1 Sem 2012 - Part Nine

Mike Moreno
First In Mind

BY Tim Niland

Mike Moreno is a very talented mainstream jazz guitarist who is comfortable in a variety of contexts, but perhaps none more so than in small group post-bop improvisation. Joined by an excellent trio of musicians, Aaron Parks on piano, Matt Brewer on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums, the group works through a variety of standards and originals in a classy and thoughtful manner. In retrospect, I was too harsh a few years ago about Arron Parks' album Invisible Cinema, and after listening to this album and his work in the James Farm collective, I have really come around to be impressed by his style of playing. His performing on this album is excellent along with the rest of the group which strikes a modern mainstream groove from the start and rides it all the way through to the end. They touch on some different aspects of the music, from the swinging hard-bop of Sonny Rollins classic “Airegin" to the mysterious and haunting version of Joe Zawinul's “In a Silent Way" which was popularized on the Miles Davis album of the same name. Their originals work quite well also, developing organically and allowing the whole group to express themselves in solo and ensemble passages. This may have been something of an ad-hoc session, but hopefully this band can reconvene to record and tour in the future. They have a fine conception of the music they are looking for and play it with grace and dignity.

1 First In Mind - Moreno 7:54
2 Soul Dance - Redman 8:53
3 Airegin 5:50
4 By Myself 6:09
5 But Beautiful - Heusen 8:31
6 Milagre Dos Peixes [Miracle of the Fishes] - Nascimento 7:16
7 A Flor E O Espinho [The Flowerand the Thorn] 7:35
8 In a Silent Way - Zawinul 8:34
9 Mantra - Redman 5:27


Alex Domschot
Venusian Commute



by Scott Yanow
Guitarist Alex Domschot's use of space, emphasis on slower mood pieces, and range of colors is at times reminiscent of Bill Frisell although in his own dryer voice. Bassist Marc Johnson is featured bowing throughout the lengthy opening atmospheric ballad "Sad Princess" and "Teachers." Drummer Vic Stevens is mostly in a very supportive role behind Johnson and Domschot, who takes turns in the spotlight. There are occasional departures (especially John Coltrane's "Some Other Blues" and "Coal Man," which is dedicated to Ornette Coleman), but most of the selections are taken at slow tempos or out-of-tempo altogether, with the emphasis on setting a mood rather than swinging. There are some dull stretches and one wishes there were more variation in moods, grooves, and styles, but certainly the musicianship cannot be faulted.

Albert Bover Trio

Esmuc Blues

by David R. Adler
An exceptional trio outing by Spanish pianist Albert Bover, featuring Chris Higgins on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums. The piano sound is fantastic -- hats off to engineer Jordi Vidal -- and the trio interplay is crisp and inspired. A Bach "Aria," played in a bright rubato feel, kicks off the album; Bover reprises the theme unaccompanied at the end of the program. In between, he offers a remarkable bitonal reading of "You Are Too Beautiful" (he calls it "Are You Too Beautiful?"), as well as unconventional looks at "Body and Soul," "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and Noel Rosa's "Pra Que Mentir." (The liners fail to credit "Lennie's Pennies" to Lennie Tristano.) Bover's hip, memorable originals include the beautiful waltz "Old Bottles, New Wine," the poignant bossa ballad "Post Nuclear Holocaust," and the bright, churning 7/4 "Set De Nou." Bover, Higgins, and Rossy are also strikingly empathic on the spontaneously composed "Trio Improvisation."

Vincent Bourgeyx

Again

By BlueSounds 
Born in Bordeaux, Vincent Bourgeyx began studying piano at the age of 7. After studying musicology at Bordeaux University, he went to Berklee College of Music in Boston for 4 years where he participated in Master Classes with Jane Ira Bloom, and at the International Association of Jazz Educators in 1998 and 2001. Vincent Bourgeyx became the first student to win the famous Billboard magazine prize as a soloist.
After graduating in 1997 he moved to New York where he became an active member of the jazz scene, working or recording as a sideman with several musicians such as Ravi Coltrane, Mark Turner, Billy Pierce, Donald Harrison, Eric Alexander, Richie Cole, Markus Strickland, Antonio Sanchez, Chuck Mangione, Julian Priester, Avishai Cohen or Al Grey, with whom he participated in concerts and tours in numerous clubs - Blue Note, Sweet Basil and Smalls in New York,- and in festivals -Monterey, Montreux, the Phoenix in Japan and the Free Jazz Festival in Brazil. He then formed his own American trio to play on a regular basis in the States and in Japan.
He has also composed film music, notably that of the 1929 silent movie ‘Blackmail’ by Alfred Hitchcock. Accompanied by bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig, “Again”, is his third album as a leader, but his first for Fresh Sound New Talent label. An spirited album that reflex the pianist’s lyricism with fiery passion.

Trio Elf

Elfland

By Enja
Trio ELF reinvented the classic piano trio format by basing inspired improvisations on contemporarary club styles like Drum ‘n’ Bass, House, Dubstep or Hiphop. Their albums “ELF” and “746” were enthusiastically acclaimed by the critics and audience in both Europe and Japan and earned the description “New Sound of the Trio”. The third album continues this direction. The warm acoustic sound is again extended by the careful integration of effects and the interplay between the three musicians is enriched by surprising sounds. A special high light are the vocal contributions by legendary Milton Nascimento who had already taken notice of the trio when he heard two of his compositions on their debut album ELF. After a friendly meeting during ELF’s Brazilian tour in January 2010 it was time to record in Rio. Back in Munich the vocals of the maestro were sent to the ELF sound kitchen and the result was an animated transatlantic collaboration – Milton’s inimitable vocals are congenially integrated into the trio sound. Also Brazilian influenced is “Ocean11”, a virtuosic performance by extra ordinary percussionist Marco Lobo and “Casa de Tom” , a magical dedication to Antonio Carlos Jobim. But this is not the end of the ELF journey: In fall of 2009 Trio ELF presents their version of trio music to the absolutely delighted American audience in New York. “The Ave” shows the dynamic developments of the eclectic young hip hop scene in a mirror and “Down”, the hit of pop-punk band Blink 182 is turned into a psychedelic hymn. With “Sounds in my Garden” Trio ELF enters the world of intricate Grunge riffs and Alternative Metal. “Hammer Baby Hammer” blends sampling and improvisation making the piano solo sound like its own House remix. An organic system in which each voice of the trio enjoys equal rights. The highly virtuosic drummer Gerwin Eisenhauer sounds like a drum computer turned human and Walter Lang stretches his lyrical, expressive melodies and his energetic chords over this pulsating base. Sven Faller’s bass connects these strata brilliantly, in one second with melodic counterpoints and in the next moment with deep warm grooves.

1 Ponta De Areia - Brant, Nascimento 5:38
2 Interlude - Faller 1:24
3 The Ave - Faller 6:18
4 Ocean 11 -  Jun 8:13
5 Casa Do Tom - Jun 5:02
6 Sounds In My Garden - Faller 5:02
7 Down - Barker, DeLonge, Hoppus 8:53
8 Pagode De Oceano - Jun 5:05
9 Hammer Baby Hammer - Jun 5:04
10 Anima - Nascimento, Renato 5:33
11 Elfland - Jun 4:09