Ariel Bart, Spiritual Wars ****

The initial piano line is so simple and unadorned that it does not necessarily promise much. However, 'Spiritual Wars' from In Between transforms itself when not even the brushes of the drummer or twang of plucked string but the chime of harmonica …

Published: 9 May 2021. Updated: 2 years.

The initial piano line is so simple and unadorned that it does not necessarily promise much. However, 'Spiritual Wars' from In Between transforms itself when not even the brushes of the drummer or twang of plucked string but the chime of harmonica enters. A first album by harmonica player Ariel Bart, the setting finds the Israeli (who reminds me of the sound of Grégoire Maret a little) in a pastoral chamber-jazz configuration that has much in common with a lot of the more interesting new jazz these days especially emanating from labels such as La Buissonne and CAM Jazz. Brutal power is not the name of the game more a sense of poeticism and statement that never needs to shout but speaks volumes. With instrumentation of cello played by Mayu Shviro who also gets a featured spot on later track 'Intro', aforementioned piano (Moshe Elmakias) double bass (David Michaeli) and drums (Amir Bar Akiva) the sound certainly embraces the arc of improvisation and is grounded in an unobvious sense of bittersweetness that accentuates the minor mode of its bluesiness especially when the best parts of Bart's soloing are reached. Towards the end of the track the piano part becomes far more interesting and you divine a real sense of how fully formed the ideas are. I'm looking forward already to hearing the rest of the album later this month. SG

In Between (Ropeadope) is to be released on 20 May. Ariel Bart top, Photo: publicity shot via Bandcamp

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Carlos Niño & Friends, Please Wake Up ***

Chief points of interest filter through to two considerations most: the very enveloping sound recording quality certainly initially because it is highly immersive in the sense that you feel as if you are inside a circle of speaker monitors where …

Published: 8 May 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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Chief points of interest filter through to two considerations most: the very enveloping sound recording quality certainly initially because it is highly immersive in the sense that you feel as if you are inside a circle of speaker monitors where sound emanates to you from all directions. That's not all the second thought area turns to and draws us in to the presence of saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings especially in the opening sections of 'Please Wake Up,' and who recently marlbank has enjoyed for his work with Anthony Joseph, see for more, and who has a new record out Black to the Future out next week with Sons of Kemet. Percussionist and producer Carlos Niño & Friends' ambitious More Energy Fields, Current is on International Anthem. Hear more on the album via this link.