Leo Abrahams, Grain Vinyl, Figureeight ***

Guitar and electronics? Hmmm there's not much to go on here you might think. But you'd be wrong. Because hang on Krononaut's Leo Abrahams is always worth listening to even given these raw ingredients and as a ''sound bed'' (in a non-technical …

Published: 2 Oct 2021. Updated: 2 years.

Guitar and electronics? Hmmm there's not much to go on here you might think. But you'd be wrong. Because hang on Krononaut's Leo Abrahams is always worth listening to even given these raw ingredients and as a ''sound bed'' (in a non-technical sense) looking for an analogue for ''atmospheric'' or more to the point ''panoramic-sounding'' 'Grain Vinyl' from December release Scene Memory II is fine. I'm curbing my enthusiasm on the star-rating front only because this is too slim a taster. And we need a more expansive track to really get into the heart of the matter. Hopefully marlbank will be able to share a further track with any luck later in the autumn. If you enjoyed the excellent soundtrack to TV drama Devs this slots in well in the same futuristic space as a paralllel running. Or go further and a lot darker then listen to Chris Sharkey because Sharkey connects too in the same multiverse. A decade since I first came across Abrahams on a record, on one of Neil Cowley's finest recordings The Face of Mount Molehill and I'm a little familiar with his work since with the great Seb Rochford, there's not a lot however to this track. As an hors d'oeuvre it's fine. You get a world on a record that is very much his own vision and makes him such a significant artist. It's not really a genre record of any kind and that certainly makes it interesting as well although it is a dweller on the threshold of the electronica and improvised music spectrum. SG. Leo Abrahams photo: via Spitfire Audio

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Jorge Rossy and Jeff Ballard combine with Robert Landfermann for Puerta

Interesting how this colour saturated record unites Jorge Rossy and Jeff Ballard. Why so? Partly because of their Brad Mehldau connections, Rossy (vibes on Puerta) was the drummer in the hugely revered Mehldau trio in the 1990s and early-2000s. …

Published: 1 Oct 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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Interesting how this colour saturated record unites Jorge Rossy and Jeff Ballard. Why so? Partly because of their Brad Mehldau connections, Rossy (vibes on Puerta) was the drummer in the hugely revered Mehldau trio in the 1990s and early-2000s. Ballard followed him in the almost as revered and yes probably even more acclaimed trio with Brad and Larry Grenadier. Ballard before Brad was known back in the day for his work with Chick Corea. If you go out to hear new generation players on the UK scene like the brilliant James Maddren, superb with Emma Rawicz last week in the Vortex, you will know that Ballard is influential on some of the finest to follow his lead. Ballard's mastery of the ride cymbal is world class for example in a trio setting certainly for coiled power and his mastery of fills and for sheer stamina in the heat of the improvisation goading piano to do more and more. Vibes trios are relatively rare at least compared to their piano trio cousins so that is also an interesting aspect of this record, Rossy plays like Steve Nelson a little first listens suggest. I can think of no higher praise than to invoke Nelson's name. Robert Landfermann completes the originals-packed Puerta line-up and Marlbank readers will know the fine double bassist from Ascent. The superb 'Post-Catholic Waltz' issued, as is Puerta, by ECM – is streaming