The Squid's Ear Magazine


Weiss, Dan: Fourteen (Pi Recordings)

Fourteen musicians perform drummer Dan Weiss' ambitious compositional project, a through-composed work featuring an ensemble with guitar, horns, voices, harp, piano, organ, bass and percussion, with players including Weiss, Matt Mitchell, Judith Berkson, David Binney, &c. &c.
 

Price: $14.95


Quantity:

Out of Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Thomas Morgan-acoustic bass

David Binney-alto saxophone, handclaps

Miles Okazaki-classical guitar, electric guitar handclaps

Dan Weiss-drums, handclaps, vocals [recitation], composed by, producer, liner notes

Katie Andrews-harp

Stephen Cellucci-percussion, handclaps

Jacob Sacks-piano

Matt Mitchell-piano, organ, glockenspiel, handclaps

Ohad Talmor-tenor saxophone

Ben Gerstein-trombone

Jacob Garchik-trombone, tuba

Judith Berkson-vocals

Lana Cencic-vocals

Maria Neckam-vocals


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 808713005226

Label: Pi Recordings
Catalog ID: Pi 52
Squidco Product Code: 18742

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2014
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded May 1st and 2nd, 2012, at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NYC, by Mike Marciano and Max Ross.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Fourteen is drummer Dan Weiss's breakthrough as a composer and bandleader: A hugely ambitious project, it is a through-composed work that features a 14-piece ensemble with guitar, horns, voices, harp, piano, organ, bass and percussion. It's an indescribable amalgam of jazz improvisation, Indian beat cycles, extreme metal, minimalism, prog rock, contemporary classical music, and a myriad of other influences, all compounded into an outpouring of personal expression completely beyond musical boundaries.

Named one of "Five Drummers Whose Time Is Now" by the New York Times, Weiss is one of the most in demand musicians on the jazz scene. He began playing the drums at the age of six and received his bachelor's degree at Manhattan School of Music with a major in jazz percussion and minor in classical composition. He has toured and recorded with musicians such as David Binney, Lee Konitz, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Miguel Zenon and Kenny Werner, among many others. A disciple of the tabla master Pandit Samir Chatterjee, under whom he has studied for almost 20 years, Weiss is also arguably unique among jazz drummers for transposing ideas from his study of Indian classical music to the drum kit. He has released four prior albums as a leader: Tintal Drum Set Solo and Jhaptal Drum Set Solo - both with Miles Okazaki on guitar - on which Weiss performs classical works for tabla on trap drums; and Now Yes When and Timshel, which feature his long-standing trio with Jacob Sacks on piano and Thomas Morgan on bass. He has been named the number one "Rising Star Percussionist" the last two years in the Downbeat Critic's Poll.

Weiss ups the ante with Fourteen, a major compositional undertaking. He started writing the music in 2010, initially as melodic ideas and eventually conceiving of the project on a grander scale. He says of the work, "I had some of my closest friends in mind while writing this music and their voices dictated the path that the music should travel. The writing process for this record was not a struggle at all like it has been for some of my other projects. My spirit felt free and loose, as if something or someone else was doing the work for me." The work eventually grew to encompass Fourteen musicians, including old working partners such as Okazaki, Sacks and Morgan, and also musicians he regularly worked with such as David Binney on alto saxophone; Ohad Talmor on tenor saxophone; Matt Mitchell on glockenspiel, piano and organ (supposedly the Vox Continental on which Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was recorded); Jacob Garchik on trombone and tuba; and Ben Gerstein on trombone. The vocalists Lana Cenčić, Judith Berkson and Maria Neckam, all of whom Weiss has worked with in the past, were chosen for the blend of their vocal timbre and strengths with rhythmic articulation. Katie Andrews on harp and Stephen Cellucci on percussion added further musical color. According to Miles Okazaki, "Dan is able to assemble groups like this because people trust his vision and know that the result will be honest and musical. He has no patience for gimmicks or shortcuts. In his daily practice, he is the most rigorous and focused musician that I have ever met, and this carries through to his composition and performance ethic."

The work is meticulously composed and solos are woven into the music's fabric. Okazaki views this piece as "a collective sonic exploration, focused more on the gestalt texture than the ego of any individual." Intricate rhythmic detail informs every part of the music. The work ebbs and flows, growing to powerful crescendos before modulating to quiet contemplation. The individual instrumental parts are often direct, but they draw their strength by being placed layer-upon-layer to produce their mysterious effect. Okazaki calls the music "complex without being overly intellectual, loose without being chaotic, emotional without being sentimental."

According to Matt Mitchell, "One of the many inspiring things about being involved with Fourteen was the courage and determination Dan displayed in putting together something so ambitious. His having pulled it off so splendidly gives me a renewed and expanded sense of what is possible." A true tour de force, Fourteen is recorded to be listened to in full: tracks flow without pause from one to the next, alternating between ghostly beauty and brutal workouts, by turns intense, transformative, and transcendent."-Pi Recordings


Artist Biographies

"Thomas Morgan (born 14 August 1981 in Hayward, California) is an American jazz musician (upright bass, cello) in contemporary jazz.

Morgan began playing the cello 7 years of age, before switching to upright-bass at 14. In 2003 he received his bachelor's degree in Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Harvie Swartz and Garry Diall. He also took lessons with Ray Brown and Peter Herbert. Morgan worked with David Binney, Steve Coleman, Joey Baron, Josh Roseman, Brad Shepik, Steve Cardenas, Timuin ahin, Kenny Wollesen, Gerald Cleaver, Adam Rogers and Kenny Werner throughout his career. He is also cooperating with Jakob Bro, Dan Tepfer, Jim Black, John Abercrombie, Masabumi Kikuchi and the Sylvie Courvoisier-Mark Feldman Quartet. Morgan lead his own trio."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Morgan_(bassist))
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Miles Okazaki is an American musician based in New York City. He is known for his technical command of the guitar, his rhythmic approach to improvisation and composition, and his work in contemporary music theory. Okazaki grew up in Port Townsend, Washington, a small town near the Olympic Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. He got his first classical guitar at age 6, and began playing regular gigs on electric guitar by age 14, after studying for several years at the Centrum Jazz Workshop. He received many awards as a guitarist throughout his early years, and eventually placed 2nd in the Thelonious Monk International Guitar Competition.

Okazaki moved to New York City in 1997 to pursue a career in music and begin writing his own material. His teacher on guitar at this time was Rodney Jones, who recommended him for his first gig, with Stanley Turrentine. Okazaki spent four years on the road with vocalist Jane Monheit, while also writing and rehearsing the music for his first album, Mirror, which was released independently. The album received a "Critics Pick" in the New York Times, calling it "a work of sustained collectivity as well as deep intricacy." He expanded to a septet for his second album, Generations, described by pianist Vijay Iyer "the sonic equivalent of Escher or Borges, but with real emotional heft,". His third album, Figurations, was recorded live with a quartet, and was selected as one of the New York Times top ten albums of 2012, described by Ben Ratliff as "slowly evolving puzzles of brilliant jazz logic." In January of 2016 Okazaki recorded a new album, Trickster, that will be released later this year. Okazaki wrote, produced, and illustrated these albums.

As a sideman, Okazaki works in many areas, ranging from Standard repertoire to experimental music. Recently he has been seen most frequently as the guitarist for Steve Coleman and Five Elements. In the last few years, he has worked with a wide variety of artists including Kenny Barron, Jonathan Finlayson, Amir El Saffar, Adam Rudolph, Dan Weiss, Linda Oh, Darcy James Argue, Jane Monheit, Vijay Iyer, Francois Moutin, Doug Hammond, Carl Allen, Ohad Talmor, Mary Halvorson, John Zorn, Jen Shyu, Mark Giuliana, Patrick Cornelius, Rajna Swaminatham, Matt Mitchell, Craig Taborn, Tony Moreno, Ben Wendel, Donny McCaslin, and many others.

Okazaki currently teaches guitar at the University of Michigan. His first book, Fundamentals of Guitar, was released in 2015. He has also taught at the Banff Institute, The New School, Queens College, The Juilliard School, Amsterdam Conservatory, and many other institutions. Outside of guitar, his past teachers include Anthony Davis (composition), Ganesh Kumar (Carnatic percussion), and Kendall Briggs (counterpoint). His awards and grants include Chamber Music America's "New Works" (2007), Chamber Music America's "French-American Jazz Exchange" (2009), the Jazz Gallery and Jerome Foundations Residency Commission (2010), the American Music Center's Composer Assistance Program (2011), the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation's US Artists International grant (2012), the Rockefeller Brother's Fund Artist Residency (2012), and the Jazz Gallery Mentorship program (2015). He holds degrees from Harvard University, Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School, and lives in Brooklyn, NY."

-Miles Okazaki Website (http://www.milesokazaki.com/biography/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Shifting Foundation grantee Dan Weiss has been hailed as one of the top five jazz drummers in The New York Times, and his large ensemble recording "Fourteen" made the top ten list of their best recordings of 2014. Weiss's innovative drumming and forward thinking compositions have been pushing musical limits for years.

With his piano trio, he's released two recordings entitled, "Now Yes When" (2006) and "Timshel" (2011), which have been critically acclaimed for their unique approach to song structure and endless creative improvisation. Weiss also leads his sixteen piece large ensemble that features some of NYC's most gifted musicians. The two albums " Fourteen" (2014) and "Sixteen: Drummers Suite" (2016) released on the Pi record label have made numerous critic polls. His newest project features Craig Taborn, Matt Mitchell, Ben Monder, and Trevor Dunn and is an amalgam of jazz, metal, and new music. The recording will be released on the Pi record label in the Spring of 2018.

Weiss has been studying tabla under Pandit Samir Chatterjee for twenty years. He has performed with the legendary Ashish Khan and Ramesh Misra and recorded a solo tabla cd "3dcd" (2007). Weiss recorded two groundbreaking cds "Teental Drumset Solo" (2005) and "Jhaptal Drumset Solo" (2011) where he performs classical Indian repertoire on drum set.

Weiss was named 'The Top Up and Coming Percussionist' 2 years in a row in the 60th and 61st annual Downbeat's Critic's Poll and earned a spot in Modern Drummer's coveted Top 5 Jazz Drummers of 2014."

-Dan Weiss Website (https://www.danweiss.net/about-1/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Jacob Sacks is one of the most creative pianists on the NYC jazz scene today. His strong individual voice has been heard in a variety of settings ranging from the mainstream jazz traditions of the Mingus Big Band and Orchestra to the open approach of the Paul Motian Septet to the vamp based fusion of David Binney's Balance.

Originally from Michigan, Jacob was a 1995 Presidential Scholar In The Arts before he moved to New York City to study with Garry Dial at the Manhattan School Of Music. After graduation in 1998, Jacob was a finalist in the 1999 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.

In the last 12 years, Jacob has been a member of many different ensembles, recorded several albums, and has toured the United States, Europe, and Canada several times. He has performed with musicians such as Clark Terry, Joe Maneri, Terumasa Hino, Charles Gayle, Eddie Henderson, Christian McBride, Brian Blade, Tony Malaby, Jacob Garchik, Ben Gerstein, Ohad Talmor, Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Ben Monder, Adam Rogers, Kenny Wollesen, Gene Jackson, and Matt Wilson.

Current projects include a longstanding duo with vocalist Yoon Sun Choi, with whom Jacob recently released a critically acclaimed album of Joe Raposo's music; the quartet "Two Miles A Day" co-led with bassist Eivind Opsvik, featuring violist Mat Maneri and drummer Paul Motian; and a trio with drummer Dan Weiss and bassist Thomas Morgan.

Jacob currently resides in Brooklyn where he is working on several recording projects and teaching 15 or so students in his private practice."

-Jacob Sacks Website (http://www.jacobsacks.com/biography)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Matt Mitchell is a pianist and composer interested in the intersections of various strains of acoustic, electric, composed, and improvised new music. He currently composes for and leads several ensembles featuring many of the current foremost musicians and improvisers, including Tim Berne, Kim Cass, Caroline Davis, Kate Gentile, Ben Gerstein, Sylvaine Hélary, Jon Irabagon, Travis Laplante, Ava Mendoza, Miles Okazaki, Ches Smith, Chris Speed, Tyshawn Sorey, Chris Tordini, Anna Webber, Dan Weiss, and Katie Young.

He is an anchor member of several significant creative music ensembles which integrate composed and improvised music, including Tim Berne's Snakeoil, the Dave Douglas Quintet, John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble, Rudresh Mahanthappa's Bird Calls, Jonathan Finlayson's Sicilian Defense, Dan Weiss's Large Ensemble, Steve Coleman's Natal Eclipse, the Darius Jones Quartet, Kate Gentile's Mannequins, Mario Pavone's Blue Dialect Trio, Anna Webber's Simple Trio, Ches Smith's We All Break, Michael Attias' Spun Tree, Ohad Talmor's Grand Ensemble, and Quinsin Nachoff's Flux. He is also among the core performers of John Zorn's Bagatelles.

Musicians with whom he performs and has performed include Jon Irabagon, Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth, John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet + 1, JD Allen, Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green's Apex, Rez Abbasi's Invocation, Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler, Ralph Alessi's Baida Quartet, Dave King's Indelicate duo, Amir ElSaffar, Marc Ducret, David Torn, Vernon Reid, Clarence Penn and Penn Station, Linda Oh, Rudy Royston, Allison Miller, Donny McCaslin, Brad Shepik, and Darcy James Argue's Secret Society.

He has taught extensively with the Brooklyn-based School for Improvisational Music, as well as at the New School, NYU, and the Siena Jazz Workshop. He is also a 2015 receipient of a Doris Duke Impact Award and a 2012 recipient of a Pew Fellowship from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage."

-Matt Mitchell Website (http://www.mattmitchell.us/bio/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"The cosmopolitan Ohad Talmor was born in Lyon, France, originally from Israel, grew up partly in Geneva, Switzerland and now American and long time Brooklyn resident.

A classically trained pianist, Talmor picked up the saxophone while attending High School in Florida.

Don't let it confuse you.

Talmor was mentored early on by the legendary Lee Konitz who helped him groom and foster his dual interests for Composition and Improvisation. Through Konitz's close relationship, they worked on and co-lead three distinct projects for which Talmor both composed/arranged and played: the Lee Konitz Nonet, the Konitz-Talmor String Project and the Konitz-Talmor Big Band.

On his own, Talmor leads a number of flexible groups mirroring his multi-faceted musical identity.

The Newsreel Sextet featuring Drummer Dan Weiss, Pianist Jacob Sacks, Guitarist Miles Okazaki, Trumpeter Shane Endsley and Bassist Matt Pavolka.

The Newsreel Trio featuring Guitarist Miles Okazaki and Drummer Dan Weiss.

The Ohad Talmor Grand Ensemble - a big band featuring many of New York's leading improvisers.

The Mass Transformation Nonet focuses on the Music of Anton Bruckner and beyond. It features Austria's Spring String 4tet, Singer Judith Berkson, Guitarist Pete McCann, Trumpeter Shane Endsley and Drummer Mark Ferber.

Talmor is a member of Drummer Adam Nussbaum's "Leadbelly Project" featuring Guitarists Steve Cardenas and Nate Radley, and a Collaborative Trio featuring Bassist Steve Swallow and Drummer Adam Nussbaum.

Other collaborators include Jason Moran, Josh Redman, Fred Hersch, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Chris Cheek, Carla Bley, Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Billy Hart and many others, most of whom do not have major recording contracts, which is just as well.

Talmor's interest for bringing together improvisation within the scope of highly sophisticated thru-composed music have him equally involved in writing for Jazz, Electronic or Contemporary Classical Music.

His music has been performed by various ensembles all over the world, including: Portugal's OJM Big Band, Germany's WDR Big Band, Brazil's SoundScape Orquestra, European Radio Jazz Orchestra, Belgium's Bruxelles Jazz Orchestra.

Ohad Talmor contribution in the Contemporary Classical genre includes music composed for the Spring String Quartet from Austria, Porto's "Casa da Musica" Orchestra, pianist Martha Argerich or Sao Paulo's Symphonic Band.

Talmor's Double Concerto for Piano/Drums and Double Orchestras was premiered in February 2010 by Porto "Casa da Musica" Orchestra, OJM Big Band and Pianist Jason Moran + Drummer Dan Weiss as featured soloists.

His film music credit includes the Sundance Festival Award Winner movie "Low Down", featuring actors Glenn Close, John Hawkes, Flea and Elle Fanning.

Ohad Talmor holds a Composition Degree from the Manhattan School of Music (now buried deeply in a trunk in his basement).

He is the recipient of several Awards, including:

"SUISA 2012 Swiss Musician of the Year" and

"2015 European Broadcasting Union Composer of the Year Award".

Talmor teaches Composition at the Geneva Conservatory (CPMDT/AMR).

He is also an Adjunct Professor at the New School and the City University of New York.

And everyday, Talmor spends a respectable amount of time playing the Bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) and studying the bottomless heritage of Hindustani music under the tutelage of Bansuri Master Pt Steve Gorn."

-Ohad Talmor Website (https://ohadtalmor.com/bio/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Ben Gerstein is a trombonist and artist from Santa Barbara, California. Based in New York City since 1995, he collaborates with groups and individuals around the world. His music and works explore influences of nature, composition, culture and art through improvisation, performance, multi-instrumental and mixed-media practices."

See also: http://bengerstein.com/index.html

-Pi Recordings (https://pirecordings.com/artists/ben-gerstein/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Jacob Garchik, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger, was born in San Francisco and has lived in New York since 1994. At home in a wide variety of styles and musical roles, he has become a vital part of NYC's downtown and Brooklyn scene, playing trombone with the Lee Konitz Nonet, Ohad Talmor/Steve Swallow Sextet, The Four Bags, Slavic Soul Party, and the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble. In 2012 he released the acclaimed solo CD "The Heavens: the Atheist Gospel Trombone Album".

Since 2006 Jacob has contributed dozens of arrangements and transcriptions for the Kronos Quartet of music from all over the world. His arrangements were featured on "Floodplain" (2009) and "Rainbow" (2010). He composed the score for Kronos for the documentary film "The Campaign" (2013) about the fight for marriage equality in California, which aired on PBS and at the frameline37 film festival in San Francisco.Complete list of arrangements for Kronos

As a trombonist Jacob has worked with many of the luminaries of the avant-garde, including Henry Threadgill, Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Coleman, Joe Maneri, Frank London, James Tenney, Josh Roseman, Don Byron, Terry Reilly, George Lewis, and Billy Martin. He has also played in ensembles led by rising artists such as Mary Halvorson, Dan Weiss, Miguel Zenon, and Steve Lehman. In 2013 he was named a "Rising Star" in the Downbeat Magazine Jazz Critic's Poll. Jacob also plays accordion, bass trombone, tuba, computer, and piano."

-Jacob Garchik Website (http://jacobgarchik.com/?page_id=8)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Part One 7:43

2. Part Two 6:57

3. Part Three 3:31

4. Part Four 4:01

5. Part Five 3:59

6. Part Six 7:08

7. Part Seven 4:04

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Pi Records

Search for other titles on the label:
Pi Recordings.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Other Recommended Releases:
Lehman, Steve / Craig Taborn
The People I Love
(Pi Recordings)
Saxophonist Steve Lehman's trio with drummer Damion Reid and double bassist Matt Brewer is expanded with pianist Craig Taborn for an album of Lehman originals and compositions by Autechre, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kenny Kirkland, and Jeff "Tain" Watts, plus three duo recordings between Lehman and Taborn; intricate cutting edge jazz made effortless and exuberant!
Lencastre's, Joao Communion 3 (w/ Sacks / Opsvik)
Song(s) Of Hope
(Clean Feed)
The 2nd release on Clean Feed by drummer Joao Lencastre's Communion, a shape-shifting ensemble here configured with 2 New York improvisers from Lencastre's associations over 15 years in NYC--pianist Jakob Sacks and bassist Eivind Opsvik--for 10 studio recordings which include the 4-part "Magnetic Frequency", blurring lyrical avant jazz and chamber forms; beautiful.
Webber, Anna
Clockwise
(Pi Recordings)
Wind player and composer Anna Weber pays homage to 20th Century composers' works for percussion, using Xenakis, Feldman, Varese, Stockhausen, Babbitt & Cage as influences in compositions leaving room for improvisation from her septet of Jeremy Viner (sax & clarinet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Christopher Hoffman (cello), Matt Mitchell (piano), Chris Tordini (bass), and Ches Smith (drums).
Carlson, Dustin (w/ Mitchell / Gentile / Hopkins / Morgan / Trudel / Gouker)
Air Ceremony
(Out Of Your Head Records)
A strong album of modern creative jazz from New York guitarist Dustin Carlson, in a septet with Matt Mitchell on synth, Kate Gentile on drums, Adam Hopkins on bass, Nathaniel Morgan on alto saxophone, Eric Trudel on baritone saxophone, Danny Gouker on trumpet, sophisticated, intricate, lyrical and compelling compositions driving the enthusiasm and exuberance of their "ceremony"!
Coleman's, Steve Natal Eclipse
Morphogenesis
(Pi Recordings)
Steve Coleman's Natal Eclipse brings together 9 musicians in a chamber jazz setting without a drum set--Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jen Shyu (vocals), Matt Mitchell (piano), Mara Grand (tenor sax), Rane Moore (clarinet), Kristin Lee (violin), Greg Chudzik (bass), and Neeraj Mehta (percussion)--performing 9 of Coleman's sophisticated original compositions.
Berne, Tim / Matt Mitchell Duo
Angel Dusk
(Screwgun)
Following on New York pianist Matt Mitchell's solo album of Tim Berne compositions, the two join in the studio to record these 8 compositions in a dynamic album of dialogs that includes energetic interaction, explorative playing, and beautiful lyrical work, a profoundly intimate and connected release borne from their long history of collaboration.
Dessen, Michael Trio
Somewhere In The Upstream
(Clean Feed)
Blending the acoustic aspects of his regularly performing trio with unusual electronics, trombonist Michael Dessen's NY trio with bassist Christopher Tordini and drummer Dan Weiss carve out a unique territory that balances lyrical, aggressive, and swinging aspects of free jazz with other-worldly interactions, in an album honoring late saxophonist Yusef Lateef.
Okazaki, Miles
Trickster
(Pi Recordings)
Intricate interplay in modern jazz from guitarist Miles Okazaki in a quartet with fellow New Yorkers Craig Taborn on piano, Anthony Tidd on bass, and Sean Rickman on drums--Tidd and Rickman his compatriots in Steve Coleman and Five Elements--performing Okazaki's playfully complex and innovative compositions that drive some serious grooves.
Threadgill, Henry Ensemble Double Up
Old Locks and Irregular Verbs
(Pi Recordings)
Henry Threadgill's tribute to friend, composer-conductor Lawrence D. Butch Morris, in a detailed 4-part work with an excellent set of improvisers: Henry Threadgill, Jose Davila, Jason Moran, Christopher Hoffman, David Virelles, Roman Filiu, Curtis Macdonald, and Craig Weinrib.
ElSaffar, Amir Two Rivers Ensemble
Crisis
(Pi Recordings)
NY trumpeter Amir ElSaffar's Two Rivers Ensemble, exploring the juncture between jazz and music of the Middle East through sophisticated and lyrically stunning music, here focusing on revolution, civil war, and sectarian violence; a culture's struggle for survival.
Threadgill, Henry & Zooid
In for a Penny, In for a Pound [2 CDs]
(Pi Recordings)
Henry Threadgill's new epic work in four movements written specifically to feature each of the musicians in Zooid: "Ceroepic" for Elliott Kavee (drums), "Dosepic" for Christopher Hoffman (cello), "Tresepic" for Jose Davila (trombone & tuba), and "Unoepic" for Liberty Ellman (guitar).
Coleman, Steve & the Council of Balance
Synovial Joints
(Pi Recordings)
Composer and alto saxophonist Steve Coleman in a superb modern jazz album, written by applying characteristics of human synovial joints to compositional process, and using "camouflage orchestration" to orchestrate players into the fore-, middle- and background.
Dessen, Michael Trio
Resonating Abstractions
(Clean Feed)
West Coast trombonist and electronic artist Michael Dessen's electroacoustic trio with bassist Christopher Tordini and drummer Dan Weiss, balancing detailed compositions and radically open improvisation that equally embraces groove-based improv and soundscape.
ElSaffar, Amir
Alchemy
(Pi Recordings)
The latest chapter in trumpeter Amir ElSaffar's continuing investigation into the tonal systems of Middle Eastern cultures within a jazz context, in a quintet with Ole Mathisen (sax), John Escreet (piano), Francois Moutin (bass) & Dan Weiss (drums).
Mitchell, Matt
Fiction
(Pi Recordings)
The debut recording from NY pianist Matt Mitchell, in a duo with drummer Ches Smith on drums, percussion & vibes, 15 inventive original compositions written to push Mitchell's technical skills in improvisational settings, each an ingenious little puzzle.
Coleman, Steve & Five Elements
Functional Arrhythmias
(Pi Recordings)
Alto saxophonist Steve Coleman takes his long-standing M-Base band Five Elements ongoing study into patterns found in nature in an album of music reflecting the irrational rhythms found in healthy human heartbeat patterns.
Virelles, David
Continuum
(Pi Recordings)
Cuban-born pianist David Virelles in a collaborative effort with legendary drummer Andrew Cyrille, bassist Ben Street, and Cuban folkloric percussionist/poet Roman Diaz, inspired by various aspects of Afro-Cuban religious practices.
Dessen, Michael Trio
Forget the Pixel
(Clean Feed)
California trombonist Michael Dessen's trio with drummer Dan Weiss & bassist Chris Tordini in a cycle of 7 pieces integrating grooves, colors and textures in intricate compositions yielding adventurous improvisations.
Harrison, Jackson Trio
Land Tides
(Hatology)



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Angles 3
Parede
(Clean Feed)
Martin Kuchen's Angles band changes shape constantly, originally a trio and expanding as large as Angles 10, but this album, recorded live at SMUP, Parede, Portugal in 2016, returns the band to the original trio of Kuchen on sax, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten on double bass, and Kjell Nordeson on drums & percussion, reworking Angles compositions to their essence.
Fraser, Nick (w/ Malaby / Downing / Clutton)
Is Life Long?
(Clean Feed)
Toronto drummer Nick Fraser leads the quartet of Tony Malaby on saxophones, Andrew Downing on cellos, and Rob Clutton on bass in their 3rd album together, presenting 6 Fraser original compositions, using both string players to create unique harmonic environments over which they combine lyrical and contemporary approaches to jazz and improv.
Johnson, Max
In The West
(Clean Feed)
New York bassist Max Johnson expands his piano trio of Kris Davis on piano and Mike Pride on drums with Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, adding an eclectic Western flavor to overall on-point, anchored and driven modern jazz of a high order, balancing lyrical playing with moments of free collective playing, in a beautiful and extraordinary album.
Levin, Daniel Quartet (Levin / Maneri / Moran / Zetterberg)
Live at Firehouse 12
(Clean Feed)
Cellist Daniel Levin's sophisticated jazz quartet with Mat Maneri (viola), Matt Moran (vibes), and Torbjorn Zetterberg (double bass) are captured live at Connecticut's Firehouse 12 for a superb album of modern improv with great skill, depth and style.
Dresser, Mark Seven (Mitchell / Ehrlich / Boroff / Dessen / White / Black)
Sedimental You
(Clean Feed)
Downtown NY scene pioneering bassist, currently on the West Coast, Mark Dresser presents an album of original compositions performed with an amazing septet including Marty Ehrlich, Jim Black, Joshua White, Michael Dessen, David Morales Borof, and Nicole Mitchell.
Malaby, Tony Paloma Recio
Incantations
(Clean Feed)
NY Saxophonist Tony Malaby's Paloma Recio with Ben Monder on guitar, Eivind Opsvik on double bass, and Nasheet Waits on drums in a studio album performing Malaby's 4-part "Incantation Suite", lyrically free improvisation with a shimmering essence invoking dreamlike states.
Wooley, Nate (w/ Ingrid Laubrock, Sylvie Courvoisier & Matt Moran)
Battle Pieces
(Relative Pitch)
"Battle Pieces" was conceived as a background for an improviser, using linguistics, tape processes & aleatoric concepts to fashion an ever-shifting composition that supplies the soloist with information within the context of an ever-changing series of densities, velocities and silences.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC