Jazzlocal32.com

Those lucky enough to attend any of Jake Baxendale’s ‘Waypeople’ concerts last year will have anxiously awaited the release of this album and his release tour. It is music brimming with exotic textures and tasteful arrangements, but it is more besides. When I attended the concert, I sensed that I was hearing something important. It made a statement about the maturity and evolution of Aotearoa’s improvised music scene and also conveyed a message that the world needs to hear right now.

Wavemakers, Alex Ventling’s recent release, has him working with a new sound palette. During his time in Trondheim, he has developed an expansive and beautifully Nordic sound. He has always possessed an open and explorative spirit, but here, he has found a formula that allows his compositions to breathe unencumbered. His compositions float effortlessly, while depth and raw beauty fuel every phrase. There is pulse and groove throughout, but the patterns morph and shift.

Nearly 30 years have passed since ECM released Nils Petter Molvær’s popular ‘Khmer’ album. It was a departure from the ECM fare of the day, and not without risk, but it found a receptive audience and sold like hot cakes. NPM (Molvær) laid down a new direction for Jazz, and the 1990s saw a subsequent rise of ambient-leaning improvised music (a genre variously labelled as Jazz acoustic/electronica, future jazz, Nu jazz, etc).

A few months ago, an album was recorded in New York that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The pre-release featured several tasty tracks, and its evocative cover image also intrigued. The stars were aligned for a significant album, and so it was. How could it miss with pianist Michael Cain, guitarist Keith Price and drummer Pheeroan akLaff? It is one of those albums that jazz lovers, whatever their taste, are bound to enjoy.

Three (Darren Pickering Small Worlds) Darren Pickering’s third Small Worlds album, ‘Three’, is a welcome addition to the earlier volumes. While it follows the successful formula developed in volumes one and two, it sounds fresh and endlessly explorative. Throughout the album, snaking lines float, dreamlike, over repeating patterns and carefully layered grooves. Out of this comes the quartet’s cinematic sound.

Rattle Records released these excellent albums a few weeks apart. They demonstrate that New Zealand’s improvising musicians are of the highest calibre. Both feature Hayden Chisholm, and the albums enrich each other as if by design, although recorded at opposite ends of the world. Embers (Unwind) This album is the fifth by Unwind, and their second as a trio. The Unwind albums have all been striking for their unadorned beauty, each feeling like a high point.

The artists profiled here have some things in common. Both have Swiss heritage, work in countries other than the ones they were born in and take a fearless approach to improvising. They are separated in years and in experience but not in their approach. Both seek to extend the language of improvised music and have something interesting to say. Alex Ventling ~ The View This is a beautiful duo album; it will stay with you if you listen with open ears.

Aaron Parks ~Little Big III Aaron Parks’ latest album, ‘Little Big III’, is the third in a series titled Little Big and his fourth album featuring a guitarist. The album (and series) also expands the soundscapes and ideas explored on his successful first Blue Note release, Invisible Cinema (2008). It is an album with a big heart which embraces the listener with rich textures and a tapestry of gorgeous melodic lines.

The two albums reviewed feature musicians from Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand. The first is by guitarist Callum Allardice, an award-winning musician with an impressive résumé. The second is an EP by vocalist Ella Dunbar-Wilcox (Ella Sophie), her first release. Elementa ~ Callum Allardice Elementa is a fine album and Allardice’s best to date. With this release and with this band, he has found the perfect vehicle to showcase his astonishing guitar fluency and compositional chops.

One of the most pleasing formats in Jazz is the B3 trio. It endures because it has warmth and groove in equal proportions and it makes us happy. To unleash the full potential of the B3 a bass pedalboard must be used, and this difficult-to-master art is increasingly rare. There are hands, knees and feet, all doing different things, there are two keyboards and a bewildering array of sliders and knobs to be coordinated.