Greg Lamy & Flavio Boltro - Letting Go

Styles: Guitar And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:15
Size: 123,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:05) 1. Bridge House
(5:21) 2. Coccinelle
(6:11) 3. Alba Marina
(4:51) 4. Let's Fly
(6:58) 5. My Dearest (For Camille, Part Ii)
(7:01) 6. Onirica
(4:50) 7. Enfin
(4:46) 8. Daddy & Daughter
(3:15) 9. Ikb 3
(5:54) 10. Chi Tene O'mare

After Bojan Z on “Observe the silence”, guitarist Greg Lamy continues his collaborations and presents a new album with trumpeter Flavio Boltro: since the beginning of the 90s, the Piedmontese has established himself as one of the key blowers on the European scene. He has been part of Michel Petrucciani’s sextet, Michel Portal’s quintet and Stefano di Battista’s quintet, among others.

For “Letting Go”, Flavio Boltro is fully involved in the conception of the album. With the trumpeter, Greg Lamy found a complicity that he had the opportunity to deepen during numerous concerts in Europe before considering a recording. “I knew we would meet in the studio,” says Flavio. This need to refine the automatisms and to live the emotions on stage is felt in the cohesion and spontaneity of the group. The group’s compositions are also shared: six by the guitarist, three by the trumpeter and one piece (chosen by Flavio Boltro), a composition by Pino Daniele, “Chi Tene O’Mare”, a title that reflects the ecological concerns of the moment.

“Letting Go” marks a clear evolution in the guitarist’s playing, which is distinguished by the care taken in the colours, in the play with space, in an increasingly refined sound, and the lightness of an accompaniment that avoids overload. Above all, the whole thing is designed to put the partner’s listening skills to the fore. An album of bewitching spontaneity all the themes are first takes! and a natural fluidity at all times.https://www.greglamy.com/album/letting-go/

Personnel: Greg Lamy – guitare; Flavio Boltro – trompette; Gautier Laurent – basse; Jean-Marc Robin – batterie

Letting Go

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Elina Duni - A Time to Remember

Styles: Voice, Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:32
Size: 123,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:19) 1. Évasion
(4:39) 2. Hape Derën
(5:10) 3. A Time To Remember
(5:52) 4. Whispers Of Water
(4:10) 5. E Vogël
(2:11) 6. Dawn
(5:25) 7. First Song
(3:57) 8. Mora Testinë
(4:29) 9. Send In The Clowns
(4:21) 10. Mallëngjimi
(5:14) 11. Sunderland
(3:39) 12. I'll Be Seeing You

Someone once described Leonard Cohen's music as "uplifting in a peculiarly depressing way." The music of singer Elina Duni and guitarist Rob Luft is not depressing, though it certainly is uplifting. It is, however, full of tristesse, of sadness for things that are lost, be they people or places. This feeling goes deeper than mere nostalgia.

Listening to A Time To Remember and its predecessors, Duni and Luft's Lost Ships (ECM, 2020) and Duni's Partir (ECM, 2018), is at times rather like watching the final parting of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's characters in Casablanca with a headful of mescalin. It is a heartbreaking experience, but it is so charged, and the artists' performances so immaculate, that the desire to experience it again is strong. Next time, however, one will, as it were, be on guard. Duni and Luft spoke about this aspect of their music, and its impact on audiences, in an interview they gave to AAJ in 2020.

Duni is of Albanian-Swiss heritage, and Luft is British, and they share an internationalist outlook and an empathy with victims of nationalism and authoritarianism, plagues that have viciously impacted on Europe and the Middle East since the turn of the millennium. Exile, loss and separation are recurring themes in the duo's songwriting. Like the earlier albums, A Time To Remember is a quietly powerful album (the YouTube clip below is indicative). It is performed by the same quartet as on Lost Ships Duni on vocals, Luft on guitars, Matthieu Michel on flugelhorn and Fred Thomas on piano and drums.

The material, once again, is a mixture of traditional Balkan songs and Duni and Luft originals. There are also three covers, of Charlie Haden and Abbey Lincoln's "First Song," Stephen Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns" and Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's "I'll Be Seeing You." The twelve songs are sung in Balkan languages, French and English and fortunately, for these are lyrics which merit comprehension, the liner booklet gives English translations of them all.

It would be unfair to pick out any particular tracks for special praise. They are all marvellous. But mention has to be made of "Send In The Clowns." It is as affecting as the version of Charles Azvanour's "Hier Encore" which closed Lost Ships and which, Duni and Luft relate in the aforementioned interview, when they use it as an encore in Francophone countries, invariably has some people leaving the auditorium weeping. Be prepared.By Chris May
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-time-to-remember-elina-duni-ecm-records

Personnel: Voice – Elina Duni; Flugelhorn – Matthieu Michel; Guitar – Rob Luft; Piano, Drums – Fred Thomas (3)

A Time to Remember

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Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra - Kemet (The Black Land)

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:25
Size: 164,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:35) 1. The Blues Reincarnated
( 8:15) 2. Time
( 4:13) 3. Reflections On The Dark, Tranquil Water
( 8:04) 4. Discord
( 7:25) 5. Nostalgic Haiku
( 5:16) 6. Just Let Go
(10:34) 7. Kemet (The Black Land)
( 5:42) 8. One Day
(12:18) 9. Jam #3 (In C# Major)

On Kemet (The Black Land), trombonist/composer Javier Nero pays homage to a highly advanced African civilization that flourished before the Egyptian kingdom was established and thousands of years before the Greek and Roman empires that are hailed today as the pillars of modern/western culture. Even though Kemet is all but forgotten in 2023, Nero (whose name in Italian literally means "black") says that scholars from surrounding societies including the Greeks were once sent there to study the arts, sciences, literature, government and philosophy. To Nero, Kemet "represents the beauty humanity is capable of through the free and uninhibited exchange of ideas and information" sentiments he endeavors to express musically through nine of his multicolored compositions.

"Kemet," a vibrant salute to the once-trailblazing land, is the album's centerpiece, showcasing superb work by the ensemble, a wordless vocal by Nero and Christie Dashiell , an admirable trombone solo by Nero, and others to match by pianist Josh Richman and guest trumpeter Sean Jones. Nero plumbs the roots of jazz for the bracing opener, "The Blues Reincarnated" (news of whose demise escaped notice here) before focusing on "Time," making sure that each moment passes as pleasantly as possible thanks to a captivating arrangement and persuasive solos by Jones, soprano saxophonist Daniel Andrews and drummer Kyle Swan.

The enticing "Reflections on the Dark, Tranquil Water" (nice piano intro by Richman) includes the first of the session's five vocals, this one wordless, a samba-like midsection and inspired solos by Richman and Nero, while "Discord," which follows, is a melodious charmer that drops anchor about as far from disharmony as one could imagine. Dashiell sings on this one while Jones, Nero and Richman solo. "Nostalgic Haiku" is yet another even-tempered winner, using a quasi-Latin beat to underscore perceptive solos by Nero and guests Randy Brecker (trumpet) and Warren Wolf (vibraphone).

Nero, an award-winning trombone soloist, does the honors on the handsome ballad "Just Let Go," which precedes "Kemet" and another vocal, by Nero and Dashiell, on the gospel-tinged "One Day" whose astute solos are by flutist Ben Bokor and an unnamed trumpeter. Although soloists aren't listed, many are readily identifiable, as they are the orchestra's guest artists, while Nero (presumably) takes every trombone solo. The energetic finale, "Jam #3 (in C# Major"), is the longest track on the album, clocking in at more than twelve minutes, but none of that time is wasted, thanks to Nero's splendid chart and sharp solos by the leader and guests Jones and Tim Green (alto sax). While Nero's composing voice is strong, it is clear that he has listened to and learned from a number of well-known writers the names Charles Mingus, Bob Brookmeyer and Maria Schneider spring to mind and has used that knowledge to good advantage on Kemet.

When not writing, Nero spends most days in the trombone section of the Army Blues, the premer jazz ensemble of the U.S. Army, so it is hardly surprising to see that almost every member of his splendid Jazz Orchestra is also a member of the Army Blues. That is all that need be said about quality control. Given a band of that caliber, and Nero's superlative compositions and arrangements, there is simply no way that Kemet could be less than persuasive. By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kemet-the-black-land-javier-nero-jazz-orchestra-outside-in-music

Kemet (The Black Land)

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Costel Nitescu - Entre amis

Styles: Violin
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:08
Size: 90,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:58) 1. Fast Heart Beating
(3:18) 2. Barbu Lautaru
(4:55) 3. Just One Of Those Things
(3:53) 4. The Nearness Of You
(3:09) 5. Black Nile
(6:10) 6. Oblivion
(3:28) 7. S'wonderfull
(5:02) 8. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:45) 9. You Took Advantage Of Me
(5:48) 10. You Must Believe In Spring

The title of the opus is in no way misleading. And it was "in friends" that this album was forged. It is both the musicians who accompany the violinist and the composers of the songs with whom the artist has forged very strong ties since the time he interprets them with his instrument. He is accompanied here by Hugo Guezbar on guitar, William Brunard on double bass and cello, and with guests his special guests, bassist Dominique Di Piazza and Vincent Frade on drums. To stay with friends.

The performed composers were Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Wayne Shorter, and the first track of the album, Fast Heart Beating, was composed by the violinist. The filiation continues since Stéphane Grappelli, to whom the musician has already paid a vibrant tribute. And we must recognize that Costel Nitescu is unquestionably one of the very best gypsy jazz violinists in the world, with a fearsome sense of swing and charisma and that make all those who play with him become his friends.

For me, it is also an opportunity to present the label To Become Music, an independent label born in 2023 and with which we will have to count for the music that is swinging. And since we're friends, here's a great 10-track album that makes the difference. All the difference.
https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/costel-nitescu-entre-amis/

Entre amis

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