If seven is your lucky number, you’re in luck with New In Music This Week: February 21st.
My top pick for New in Music This Week: February 21st is:
JAZZ: STRATA-EAST: THE LEGACY BEGINS – Mack Avenue Music Group and Strata-East Records
Slightly over a year ago, Marcus J. Moore wrote a story in the New York Times called 5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Strata-East Records. Before having various people comment on the best from amongst the over 50 albums they released beginning in 1971, Moore concludes by saying, “Strata-East released some of the best jazz heard on any label, and shouldn’t be discounted because it wasn’t one of the majors.”
Today a digital anthology was released that offers well more than five minutes of music. In fact, you get over 4 hours of music that fit into the post-bop, Afro-centric and spiritual realm. The 33 tracks feature music by Stanley Cowell, Clifford Jordan, Billy Parker, Cecile Payne, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Tolliver and plenty more.
This is like finding a treasure chest of great music to explore, discover or re-discover. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Mack Avenue plans to reissue many of their albums in the next few months.
I’ve had great fun digging through these 33 tracks. I can’t wait for the full re-issues of so many great albums. Have fun exploring!
The other fine recordings selected for New In Music This Week: February 21st are:
CLASSICAL: RAVEL: PIANO CONCERTOS – Seong-Jin Cho – Deutsche Grammophon
It seems hard to believe that pianist Seong-Jin Cho has been on the world stage for ten years already. Where did the time go? One might be tempted to say the same for composer Maurice Ravel as the world is celebrating the sesquicentennial of his birth.
Cho already released The Complete Solo Piano Works in January. Now he performs the Piano Concerto in G Major and the Piano Concert for the Left Hand with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andris Nelsons.
If you heard the first album, you know what to expect with Cho’s performances of these concerti: precision, delicacy (when required), consistency and passion. In other words, a great recording.
Cho will be performing Ravel throughout the year including all-Ravel recitals and performances of these concerti. You can find his current performance schedule HERE.
CLASSICAL: ARC III – Orion Weiss – First Hand Records
Pianist Weiss is in a more optimistic and celebratory mood in this third album of his Arc trilogy. Arc 1 featured music from the pre-World War I era. Arc 2 found him performing works from the era that spanned from the first World War through the second.
Arc III can be considered the glow of possibility that the world enjoyed in the aftermath of the conclusion of World War II. Not that the music was all written in that period, but it shares an enthusiasm and optimism.
Weiss wisely chose music by Brahms, Debussy, Dohnányi, Ligeti and Schubert for this recording. The album opens with Alleluia in Form of Toccata by Louise Talma. I wasn’t familiar with Talma before this recording, but rest assured I (and maybe you, too) will want to check out the limited recordings of her music that are available. This was a perfect selection to open Arc III.
Weiss has created an inspired trilogy with the Arc. I’m sorry to see it end, but look forward to whatever is next.
JAZZ: SERVER FARM – Jon Irabagon – Irabbagast Records
This massively intriguing album is composer/saxophonist Irabagon’s musical response to Artificial Intelligence – both its possibilities and its potential pitfalls. There is nothing artificial about this album and it is unqeustionably intelligent. And challenging.
The opening track, Colocation, is chaotic, frenetic and unique. It does settle down but doesn’t leave a listener feeling settled (nor do I think it wants to.) I wish my Routers communicated as well with each other as the musicians do on this album. That ten musicians can offer up their Singularities and still manage a Graceful Exit, or, more to the point, such gracefully constructed interaction, is impressive.
This is not a traditional 10-piece ensemble. Which makes it even more interesting. Joining Irabagon on this record are Wendy Eisenberg (guitar); Peter Evans (trumpet/flugelhorn); Michael Formanek (acoustic bass); Chris Lightcap (electric bass); Levy Lorenzo (kulintang/laptop/electronics/cibraphone); Matt Mitchell (acoustic bass); Miles Okazaki (guitar); Mazz Swift (violin/voice) and Dan Weiss (drums).
JAZZ: THE GREAT KAI & J.J. – J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding – Verve Acoustic Sounds
Two trombonists, Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, teamed up for this album that stands the test of time and has for nearly 65 years. I love the tag line on the album cover that says, rightly, “Brand New Swinging Together Again.”
The 11 tracks include performances of This Could Be the Start of Something New, Georgia On My Mind, Blue Monk and I Concentrate on You.
The two gentlemen are joined by a veritable list of jazz greats including Paul Chambers on bass; Bill Evans on piano plus Roy Haynes and Art Taylor on drums.
This is a vinyl-only reissue mastered from the original analog tapes. Start swingin’!
JAZZ: BALLADS – Noah Preminger – Chill Tone
Fans of straight-ahead jazz will certainly enjoy this album that more than lives up to its name. Tenor saxophonist Preminger is clearly in a mellow mood! Just as Coltrane was six decades ago.
There are four original songs on Ballads: “Democracy,” “In Our 20s,” “Pneu” and “Unfair World.” I hope I’m not reading too much into his compositions, but Democracy is so delicate it can’t help but remind me of how fragile our democracy is these days.
Perhaps that’s why Preminger closes out the album with Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me.
Preminger is accompanied by Kim Cass (bass); Allan Mednard (drummer) and Julian Shore (piano).
JAZZ: FASTEN UP – Yellowjackets – Mack Avenue Records
The Yellowjackets, one of our finest jazz fusion bands, is 48 years young this year and Fasten Up proves that. The current line-up of Dane Alderson (bass); co-founder Russell Ferrante (piano/keyboard); Will Kennedy (drums) and Bob Mintzer (saxophone) jam, rock, groove and celebrate in the over one hour of music on this album.
There are 11 tracks on the album with ten of them being originals composed by the four members of the band. The lone cover is Comin’ Home Baby written by Ben Tucker with lyrics (not heard here) by Bob Dorough.
My favorite tracks are Will Power, The Truth of You, The Unresolved Question and Xemeris. Check it out!
That’s all for New In Music This Week: February 21st.
Enjoy the music!
Enjoy your weekend!
Main Photo: Part of the album art for “Server Farm” (Courtesy Irabbagast Records)