World of Jazz 372

Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard “Life Goes On” from Life Goes On (ECM) 00:00
Lisa Hilton “Rush Hour Rhapsody” from Chalkboard Destiny (Self Released) 07:08
Mark Godfrey “Black Stars” from Square Peg (Self Released) 13:30
Nutria “Meeting In Progress” from Meeting In Progress (ears&eyes) 22:04
Oded Tzur “20 Years” from Here Be Dragons (ECM) 31:10
Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard “Beautiful Telephones II” from Life Goes On (ECM) 41:46
Lisa Hilton “Tropic of Tango” from Chalkboard Destiny (Self Released) 48:00
Volker Heuken,  Lorenz Stadtfeld, Max Heigenhuber “Glow” from Hallungen Tapes (Bandcamp) 54:12
Nutria “Forth” from Meeting In Progress (ears&eyes) 1:00:00
Mark Godfrey “USS Rent A Car” from Square Peg (Self Released) 1:08:28
Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard “Copycat III. Copycat” from Life Goes On (ECM) 1:15:38
Oded Tzur “Here Be Dragons” from Here Be Dragons (ECM) 1:25:16
Nutria “Monadnock” from Meeting In Progress (ears&eyes) 1:34:22
Mark Godfrey “Driving Westbound” from Square Peg (Self Released) 1:43:01
Lisa Hilton “Cafe au Mojo” from Chalkboard Destiny (Self Released) 1:48:54
Oded Tzur “The Dream” from Here Be Dragons (ECM) 1:54:40

---

Featured on this weeks show – new albums from Carla Bley, Steve Swallow & Andy Sheppard, Lisa Hilton, Mark Godfrey, Nutria and Oded Tzur.

A striking album of new music from pianist/composer Carla Bley, whose trio with Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow is now in its 25th year. Individual associations among the players go back much further: bassist Swallow first recorded music by Carla in 1961. Throughout, Carla’s distinctive piano, with its hints of Monk and Satie, is beautifully framed by Swallow’s eloquent, elegant bass guitar and Sheppard’s yearning saxes. This trio has a unique collective sound.

The award winning composer & acclaimed pianist Lisa Hilton brings together her best band yet with the agile bass of Luques Curtis, Rudy Royston on drums and JD Allen’s astounding virtuosity on tenor sax alongside her flowing piano this is beguiling & impressive!

The minivan: a timeless icon that evokes memories ranging from little-league baseball games to nation-wide music tours is on the cover of the debut album from  bassist and composer Mark Godfrey, and it hits harder than the sliding door on your family caravan.

Named after the infamous South Louisiana swamp rat, Nutria performs original contemporary jazz music with an emphasis on collective improvisation. Their compositional and improvisational practice at once pushes at the boundaries of instrumental music in the 21st century and situates our music within the lineage of New Orleans jazz and groove traditions.

The debut of New York based, Tel Aviv born saxophonist Oded Tzur, a strikingly original player and musical storyeller. Tzur’s graceful and fluid tenor sax sound has been influenced by studies with bansuri master Hariprasad Chaurasia, and the concept of raga is subtly embedded in his elegant compositions, played with verve and imagination by his outstanding Israeli-Greek-American jazz group.

• Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard “Life Goes On” from Life Goes On (ECM)
  • The album, realized in the Auditorio Stelio Molo Studio in Lugano in May 2019, with Manfred Eicher producing, takes the form of three suites. The title piece begins as a stoical blues, at first melancholic then hopeful.
• Lisa Hilton “Rush Hour Rhapsody” from Chalkboard Destiny (Self Released)
  • “We live in an exciting time of constant change…” is the introductory quote from the award winning composer, and acclaimed pianist Lisa Hilton, in her liner notes for her latest release “Chalkboard Destiny” – recorded with jazz luminaries JD Allen on tenor sax, Rudy Royston on drums and Luques Curtis on bass. It’s an appropriate prelude for an album that unfolds with the track Rush Hour Rhapsody – quickly exposing the listener to the shimmering energy of Hilton’s band.
•  Mark Godfrey “Black Stars” from Square Peg (Self Released)
  • Allison Au – Alto Saxophone
  • Matt Woroshyl – Tenor Saxophone
  • Chris Pruden – Piano
  • Mark Godfrey – Bass
  • Nick Fraser – Drums
  • Square Peg is a collection of compositions that span four years of Mark’s life during which he found himself living in Toronto and New York. Naturally, the most efficient form of travel between these two cities with a double bass was his 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, Jean Claude Van Tan. The reflection that occurred during these drives sparked creativity and ideas for Mark that ultimately resulted in this album. The music on Square Peg connects Mark to his family and friends, both cities, and the deep tradition of jazz performance that informs and inspires his voice as an artist
• Nutria “Meeting In Progress” from Meeting In Progress (ears&eyes)
  • Byron Asher​ – tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet ● Trey Boudreaux​ – upright bass ● Shawn Myers​ ​- drums
  • 3rd release
  • Recorded and mixed by Rick Nelson, Marigny Studios, New Orleans
• Oded Tzur “20 Years” from Here Be Dragons (ECM)
  • ‘Here Be Dragons’ (HIC SVNT DRACONES in the original Latin) was an inscription indicating unexplored territories on old maps. Tzur composed the album for a new quartet, featuring Nitai hershkovits on piano, Petros Klampanis on bass (also appearing on Tzur’s previous albums) and Johnathan Blake on drums.
  • Recorded in June 2019 at Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, and produced by Manfred Eicher, the album is issued as Tzur embarks on an international tour.
• Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard “Beautiful Telephones II” from Life Goes On (ECM)
  •   “Beautiful Telephones”, inspired by a US president’s first observation on entering the Oval Office, has plenty of Bley’s dark wit.
• Lisa Hilton “Tropic of Tango” from Chalkboard Destiny (Self Released)
• Heuken, Stadtfeld, Heigenhuber “Glow” from Hallungen Tapes (Bandcamp)
  • Volker Heuken – Vibraphone
    Lorenz Heigenhuber – Double Bass
    Max Stadtfeld – Drums, Glockenspiel
• HOUR TWO
• Nutria “Forth” from Meeting In Progress (ears&eyes)
• Mark Godfrey “USS Rent A Car” from Square Peg (Self Released)
• Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard “Copycat III. Copycat” from Life Goes On (ECM)
  • “Copycat” explores the notion of call-and-response in fresh ways as the improvisers continue each other’s thoughts.
• Oded Tzur “Here Be Dragons” from Here Be Dragons (ECM)
• Nutria “Monadnock” from Meeting In Progress (ears&eyes)
• Mark Godfrey *Driving Westbound” from Square Peg (Self Released)
• Lisa Hilton *Cafe au Mojo” from Chalkboard Destiny (Self Released)
• Oded Tzur *The Dream” from Here Be Dragons (ECM)