Inspired by a diverse array of influences, from the trippy beats and lush strings of Bonobo, Ólafur Arnalds, and Moses Sumney to the apocalyptic explorations and post-bop meditations of Shabaka and the Ancestors and Kenny Wheeler, this week the saxophonist and flautist Jasmine Myra shifts the horizons for British jazz with a sonorous celebration of her hometown of Leeds for the Manchester-based independent label Gondwana Records. The guitarist Bill Frisell, who served as part of the drummerless quartet on Wheeler’s acclaimed 1997 album Angel Song, joins up with the bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King to expand the trio of Julian Lage, who explores the chasms and peaks of the six-string on his sophomore effort for Blue Note Records.
Dissolving the boundaries between free jazz and contemporary minimalism and the European classical tradition of the Late Renaissance and Early Baroque, the Danish artists Cæcilie Trier, Jakob Littauer, and Mads Kristian Frøslev namecheck the hardcore rave classic ‘Sweet Harmony’ by Liquid on their near-beatless debut as the TLF Trio. Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade attune their disco ears ahead of their latest outing on Nonesuch Records, Sam Gendel slips and shimmers like the scales of some ancient gilded carp, the Polish sound artist Robert Skrzyński navigates the dos and don’ts of hobby horsing as Moniké, and Panda Bear and Sonic Boom give it their all as they loop a classic opening riff by The Troggs.
Caleb Wheeler Curtis sculpts in light and shadow amid the crumbling textures of ‘Limestone’, as the saxophonist strives for the centre with Orrin Evans on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. The accompanying video directed by Adrien H. Tillmann reinterprets the swirling patterns and solarized images of the dadaists Hans Richter and Man Ray. Bearing gifts from the San Francisco-based filmographer Andy MacLennan, the Hot Gem honcho Clair dissects the staggered cries of the Yucatan jungle on a sonic journey from burgeoning canopy to the brooding dankness of the rainforest floor. Mykki Blanco and Kelsey Lu take French lessons, Tobe and Fat Nwigwe come into money alongside 2 Chainz and Chamillionaire, and Ohbliv unveils the eleventh installment of LewseJoints, as Rico Nasty, Dirty Bird, Chungha, and Angel Olsen complete the roundup.
Playlists: Spotify · Apple Music · YouTube
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Rico Nasty – ‘Skullflower’
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Moniké – ‘Hobby Horsing Dos & Don’ts & Do’s & Don’t’s 4 Hobby Horses’
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Panda Bear & Sonic Boom – ‘Go On’
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Sam Gendel – ‘Uroko (鱗, fish scales)’
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Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade – ‘Disco Ears’
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Caleb Wheeler Curtis – ‘Limestone’
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Tobe Nwigwe – ‘Been Broke’ (feat. Fat, 2 Chainz, and Chamillionaire)
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Mykki Blanco – ‘French Lessons’ (feat. Kelsey Lu)
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