Trumpeter/composer Ambrose Akinmusire, ace guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley join forces for this gorgeous trio record. As the title suggests, it's a nocturnal vibe that's achieved here. There's a delicacy that dominates on the album's eight tracks, but it's not tentative or precious; instead, these three musicians find common ground where there's really no lead voice, just a marvelous mood of mutual support and purpose. I'm reminded a bit of the similarly styled work that Frisell did with the late/great Ron Miles — which is always a good thing.
"Ambrose Akinmusire has always eschewed the usual trumpet clichés to forge a unique sound full of powerful emotions," Jazzwise's Nick Hasted writes of the magazine's February cover subject. "[H]e begins a new adventure on Nonesuch with Owl Song, with Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley … its murmured beauty and shifts of tone revealing more with each listen." You can read the feature here.
Nonesuch Records, 2023
Kompozytor i trębacz Ambrose Akinmusire debiutuje w Nonesuch Records albumem “Owl Song” zapowiadając jednocześnie na najbliższy rok kolejne dwa albumy – z których każdy prezentować będzie inne obszary stylistyczne, inne instrumentarium, a także zróżnicowane podejście do kwestii producenckich.
“Owl Song” nagrany został w triu, a Akinmusire’owi towarzyszyli dwaj znakomici…
Dr. John Things Happen That Way (Rounder / Concord; 2022) Por Juan F. Trillo [Grabación de jazz]
Dr. John Things Happen That Way (Rounder / Concord; 2022) Por Juan F. Trillo [Grabación de jazz]
El álbum que hoy Tomajazz les presenta, Things Happen That Way, es una obra póstuma, un homenaje a la labor de toda una vida sobre los escenarios de aquel músico excéntrico que se hacía llamar Dr. John. Se ha publicado ahora, hace escasas semanas, a finales de septiembre, a pesar de que falleció en 2019, pero como reza el dicho, más vale tarde que nunca.
En cualquier caso y donde quiera que esté…
ALMOST LIVESTREAM: HERLIN RILEY with Stacy Dillard, Dave Torkanowsky, and Max Moran, JAZZ ST LOUIS, 4 APRIL 2024
This one wasn’t on the subscription list, but I am glad to have had the Thursday night livestream as a taste of the New Orleans party that was in town this week. HERLIN RILEY is part of the proteges of Ellis Marsalis that includes his sons, Jazz St Louis President Victor Goines, and pianist Dave Torkanowsky. The band had a groove going when Riley came onstage with a second line going with just a tambourine and Mardi Gras Indian chants. It was Twelve’s It, an Ellis Marsalis tune which went from the funk to a lyrical middle section and back to the funk with every member of the band getting a chance to shine.
Stacy Dillard is a Small’s regular whom I see with others and rarely in his own right. But he’s a fine player with sufficient fire and groove to serve this tradition. Dave Torkanowsky had moments of subtlety and lyricism to go with the power and percussiveness he was signed up to provide. Max Moran is a big presence on bass. HERLIN RILEY is charismatic and, at the risk of faint praise, perfectly capable. He was not an astonishing magician, but somehow there’s a thickness to the NOLA rhythms that sneak up on you. You have to be perfectly capable to pull off that deceptive trick which Riley most certainly was.
There were two James Black tunes, New Arrival in the second slot and Whistle Stop to close (with Victor Goines). Black was a role model for Riley as a drummer/composer/bandleader. He stayed at home, it would appear, so he is not widely enough known. He probably won’t be—or he’ll be in with similar figures like Ralph Peterson and James Williams as musicians’ musicians, but like them have made important contributions. There were three Riley compositions, also winning, varied, and challenging. Riley too may well be one of those craftspeople who importantly uphold a tradition. He put on a fine fine show but I don’t regret not being in the room even though it was quite a party. They encored with Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing, a bit of a single entendre tune, by Danny Barker, a banjoist who had a church brass band in the late 1960s/1970s in which Riley and his pals learned some basics.
The homestretch of the set got interesting as Riley’s Touched for his mother whom he cared for as she was dying was poignant; Bicycleta by a Cuban settled in NOLA had that open major chord Keith Jarrett groove with an obvious Latin tinge; and Ivan Lenz’s ballad Love Dance proved decisively, as this whole stretch made the case, that they could all play delicately.
New Orleans remains perhaps THE important jazz city even if New York is the center of its gravity. I need to remember that and appreciate this reminder.
no love for ned is back on wlur tonight from 8pm until midnight with a new theme! tune in at 8pm to see what will help shape the show this winter. if you can't listen live, you can check out last week's show on mixcloud from now until eternity.
speaking of last week's show, we belatedly wrapped up our fall theme last week. for the past four months we've been starting shows off with songs that mention food. we've heard songs from the memories, yo la tengo, bettie serveert, personal and the pizzas, the b-52's, tuscadero, the flaming lips, peach kelli pop, pavement, men i trust, luna, cibo matto, elf power, teenage fanclub, of montreal, leyna noel, oasis, and warren zevon.
no love for ned on wlur – january 5th, 2024 from 8-10pm
artist // track // album // label
warren zevon // werewolves of london // excitable boy // asylum
fraser bell // still spinning // still spinning 7" ep // little lunch
barbara manning // don't hold back // charm of yesterday…convenience of tomorrow // ba da bing!
uni boys // let's watch a movie // buy this now! // curation
wolf girl // get you // every now and then // everything sucks
nathy sg // corporate lawyer // nathy sg 7” ep // cowie jaw
tyvek // m-39 // overground // ginkgo
thee retail simps // rubble // rubble 7" // goodbye boozy
sundae painters // in came you // sundae painters // leather jacket
mhaol // jack // attachment styles // merge
team dresch // molasses in january // hand grenade 7" // kill rock stars
circle pit // infinity // bruise constellation // timberyard
nighttime // when the wind is blowing // keeper is the heart // ba da bing!
simon joyner, michael krassner and fred lonberg holm // my love isn't yours to give away // this is where the ocean begins // grapefruit
brian eno and fred again.. // radio // secret life // text
matthew sage and zander raymond // it is isn’t it // parayellowgram // moon glyph
ambrose akinmusire featuring bill frisell and herlin riley // weighted corners // owl song // nonesuch
brent fuscaldo and przemyslaw krys drazek featuring hamid drake, tatsu aoki, thymme jones and joshua abrams // mirror beams // june 22 // feeding tube / astral spirits
angelika niescier, tomeka reid and savannah harris // oscillating madness // beyond dragons // intakt
tierra whack // chanel pit // chanel pit digital single // interscope
evelyn "champagne" king // love come down (12" version) // the essential evelyn "champagne" king // legacy
missy elliott // work it // under construction // elektra
the young senators // ringing bells (sweet music), pt. 2 // if there's hell below... compilation // numero group
joey valence and brae // punk tactics // punk tactics // jvb
2m8o // what trent does // 2m8o // under the gun
hazy sour cherry // i need your heart // hazy 7" ep // freak city soundtrack
hero no hero // rabbit hole // pacific standard time // subjangle
secret shine // temporal // untouched // sarah
blue ocean // take a care // fertile state // slumberland
hydroplane // we crossed the atlantic // selected songs 1997-2003 // world of echo
duster // cigarettes and coffee // remote echoes // numero group
Herlin Riley: master of drums in the cradle of jazz https://www.npr.org/2023/12/30/1222024064/herlin-riley-master-of-drums-in-the-cradle-of-jazz?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr
Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire's Nonesuch Records debut album, Owl Song, featuring guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley, is out now. You can get it and hear it here.
The album has landed on the New York Times’ list of Best Jazz Albums of 2023 and on Jazzwise’s Albums of the Year list. "A quiet rush of gorgeous sound where space, tone and beauty come together in one of the most impactful albums of 2023," says DownBeat's five-star review. "This is one of the most interesting recordings to come along in a very long time by one of the most interesting artists of our time.”