Category: Releases

Sonata Islands Kommandoh – Zeuhl Jazz

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Zeuhl Jazz on vinyl

sonataislands.com

Sonata Islands is an ensemble founded by Italian instrumentalist and composer Emilio Galante in 1998. Filled out by a rotating cast of some of Italy’s most exciting and genre-bending musicians, the band hosts an annual festival in Trento, Italy featuring an acclaimed mix of jazz and new music. Their previous projects include a multimedia project with Markus Stockhausen, a jazz rewriting of Gustav Mahler’s music, and a tribute to Japanese avant-rock of the 80s and 90s.

‘Zeuhl Jazz’ features Galante on flute and electronics along with William Nicastro on bass, Sergio Quagliarella on drums, Giovanni Venosta on keyboards and voice and Alberto N.A. Turra on guitar (Turra’s album ‘It Is Preferable Not To Travel With A Dead Man’ was released in 2017 on Chant Records). The album is dedicated to the spirit of Magma, the groundbreaking French band under the direction of Christian Vander. Starting in 1970, Magma offered the listener a uniquely ‘celestial’ (‘zeuhl’ in Kobaïan language) music, even though those skies may have been crystal clear or ominously dark. Each track on ‘Zeuhl Jazz’ reflects an aspect of Magma’s approach, along with references to prog and avant-garde ­rock, modal jazz, R&B and Eastern folk music.

Tracks:
1 Offering Vander
2 Love And Rage… Supreme
3. Terza Lamentazione
4 Sohia
5 Prima Lamentazione
6 No More Zombies

Meg Okura, Sam Newsome, Jean-Michel Pilc – NPO Trio Live At The Stone

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megokura.com/npo-trio

NPO is made up of up soprano saxophone master Sam Newsome, pianist/composer and Guggenheim fellow Jean-Michel Pilc and violinist/composer Meg Okura. The musically telepathic trio seamlessly explores the world of improvisational music while drawing on influences including Romantic and atonal classical music, the searching, spirited jazz of John Coltrane, blues and traditional Yiddish and Japanese folk melodies.

Tracks:
1. A Four Forty
2. Bells, Whistles and Sirens
3. Oyfn Pripetchik-ish
4. Travels
5. Exodus and Emancipation
6. Pleading
7. Unkind Gestures
8. Yiddish Mama No Tsuki

John Lee – Chu Bubaloo

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chineseirishman.com
facebook.com/chineseirishman

“[L]ike Frank Zappa doing a piece with Hawkwind and even a touch of Radiohead on the side.”
(Kaj Roth, Roth and Roll)

Chu Bubaloo is the third album from guitarist and composer John Lee. Recorded in September 2013, this album captures a dark transitional period in Lee’s life. In the thick of depression and a recent separation, Chu Bubabloo is an intriguing memoir about failure, success, and possibility of purpose. Lee features musicians Graham Doby on drums, TJ Turqman on electric bass, and Matt Rippetoe on saxophone. Elements of afrobeat, folk, indie, jazz, and surf rock tie together Chu Bubabloo into an epic searing guitar story.

Tracks:
1. Intro Song
2. Diarrhea Puke
3. The Glib
4. Fish Out of Water
5. Baby Lulu
6. The Earth Demon
7. Life in the Dark

Koby Israelite – The Rest of Now

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kobyisraelite.com
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Support on Patreon: patreon.com/kobyIsraelite

The author of the old joke that asks, ‘what’s the difference between an onion and an accordion’, clearly had never heard the much-maligned instrument in the hands of Koby Israelite.

In his latest studio album, The Rest of Now, Koby Israelite combines his natural talent in accordion playing and sets it alongside a parley of other instruments under his masterful control.

The punchline to the joke of course is that, ‘people only cry when they chop up onions’. This somewhat cheap gag is turned on its head by the eye watering musical dexterity apparent throughout this new and enthralling album. Each track is made up of intricate layers that form a synthesis between Orient and Occident styles. Eastern European roots are combined with flavourings of jazz, heavy rock, and electronica, and this mixing of tradition with modernity results in a fascinating and dynamic sound, as well as revealing a personal humour and spirited emotion that won’t be heard elsewhere. The result is an album that delivers an adrenaline shot to the heart and a cerebral pulse to the soul. Put simply, The Rest of Now, is truly a feast for any listener who is not afraid to peel back the musical skin of invention and consume its fresh flavours of style and form. (Jim Faircloth)

Tracks:
1. Riqqoud
2. Milf Cake
3. Music for Lovers
4. The Chase
5. Booy Booy Booy
6. Night and Day
7. Handful of Nothing
8. La Foule
9. Ajde Jano
10. Why Did I Kill Aleksandra Andrejewna
11. Kurczak
12. Just About Managing
13. Lullaby
14. The Rest of Now

We the Gleaners – We the Gleaners

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We The Gleaners is a trio of our own great great friends and a lot more fun than we are playing for.

We The Gleaners was made in Brooklyn by the man who had a long history with the other two of our great friends.

We The Gleaners creates the best of the world to see what we see and blend together the same old age as the new ones.

Through improvisation, composed fragments, found sound, and the other two of those who were at home, We The Gleaners creates audio collages that are available for the next couple years to be sure that they can meet with your family.

Blurring the boundaries between sound art, chamber music, and the music on that show, We The Gleaners forges a great trip with the new world of events that transpired.

Featuring Dana Lyn on the East River, Kyle Sanna on guitar, and Matt Kanelos on a flight to the new world, We The Gleaners are pleased to announce their plans.

Tracks:
1. Opening
2. Is The West Coast
3. Cabin Hymn
4. Daytime Atheist

Related: Laushaus (featuring Kyle Sanna)

eXpanseplane – Tranzjenik

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eXpanseplane’s makes dark electronica for uncertain times. eXpanseplane’s Chant Records debut, Tranzjenik is like a soundtrack to a virtual reality game that you don’t want to escape from, combining dense layers of sound with hypnotic grooves to create a surreal dream world where everything is at once recognizable yet completely unfamiliar.

Get all 3 eXpanseplane releases available on Bandcamp and save 25% »

Tracks:
1. Commemoration
2. Tranzjenik
3. Exilic
4. Wuxia
5. Spagyric
6. Demystify
7. ZUMA
8. ROZ
9. Isimba
10. Be Yousuf
11. Sided
12. Fukuoka
13. Mien
14. Verschwenden

Related:
eXpanseplane – Deviate, Vol. 1
eXpanseplane – Deviate, Vol. 2
Curha – I
Matt Motel – Slid City

Yemen Blues – Live

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yemenblues.com

Recorded in 2012 in the midst of a massive world tour, “Live in Tel Aviv” beautifully captures the groove, electricity and fire of a Yemen Blues concert. Led by the supernaturally charismatic singer Ravid Kahalani, the 10-piece band brilliantly creates a singular sound influenced by the music of Yemen along with rock, blues and jazz. Kahalani (vocal, gimbri) is joined by an amazing group of musicians: Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass, oud), Rony Iwryn (percussion), Itamar Doari (percussion), Itamar Borochov (trumpet), Rafi Malkiel (trombone), Matan Chapnizki (saxophone), Salit Lahav (flute), Hilla Epstein (cello), Keren Tenenboum (viola), and special guest Daniel Iwryn (bass).

Tracks:
1. Eli
2. Um Min Al Yaman
3. Yemen Blues
4. Min Kalbi
5. Percussion Solo
6. Baraca
7. Duet
8. Jat Mahibathi
9. At Va’ani

Eyal Talmudi – Even If

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eyaltalmudi.com

One of Israel’s busiest reed players and band leaders in the world/jazz/indie scene, Eyal Talmudi has been touring with Balkan Beat Box, Kutiman Orchestra and Oy Division for the past decade and working with other projects including Malox and Time Groove. Influenced by music including folk, punk and jazz, Talmudi brings his creativity and groove to everything he plays. Talmudi’s adventurous Chant Records debut features Sefi Zisling on trumpet, Uzi Feinerman on guitar, Gilad Abro on bass and Aviv Cohen on drums.

Tracks:
1. Ayalon Zafon
2. Fela on My Mind
3. For Smoking
4. Gili and the Jets
5. Stam Lo
6. Even If
7. If Even
8. When I Was 17
9. Lo Stam

Jessica Lurie – Long Haul

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jessicalurie.com

“Playing saxophone and accordion as well as vocalizing, Jessica Lurie wears many hats in this adventurous but melodic group.”
– Nate Chinen, New York Times

LONG HAUL is Jessica Lurie’s newest musical work, presenting nine original, genre-defying and ear expanding compositions. Her eighth CD as a bandleader, is it her first recording with her Ensemble in five years, backed up by a stellar band from both coasts of the US. There is the solid and dynamic rhythm section of Todd Sickafoose on bass and Allison Miller on drums; Brian Marsella shines on all things piano, including pump organ and Fender Rhodes; guitarist Mike Gamble gracefully supports Lurie’s interwoven melodies, and special guest Naomi Siegel lends harmony and punch on trombone. These compositions highlight a personal and musical evolution for Lurie, embracing new storylines and her diverse stylistic influences. Long Haul was co-produced by Lurie and bassist Todd Sickafoose, who has contributed his playing, engineering and production genius on other Lurie recordings (Licorice and Smoke, Shop of Wild Dreams, Megaphone Heart).

Tracks:
1. A Tiger for William Kentridge
2. Spark
3. Rare Flares
4. 3 X Heather’s 17
5. Long Haul (For Jim Lurie)
6. Calder’s Circus
7. Straight Out of Everything
8. Lost and Found
9. Patience

Alberto N. A. Turra – It Is Preferable Not To Travel With A Dead Man

Joint release with Felmay Records

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Al Turbogolfer blog

This CD, presented last October with a New York concert during the Chant Records festival, co-producer of the CD, is new solo work (his fifth) by ALBERTO N.A. TURRA, a live album conceived during the successful promotional Filmworks tour.

Over the years, TURRA has been involved in various live recordings, such as BLUMENKRANZ-TURRA-MARSELLA-QUAGLIARELLA (Spiritsongs), GIOVANNI VENOSTA & SONATA ISLANDS (Nippon Eldorado Kabarett) and MAMUD BAND (Dynamite On Stage). In this album – his first live solo experience – Alberto displays his great improvisational, technical and poetic skills.

Tracks:
1. Black Madonna
2. If You Want Me To Stay
3. Col Di Lana
4. You Don’t Know What Love Is
5. Cellule