Alan Ferber

Nat Radleys name began popping up around 2010, as a sideman on the projects of respected New Yorkers like Mark Mommaas, Andrew Rathbun and Alan Ferber. Radleys edgy lines and cryptic guitar atmospheres left you wanting more. More has arrived. The Big Eyes, Radleys recording debut as a leader, is the first full look at an exciting new talent. He writes mysterious tunes in which simple contrasting rhythmic and melodic motifs are juxtaposed to create complex, unresolved enigmas. For several pieces he uses, strategically, the alto saxophone of Loren Stillman and the Fender Rhodes of Pete Rende. These instrumental voices, in a tonal range overlapping the guitar, add depth and detail to the ensemble sound.

The Award-winning contemporary jazz composer/conductor Jihye Lee explores her Korean ancestry, in this dynamic cycle of large-ensemble works fusing traditional Korean rhythms with dynamic orchestral jazz arranging. Co-produced by Darcy James Argue, this profound meditation on womanhood and humanity includes features by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and outstanding percussion Snarky Puppy’s Keita Ogawa.

The Distance represents a grand creative leap for bassist-composer Michael Formanek, following two widely lauded ECM releases featuring his quartet with Tim Berne, Craig Taborn and Gerald Cleaver. The new album showcases his texturally rich compositions for the dynamic 18-piece big band he has playfully dubbed Ensemble Kolossus. The project saw some of the most distinctive musicians on the New York scene bonding to realize Formanek’s epic design, as he re-imagined what a big band can be. Channelling sounds from the classic to the modern, he also composed for individually expressive soloists in the Ellingtonian tradition. Along with the dark-hued romanticism of the title track, The Distance features the “Exoskeleton” suite – a kaleidoscopic musical experience in which Formanek’s bold, beautiful vision for 21st-century large-ensemble jazz comes vibrantly to life.