Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Music Week

November archive (final).

Music: Current count 45202 [45155] rated (+47), 1 [12] unrated (-11).

This is a couple days late. While I'm nowhere near as likely as my father was at my age to nod off, I'm finding it nearly impossible to get any serious work done after midnight, or even much before. So when I find myself failing a self-imposed deadline, increasingly I leave it for a fresher tomorrow.

Last week, I resolved to publish Loose Tabs before my next Music Week. Since I number my blog posts — this goes back to the convention of an earlier generation of blog software called "s9y" (or "serendipity") — it becomes awkward to change directions. Besides, I didn't want to change. I had no desire to hold back comments on the elections past Thanksgiving. On the other hand, it didn't wrap up easily. Sunday passed unfinished. I finally posted 10292 words on Monday. I figured I'd do Music Week on Tuesday, and didn't even get started until after midnight. I was sharp enough then to effect my cutoff, but not to write an introduction. I punted again, and didn't get started until 9 PM Wednesday. We're now in a Cinderella race to see if I can post this tonight before I turn to pumpkin.

I suppose I should mention that these delays aren't just good old fashioned writer's block, which I am often prone to. I spent prime time Saturday shopping for wood for my attic project: 5 sheets of plywood, 26 2x4s, 4 sheets of foamular, 4 sheets of underlayment, 48 feet each of 2x6 and 1x4 for the railing frame. On Sunday, we started using some of that, decking the center swath of the attic: not a huge part of the project, but a critical staging ground for further work. And Monday I made dinner for guests returning from a trip to Wales and Bosnia. I had little time to prepare, so I went with something simple but flexible and usually quite good: a big phat thai, with a water chestnut salad on the side, and for dessert the oatmeal stout cake, but substituting store-bought butter pecan ice cream. I was distracted enough on Monday I left nearly all of my email for Tuesday. Which during poll season takes some time to get through.

The 20th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll is coming along nicely. By the time I finally caught up with my email, I had 24 ballots counted, with 149 new jazz albums named, and a surprise (to me, anyhow) leader. I've made little progress on a second round of invites, but have asked my email lists for recommendations. I just haven't had time to check out the 200-300 extra names I already have collected, let alone look for new ones. Still, I'm sure there are some good people we're missing.

I'm afraid I'm feeling kind of schizzy about the poll. On the one hand, I want to push it to succeed beyond all expectations, and on the other I'm tempted to drop it and walk away. The obvious facts are that it's going to run my life between now and the first week of January, and that I'm not going to be able to get anywhere near as much done on or with it as I would like. And there's very little I can do about any of that.

One thing I do know is that the next week is going to be especially unproductive. We're going to try to work on the house tomorrow, and get as much done as possible before it gets much colder and possibly snowy this weekend. But I'm also going to try to cook something: just a trad family meatloaf using stuff I don't have to shop for. Then on Monday we'll have guests from Boston for a couple days. I'll need to cook something on Monday. Should be another good excuse to push Music Week back toward the middle of the week.

How much I can listen to by then is anyone's guess, but I should at least run across more jazz albums I hadn't heard of. Aside from the Kirk set and maybe SML, this week's top records were complete surprises. Hopefully I can get my ballot settled by next week. The first step is to assemble the jazz and non-jazz EOY files.

PS: I did manage to finish posting this well after midnight Wednesday, but forgot to mention something fairly important: my server will be down for much of Monday, December 1, due to a data center migration by my provider (Shock Hosting; by the way, they've been terrific so far, providing much improved performance for much less cost). They offered to move me ahead of time, but I didn't move in time, and basically decided to ride out the storm. This will affect several other websites that I host: Hullworks (mostly jazz poll); Notes on Everyday Life (still nothing); Carol Cooper; Carola Dibbell; Barbara Howe. This won't affect Robert Christgau, which is hosted elsewhere, or places like my Substack.

I also noticed and corrected some fairly severe typos in yesterday's updates to last Monday's Loose Tabs. I also misplaced the Peter Beinart book cover from the Recent Reading roll. That should now be fixed. I'm about one-third of the way through the book. It offers a pretty succinct, level-headed detail of what Israel has done to Gaza, and some measured explanation of why so many American and Israeli Jews have been so myopic about Israel's actions. I am hopeful that the remainder will draw out the self-harm that such myopia is causing. If you are Palestinian, or identify with them, I don't expect you to care, but the ability to recognize the suffering of even your enemies is a good trait to cultivate.

Even though this is a holiday, I have a lot of work to do today. And not a hell of a lot to be "thankful" for, but we do what we can.

New records reviewed this week:

Annahstasia: Tether (2025, Drink Sum Wtr): Singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, last name Enuke, first album. Showed up on a jazz vocals list, but she's more folkie, maybe a touch of Joni Mitchell, deeper voice. B+(*) [sp]

Bitchin Bajas: Inland See (2025, Drag City): Chicago group, primarily a side project for Cooper Crain (of Cave), with Dan Quinlivan and Rob Frye, with more than a dozen albums since 2010, including collaborations with natural Information Society, Bonnie Prince Billy, and Olivia Wyatt. This is their basic instrumental groove album. B+(***) [sp]

Lena Bloch/Kyoko Kitamura: Marina (2022 [2025], Fresh Sound New Talent): Russian saxophonist, tenor and soprano, moved through Israel and Europe to the US, winding up in Brooklyn. Several albums since 2014. Kitamura is a vocal improviser, also based in Brooklyn, with several albums since 2012, plus notable work with Anthony Braxton and William Parker. They are backed by piano (Jacob Sacks), bass (Ken Filiano), and drums (Michael Smith). B+(**) [cd]

Kara-Lis Coverdale: From Where You Came (2025, Smalltown Supersound): Canadian electronica composer/producer, based in Montreal, has a half-dozen albums since 2014. This one feels like soundtrack fodder, atmosphere undergirded by dramatic structure, but little fun. B [sp]

Peter Evans/Being & Becoming: Ars Ludicra (2024 [2025], More Is More): Trumpet player, first caught our attention in Mostly Other People Do the Killing, was also the first to leave that group. Third group album, with Joel Ross (vibes/synth), Nick Jozwiak (bass/synth), and Michael Shekwoaga Ode (drums), plus some guest flute on one track. B+(***) [sp]

Irving Flores Afro-Cuban Sextet: Armando Mi Conga (2025, Amor De Flores Productions): Pianist from Mexico, based om Sam Doegp, has a couple previous albums, recorded this one in New York with some Latin jazz luminaries, including Giovanni Hidalgo (congas), Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez (drums), John Benitez (bass), and Brian Lynch (trumpet). B+(*) [sp]

Satoko Fujii Quartet: Burning Wick (2025, Libra): Japanese pianist, well over 100 albums, this is more/less her core group, with Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Hayakawa Takeharu (bass), and Tatsuya Yoshida (drums). B+(***) [cd]

Marcus Gilmore: Journey to the New: Live at the Village Vanguard (2024 [2025], Drummerslams): Drummer, has a lot of side credits since 2005 (Clark Terry, Vijay Iyer) but this counts as his debut. Sextet billed as a collective, with Morgan Guerin (EWI), David Virelles (piano), Emmanuel Michael (guitar), Rashaan Carter (double bass), and Burniss Travis (electric bass and sound design). B+(*) [bc]

John Gunther: Painting the Dream (2024 [2025], Origin): Saxophonist (soprano, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, electronics), from Denver, second album, trio with Dawn Clement (piano/rhodes, electronics, sings some) and Dru Heller (drums). Original pieces (except one from Ron Miles), into expressionism. B+(**) [cd]

Carrie Jackson: Jersey Bounce (2025, Arabesque Jazz): Standards singer, from New Jersey, has an r&b/gospel background, has a 30-year career, only one previous album I've found on Discogs, possibly more. Big voice, swings, backed by Radam Schwartz (organ), bass, drums, guitar, trombone (Ku-Umba Frank Lacy) and tenor sax (Rodrigo Romero). B+(**) [sp]

Jung Stratmann Quartet: Confluence (2025, self-released): Korean pianist Sujae Jung and German Wolf Robert Stratmann, based in New York, have a couple previous releases (but not on Discogs), working here with Steve Cardenas (guitar) and Marko Djordjevic (drums). B+(*) [cd] [12-03]

KeiyaA: Hooke's Law (2025, XL): Singer-songwriter Chakeiya Richmond, from Chicago, started playing alto sax and into jazz before switching to neo-soul, self-releasing her debut album in 2020. Second album, a very tricky thing. B+(*) [sp]

Lagon Nwar: Lagon Nwar (2025, AirFono): French group, with Reunionese singer Ann O'aro and Burkinabe drummer-singer Marcel Balboné, along with saxophonist Quentin Biardeau and bassist Valentin Ceccaldi, came to my attention on a jazz list but could have been Afropop. B+(***) [sp]

Seth MacFarlane: Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements (2025, Verve): Probably better known as an actor than singer, possibly better known still for his work with cartoons like Family Guy and American Dad, but he has ten or so albums since 2011, citing Sinatra as his model. That gave him a chance to look through Sinatra's library, where he found unused arrangements, mostly from Nelson Riddle, of songs perfectly at home there. He lives in them comfortably, close enough for all practical purposes. B+(***) [sp]

Nicolas Masson: Renaissance (2023 [2025], ECM): Swiss saxophonist (tenor/soprano), ten or so albums since 2002, this a quartet backed by Colin Vallon (piano), Patrice Moret (bass), and Lionel Friedli (drums). B+(**) [sp]

Camila Nebbia/Gonçalo Almeida/Sylvain Darrifourcq: Hypnomaniac (2025, Defkaz): Tenor saxophonist from Argentina, has been pumping a lot of records out recently — this is the 10th I've heard since 2020, found while looking for yet another. Backed with bass and drums. Starts and ends strong. B+(**) [bc]

Camila Nebbia/Marilyn Crispell/Lesley Mok: A Reflection Distorts Over Water (2024 [2025], Relative Pitch): Tenor sax, piano, and drums trio. Another typically strong free sax record. B+(***) [bc]

Camila Nebbia/Michael Formanek/Vinnie Sperrazza: Live at Blow Out (2024 [2025], Soundholes): Tenor sax, bass, and drums, live from a club in Oslo, recorded by Stålke Liavik Solberg, three numbered pieces where the opener runs 29:02, the rest add up to another 12:50. Superb once again. B+(***) [bc]

Ninajirachi: I Love My Computer (2025, NLV): Australian electronic DJ/producer Nina Wilson, stage name cites a Pokémon character. First album after singles (starting 2017), EPs and a mixtape. Credit is for sampler and production, but music has vocals throughout, with a cartoon metallic thrash that reminds one of Skrillex, and possibly Avalanches. B+(**) [sp]

Jake Owen: Dreams to Dream (2025, Good Company): Country singer, from Florida, eighth album since 2006, fine voice and trad airs. B+(**) [sp]

Recognize Ali & Stu Bangas: Guerilla Dynasty 3 (2025, 1332/Brutal Music/Greenfield Music): Underground rapper Nii Ayitey Ajin Adamafio, from Ghana, working sith Boston-based producer Stuart Hudgins. B+(**) [sp]

Recognize Ali & Tragedy Khadafi: The Past the Present and the Future (2025, Greenfield Music): Producer started as Percy Chapman, then MC Percy, then Intelligent Hoodlum (for a 1993 album), then adopted his current moniker around 2000, working with Killah Priest and Capone-N-Noriega. Old style turntablism, underground, Muslim, political, encyclopedic. Some helpful advice: "love 'em, pray for 'em, but fuck 'em." A- [sp]

Dave Rempis/Jason Adasiewicz/Chris Corsano: Dial Up (2025, Aerophonic): Saxophonist (the whole gamut) with two more strong live sets, one from Chicago, the other Milwaukee, both with vibes and drums. Some terrific saxophone, as usual, but the vibes don't help much. B+(***) [cd] [12-26]

Bobby Rozario: Healer (2024-25 [2025], Origin): Young guitarist, so presumably not the only one in Discogs (1965 credit with Sam Butera, a few more including Bette Midler and Phil Cody). But not his first album: I have one from 2023 in my database, which I liked. Long list of supporting musicians here, including some Latin Jazz eminences, and some vocals. He fits in well, and ties them together. B+(**) [cd]

Scheen Jazzorkester & Ståle Storløkken: Double Reality Beyond Space and Time (2024 [2025], Grong): All compositions by Storløkken, a "synth wizard" from Norway with occasional albums as far back as 2002 and many side credits since 1991, including work with Motorpsycho, Supersilent, Elephant9, and Krokofant. The 12-piece big band, with 10 previous albums since 2013, gives him a lot to work with. A- [cd]

SML: How You Been (2024-25 [2025], International Anthem): Second group album by Anna Butterss (bass), Jeremiah Chiu (synths), Josh Johnson (sax/electronics), Gregory Uhlmann (guitar), and Booker Stardrum (drums), most with notable parallel solo work. Recorded live in various venues. The intense rhythm pieces are super appealing. The ambient pieces slightly less. A- [sp]

Split System: No Cops in Heaven/Pull the Trigger (2025, Legless, EP): Actually, just a single, two songs, 6:13. Garage punk band from Melbourne, mostly singles since 2022, but Discogs shows a live album and two compilations, which I've heard but hadn't remembered — both graded B+(***). B+(**) [bc]

Split System: Live in Stockholm 2023 (2023 [2025], Legless): Australian punk group, fast and furious, they have a bunch of singles since 2022, enough to field 16 songs here, averaging a bit less than 3 minutes. I wasn't really in the mood, but this is intense, relentless, and as consistent as any punk album I've heard in quite some while. A- [bc]

Kevin Sun: Lofi at Lowlands (二) (2024 [2025], Endectomorph Music): Tenor saxophonist, quickly (2018) established himself as one of the best, has lately taken to experimentation with postproduction on his improv trio tracks. He released one EP-length (23:13), batch in May, and returns here with a slightly longer (7 tracks, 29:28) edition, with the Chinese for "(2)" added to the title. (I missed the number on the previous EP, so need to go back and correct that. Parens might have helped.) I don't much like the concept here, but he's a terrific musician, and this starts off quite engaging. B+(**) [sp]

Chad Taylor Quintet: Smoke Shifter (2024 [2025], Otherly Love): Drummer, has anchored Chicago Underground Duo (etc.) since 1998, has led a few albums and played on 150 more, including powerhouses from Fred Anderson to James Brandon Lewis. Quintet with Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Bryan Rogers (tenor sax), Victor Vieira-Branco (vibes), and Matt Engle (bass). Exciting at first, but winds up in a bit of a postbop rut. B+(**) [sp]

Maxine Troglauer: Hymn (2024 [2025[, Fun in the Church): Bass trombonist from Germany, first album, with a fairly major contribution by Peter Evans (trumpet, pocket trumpet), backed by piano, bass, and drums. B+(**) [sp]

Carolyn Trowbridge: Found Memories (2025 [2026], self-released): Austin-based vibraphonist, side-credits since 2009, first album as leader, quintet with flute (Alex Cole), guitar, bass, and drums. B [cd] [01-09]

Jeff Tweedy: Twilight Override (2025, dBpm): Singer-songwriter, started with Uncle Tupelo (1990-93), since then has led Wilco (14 albums through 2024) while recording occasionally under his own name (4 albums 2017-20), now this, which actually a triple running nearly 2 hours. First song I noticed was the very last ("Enough"), at which point I saw I had the damn thing on shuffle (which I've started to use in the car, but generally abhor). I turned shuffle off, and picked up from about 7 songs in, so I may have missed one or two, and heard some others twice. Enough good songs here that a single-CD might bump it up a notch or two, but nothing bad to drag it down, and this is about where I usually land with him. B+(**) [sp]

Kalia Vandever: Another View (2025, Northern View): Trombonist, based in New York, fourth album, quartet with Mary Halvorson (guitar), Kanoa Mendenhall (bass), and Kayvon Gordon (drums). Nice, steady record. [sp]

Kenny Wheeler Legacy: Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores (2024 [2025], Greenleaf Music): Trumpet (actually mostly flugelhorn) player from Canada (1930-2014), moved to England in 1952, put in some years with the bop generation there (Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott) before participating in the founding of the UK avant-garde, only to wind up as an esteemed postbop composer on ECM. So this big production — featuring the Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra, Frost Jazz Orchestra, and a long list of "special contributions" including saxophonists Evan Parker and Chris Potter — isn't much of a surprise. B+(**) [sp]

Stephane Wrembel: Django New Orleans II: Hors Série (2025, Water Is Life): French jazz guitarist, has had Django Reinhardt on his mind since he titled his 2005 debut Gypsy Rumble. Since then he has five Django Experiment albums, and more including a previous Django New Orleans (2023). Whereas the previous one was mostly traditional New Orleans pieces (plus "Dinah," "Caravan," and one Reinhardt), this one branches out, with Piazzolla, Jobim, Gainsbourg, and "Nature Boy," plus a couple originals. Sarah King sings, and the cross-cultural spicing is tasty, including pandeiro, sousaphone and washboard. B+(***) [sp]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Ray Barretto Y Su Orquesta: Celia · Ray · Adalberto: Tremendo Trio! (1983 [2025], Craft): Unclear how to parse the cover, which top left starts with the first names of the stars (Cruz, Barretto, Santiago), and bottom right cites the band, which gains the upper hand on the back cover, then loses it to "Celia, Ray & Adalberto" on the label. Credits, at least on Discogs, mention the principals only in passing: the congalero/bandleader Barretto directed/produced; Santiago for backing vocals (but not for his leads, which are every bit as prominent as Cruz's). In the end, the music belongs to the band, as the singers barely stand out. B+(*) [sp]

Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Live in Paris (1970): Lost ORTF Recordings (1970 [2024], Transversales Disques): Tenor saxophonist, also played manzello and strich, often at the same time (he's also credited with soprano, alto, flute, and clarinet here). At this point he was well into his Atlantic period, which was less consistent than the early-1960s work on Mercury, but continued to stretch out in the spiritual and cultural space Coltrane opened up. Sextet with trombone, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. Strong form here. B+(***) [bc]

Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate (1964 [2025], Resonance): Previously unreleased sets originally recorded for a documentary, with Kirk playing his usual everything, backed by bass, drums, and revolving pianists (Horace Parlan, Melvin Rhyne, Jane Getz). B+(***) [cd] [11-28]

Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse (1967 [2025], Resonance, 2CD): This one sprawls onto a second CD, but isn't that much longer (84 minutes vs. 78). Group is more obscure, with Rahn Burton (piano), Steve Novosel (bass), and Jimmy Hopps (drums). But the medleys are brighter here, the originals on the second disc cook, and his vocal to close is an unexpected delight. A- [cd] [11-28]

Makaya McCraven: PopUp Shop (2015 [2025], International Anthem, EP): Drummer, side credits from 2003, own albums pick up around 2012. This is one of four simultaneous EPs (also available on 2-CD as Off the Record), a fusion swing set with guitar (Jeff Parker), bass guitar (Benjamin J Shepherd), and vibes (Justefan). Five songs, 21:40. B+(**) [sp]

Makaya McCraven: Hidden Out! (2017 [2025], International Anthem, EP): Six songs, 23:14, from two sets in June, one with guitar (Jeff Parker) and double bass (Junius Paul); the other with trumpet (Marquis Hill), sax (Josh Johnson), and Paul again. This moves into our "new" (as opposed to "vault") timeframe, which just goes to show how arbitrary such dates are. B+(*) [sp]

Makaya McCraven: The People's Mixtape (2025, International Anthem, EP): Four pieces, 21:10, with Marquis Hill (trumpet), Junius Paul (bass guitar), Joel Ross (vibes), and Jeremiah Chiu (modular synth). B+(***) [sp]

Makaya McCraven: Techno Logic (2017-25 [2025], International Anthem, EP): Five pieces, 22:17, mostly with Theon Cross (tuba, electronics) and Ben LaMar Gay (cornet, voice, percussion, synths, electronics, diddley bow), with later overdubs by McCraven. B+(**) [sp]

Makaya McCraven: Off the Record (2015-25 [2025], International Anthem): This rolls all four EPs up into a single CD packaged — a compilation, but as I recall released a week before the constituent EPs, so should we treat this as "new music" and the EPs as reissues? — which is handy for those of us who prefer what now seems to be considered archaic (or at least dépassé) technology. I can't speak to whether that makes a difference in how one hears this music, but I can imagine broader patterns emerging. As it is, I'm just extrapolating from the streamed EPs. I've read somewhere McCraven considers himself a "beat scientist." That seems fair. B+(**) [sp]

François Tusques/Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra: Après La Marée Noire: Vers Une Musique Bretonne Nouvelle (1979 [2025], Souffle Continu): French pianist, recorded his debut Free Jazz in 1965, recorded Intercommunal Music in 1971, leading to the group which registered four volumes 1974-82, and possibly a couple more albums like this one. Front cover has no artist credit, so I'm following Discogs. Back cover has three lines of credits, with "Sonneurs Traditionnels" in between. The Celtic component comes from bombarde (an oboe) and binioù koz (a small bagpipe) but you also get darbuka (a middle eastern drum) and congas. A- [bc]

X-Cetra: Summer 2000 [Y2K 25th Anniversary Edition] (2000 [2025], Numero Group): Pre-teen girl group from Santa Rosa, CA, three 11-year-olds, one just 9, singing over trip-hop tracks by Achim Treu, produced by Robin O'Brien (mother of two members, with a real but obscure discography of her own, centered around home taping experiments). Original 8-song CDR is expanded here to 11 songs, 28:21. As I understand it, they aimed for something like the Spice Girls, but what I hear is closer to Kleenex/Liliput. A- [sp]

Old music:

Stephane Wrembel: Django New Orleans (2022 [2023], Water Is Life): French guitarist, a Django Reinhart specialist, put this band together in New York to record traditional New Orleans pieces à la Hot Club de Paris. Sarah King sings several of them, starting with "Dinah." She has a voice suited to the period, but really excels on "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho." B+(***) [sp]

Grade (or other) changes:

Cecil McBee: Mutima (1974 [2025], Strata-East/Mack Avenue): Bassist, hasn't led many albums but side-credits start in 1963 and per Discogs number 463, was especially busy in the 1970s with Pharoah Sanders and Sam Rivers, slowing down around 2000. Opens with a long bass solo, followed by a short vocal bit (not to my liking, and no credit I can see), then a sextet piece with trumpet (Tex Allen) and two saxophonists (Allen Braufman and George Adams). Second side opens with another long bass solo, and again ends with a group blast. [was: B] B+(*) [sp]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Scheen Jazzorkester & Ståle Storløkken: Double Reality Beyond Space and Time (Grong) [11-10]

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