Reviews From The Edge
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
1M ago
Fragile Magic & Tenging ~ Ingi Bjani (Iceland) Before I became aware of the trio albums, I was already familiar with the Ingi Bjarni Quintet through his Tenging album, which I can only describe as extraordinary. Tenging is an album of breathtaking beauty and invention, evoking an ECM aesthetic. I love to hear musicians who boldly tell unique stories and flirt with the unexpected. There are many things to like about this album, such as the folksy, often Slavic-referencing modal melodies, the minimalism and the way the tunes are structured, often atypically. The essence of the group is espe ..read more
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A Quieter Place in Times of Turmoil
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
2M ago
There are many ways to navigate troubled times. You can deny reality, scream into the void, surf the waves of absurdity, bitterly declaim, or seek quiet while you gather your thoughts. Many prefer the latter, although the other responses are also valid. The last few years have felt particularly untethered as a growing flock of anxieties encircle us. In this space, I reach for artisan teas from China and the type of music that invites reflection. All the albums I review here slow the world’s orbit to a sensible pace and invite reflection.    Inverted ~ Auckland Jazz Orchestra We ..read more
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The Quantum of Magic
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
6M ago
William Butler Yeats said, ‘The world is full of magic things, waiting patiently for our senses to grow sharper’. I believe this absolutely and am reminded of it when my senses connect with a certain kind of music.  Music that transcends mere form and engages with the cosmos. That is the domain of improvised music, a calling requiring a musician to discover magic during a tricky tightrope walk. Then, to cast a spell over those open enough to receive it.   With the advent of applications like ChatGPT, a future unleashing self-generating algorithms is at hand. When that happens ..read more
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Komeda ~ A Private Life In Jazz
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
7M ago
Komeda is one of the most intriguing characters in the European Jazz Pantheon. A man referred to as the Chopin of modern Polish music. So, who was he and why did a musician who only released one ‘official’ Jazz album have such an outsized influence on European Jazz? The book I review here answers many of those questions, but it also adds to the mystique. He was an exceptional composer and an innovator but merely a ‘good pianist’. He was shy and hated interviews so the story of his life is mostly fleshed out by others. And, as the narrative unfolds we enter deep inside the creative life and ti ..read more
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Tomasz Stańko ~ Desperado
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
8M ago
This post is the first of two book reviews. The books I review dovetail as they are part of the same story. Tomasz Stańko and Krzysztof (Komeda) Trzciński were bandmates, but they were more than that. They were innovators and extraordinary musicians, leaving behind them a rich legacy. One that is rightly elevating them to positions of greater significance. Anyone who watched the Homeland series on TV will be familiar with Stańko’s music, even if they don’t know his name. With Komeda, it is the same as his film themes live on in memory.   My grandmother was Polish. She would probably ..read more
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The Outsider ~ Chris Cody
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
1y ago
The Outsider is the latest release by acclaimed Jazz Pianist Chris Cody, and as with his previous albums, he unflinchingly holds a mirror up to life past and present. Cody has demonstrated an uncanny knack for drawing back the veil on what we wilfully overlook; colonisation, alienation, belonging and dislocation. And he does so while offering us hope and sublimely beautiful music. This album elevates his already impressive discography to new heights as he chronicles the new reality.   The title of the album is apt, for its reference to Camus and because we have all of us become outs ..read more
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Swings & Roundabouts ~ Mark Lockett
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
1y ago
Mark Lockett has released his seventh album Swings & Roundabouts, arguably his finest. The project had been in gestation for a while but like many projects, it was delayed by the pandemic. Still, once the travel restrictions were lifted he headed for New York, engaged some of New York’s finest Jazz musicians and set up the session in the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio, Queens—a studio versed in the intricacies of recording jazz tracks. Lockett may be a Wellingtonian and from Aotearoa, but he is very much a citizen of the world. He has spent his most productive years dividing his time betw ..read more
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Goldsmith/Baynes ~ E Rere Rā
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
1y ago
This lovely album by Allana Goldsmith and Mark Baynes is timely because it arrives at a crucial historical juncture. For a long time after the period of colonisation the beautiful indigenous language, Te Reo Maori, was suppressed in Aotearoa/New Zealand. After determined efforts by indigenous speakers, the decline was reversed, but there is a long way to go. Albums like this are indications of a gathering momentum. ‘E Rere Rā’ has been well received by Jazz audiences (and beyond). It has received critical acclaim offshore. It is a Te Rao Maori journey which takes its place alongside genres as ..read more
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Meditations ~ Mutations ~ Julien Wilson
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
1y ago
  A famous conductor of classical music once stated that a good composition would please almost everyone, but that a truly great composition should divide an audience. With improvised music, it is hopefully different, as early experimentalists like Sun Ra, Terry Riley, John Zorn, Jon Hassell and Miles opened our ears to limitless sonic possibilities. Each of them reached beyond the strictures of conventional form and brought us to new and interesting places. Julien Wilson has achieved that with his double release ‘Meditations and ‘Mutations’. These are albums for our times. Albums for de ..read more
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Tyler Cooney ~ Modern Ideal
JazzLocal32.com
by JazzLocal32.com
1y ago
Since emerging from the shadows in the 50s, the Jazz guitar has become one of the most popular instruments with Jazz audiences. And, despite the plethora of styles appearing since then, most modern jazz guitarists defy stylistic pigeonholing. ‘Modern Ideal’ by Brisbane’s Tyler Cooney is a case in point as it is forward-looking and yet the richness of the lineage is evident as you listen. Since its release a few short months ago the album has received critical acclaim and that is not surprising. If you love jazz guitar you need to check it out. This is an album with pleasing contrasts and mood ..read more
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