Jazz Recommends Jazz September 2018

Review: Recently there has been a spate of reissues focused on the work of Japanese jazz pianist Ryo Fukui, who passed away two years ago. This could well be the best of a lot. It no doubt helps that Scenery, the jazz stalwart's 1976 debut album, arguably remains his finest work. It was recorded with the accompaniment of a bassist and drummer, piano trio style, but there's no doubt that Fukui's ivory-tinkling exploits is the star of the show. It's evident from start to finish, with the fluid and distinctive solos flitting between poise, poignancy and positivity. The album was re-mastered at half speed, too, guaranteeing sparkling sound throughout.

Review: Japan's Motohiki Hamase, one of the nation's most revered jazz bassists, has primarily released music with the Isao Suzuki Quartet, but the output under his own name has always intrigued us - especially given that he's now out through Mule Musiq, and that this is his first solo outing since 1993! Intaglio strays way beyond the natural confinements of jazz, taking the gnere's heart and soul into an electronic voyage that seems to be totally undefinable. 'Organic ambient' seems to be the clearest way to describe these atmospheric experiments, a collection of rhythmic collages powered by Hamase's understanding of timing, acoustic balance, and the power that traditional jazz instruments can impose when processed in an innovative style. This is all about detail and aesthetic, so it comes recommended to fans of Cafe Oto's output, to cite one example. Warmly recommended.

Review: For the latest release on his lauded "micro-label" Growing Bin Records, Hamburg digger Basso has turned to unheralded Japanese duo Singu, AKA "free-drummer" and electronics wizard Kiyofumi Sadanga and guitarist/keyboardist Keta Ra (Keita Sadanaga). The outfit's debut album is rather special, all told, delivering a series of hugely enjoyable, ear-catching tracks that variously join the dots between krautrock, free-jazz, Tony Allen style Afrobeat rhythms, bustling dancefloor jazz, dub and intergalactic ambient electronica. While that might look like a crazy mess on paper, one listen to the clips will confirm that it sounds very special indeed. Recommended.

Review: You can count on Art Yard to replenish our jazz charts with the very best material from the great Sun Ra, whether that's them putting out previously unreleased material or simply reissuing some of their already excellent material. This time, we have a tidy repress of the mythical "Disco 3000", cited by many as Ra's nuttiest piece of work or, in fact, a segment of music which totally made - and arguably finished - the free jazz sound. It's a ride - if you haven't heard it already then pounce on it! On the B-side, the magnificent "Third Planet/Friendly Galaxy/Dance Of The Cosmos-Aliens" is pure heaven for all those with an itch for some innovative drum machine patterns, as Ra goes further than anyone else ever did with some drums, organ and...are those effects? Legendary stuff!

Review: The Leeds-based ATA Records continues to bring us the very best in contemporary soul and jazz, this time with a debut album from a local group, The Lewis Express. Taking inspiration from the 60s, through the likes of Ramsey Lewis, the band's self-titled LP has something of the oracular about it, while still sounding vintage in aesthetic and raw in its execution. The band consists of George Cooper, Piano (Abstract Orchestra) Neil Innes, Bass (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill), Sam Hobbs, Drums (Dread Supreme, Tony Burkill, Matthew Bourne) and Pete Williams, Percussion (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill) - together they make some sweet-ass, break-centric music that'll undoubtedly appeal to both the hip-hop heads and the psych freaks. What a beautifully composed modern jazz album. Recommended.

Review: Finnish lounge lizard-turned-jazzman Jimi Tenor first joined forces with legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen for a joint album on Strut in 2009. In January 2016, they reunited for two nights of performance at Cafe Oto in London, making use of a range of prototype and experimental analogue synthesizers loaned by the Moog Sound Lab. It must have been a terrific couple of days, because the live recordings showcased here are superb. As you'd expect, Allen's distinctive drumming provides the backbone, while Tenor variously delivers mazy Moog synth solos, trippy electronics, bittersweet lounge vocals (reminiscent of his late '90s albums on Warp) and occasional flute and sax solos. The results are decidedly intergalactic and out-there: wayward Afro-jazz for analogue astronauts.