Jazz Harmony: Think

After three fine quartet albums that culminated in 2014's excellent Extended Circle, Norwegian pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen returns to the trio format of his earliest ECM outing. What Was Said isn't a look back at the standard piano trio format. German-Afghan vocalist Simin Tander joins the pianist and drummer Jarle Vespestad. Gustavsen's instantly recognizable sound ripples in ever widening circles around melodies often based in traditional Norwegian hymns, folk songs, and gospel music. This band incorporates improvisational elements into the core of each composition, and the singer is a co-conspirator in the moment of creation. Tander sings in Pashto, Norwegian, and English. In most cases, lyrics have been translated from their origins into another tongue. Tander's delivery, an expressive and disciplined, slightly smoky contralto, is full of mystery…

Whether we are talking about gender, political, racial, cultural, economic status, or oceanic divides we are all closer than we think when gaining perspective on how similar we all are instead of hyper focusing on minute differences. For this record I chose a set of songs that I felt would speak to our core in a variety of ways as conscious beings regardless of origin. When thinking of artists who could breathe life and inspiration into this journey these 3 musicians came to mind immediately.

'Charm' is the debut release from Naya Baaz - a groundbreaking new collaboration between two extraordinary musicians, both of whom have achieved a rare level of mastery in demanding musical traditions from opposite sides of the globe. Recent Guggenheim Fellow, Rez Abbasi moved from Karachi to California as a child and has built up a formidable reputation as a guitarist who combines his love of Jazz (evidenced on his last major release, ‘Django-Shift’) with an international array of influences from South Asia and beyond: Josh Feinberg is one of a handful of Western musicians to excel at the challenging legacy of the Hindustani sitar, specializing in the Maihar Gharana style from North India, and also a jazz bass player who studied with Paul Bley and Dave Holland. ‘Josh earnestly understands jazz harmony and chromaticism as well as Indian musical traditions’ says Rez ‘That’s a very rare combination’. Completing the endlessly flexible line-up are Jennifer Vincent’s bespoke five-string cello, opening up possibilities to add both basslines and melodies, and Satoshi Takeishi’s specially augmented drumset.

From New Orleans to Harlem. The most important recordings of the golden age. Mit King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Jack Teagarden, Red Nichols, Clarence Williams, Muggsy Spanier, Frank Teschemacher, Adrian Rollini u.a. 100-CD-Box with original recordings. From the early days to the late 1950s, the highlights of Swing are presented on these 100 CDs.