The dry humor of the European free-jazz tradition is present here as well as the disciplined arranging exemplified by single-instrument groups like the World Saxophone Quartet. Mangelsdorff's "Theme From Vietnam" is the richest piece on display, with melancholy, deep moans that congeal into howls, then morph into a wobbly tango. Albert Mangelsdorff's "Set 'em Up" alternates whirling bebop fragments with bits of near-silence while "Der Blues ist der Konig" combines shrill solo lines with gospellish call-and-response answers. Manfred Schoof's "Virtue" is played with gentle, bluesy pushing and sounds like a George Gershwin classical clarinet piece. The harmonic blend of their instruments allows the trio to bubble like a calliope or mimic the sonorous sounds of a pipe organ, traits they find useful here. On this recording, they pay tribute to their country's jazz tradition by playing the work of several prominent German jazz composers from the Fifties and Sixties. The Clarinet Trio Transformations and Further Passages Leo Records 2022 The Clarinet Trio is a long-standing group made up of German clarinetists Jürgen Kupke, Michael Thieke, and Gebhard Ullmann. Teubal and Dingman also work together well on the lively melodies of "Cinco en Seis Cuerdas" and The Beatles' "Blackbird." Teubal's music comes off with an elegant sense of serenity and formality but also has a mischievous streak. "Tortuga" is a whirling samba with a strong hint of Chick Corea, while "Remolinos (Tolerance)" rides a wave of minimalist repetition with Chris Dingman's vibes shadowing Teubal. "Tokyo Trenque" has a brooding Spanish classical strain that mixes Teubal's piano with Fede Diaz's acoustic guitar and Sam Sadisgursky's clarinet. They flow through "The Absence of You" like a tumbling river current and play nicely off each other on the ballad "For Wisdom." The synergy between Brust's swooning tone and Lund's bouncing chords is especially tight on "Serenade In Blue." Pianist Julia Chen is a strong presence on "The Tempest" and "Mind's Eye" in support of Brust, while guitar and piano blend together beautifully without the leader's sax on the stately "Ballad of a Sea Porpoise." Emilio Teubal Futuro Not Yet Records 2023 This album by Argentine-born pianist Emilio Teubal brings in varied types of music. Lage Lund's guitar often echoes him as a flexible second lead voice.
A pair of Monk compositions get playfully pulled apart while the pianist's own composing abilities are demonstrated through the elegant strolling of his ballads, "Phantoms" and "Dolores Street" and the relaxed Latin pulse of "Sunshower." Nicholas Brust Daybreak Outside In Music 2023 Nicholas Brust is a tenor saxophonist from Boston who writes strong melodies that his playing cuts through with ease and grace on this album.
His own tune, "What If" is a playful, near avant-garde progression of shifting rhythms that stirs in bits of ragtime and Thelonious Monk, while gorgeous renditions of "Isfahan" and "Daydream" show Barron's comfort with the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Kenny Barron The Source Artwork Records 2023 This is Kenny Barron's first album of solo piano since 1981 and it shows the breadth of his playing extremely well. A couple of tracks, "The Way of the World" and "Stella For Star," are charming and melodically strong enough to transcend the usual idea of "children's songs." Like the entire album, they glow from the loving tone in Levy's voice.
"Hello Song" features the voices of children saying hello in many different languages while "Los Animales" teaches the names of various animals in Spanish. Levy's daughter has a Chinese, German, and Ashkenazi Jewish background, and these songs are appropriately inclusive of different races and nationalities. Several of the songs feature backing from jazz musicians such as Jason Yeager and Roxy Coss, which add warm and expansive horn and rhythm arrangements. The lyrics focus on usual kids' topics, like bathtime, animals, and food but they all shine due to the energy and obvious affection present in her singing. Levy wrote all the songs here, which touch on calypso, jazz, bluegrass, and many other genres. She became a mother in 2021, giving birth to her daughter, Stella Plum. Allegra Levy Songs For You And Me Little Moon Records 2023 Vocalist Allegra Levy has made a children's music album for the most natural of reasons. Here are reviews of a diverse selection of jazz releases from the past few months.
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