Each time I am about to listen to a new album signed by pianist Robert Magris I expect to hear that subtle "European" touch he is infusing his songs.
No mistake, Kansas City Outbound where the Italian pianist honors American jazz is not an exception. Along with famous standards, Magris included four originals. I would mention the beautiful Rainbow Eyes a balladesque fusion between the jazz of two continents and the intense, nervous Iraqi Blues. Magris, wonderfully joined here by Art Davis’ quite robust and deep bass lines, has a sense of keeping the listener alert and surprised, switching rhytms and tempos, blending classical touches with modern sonorities. The tonal contrasts and consonances between piano and bass are deligtful throughout the album and particulary on the intimate Darn That Dream or on A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing, where the theme is captured in its essence while the rhytm brings an interesting modern twist One can feel the music of this album as a view to the mainstream jazz, filtered by a sensitive "magrisian" manner, spiced up with "new age" inflexions and unexpected grooves. Although it may not be apropriate to characterize the album as an "intelligent soulful jazz improvization" it is hard to oversee the precision of performers combined with the emotional drive that makes the jazz a lively music.
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Diversity leads to harmony seems to be the musical message emerging from
Anthony Ocana's new album. From beginning to end, "Solo" is an exquisite journey built on classical lines blended with airy improvisations, distilled folk and jazz themes. Sculpting in sounds, Ocana uses spaces and tempos to create a structured concept revealed layer by layer to the listener. Each song tells a story, at times joyful at times contemplative yet seamlessly integrated with the overall elegant atmosphere noticeable throughout the album. Among the highlights, the intimate "Improviso 2 (a Anouar Brahem)" and the two Beatles classics arranged with a sense of freshness and free style.
website: www.anthonyocana.com

Here's the second album released by Brazilian guitarist and composer Joao Ferraz who is continuing his path of mixing contemporary smooth jazz with a good variety of Brazilian(Minas Gerais) rhytms. His modern signature style already distinct on his previous CD:"Sapo", is getting more clarity on "Mineiro Bao". This time the overall sound is more "Brazilian", featuring the charming voices of Marcela Velon and Fael Mondego, backed by a cohesive and dynamic rhythm section. On guitar Joao Ferraz is moving freely between ballad, quick-tempos, solos and colorful accents with the same spontaneity and warm feel. A special mention for the 4th song, "Debaixo Da Pedra", where he is joined on harmonica by Gabriel Grossi in a wonderful free style swingy duet. Another great moment of the album is the delicate "Gafierinha", where I appreciated the harmony of Trombone-Trumpet-Sax combo nicely blending with Joao's guitar. On the next song Joao sings in an exuberant duet with Marcela Velon. A very melodious album to bring a little sunshine in your life.
Website: www.joaoferraz.com

"New: Happy" could be anything: a surrealistic ballet music, a soundtrack of a mysterious movie, or a timeless collection of jazz poems. The fusion goes multidimensional, from classical to modern, from evocative to exhilarating and dissonant, switching tempos and moods, crossing genres and musical maps. All these compositional incursions don't break the artistic cohesion of the album crafted in filigree arrangements, remarkable in clarity and balance. leaving enough space for a warm melodic improvisational flow. Every song tells a story about a comedy or drama, there's a melody, or a surprising contrast you'll remember later after the music has grown in you. Then you may want to go back and listen again the elegant intros on "New: Happy" , Tys Tys or on Amulet ( Haftor Medboe's guitar ethereal, atmospheric, Signy Jakobsdottir's colorful, magical crystal percussion), or the Nordic vibes (guitar, bass(Eva Malling ), percussion) followed by a superb unison sax-trombone(Konrad Wiszniewski and Chris Grieve) on Fri Bo. Although there are other highlights to discover, just to mention the melancholic introspective harmonica solo on Nothing Gulch, and the sax and trombone solos on These Little Things, the album as a whole is a beautiful piece of art.
Web site: www.haftormedboegroup.net