New Releases Spotlight: Week of February 23, 2015

This week in The Music Lounge, let’s take a look at some phenomenal music being made by three relatively young masters on the modern jazz scene.

First off, Rez Abbasi’s disc, Intents and Purposes.  To tell the truth, I’ve been waiting for a while for someone to put out a disc like this – an acoustic foray into the fusion era.  Say what you will about bombast or electric instruments – at the end of the day, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell, Jean-Luc Ponty and a host of others wrote some amazing tunes in the 70’s.  Abbasi approaches these songs with an acoustic quartet of guitar, vibes, bass and drums.  To hear stripped down versions of Tony Williams’ "There Comes A Time" or Pat Martino’s "Joyous Lake" is an epiphany, and I’d be willing to bet that in these all acoustic incarnations, Abbasi might just make a believer out of even the staunchest of purists.

Next, Chicagoan Scott Hesse’s got a new trio with bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Makaya McCraven, and they have a new album out on Origin called The Stillness of Motion.  For those of you familiar with Jeff Parker’s trio, the sound will be familiar – a ripping and supple rhythm section playing alongside a guitarist with an impossibly dry tone that makes each jaw dropping run sound clear as a bell.  Wayne Shorter’s "Dance Cadaverous" gets a gorgeous reading here, but the real gems on this disc are the originals.  Hesse’s got a unique voice as a composer and all of the songs feel of a piece.  "In the Air Again" and "Unit 'E'" are standouts.  There’s a lot to enjoy here, and I will look forward to getting a chance to hear them more in the next few weeks.

Finally, pianist and MacArthur Grant winner Vijay Iyer has a new album out on ECM called Break Stuff.  Vijay has a singular voice on the piano that can play inside, outside, pretty or wild and wooly.  And while he mostly sticks to the pretty and mellow (as befitting an ECM album) on this disc,  there are some exciting moments to be sure.  The title track and "Taking Flight" both sound roughly like their names.  Thelonious Monk’s "Work" sounds great in Iyer’s hands and the standout moment on the disc is a solo reading of Billy Strayhorn’s "Blood Count."

We'll be back next week with more new recordings, here in The Music Lounge!