Europe Jazz Media Chart - June 2017

Verneri Pohjola «Pekka» (Edition Records)

buy in iTunes | trailer on YouTube | album trailer on BandCamp | listen on Yandex.Music | album on the artist’s website | album on the label’s website

Cim Meyer comments:
Solid melodies, modern and personal arrangements and burning trumpet playing – often razor-sharp but at other times with gestures supported by four other excellent musicians. The entire project is saturated with the Finnish spirit of the 1970s caused by the late Pekka Pohjola. Their live act is strongly recommended as well.

Chris Potter, David Virelles, Joe Martin, Marcus Gilmore «The Dreamer Is The Dream» (ECM)

buy in iTunes | trailer on YouTube | buy on Amazon | album on the label’s website

Colin Stetson «All This I Do For Glory» (52 Hz)

buy in iTunes | trailer on YouTube | album trailer on BandCamp | buy on Amazon | listen on Spotify (registration required)

Tarkovsky Quartet «Nuit Blanche» (ECM)

buy in iTunes | trailer on YouTube | buy on Amazon | album on the label’s website

Gabriele Mitelli O.N.G. «Crash» (Parco della Musica Records)

trailer on YouTube | listen on Yandex.Music | buy on artist’s website

Roomet Jakapi/Mart Soo «Ärkvelsilm» (Jakapi-Soo 2017)

album trailer on BandCamp

Atom String Quartet «Seifert» (Zbigniew Seifert Foundation CD-FZS-1)

trailer on YouTube | listen on Spotify (registration required) | buy on CdBaby | Polish Radio’s podcast on the album (in Polish)

Paweł Brodowski comments:
The Atom String Quartet, one of the greatest jazz string quartets in the world, has recorded an album dedicated fully to the music of the legendary violin player Zbigniew Seifert (1946 – 1979) giving his compositions a new spin with their inspired improvisations and refreshing arrangements. A masterpiece.

The Selva «The Selva» (Clean Feed)

buy on Amazon | listen on Yandex.Music | listen on Spotify (registration required) | buy on Discogs | album on the label’s website

Django Bates And The FDR Big Band Saluting «Sgt. Pepper» (Edition Record)

Release scheduled for July 7, so far only trailer on YouTube и one track available on BandCamp

Mike Flynn comments:
A superb example of cross-European cooperation at its finest – resulting in a stunning jazz take on this iconic rock album as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

LRK Trio «If You Have A Dream» (Butman Music Records)

trailer on YouTube | listen on Spotify (registration required) | album on the artists’ website

Anna Filipieva comments:
The sophomore release by Moscow-based LRK Trio, which cryptic name is an acronym of the member’s last names: pianist Evgeny Lebedev, bassist Anton Revnyuk, and drummer Ignat Kravtsov. The group managed to somehow avoid the second album syndrome, thinking outside the box of both “jazz piano trio” and “power trio” cliches and never letting the listener to forget that, yes, the trio members grew up with both jazz and Russian classical heritage in their veins, but they remained also a 21st century band with a very modernistic sound.

Gonçalo Almeida/Rodrigo Amado/Marco Franco «The Attic» (NoBusiness Records)

one track on YouTube | album on BandCamp (CD from Luthuanian label NoBusiness Records) | album on BandCamp (limited release in the trendy compact cassette format from British label Tombed Visions) | buy on Discogs

Jan Granlie comments:
This is a record that draws the story from the “real guys of the 60s” into our time, which then delivers to the degrees. This is a trio that should be booked all around Europe and presented to anyone who has at least a little bit of interest in improvised music. A fantastic and very honest record, with Coltrane and Sanders in the back of the saxophone player’s head. The best so far, this year!

Nils Wogram Root 70 «Luxury Habits» (nWog / Edel:Kultur)

buy in iTunes | trailer on YouTube | album trailer on BandCamp | album on the artist’s website

Mat Maneri/Evan Parker/Lucian Ban «Sounding Tears» (Clean Feed)

buy in iTunes | listen on Yandex.Music | listen on Spotify (registration required) | album on the label’s website

Verneri Pohjola «Pekka» (Edition Records)

buy in iTunes | trailer on YouTube | album trailer on BandCamp | listen on Yandex.Music | album on the artist’s website | album on the label’s website