MAGNUS
BAKKEN QUARTET – CYCLES FEATURING GEORGE GARZONE
Brilliant
twin saxophones here – the tenor of George Garzone, and tenor and soprano of
leader Magnus Bakken – who really grabs our ears with his music on the set! The
tunes are all originals penned and arranged by Mangus – and have this
beautifully flowing vibe – angular and leaping forward on the upbeat numbers,
sinuously moving at mellower points – all given these great shapes and
structures by the work of Jorn Oien on piano, Christian Meaas Svendsen on bass,
and Jon Audun Baar on drums! We've never heard Bakken as a leader before, but
the record really moves us – and it's the kind that you'd overhear, then
finding yourself sitting up to take notice to find out who it is. Titles
include "Cycles", "The Composer", "Through The
Snow", "The Charles", "Titanomachy", and
"Straight Forward". ~ Dusty Groove
ANTHONY
JOSEPH – CARIBBEAN ROOTS
Anthony
Joseph just keeps on getting better and better, and even more interesting with
each new record – to a point where the already-hip singer is really blowing our
mind with music like this! The songs are longer, richer, and more deeply put
together than some of Joseph's earlier work – in a spirit that definitely lives
up to the promise of the title, but which also shows a lot of post-colonial
diaspora elements, too – the kind of qualities you might expect from Anthony's
role in the contemporary Parisian scene! Joseph has an even more majestic
quality than before – and stands perfectly at the helm of a diverse group of
musicians who provide shifting currents of jazz and percussion in support of
his vocal passages – which are both spoken and sung. Titles include "The
Kora", "Mano A Mano", "Brother Davis",
"Neckbone", "Drum Song", "Our History",
"Powerful Peace", "Caribbean Roots", and "Jimmy Upon
That Bridge". ~ Dusty Groove
FEDERICO
BONIFAZI – YOU’LL SEE
A fantastic
record from Italian pianist Federico Bonifazi – one that comes out of time
recently spent in New York city, where he developed a fast friendship with
bassist John Webber – whose work on the set really sounds tremendous! At some
level, the record might be thought of as one of Webber's records with tenorist
Eric Alexander – as Alexander makes a wonderful presence here, alongside
drummer Jimmy Cobb, who completes the group – but there's also a very special
relationship between Webber and Bonifazi, one that has the bassist's strong
lines finding a new sense of color and life amidst Federico's great piano lines
and original compositions – music that flows beautifully, and seems to give
Alexander a different sort of voice as well. That's not to say that the
American players aren't every bit as compelling as ever – because they are –
just to say that Bonifazi's leadership helps the group flower into something
new, and very special. Titles include "Steps House", "Sadness
For You", "Suspended In The Air", "Escape", and
"The Chicken". ~ Dusty Groove
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