Michael Marcus, Joe McPhee, Jay Rosen, Warren Smith, Blue Reality Quartet! Mahakala Music ****

Mahakala Music are next month on 23 July releasing Blue Reality Quartet, the work and achievement of saxist Joe McPhee and reedist/flautist Michael Marcus, just thinking about hearing Marcus with the late Sonny Simmons in the Cosmosamatics, …

Published: 23 Jun 2021. Updated: 2 years.

Mahakala Music are next month on 23 July releasing Blue Reality Quartet, the work and achievement of saxist Joe McPhee and reedist/flautist Michael Marcus, just thinking about hearing Marcus with the late Sonny Simmons in the Cosmosamatics, percussionists Jay Rosen & Warren Smith (Mingus, M'Boom, Astral Weeks), McPhee is excellent recently on Winter Garden. If anything this is even better. Serene and quiet, contemplative, quite moving in places, you can really hear the extra elements of the instruments and the expression in the crafting and the way the afternotes mean something. Abstract music that has its own sense of tonality flirting with melody but with pulse and vibrational revelation even more important, 'Joe's Train' is quite Mingusian and there's a real sense of momentousness to the cumulative gathering of musical endeavour. 'Love Exists Everywhere' is streaming. Totally worth your time, you'll put this record on and be reluctant to take it off. A key vibes section (I guess it's Smith) within 'Bluer than Blue' is pretty mind-blowing in the group interplay. It all made me go off and read some Langston Hughes for no direct reason but one that proves apposite. Certainly another significant plus for that. Something ignites stirringly inside, making sense of Reality. SG

Link to get Blue Reality Quartet!

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Jesse Harris and Vinicius Cantuária, Surpresa, Sunnyside *****

Takes your breath away the simplicity and yet the deepness throughout on Surpresa by Jesse Harris and Vinicius Cantuária stocked full of originals. The album opens in a Simon and Garfunkel mood on 'Waiting' because the sound contains that certain …

Published: 22 Jun 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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Takes your breath away the simplicity and yet the deepness throughout on Surpresa by Jesse Harris and Vinicius Cantuária stocked full of originals. The album opens in a Simon and Garfunkel mood on 'Waiting' because the sound contains that certain serenity and blends angelically and analogously. An album to and fro sung in English and Portuguese containing an exquisite softness shared by singer-songwriter-guitarists Harris and Cantuária. The harmonies are sublime and the blend is something special. Guests on the album include Melody Gardot on vocals and piano, Bill Frisell, Gabi Hartmann, horn arranger CJ “Carm” Camerieri, percussionist Jeremy Gustin and Will Graefe. Pick of the songs on first listens are definitely the opener 'Waiting' and later the stunning 'How Long' (complete with whistling and intuitively-caught backing vocals). Cantuária excels on the quietly moving title track. The sole cover on the album is a joyful take on Gilberto Gil's 'Ó, Maria'. 'You the Queen' at the end has a lovely laconic feel masterfully buoyant summoning goosebumps through its sweet little mystery in the togetherness. Out on 20 August