Daily jazz blog, Marlbank

Johanna Burnheart, B​ä​r ***1/2

You can't really neatly describe what's here within a single genre. Yes, there is an appeal to jazz listeners ('Something Cool' probably most of all) dotted around. But there is a contemporary almost pop-like electronic glean too to what's here on …

Published: 1 Dec 2023. Updated: 7 months.

You can't really neatly describe what's here within a single genre. Yes, there is an appeal to jazz listeners ('Something Cool' probably most of all) dotted around. But there is a contemporary almost pop-like electronic glean too to what's here on an album of originals by violinist-singer Johanna Burnheart with compositions named after places (Berlin, London and more) that Burnheart has lived or spent time in. With Burnheart is an empathetic bunch of musicians who include Al MacSween on keys and Jonny Mansfield on vibes with Noel Langley producing and guesting on a few numbers. Bassist Jonny Wickham takes a fine solo on 'Cylla Burna' - one of the standout tracks along with 'Clemen' where Burnheart voyages into a Gretchen Parlato-like space a bit. Worth immersing yourself in.

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A piano sonata and even the rare sound of a theremin to feature on Ethan Iverson's upcoming album Technically Acceptable

January is to see a new studio album from pianist-composer Ethan Iverson with his latest for Blue Note, Technically Acceptable, out on 19 January. A brief track, the original 'Conundrum,' is streaming ahead of the album's full release. The album …

Published: 1 Dec 2023. Updated: 7 months.

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January is to see a new studio album from pianist-composer Ethan Iverson with his latest for Blue Note, Technically Acceptable, out on 19 January. A brief track, the original 'Conundrum,' is streaming ahead of the album's full release.

The album includes further Iverson originals 'Victory is Assured (Alla Breve)' and 'It's Fine to Decline' plus a version of 'Round Midnight' with, uniquely, the melody played on a theremin. Also figuring are a version of 1970s Roberta Flack pop hit 'Killing Me Softly' and a specially composed Iverson piano sonata. Iverson is with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Kush Abadey (known for his work with Orlando Le Fleming) on the album in its first half with later tracks featuring bassist Simón Willson and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza. Playing the theremin is Rob Schwimmer.

The piano sonata, issuing label Blue Note says is ''a through-composed, three-movement piece'' Iverson noting that “Gershwin, Copland and Johnson really tried to blend concert and vernacular idioms. Then after World War II, high modernism and then relatively simple minimalism ruled the roost, and that mix got shunted aside. In my humble way, I'm trying to pick up that 1930s thread.” Ethan Iverson, photo: Keith Major