Europe Jazz Media Chart - November 2024

The Norwegian trio Bento Box is made up of promising young musicians who are already more or less established. It's not too late to discover them, here with this new project, improvised around their own compositions and featuring the double bass of Mats Eilertsen and the voice of Sissel Vera Pettersen on some tracks. Tuva Halse's violin has a very specific, colorful, bittersweet sound that adds a special relief to the whole. Benjamín Gísli Einarsson on piano and Øyvind Leite on drums are careful not to spoil this primary color, but to support and enhance it. Somehow How I Lost My Way is an excellent surprise and a fine hope.

The exceptional sextet led by Baldo Martínez offers us an hour of wonderful music, full of surprising and exciting developments, in the form of compositions that fly free and unfold towards paths of captivating beauty. Everything is elegant here, everything sounds emotional and careful to the extreme, everything fits in a strange and almost magical way in an improbable collage of contemporary jazz, free improvisation and sounds indebted to folklore. Everything is organic, natural and harmonious: there is light at all times. Imaginary Music is a very complete work in which vibraphones, accordions, fluscorns, marimbas and flutes are intertwined in a festive, beautiful and imaginative way around more conventional elements of the jazz tradition such as the sax, drums, trumpet or double bass. to create a fascinating, original work, addictive from the first note and totally elusive when looking for labels to try to define it.

Zolotyi Karp is an album by young Ukrainian guitarist Maryan Karpinskyi, comprised of songs he composed during the years of Russian invasion. Through these pieces, he channels reflections on authenticity, purpose, friendship, and sincerity. Accompanying him are some of the most active voices on the modern Ukrainian scene: Dmytro Kryshtal on trumpet, Denys Arkharov on piano, Stanislav Diachenko on bass, and Mykhailo Halaktionov on drums. Karpinskyi offered insights into the themes of each composition on social media: "Borodьba" reminds us that struggle is an integral part of life. "Vona" speaks to a state of inspiration and motivation. "Ne Trymai" warns against wishful thinking. "Kyshenya" reflects the influence of culture, upbringing, education, and experience in shaping one’s personality. "Vechir" accepts things as they are. "Sered Zirok" invites us to be traveler-dreamers. Together, these pieces capture a personal and collective journey, resonating with Karpinskyi's inner world and the realities faced by his place of living.

The two CDs, with his own compositions plus one by Arthur Blythe on the first, and the second with Thelonious Monk compositions, shows Wheeler Curtis in great form. He writes fine compositions, which are performed in a sort of "Loft" landscape together with bassist Sean Conly and drummer Michael Sarin. And the record of Monk compositions, with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner, does Monk in an almost minimalist way, but both records have a drive and an energy that places Wheeler Curtis right at the forefront of today's jazz. He himself is a master of stritch, sopranino saxophone, trumpet and tenor saxophone.

Ashram Sun by keyboardist/vocalist Surya Botofasina is a very special musical experience. The musician has already been featured this year on groundbreaking new albums by Shabaka, Andre 300 (she is part of his live band) and Carlos Niño. Her second album for Spiritmuse Records is a deeply spiritual ode/love letter to the time Alice Coltrane spent at her ashram in Los Angeles. Botafasina's Ashram Sun draws richly from those Coltrane years and draws those musical spiritual lines into the present. As a result, Ashram Sun is an album as free and adventurous as you very rarely hear. Floating on the atmosphere of atmospheric synthesizers, in the spirit of her teacher Swamini Turiyasangitananda (Coltrane's ashram name), Botofasina develops a fascinating world.  Ashram Sun is a bulky piece of work that impresses and intrigues. Precisely because the atmosphere is so meditative, the music, however experimental at times, feels like a heartwarming and mind-expanding experience. Nothing in this world is currently more needed than albums like this wonderful Ashram Sun.

In 2019, the drummer Pedro Melo Alves launched the Conundrum concert series, featuring duos with various musicians he had not previously collaborated with, focusing on musical improvisation. This album, released by Clean Feed, compiles live recordings from thirteen concerts with artists such as Marta Warelis, Ignaz Schick, Sara Serpa, Rafael Toral, Jacqueline Kerrod, João Barradas and Audrey Chen. The album highlights a wide range of sounds and instruments, showcasing distinct musical approaches and communication styles. Each short excerpt captures unique moments, reflecting both harmony and challenges in the collaborative process. At the heart of the project is Alves's improvisational skill and adaptability, making this album a remarkable collection of diverse musical encounters.

Jo Harrop’s music comes straight from the heart. I heard it in her voice the very first time I listened to her,” says four-time Grammy winner Larry Klein who produced "The Path Of A Tear". This new album was recorded in Village Studios in Los Angeles. I have written that Jo Harrop sings "with sincerity, warmth, joy and grace. All that and more so on this fine album. And a delightful person too. 

Miles in France is the eighth release in the acclaimed Miles Davis Bootleg Series and one that focuses on the formation of the Second Great Quintet during 1963 and 1964. The music captures both an ending and a new beginning and is spread across five performances on eight 12"s.