Europe Jazz Media Chart – Februari 2023
Ook deze maand publiceren wij weer de Europe Jazz Media Chart, een lijst van de belangrijkste jazzalbums van dit moment volgens toonaangevende Europese journalisten binnen de jazz. Journalisten die voor Europese magazines, zowel print als online, hun artikelen en recensies schrijven.
A Short Diary – Sebastian Rochford, Kit Downes (ECM)
Sebastian Scotney, LondonJazz News (UK):
This is an album of and about grieving. And how a musician finds solace through music. It has real class and is going to be one of my albums of the year. On a personal note, and since I share the same christian name as the composer… I noticed that ECM released it – I believe completely by accident! – on St. Sebastian’s Day 20 January. Read more…
Phoenix – Lakeija Benjamin (Whirlwind Recordings)
Patrik Sandberg, Jazz Orkesterjournalen (Sweden):
Phoenix is alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin fourth studioalbum as a bandleader. Terri Lyne Carrington is behind the production and a iconic list of special guests that she respects and has been mentored by as Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Patrice Rushen and Angela Davis appears on the album.The album is a deeply personal outing for Lakecia and presents mostly all original compositions and arrangements.
It Takes All Kinds To Make A World – Frderik Lundin & Odense Jazz Orchestra (April Records)
Cim Meyer, Jazz Special (Denmark):
A large untraditional orchestra with excellent musicians, fabulous compositions and the biggest agendas imaginable. Excerpt from the liner notes: “The music on this album celebrates all that, which is different, peculiar, special, exclusive, incompatible, singular, deviant, strange distinct, extraordinary, unfamiliar, elusive, odd, and incongruous.” “Diversity is a prerequisite for sustainable life on this our beautiful but suffering blue green globe.” Fredrik Lundin and cohorts make a strong and sobering case!
From a Story Now Lost – Anja Lauvdal (Smalltown Supersound)
Matthieu Jouan, Citizenjazz.com (France):
By taking her inspiration from the 19th century Norwegian pianist Agathe Backer Grøndahl (a female musician who, because she was a woman, did not become a household name), Anja Lauvdal is also doing something political. There is a halo of sound texture that surrounds each piece, a backdrop on which the composer projects the film of her music. Sometimes a few muffled beats come to punctuate by spurts the sound layers. Airy and evanescent, this record is a magnificent success.
Sibyl Of The Rhine – Lilly Joel Plays The Organ (Sub Rosa Records)
Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazzhalo.be (Belgium):
The link between Hildegard von Bingen, Robert Schumann and Tom Jobim? The duo Lilly Joel aka Lynn Cassiers and Jozef Dumoulin who effortlessly bridge cultures and centuries with vocals, electronics and church organ. Read more (in Dutch)…
Tutti Off Duty – Auziņš – Čudars – Arutyunyan (SKANi)
Kaspars Zavileiskis, Jazzin.lv (Latvia):
Auziņš – Čudars – Arutyunyan is a Latvian contemporary jazz trio at the peak of its strength. At the beginning of this year, the third album Tutti Off Duty was launched, the name of which is a reference to the time of the pandemic, when all the duties of musicians were indeed postponed, but there was no desire to turn off the creation of new music. This is also not possible for saxophone and bass clarinet player Kārlis Auziņš, guitarist Matīss Čudars and drummer Ivars Arutyunyan, because all three have studied at jazz schools in different countries and are musicians full of creativity, who like to connect on the same wave from time to time to improvise together and watch what will happen. As a result, a new album has happened, which reflects both rural and urban landscapes in a Northern European flowing manner, using extended techniques and electronic effects in the creation of the sound, but also maintaining the melodiousness. This is the first jazz album released by the Latvian National classical and choral music label SKANi, and probably not the last. Tutti Off Duty is also released on CD.
Blue Chili – Tony Lakatos (Skip Records)
Jacek Brun, Jazz-fun.de (Germany):
Despite all the diversity of inspirations, Tony Lakatos and his fellow musicians always remain themselves, leading a narrative rich in surprising solutions, but at the same time communicative and full of authentic emotions. An inspiring, uncompromising album that will appeal to both avant-garde and traditional jazz fans. Read more (in German)…
Polish Composers of the 20th Century – Marek Pospieszalski (Clean Feed)
Paweł Brodowski, Jazz Forum (Poland):
This demanding and daring album is a surprise winner of “Jazz Forum” magazine’s annual Crictics’ Poll 2022 as the Album of the Year. Saxophonist Marek Pospieszalski was voted Musician of the Year. His repuatation had spread abroad as he was chosen as one of the 25 most promising musicians in Europe by the German magazine “JazzThing”. Released by the Portuguese avant label Clean Feed, Polish Composers of the 20th Century is his first effort as a leader. This double album features variations on themes by 12 Polish classical composers, each piece bearing the name of a particular composer: Krauze, Kotoński, Baird, Rudziński, Stachowski, Krenz, Serocki, Palester, Szalonek, Panufnik, Sikorski, Schaeffer. The pieces, arranged by Pospieszalski, are in fact not so much variations but rather new works loosely connected with the original scores. The performing ensemble is an octet including some of the finest musicians of the new jazz scene in Poland deserving wider attention: the leader on saxophones, clarinets, flute and tape, Piotr Chęcki on tenor sax, Tomasz Dąbrowski on trumpet, Tomasz Sroczyński on viola, Szymon Mika on acoustic and electric guitar, Grzegorz Tarwid on piano, Max Mucha on bass, Qba Janicki on drums and soundboard. Almost two hours of compelling music worth a listen.
Thēsaurōs – Bruun/Kjærgaard/Westergaard (ILK Records)
Jan Granlie, Salt-peanuts* (Pan-Scandinavian):
The Danish trio with drummer Peter Bruun, piano player Søren Kjærgaard and bassist Jonas Westergaard have collaborated occasionally since they left the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen a lot of years ago. But since they do not live in the same city, or country, and all three are very busy with other musical projects, the trio has not been given the highest priority. Thēsaurōs has become one of the finest records I can remember hearing from a piano trio since the records with the Bill Evans Trio from the early 60s. Here we get music that speaks to the inner self, performed by three musicians who know each other very well, who have the same ideas about music, and can manage Peter Bruun’s compositions in the very best way. A true treasure trove of a trio recording. And one of the many reasons why we are spending so much time listening and writing about jazz and other strong music for free. Has this year’s best record already arrived? Read more (in Norwegian)…
Home.S – Esbjörn Svensson (ACT Music)
Viktor Bensusan, Jazz Dergisi (Turkey):
And we thought that we heard everything from him, yet the late Esbjörn had more to teach us. Let’s start with the Alpha, Beta, Gamma of it until we roll right down to the Eta, Theta, Iota of it… Read more (in Dutch)…
Monk on Viola – George Dumitriu (Evil Rabbit Records)
Henning Bolte, Written in Music (Netherlands):
When thinking of Viola or Bratsch, composers as Morton Feldman or György Ligeti come to mind. Thelonius Monk is not the most obvious match. Dumitriu has changed it in fascinating ways and sheds a light on Monk’s depth of form and sense for essential detail to make music enthralling and living on. This album is about how the Monk substance emerge from the rich sonorities of the viola. Dumitriu achieve and illuminates it by playing with process and result in a dialectical way. Monk is maybe the most played jazz composer every night on this planet. Dumitriu contributes and gives us a recording that can repeatedly listened to with pleasureful astonishment night by night for a while. Read more (in Dutch)…
Voor de volledige lijst en meer links: Europe Jazz Media Chart – Februari 2023
