The blog covers releases in the areas of free and mainstream jazz, world music, "art" rock, and the blues. Classical coverage, which was originally here, continues on the Gapplegate Classical-Modern Review (see link on this page). Where are we right now and how did we get here? That's the concern.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Heddy Boubaker, The Sea of Intranquility. MINI-Review
Heddy Boubaker's The Sea of Intranquility (Ubn Reve Nu umd008) is an album length electroacoustic work that has a soundscaped psychedelic presence and sonic strength that wakes you up. It has a long-run kind of aural magic and a guitar-sourced orchestral fullness that is very rewarding to hear. You can buy a copy at DISCOGS https://www.discogs.com/Heddy-Boubaker-The-Sea-Of-Intranquility/release/13315958
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Cheryl Pyle, Beyond Trio, Live at the I Beam, Beyond Quartet, Beyond Quartet
Meanwhile Cheryl has been alerting me to some fine new recordings of hers of late and I come on here to praise a few, namely her Beyond Trio Live at I Beam and her Beyond Quartet (Bandcamp). The trio features Cheryl on flute and alto flute plus Michael Eaton on soprano sax and Reggie Sylvester on drums. The Quartet date is Pyle and Eaton plus Claire de Brunner on bassoon and Gene Coleman on bass flute and piccolo. Everyone on both dates is in fine form.
Both albums reward your listening concentration with a very alive set of Cheryl's compositions, an Improv Music and New Thing coming together that is a definite exhilaration from start to finish. Her groups grow ever more tightly spun together though still with the freedom that has always been part of her hallmark. And her compositions are a new element, more fully worked out and a vital new scaffolding for what she continues to evolve into now.
I would say most definitely that Cheryl is doing some of the most interesting New Jazz in and around New York these days. These two albums show us why she is a voice that must be heard. Check these out by all means!
To order etc here are the two links: https://cherylpyle.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-trio-cheryl-pyle-michael-eaton-reggie-sylvester https://cherylpyle.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-quartet-cheryl-pyle-michael-eaton-claire-de-brunner-gene-coleman