Europe Jazz Media Chart - October 2024

In every respect an extraordinary release. (Georges Tonla Briquet)

The way they are phrased, the texture they build, the narrative coherence, and the wide range of articulation, color, dynamics, and expression are impressive. The expression of these works creates an atmosphere of reverie and contemplation, inspiring the imagination to create images of a (perhaps somewhat dark) fantastic world. The erudition and mastery of pianist Vitalii Kyianytsia is simply overwhelming, and his interpretations captivate with their sophistication and virtuosity.

Recorded live in Berlin as the culmination of a four-day residency at the Au Topsi Pohl club, Maua (“flower” in Swahili) sees veteran Ghanaian pianist Pat Thomas leading ISM; a trio completed by the Swede Joel Grip on double bass and the Frenchman Antonin Gerbal on drums (the three are in turn part of the Ahmed project). In his award-winning career, Pat Thomas combines the creative intersections between classic jazz, avant-garde, electronic experimentation, highlife, afrobeat and pure free improvisation. Pat Thomas's music becomes a magical combination of amazing improvisation skills and inspiring, adventurous atmospheres; There is always play in his way of composing, there is always a desire for research and a desire to enjoy; and with Maua all those elements are sublimated to perfection.

One of the top Swedish jazz singers today, Vivian Buczek was born in Malmö of  Polish parents who emigrated to Sweden in the late ’60s. Her father was a great traditional trombone player, her mother played the vibraphone. I have followed Vivian over the past two decades since her debut album Can’t We Be Friends. In an interview for „Jazz Forum” she revealed that her favorite singers were Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson, but she added that every jazz vocalist should seek her/his own sound and that the best situation is where it is difficult to find comparisons. This she has evidently achieved. Vivian, indeed, possesses a unique voice and phrasing with an understaing of  jazz harmony and a feel of  blues. She has since recorded some ten albums, this newest one is dedicated to Michel Legrand, the legendary French pianist and composer, with affiliations to jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Stan Getz. The album includes eleven songa, ten of which are by Michel Legrand, with lyrics mainly by Alan and Marylin Bergman. The most striking are the songs opening the set – “The Wind Mills of Your Mind”  (from the film “The Thomas Crown Affair”) and “I Will Wait for You” (from “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”), and the closing jazz standard “You Must Believe in Spring” (from “The Young Girls of Rochefort” ). The sole exception is the title piece “Le Grand Michel”, an original by trumpeter Peter Asplund, a member of the accompanying group, which also includes the brilliant pianist Martin Sjösted, who is responsible for all the arrangemnts, and a Scandinavian rhythm section, with Mathias Heise on harmonica adding a touch of French class and charm.

The Swedish/Danish band Nacka Forum is like the cat, it has nine lives. They've been threatening to leave each other for quite some time, but like an old married couple, you persevere. This extremely creative band, consisting of the three Swedish star musicians; Jonas Kullhammar (sopranino saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, tarogato, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, flutes, piccolo flute, recorder, slide whistle, percussion), Goran Kajfeš (trumpet , Crumar EVI, Syntrx 2, congas, percussion), Johan Berthling (double bass), and the Danish unique Kresten Osgood (drums, piano, marimba, percussion). On this delicious record, they also feature the 81-year-old legend Lars-Göran Ulander (alto saxophone). With Peaceful Piano, they have created a record that swings, challenges and takes the listener on a lovely journey south to warmer regions, and places we long for now that the cold autumn has come to us up here in the north.

Within the British jazz landscape, pianist Neil Cowley has always been a maverick. He is one of those musicians who, with his striking touch, is always looking to break new musical ground, popping up either in jazz or pop or electronic. A constant until 2017 was his fabulous Neil Cowley Trio with double bassist Rex Horan and drummer Evan Jenkins as an amazing rhythm section. Cowley broke up the trio after the great album Spacebound Apes to have complete freedom to pursue new musical paths. Horan and Jenkins, both in-demand (guest) musicians, also went their separate ways for a while. With Entity, the British Neil Cowley Trio returns to the jazz front after seven years of silence.Entity showcases three musicians who have matured even further musically. No longer seeking the rambunctiousness of their earlier work per se, but in addition to the adventure they have always sought now bringing even more depth and balance. The first three pieces of the new record can even be called subdued, all the more so for this trio. And what a lush atmosphere and balance that calmness results in. Cowley has always been a master at writing catchy piano lines, and on Entity they come through brilliantly again. Listen to Father Daughter and you'll see what I mean. The list of young pianists who have adopted his style is endless. Also clever how electronic elements have been added to the compositions without influencing the pieces too emphatically. For in everything, Entity exudes a reborn jazz trio.

The trio MOVE debuted last year with their album “The City”, blending the talents of Brazilian musicians Yedo Gibson (saxophones) and Felipe Zenícola (electric bass) with Portuguese drummer João Valinho. Their music immediately stood out for its intense, fiery jazz. Now, they've released a second album, “Free Baile”, recorded live in China. The album features six new tracks, all filled with raw energy. Gibson’s sax roars, Zenícola’s bass drives forward, and Valinho’s drumming creates turbulence. Their style is a mix of jazz and punk, full of power and intensity. With this second album, the trio continues to deliver bold, explosive jazz.

This album is the result of a commission for Laura Jurd to compose a piece that brought together a brass ensemble and an improvising quartet led by Paul Dunmall. The result is an intriguing blend of structure and improvisation in which the two elements integrate in exciting ways. As Laura Jurd has said: "This was an album I never expected to make, which in itself feels like a celebration of spontaneity and the unexpected."

1998, fresh off their GRAMMY win for Best Latin Jazz Performance for their debut album Habana, Roy Hargrove and his celebrated group of musicians headed back into the studio to capture lightning in a bottle. Until now that recording, Grande-Terre, has never been heard. This all-star group of Cuban, American, and Guadeloupian musicians was the foundation to Hargrove’s unparalleled approach to jazz and the mélange of musical genres that appear on the record. Featuring trombonist Frank Lacy, pianist Larry Willis and drummer Willie Jones III, Grande-Terre showcases Hargrove’s fiery playing, his exquisite writing and the band’s great power and unique sound.

Finally, a project from the excellent alto saxophonist José Soares! Fresh from an artistic residency, Soma offers music inspired by a variety of philosophical and poetic themes, combining acoustic and electronic elements to knead a blob-like sonic paste. Everything seems to float in an atmosphere of emptiness and silence, but this ethereal impression is only superficial. The subject matter is firmly rooted, delicate and subtle, and although one of the musicians may only need a single note to make a statement, it is as central as the nucleus of an atom. Well supported, the Amsterdam-based saxophonist proceeds with small touches of warm breath, pinched incisions and held notes. Each musician is given the chance to express themselves fully, balancing graceful melodies with sonic experimentation. Simply fantastic.