Lena Bloch & Feathery, Rose of Lifta

 

As I write this article the winter has begun to bluster where I am. And that first blustering reminds you to keep safe, if nothing else has in the past few years. And then listening to some good music reassures how good things help you through less good things. That transcends all seasons. Today the good something comes in the form of a new album by tenor saxophonist Lena Bloch, who I have appreciated over the years, reviewed on these pages (type her name in the index box above), and now comes at us with Lena Bloch & Feathery in an album entitled Rose of Lfta (Fresh Sound Records FSR-CD 5115).

A poetic phrase on the back cover by Iman Annab puts us in mind of a thematic view: "Against all odds the rose will continue to climb." And perhaps that's a kind of parable for all of us? That life now perhaps as ever but maybe never so much as now--that life requires us to continue against all odds? I suspect so.

The music comes to us in the form of a ready-to-hand quartet of Lena on tenor. Russ Lossing on piano, Cameron Brown on bass and Billy Mintz on drums. The band and compositions by Lena and Russ call to mind in some ways the old Jarrett Quartet with Redman, Haden and Motian, in its lyrical and dramatic sprawl, except perhaps a bit more of a Mideastern flavor in the minor tinge of it at key points. And too each player and the group as a whole remains beyond that Jarrett precursor, remains steadfastly original in good ways.

It is music played with a loose freedom that nonetheless is grounded in each composition and retains the general form of the song/changes/tonality. The improvisations are seamless with the compositional parts so it all flows together--and it that way is a group showcase more so than a sort of solo centered approach. Bloch and Lossing acquit themselves nicely in the ad lib aspects nonetheless and the rhythm team swings with a looseness that is modern and appealing.

The mix of cogent composition and ear opening expressive looseness and improvisation is very appealing and substantial. It is a happy album to hear repeatedly and reminds us that Lena has artistry in reserve. Bravo! Recommended highly if you are in a Modern Avant Jazz mindset.

Fire Maidens From Outer Space, Suddenly Alien

We are most certainly experiencing a flowering of women in jazz in the last several decades. When I went to Berklee College of Music in 1971-2 there were maybe three females enrolled. That no doubt has changed but beyond that we have plenty of women making great jazz out there now, outside of the schools per se. Sax, flute, electrician Bonnie Kane is one of the very worthwhile players in the avant camp these days, as you can hear readily on her trio Fire Maidens From Outer Space and their album Suddenly Alien (Starrynight Records snr6).

Joining Bonnie is the excellent bassist Reuben Radding, here cranked up a bit on the electric bass guitar, and drummer David Miller, who adds a good deal of pop and sizzle.

Bonnie brings a great feel for tone color on her saxes and flutes, a fanfarish presence that flows nicely overtop the churning rhythm section, a good incorporation of electronics and lots of open free energy-invention. Bonnie, Dave and Reuben kick up plenty of dust.

Here's a good one to clear the leaves and brighten your senses! Recommended.

Julie Kjaer 3, Dobbeltgaenger, with John Edwards, Steve Noble

If anyone doubts that we are in a kind of renaissance for women jazz artists today, one is not paying attention to the full force of the many fine recordings out there now. I give you another example on this posting in the Julie Kjaer 3 and her CD Dobbeltgaenger (Clean Feed 361). There is one collective improv; the rest are Julie Kjaer compositions. Put on the first track, "Out of Sight" with its puckish Monk-through-Lacy wryness and you know something good is up.

Julie plays alto, John Edwards double bass and Steve Noble drums. It is a tight-knit yet feely loose avant jazz affair with all playing key roles in the totality. Julie's compositions set the table for each segment and her alto has humor, brashness fingerprint tone individuality and facility.

This is music with a swinging pulse much of the time, but then a free openness that expands it all outward. The Julie-John-Steve nexus has a plastic fluidity and a soulful charge that makes for a great listen. There is a parsing segmentality to the tunes that measures things out before the solo cutting takes place, so to speak. And in so approaching the music in this way the trio hearkens back a bit to some of the new thing Simmons-NY Contemporary Five-Shepp outfits in their classic phases, but not in any way a sound cloning so much as a state-of-mind. This is a trio with its own sound but a nod to avant tradition too.

There are plenty of high points and a wholeness to the date that will bring you back to it repeatedly.

Julie Kjaer is yet another original out there that deserves a hearing.

Get this one on your ear-food menu!

Lena Bloch, Feathery

Lena Bloch plays the tenor saxophone. Like Richard Tabnik, whose music we considered a few days ago, she has been influenced by the Tristano school of jazz players. In her case she fell in with Lee Konitz after some considerable shedding and found that Konitz, Marsh and Tristano himself gave her something, a base within which she could express her individuality.

Her debut album, after much dues paying, shedding and gigging, is with us. Feathery (Thirteenth Note 006) gives us a good look at her music in a quartet setting--with Dave Miller on guitar, Cameron Brown, bass, and Billy Mintz, drums.

It's a wide-ranging set with a couple of Tristano school numbers and some band originals. They alternate between a swinging pulse bop and post-bop approach and some more free expressions. She is a looser player than someone like Konitz in his typical identity. She is not a line weaving speed-demon here as much as a player with real creative inventive qualities.

The band plays a full four-way role with plenty of time and space for their soloing and interacting.

Lena comes through with an interesting, even exciting debut. I hope we continue to hear from her and see where she goes but for now this is a promising start.

Lina Allemano Four, Live at the Tranzac

Out of Canada today comes the Lina Allemano Four and their CD Live at the Tranzac (Lumo). Lina is a primo trumpetiste with a good sense of form, fine chops and a pleasingly brassy attack, a Barbara Donald for today. Her quartet is a good one with voices of merit in Brodie West on alto, Andrew Downing on double bass, and Nick Fraser on drums.

The CD brings you a set of their music from the Tranzac club in Toronto. Each of the seven pieces was written by Lina, combining avant and post-hard-bop elements in ways that set up the improvisations well. Lina has something to say and says it. Brodie comes across with a piercing free-post-Bird passion that acts as a nice foil to Lina's extroverted brass effusions. The rhythm section works together very well throughout.

It's an album that gets better the more you listen. Lina Allemano has brass power. It's a good one to hear. Check this one by all means.