Europe Jazz Media Chart - January 2019

A selection of the hot new music surfacing across the continent this month by the top European jazz magazines and websites

Anna Filipieva, Jazz.Ru (Russia)

ALEXEY KOZLOV AND THE SECOND APPROACH TRIO Oberiu (ArtBeat Music)

iTunes

| YouTube

For 30 years the Soviet jazz pioneer, altoist Alexey Kozlov, was thinking over a project based on the poetry by nearly-forgotten Soviet poets from the 1930s, members of OBERIU (Association for Real Art,) the last Russian avant-garde poetry group before political purges destroyed all things avant-garde for the next three decades. In 2008, Kozlov finally found partners brave enough to walk a thin rope between jazz and poetry: the Second Approach Trio with their brilliant classical/jazz/ethno/improv crossover approach. Kozlov played the alto and recited the absurdist verses by OBERIU poets, while pianist Andrei Razin, bassist Igor Ivanushkin and singer Tatiana Komova surrounded the poems with their music, alternating between ironic readings of jazz standards and humorous/macabre free improv. One is not required to understand spoken Russian to catch the spakrling vibe of this live date, released ten years after for the Second Approach Trio's 20th birthday.

Jan Granlie, salt-peanuts.eu (Pan-Scandinavian)

EVENT HORIZON Space Geode (Chant Records)

Viktor Bensusan, jazzdergisi.com (Turkey)

ARVE HENRIKSEN, EIVIND AARSET, JAN BANG, JEZ RILEY FRENCH ‎The Height Of The Reeds (Rune Grammofon)

Soundcloud

| YouTube

Jazz Nomad Arve Henriksen and his Soundscapers, Jan Bang, Eivind Aarset and Jez riley French capture the natural and urban sounds, as if they are picking apples from new but familiar territories. Worth listening over and over again...

Henning Bolte, Written in Music (Netherlands)

MYRA MELFORD’S SNOWY EGRET The Other Side of Air (Firehouse 12 Records)

The Other Side of Air, a wondrous album title appealing to imagination, has been chosen BECAUSE OF the sheer, lively beauty of this music and the endless pleasure of listening it gave to me with its shifting shades, its pirouetting whirls, its wonderful juggling of playful particles, its volatile grandeur, its jumpy groove and lyrical graciousness, its completeness and lightness, its atmospheric generosity, its all over astonishing coherent and organic way to expand, turn around, twist, to break down and let reappear wonderful clear and captivating lines. It is five wonderful master musicians in great synch and full individuality: Myra Melford (p), Ron Miles (tre), Liberty Ellman (g), Tyshawn Sorey (dr) and (my special personal favourite) Stomu Takeishi (bass guitar).

Patrik Sandberg, OrkesterJournalen (Sweden)

ODDJOB Jazzoo 2 (Headspin Records)

Behind the acclaimed bandproject Jazzoo stands the band Oddjob. The band's music intergrates playfully and effectively with the animal world which is visualised in the richly ilustrated book that accompanies every album and through animations in concerts. Oddjob´s imagination and their love of children result in a craftsmanship and a groove in the often intriguing och intricate compositions. Oddjob is really in their right element here.