Once again, life got in the way of getting you last week’s list, so New in Music This Week: June 19th offers you the best of last week and this. There are quite a few great recordings, so let’s jump right in.
My top pick is:
JAZZ: SLO-MO NEON LUMINATE HOVERINGS – Ambrose Akinmusire & Mary Halvorson – Nonesuch Records
I’ve written many times about the brilliance of trumpeter/composer Akinmusire and guitarist composer Halvorson. Having an album of just the two of them is nirvana.
Each artist composed four of the nine tracks. Soundcheck, the fourth track, was written by the two of them. That they have been admirers of each other’s music and are friends comes as no surprise when you hear how intimate their playing is and how they respond to one another throughout the album.
You might think an album of just trumpet and guitar would be more of an intellectual exercise rather than a visceral and emotional one. But this album dispels those concerns from the opening track. Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings seduces you and doesn’t let you go until the last chord fades out at the end of the title track.
Here are the other fine recordings that are New In Music This Week: June 19th:
CHORAL: ROOTS & RIVERS – Santa Fe Desert Chorale – Navona Records
Roots & Rivers features works the Santa Fe Desert Chorale commissioned from composers Reena Esmail, Jocelyn Hagen, Kile Smith and Shawn Okpebholo.
Being a big fan of Esmail’s work, I was happy the album opened with yet another compelling work from her – The Tipping Point. Jocelyn Hagen’s Caminante followed.
Kile Smith’s Northland, a four-part work follows. I wasn’t familiar with Smith prior to hearing Northland. It’s a beautiful work that features the piano as much as it does the singers. Claude McKay’s poetry serves as the text for Northland. Truly a beautiful work.
Shawn E. Okpebholo’s The American Road, a six-part work, is the penultimate work on Roots & Rivers. This is my favorite piece on the album.
The album closes with a reworked version of Shawn Kirchner’s Sweet Rivers.
Conductor Joshua Habermann, pianist Nathan Salazar and table musicians Sutanu Sur are perfect partners for the SFDC. All of this music is realized with utter conviction that beautiful and complicated music sounds simple to the listener.
CLASSICAL: BACH: THE 6 FRENCH SUITES – Francesco Tristano – Naïve
Sometimes all you need to make you happy is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach sublimely performed. That’s exactly what Tristano’s recording of the 6 French Suitesoffers.
Tristano’s approach isn’t as cerebral as Víkingur Ólafsson. But it doesn’t need to be. There’s room for multiple approaches to Bach’s music. Tristano’s is thoughtful and emotive.
He’s made other recordings of Bach’s music, but I think this is his finest to date.
CLASSICAL: ALMA Y FUEGO – Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela – Platoon
Two anniversaries are being celebrated with this fine new recording of music by Manuel de Falla. The first is the composer’s 150th anniversary. The second is the 50th anniversary of El Sistema – the publicly financed music education program for young people.
The album opens with El amor brujo which translates to Love Bewitched. It’s a 45-minute work. It is one of the composer’s best-known works. Spanish singer Pasión Vega sings the vocal part.
That is followed by Noches en los jardines de España – a work for piano and orchestra that had its debut in 1916. The soloist here is Javier Perianes. This is a work I hadn’t heard before and I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s a deeply romantic work.
Almy y Fuego closes with El sombrero de tres picos. Best known as The Three-Cornered Hat, it is also one of de Falla’s most popular works.
Dudamel and the Simón Bolivar Symphony play these works with great passion. Or, as the title of this album indicates, with great soul and fire.
CLASSICAL: 55 – Katia and Marielle Labèque – Deutsche Grammophon
For 55 years sisters Katia and Marielle have been recording together. You would think such an occasion would call for a box set release of their most critically acclaimed tracks. While there are 30 such tracks, the reason to explore 55 is to hear the 25 new recordings that open this 3-CD box set.
They perform works by Leonard Bernstein; Margaret Bonds; Lili Boulanger; David Chalmin; William Duckworth; Bill Evans; Philip Glass; Fanny Mendelssohn; Dimitri Tiomkin and more.
This box set makes it clear why the Labèque Sisters have always fascinated audiences and critics and why they will continue to do so as long as they want to.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL: JULIUS EASTMAN VOL. 5: GAY GUERILLA – Wild Up – New Amsterdam Records
Los Angeles-based ensemble Wild Up continues its exploration of the work of composer Julius Eastman with this fifth volume of his work. One could argue if this is Eastman’s most political work, but his approach to queerness and gay liberation are prominent here. He unabashedly puts his opinions into his music and Wild Up brilliantly brings all of that to life.
Since Wild Up started recording Eastman’s music in 2021, each recording has proven to be more essential than the one that preceded it. It is hard to imagine them doing any finer work than they have on this fifth volume.
Kudos to the musicians and conductor and Artistic Director Christopher Rountree.
JAZZ: SO MANY LOVELY THNGS: LIVE IN BRECON – Kenny Barron / Ray Drummond / Ben Riley – Elemental Music
This recording comes from a 1995 concert in Wales. Pianist Barron was joined by Drummond on bass and Riley on drums.
This is an outstanding concert hat features songs by Freddie Hubbard (Up Jumped Spring); Thelonious Monk (Ask Me Now and Shuffle Boil); Roy Noble (a stunningly beautiful The Very Thought of You), Rodgers & Hammerstein (The Surrey With the Fringe on Top) and more amongst the 10 tracks.
This is a swinging trio album that is one more jewel amongst the amazing recordings released by Elemental Music.
JAZZ: STRAIGHT08 – Sam Barsh, Keyon Harrold, Mark Guiliana – La Reserve
Imagine knowing each other so well that you can record an album in just 4 hours. This album was the byproduct of a live gig in downtown LA whether the three musicians hadn’t rehearsed. But the concert was received in ways they couldn’t imagine. Into the studio they went.
They are keyboardist Barsh, drummer Guiliana and trumpeter Harrold.
The title comes from the sounds that emanated from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. It is a sound widely used by music producers today in a variety of genres.
Straight08 combines that sound with jazz. Over 11 tracks this trio has created music that feels like it is straddling multiple time periods. But it does so with an energy and style that is completely their own.
Throughout the album, I found myself bopping my head, thinking about what I was listening to and just disconnecting from the world. What else could you ask an album to do?
JAZZ: FEEBLES, FABLES AND FERNS – Mick Goodrick / Fred Hersch – ECM Records
Here’s another duo album, but this one dates back to 1988 and was never released. Guitarist Mick Goodrick and pianist Hersch were in Hersch’s studio and recorded these 7 tracks.
This is their only recording. And what a treat it is. The playfulness with which they listen and respond to each other is infectious.
Listen to Hersch’s Heartsong and you’ll hear exactly what I’m talking about. The title track, one of Goodrick’s originals, allows the guitarist to revisit a song he had recorded a decade earlier. There are also four covers.
It’s too bad this album didn’t come out earlier while Goodrick could enjoy the acclaim that would no doubt be heaped on him for this wonderful recording. He passed away in 2022.
JAZZ: GLOBAL PRAYER – Ize Trio – Self-distributed
With their 2024 release, The Global Suites, Ize Trio introduced themselves as a unique combination of musicians who bring their individual backgrounds together to make compelling music.
With Global Prayer, Palestinian cellist Nassem Alatrash, Cypriot percussionist George Lernis and US born pianist Chase Morrin have created a stunningly beautiful album. One that, I believe, speaks to our collective need to find a reason to believe in a world on the precipice of total chaos.
Joining the trio as special guests are saxophonist Lihi Haruvi; Iaouto player Vasilis Kostas; bassist John Patitucci; violinist Layth Sidiq and bouzouki player Yaniv Yacoby.
This is an album I couldn’t get enough of. Listen to Global Prayer. You’ll thank me once you have.
JAZZ: FEED THE FIRE – Hannah Marks – Endectomorph Music
Jason Moran produced this new album from bassist/composer Marks. He’s clearly both a major influence on Marks and her producer. The inclusion of two songs by Geri Allen (Unconditional Love and the title track) and the coda on the opening track Aggro reflect his influence.
But this album is wholly owned by Marks. And by the musicians who joined her on Feed the Fire: Steven Crammer on drums; Lex Korten on piano and Nathan Reising on alto saxophone.
Of her originals, I was most impressed with Aggro, On the Speedy Side of the Pool, When Day Becomes Night and Room 157.
After hearing Feed the Fire, I went back and listened to her first album. Rest assured, I will be looking out for, and listening to, whatever she does next. In the meantime, Feed the Fire will keep me quite interested right now.
JAZZ: ELLINGTON MASTERWORKS – Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra – MCG Jazz
Here’s an eye-opening album for everyone who thinks they’ve heard most, if not all, of Duke Ellington’s works. Over the eight tracks of Ellington Masterworks, I was introduced to music I’d never heard before: The Flaming Sword, Tattooed Bride, Race, Madness in Great Ones, Ad Lib on Nippon, Oclupaca, Shepherd and Jack the Bear.
These pieces date from 1940-1968. Suffice to say they aren’t amongst his most recorded compositions. This album makes a persuasive argument as to why they should be.
The fifteen musicians, led by conductor Charlie Young, play this music as if they’d known it their entire professional lives.
If you love Ellington, you’ll want to check this out.
VINYL REISSUES:
CLASSICAL: MAHLER: SYMPHONY NO.4 – Frederica von Stade / Vienna Philharmonic / Claudio Abbado – Deutsche Grammophon
This recording of Mahler’s symphony was released in 1978 was warmly received and prompted some purists to question his interpretation of the 3rd movement. He took parts slower than Mahler had indicated and other faster than the composer had wished.
Nonetheless, Abbado’s recording with Vienna is still considered a truly fine one of this symphony.
JAZZ: BLUE LIGHTS, VOL. 1 – Kenny Burrell – Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
Released in 1958, this album features guitarist Burrell recording with Art Blakey on drums; Tina Brooks and Junior Cook on saxophone; Sam Jones on bass; Duke Jordan on piano; Louis Smith on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano.
There are four tracks: Burell’s Yes Baby; Jordan’s Scotch Blues; Vernon Duke’s Autumn in New York and Duke Ellington’s Caravan.
The album is celebrated for feeling like a jam session.
Art fans: take a look at who did the album art. His signature is on the cover.
JAZZ: OF MIST AND MELTING – Bill Connors – ECM Luminessence Audiophile
This 1978 album from guitarist Bill Connors features Jack DeJohnette on drums; Jan Garbarek on saxophones and Gary Peacock on bass. Connors plays acoustic guitar on this album which was feted for being an example of powerful playing that relied on simplicity more than fireworks. It’s a truly thoughtful record.
JAZZ: MILES ’56: THE PRESTIGE RECORDINGS – Miles Davis – Craft Recordings
Fans of Cookin’, Relaxin’, Steamin’ and Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet who are also audophiles, will certainly want this new 4-LP remastered of those albums. There is also a track from Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (Round Midnight) and three tracks from Collectors’ Items (Vierd Blues and No Line composed by Davis and In Your Own Sweet Way written by Dave Brubeck).
Playing with Davis on all these sessions were Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Tommy Flanagan, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones; Sonny Rollins and Tommy Flanagan.
I’ve only listened to these remastered recordings digitally. This is one box set I’d love to hear on vinyl.
JAZZ: HANK MOBLEY 1568 – Hank Mobley – Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
Saxophonist Mobley recorded this album in 1957 with Paul Chambers on bass; Sonny Clark on Piano; Bill Hardman on trumpet; Curtis Porter on alto and tenor saxophones and Art Taylor on drums.
The album opens and closes with tracks by Porter (Mighty Moe and Joe and News).
It also features Falling in Love with Love by Rodgers and Hart; Bags’ Groove by Milt Jackson and Mobley’s own Double Exposure.
That’s all for New in Music This Week: June 19th.
Enjoy the music!
Enjoy your weekend!
Main Photo: Part of the album art for Wild Up’s Julius Eastman Vol. 5: Gay Guerilla (Courtesy New Amsterdam Records)