The zen in a meeting of minds - Wadada Leo Smith, Andrew Cyrille and Qasim Naqvi's Two Centuries is an autumn avant highlight

The beautiful, painterly transcendentalism of 'For D. F.' is streaming and is one part of Two Centuries, a significant avant highlight in 2022 landing post abstract expressionist in a serene oasis of sound, a recording that represents the first …

Published: 20 Aug 2022. Updated: 19 months.

The beautiful, painterly transcendentalism of 'For D. F.' is streaming and is one part of Two Centuries, a significant avant highlight in 2022 landing post abstract expressionist in a serene oasis of sound, a recording that represents the first small group release of any group instrumentation mix from the new Red Hook label launched last year after the acclaimed initial 5-star solo piano release Hanamichi by the master Masabumi Kikuchi in his final studio work.

''This is a special album, a lot of sweat and work has gone into it,'' says producer Sun Chung about Two Centuries. Shaped around modular synth, trumpet, and drums he continued in an email to us back in June to point out that ''when I put this group together, my guiding principle was to experiment with more atypical musical interactions, but equally important, to put together musicians who would be able to transcend any preexisting concepts and comfort zones.''

Two Centuries is the first meeting in a recording between the avant great poet of the trumpet Wadada Leo Smith and free-jazz legend drummer Andrew Cyrille and in the intergenerational and trans stylistic mix features electronica composer and drummer Qasim Naqvi. Sun Chung who formerly was a Munich based producer at ECM produced the Andrew Cyrille Quartet's The Declaration Of Musical Independence and the Cyrille, Wadada, Bill Frisell classic - Lebroba.

Two Centuries is out in October

Wadada Leo Smith, top left, Qasim Naqvi, Andrew Cyrille. Photo: Red Hook

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Alina Bzhezhinska and HipHarpCollective, Reflections, BBE Music ***

Looking ahead to some priority listening this autumn in a continuing series of articles - and look new from London based Ukrainian-Polish harpist Alina Bzhezhinska to find how striking the tonality on Dorothy Ashby's Soul Vibrations lands so …

Published: 18 Aug 2022. Updated: 19 months.

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Looking ahead to some priority listening this autumn in a continuing series of articles - and look new from London based Ukrainian-Polish harpist Alina Bzhezhinska to find how striking the tonality on Dorothy Ashby's Soul Vibrations lands so accessibly in the album arrangement.

Cohering meaningfully with an ensemble who rise to the occasion the album personnel includes saxophonist Tony Kofi on Joe Henderson's sprawling 'Fire' from 1974 Milestone album The Elements feat. Alice Coltrane, Ellington's 'African Flower and John Coltrane's classic protest work 'Alabama.'

Trumpeter Jay Phelps is a strong presence and highly effective on 'For Carrol' while singer Vimala Rowe solos on Mongo Santamaria classic 'Afro Blue'. Double bassist Julie Walkington and violinist/violist Ying Xue also notably figure among the personnel.

Recorded in December 2020 at the Fish Factory studio in London Bzhezhinska originals include 'Paris Sur La Toit', 'For Carrol' and the title track.

Not at all edgy but certainly a well put together celestial collection that will draw many to the spiritual jazz harp centred sound made popular in recent years by a phalanx of go-ahead new generation players inspired by Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby who in addition to Bzhezhinska include Brandee Younger recently at Ronnie's and Tori Handsley - Reflections is out on 23 September.

Alina Bzhezhinska, top, publicity shot, plays the B: Music Jazz Festival later this month. Read more