An interesting and subtle album of 2018 is this one from The Eric Binder Trio. His debut on Ropeadope caught some great attention from the Jazz community, and this year Eric returned with a tribute to Malcolm Cecil, with Cecil on the record! Malcolm Cecil played with greats in the UK - Ronnie Scott and The Jazz Five, Johnny Griffin, Stan Getz, and many more. But his career led him to a gig behind the console, as he became a skilled producer and engineer for artists including Stevie Wonder, Weather Report, The Isley Brothers and others too numerous to mention here. Eric Binder believes that Malcolm Cecil’s bass playing was overlooked as a result, and on The Malcolm Cecil Project he highlights just that. Rounding out the trio is NY tenor Joel Frahm, a perfect complement for the project. This is a classic Jazz project in the best way - the young gun paying tribute to the art, and a man who carried the art forward in the best way. Dig In.
2018 Countdown | Project K-Paz
Infinity Gritty delivered this one from Project K-Paz, the brainchild of Alvaro Kapaz and Pablo Eluchans. The trio is formed with the addition of Adam Ahuja, and their 2018 album Post-Something, brings purely improvisational music inspired by deep reflection on our times.
'We are in a controversial era, when the world seems easily polarized and tensions quickly rise. But the future lies in the hands of the new generations, who bring us hope of a reality that will build bonds out of bleak surroundings, turning our differences into strengths, and discover a new unity for our humanity. How we as humans choose to deal with sadness, loss, excitement, madness, joy, love.' (Project K-Paz)
Post-Something was recorded in one night with Infinity Gritty alum and general wizard of all recording things E. Scott Lindner.
2018 Countdown | Odd Atlas
Saxophonist Warren Walker and Guitarist Federico Casagrande are longtime friends in the Paris music scene and together they form OddAtlas along with drummer Caleb Dolister and bassist Sam Minaie from New York. The project began with the newly formed quartet locking themselves in a remote alpine studio during a frigid December week in Chamonix, France, 2016. They arrived at the studio with a few odd compositions, plugged in and started to create. Despite the cold air rushing down from Mont Blanc to still the town, the studio stayed warmed by hours of exploring their collective compositions.
OddAtlas’ self-titled album takes the listener through this process, and documents the seasoned and progressive Post-Jazz performers as they build their musical ideas and concepts while recording. Though their paths are clearly from different places, they managed to discover a cohesive energy, and a steady ambiance can be felt throughout the entire album as melodies evolve over playful and ever-changing contrasts. The album feels equally like a journey to unknown parts and the long road back home from them.
2018 Countdown | Venture
What happens when you put four badass musicians who have seen it all in a studio together? A blood sport of shredding, with all the players on the same team. And so it is that Mark Sherman, Mike Clark, Chase Baird, and Felix Pastorius became Venture. Like many great things it started spontaneously, with a casual statement after a gig, and once the gauntlet was down and it had to be done. The results are stunning, as these cats don’t play around. The young guns can bring the f word - fusion - to the game, but they need to heed those that lived it and still treat it like the absolute fun that it is. Take a ride with Venture today.