Gade [Leo]

Jon Corbett - trumpet, pocket trumpet, valve trombone, bamboo flute

Nick Stephens - acoustic bass

Louis Moholo-Moholo - drums

Leo Records 2011

I recently reviewed Calling Signals' release, where one can hear Jon Corbett's and Nick Stephens' playing and here they are again with addition of Louis Moholo-Moholo to please our ears.

All three of them mainstays of british free music scene for a while so there's nothing to be proven or revealed here - and they can just go for it as they feel.

And they definitely do so, the playing is intense and vivid. The music is raw and energetic and there are no artificial confines to be respected, just a joyfull ride, an act of communication and creation with the three sharing the reponsibilities and the rewards of creating and stustaining the musical narration.

Aeroplane Trio (JP Carter, Russel Scholberg, Skye Brooks) - Naranja Ha [Drip Audio]

Naranja Ha

Aeroplane Trio:

JP Cartet - trumpet

Russell Scholberg - bass, saw, thumb piano

Skye Brooks - drums

Drip Audio 2010

With piano trio and sax trio being probably the most popular line-ups in  jazz music, one could expect that a trio led by a trumpet (an instrument commonly associated primarily with jazz genre) would be much more of a common thing, while the fact is that a group like that remains relatively rare (Stef Gijssels compiles a nice list to be found here).

That being said, this one makes a nice addition to category. While the trio has been playing together for some years now, this is their first official release and showcases both matured group interplay and fresh attitude (which made me put them in the 'newcomer band' top3 in my votes for El Intruso Poll 2010). And it both delivers and promise more good music coming from this group, even if it as uncertain what path will they follow - as this is a very much an album of two faces.