Rose-Anna
Noah Franche-Nolan
Cellar Music CM111425 (noahfranche-nolan.bandcamp.com/album/rose-anna)

In the age of short form content and an ever-fragmenting media environment, the art of structuring a full-length album can be creatively elusive. One could argue it’s less of a priority, with listeners consuming smaller chunks in one sitting, but Rose-Anna is a great example of turning 11 unique tracks into a singular entity. Pianist Noah Franche-Nolan and his trio present us with a confident and thoughtful second album, and to my ears they have structured it around the thread of three variations on Sublimation. 

This isn’t to gloss over the individual tracks as a long-form suite. Haxan is a beautiful ballad that showcases bassist Jodi Proznick’s assured yet lyrical voice on the instrument. Hawks is a quirky number that manages to be both groovy and ethereal. Drummer Nick Bracewell shines on the latter, showcasing his ability to be interactive and supportive at the same time.  

I’m emphasizing the Sublimation through-line heard in tracks one, seven, and eleven, because this is an album that “grew on me” through repeated listening. Given the personnel, I knew the compositions and performance wouldn’t disappoint, but I found the programming a little chaotic when I first sat down with it. Any apprehensions were put to rest after a second listen, and that in itself should be exciting to curious music fans. 

I recommend checking out Rose-Anna. I’m confident you’ll like what you hear, but should any questions remain unanswered, hit “play” a second time.

What If?
Joel Miller; Silvio Pupo; Resonance New Music
Leaf Music Distribution  (joelmillermusic.bandcamp.com/album/what-if-2)

Fredericton-based saxophonist Joel Miller’s What If is an inquisitive, finely textured recording that thrives on subtle risk-taking. Rather than leaning into overt virtuosity, Miller shapes a listening experience grounded in interplay, restraint and tonal nuance in conjunction with the Resonance New Music ensemble and pianist Silvio Pupo. 

From the opening moments, the album establishes a contemplative atmosphere. Miller’s saxophone lines feel conversational, often unfolding in arcs that invite the listener to lean in. The supporting ensemble plays a crucial role here, responding with sensitivity and precision. Piano, bass and percussion weave around the melodies with an almost telepathic awareness, creating a sense of cohesion that never feels rigid. 

The tasteful blend of jazz and classical genres is what truly draws in the listener. The album features original compositions as well as several reimagined classical works. Compositionally, What If explores the space between structure and improvisation. Themes emerge clearly but are never overexplained; instead, they dissolve and reform, allowing each track to evolve organically. This fluidity gives the album a sense of forward motion, even in its quietest passages. What stands out most is Miller’s attention to detail. Small shifts in dynamics, phrasing and texture carry emotional weight, rewarding careful listening. There’s an intellectual dimension to the music, but it never overshadows its warmth.

Ultimately, the album is less about answering questions than embracing possibility. It’s a record that trusts its audience, offering depth without demanding it and leaving a lasting impression through its understated confidence. It lingers, inviting repeat listens and deeper reflection each time.

Nick Fraser – Areas
Nick Fraser; Tony Malaby; Kris Davis; John Kameel Farah
Elastic Recordings ER 026 (nickfraserthedrummer.bandcamp.com/album/areas-2)

Expressing both his improvising and compositional prowess, veteran Toronto percussionist Nick Fraser ingeniously operates in two areas here. Three brief tracks find him inserting textures from drums and the so-called piano harp into soundscapes created by the processed electronics of local John Kameel Farah. Lengthier, the remaining four tracks highlight the simpatico interaction between Fraser’s drum patterns and the distinctive narratives of American tenor/soprano saxophonist Tony Malaby and New York-Canadian expat, pianist Kris Davis. 

Scene setting bagatelles, the Fraser-Farah tracks mostly outline how quickly and with what invention the drummer responds to the textural manipulator’s sometimes otherworldly sounding flanges, purrs and echoes. Meantime the key takeaway from the trio selections is how strikingly strategic drum patterns blend with and amplify the others’ input. This involves Davis’ playing which encompasses pedal pressure and individual keyboard extensions and Malaby’s reed elaboration which often emphasizes looming split tones and vibrated shrieks rather than horizontal expositions. 

Sketch 57 is the most telling instance of this. Solidifying piano soundboard echoes and the saxophonist’s measured honks are perfectly timed drum slaps. With this backing Davis creates a distinctive linear theme that is further solidified by mellow reed work and the drummer’s woody stick pops.

An ancient Doublemint gum TV commercial used to tell the audiences to “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun” with its product. Similarly, Fraser replicates that dual promise musically by expressing his carefully honed skills in two distinct and distinguished areas.

In Search of…
Virginia MacDonald
Cellar Music CMF020124 (virginiamacdonald.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of)

While jazz remains a niche artform in broader pop culture, it’s saturated enough to be tough for emerging artists to “break through.” Publicity and social media can help, but it is even rarer to do this organically like Virginia MacDonald is doing. In Search Of is the clarinetist’s highly anticipated debut album, and it’s a captivating listen whether you’re familiar with her work or not. 

Newcomers to MacDonald’s music can expect a playful yet assertive approach to both melodies and improvising. A bevy of historical and modern influences are present, including aesthetics shared with her father, saxophonist Kirk MacDonald. Her musical voice is heavily inspired by other instruments, and the way she applies this to her clarinet playing requires ample technique. 

In Search Of offers listeners eight tracks, six of which are originals by MacDonald. The liner notes, penned by veteran trombonist Michael Dease, mention Last Call at Dimitri’s as MacDonald’s first composition. Her writing is intriguing and intricate, feeling deliberate and inevitable without boxing in her bandmates musically. 

MacDonald is joined by pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist Ira Coleman, and drummer Curtis Nowosad for the majority of the album, with Laura Anglade contributing vocals to two tracks. Anglade’s voice is utilized in a melodic capacity, creating interesting timbres with the clarinet. MacDonald’s personnel choices reflect her grounded yet contemporary style, as do the album’s two “cover” tracks; Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love by Charles Mingus, and Stardust.

Waiting Music
Open Thread
Earshift Music EAR 120 (openthread.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-music)

Open Thread, created in 2023 and continuously productive since then, could be an exemplar for any joint Australian-Canadian government agreement. Consisting of Vancouver drummer Dylan van der Schyf, who teaches part time at Melbourne’s Conservatorium of Music, it includes fellow Conservatorium professor tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson, and has now expanded when joined by the drummer’s partner, cellist Peggy Lee and Aussie guitarist Theo Carbo.

Wilson has worked with everyone from the Australian Art Orchestra to Will Guthrie and younger Carbo with a cross section of down under improvisers. Meanwhile singly or together the Canadians have partnered a swath of international and local players including Jöelle Léandre, John Butcher and Gordon Grdina.

Encompassing atmospheric, jaunty and intense themes composed by all group members, the four are as apt to build an exposition around tough drum smacks, enlarged guitar flanges pieced with sul ponticello cello lines and reed bites as on God’s Little Prefect, and the multi-themed Travelling Home. There wispy sax slurs harmonized with continuous guitar strums and drum paradiddles are reduced to a thinner interface until cadenced reed puffs connect with massed string sweeps for tones both complementary and individual. Pocket Rocket also demonstrates how an introduction made up of cello squeaks and saxophone spetrofluctuation can be superseded by a relaxed duet of guitar picking and drum shuffles.

Metaphorically these group linear narratives are not only fine music but suggest how joint Oz-Canuck deals should proceed in the future.

Black New Moon
Steve Koven; Pedro Orrego
(blacknewmoon.bandcamp.com/album/black-new-moon)

After working together on instrumental film cues, Torontonians Steve Koven and Pedro Orrego agreed to collaborate and create music together. Self-titled Black New Moon is their innovative, improvised/composed 12-track release of eight instrumental and four vocal pieces, linked by their self-described “mode of reflection, openness and quiet yearning.” 

Koven is a jazz pianist, composer, performer, producer and educator. Orrego is a guitarist, director, producer, writer of documentaries, TV series and specials. They improvised then layered/composed, performed (on many instruments), produced and mixed these 11 tracks. Orrego sang and wrote three of the songs. Guest Aron Slipacoff contributes lyrics and vocals on one track. 

Opening Lotus Rising introduces their compassionate music with a slow held note, keyboard lines and chords, and a multitude of atmospheric sounds. Falling Prey has very tonal repeated pop-like passages with clear vocals and sound splashes, with suddenly slower guitar lines, sound washes and percussion beats. Alternating tonal and new music sounds accompany Orrego’s vocals like “I never knew now.” Change of feel in Slipacoff’s Something Mystic with repeated shorter instrumental lines, colourful melodica interludes, and emotional tonal vocals “I’m lost, but I’m optimistic.” 

The title track has slower legato lines, keyboard, guitar, electronic sounds and passionate Orrego vocals. “Traditional” harmonic modulations lead to a reflective instrumental ending. From the Water… has held notes, percussive taps like water dripping, high-pitched keyboard staccato notes and chords, and volume changes.

Innovative compositions and intriguing performances make Black New Moon an unforgettable experience. The recording is dedicated to the late Henk Melles, who created the artwork for the album.

The Sorceress
Audrey Ochoa
Chronograph Records (chronographrecords.com/releases/the-sorceress/)

There are very diverse influences, arrangements and compositional approaches to be found on Edmonton trombonist and composer Audrey Ochoa’s The Sorceress. Sonically, the album runs the gamut from hypnotic beats reminiscent of IDM to breezy infusions of funk and everything in between. The depth of each groove, intricacies of every melody and nuances in the mix make for a uniformly engaging listening experience. Ochoa as soloist and writer acts as a curator of moods, whether it is transporting you to The Green Place or instigating the extrapolation of an entire dynamic between the characters of Petra and Schoobie. Sequencing wise, one track may provide levity, the next may provide clarification and then the next a release of accumulated tension.

The music itself sounds impossibly buttery and smooth without ever being predictable. Feeling is conveyed, but always somewhere along a spectrum rather than one that is easily defined. Organic coalesces into the synthetic, creating something entirely novel, yet never gimmicky. Ochoa’s trombone playing glides effortlessly and freely across whatever foundation is laid down by the graceful rhythm section, colouring in the lines hues of blue and green, much like those that can be found on the album art. 

It is wholly satisfying to observe art where there is palpable intent behind every detail, and yet in the realm of improvised music intent or premeditation is not necessarily the enemy of spontaneity. Above all else, this album could be described as thrilling and adventurous, through channels both pervasive and earnest.

No Goats
Finely Tuned Elephant
Independent (finelytunedelephant.bandcamp.com/album/no-goats)

When looking for ways to describe contemporary jazz fusion releases, “whimsical” is not a word that often comes to mind, but Ottawa’s Finely Tuned Elephant approach their craft with refreshing levels of humour and self-reflexivity. Case in point, are sampled noises from the titular animal in Chunky Monkey coming out of a face-melting solo section. Ensembles not taking themselves too seriously are one thing, but when the degree of musicianship is this high, the broader picture opens up to something truly wonderful. The ingredients are the aforementioned tongue-in-cheek aspect, bass, drums, keys and guitar playing together with pinpoint precision, all with a penchant for wild experimentation thrown in. 

At 48 minutes the album has an addictive quality to it, being that rare combination of accessible and categorization-defying. The title track finishes off proceedings in a deliriously moshable foray through about a dozen complementary groove switches, physics-defying ostinatos and countless cues from subgenres under the progressive umbrella. It shreds at its quietest and entrances at its most brash. In general, the album seems self-aware of how dangerously it dances on the razor’s edge between intrigue and smooth jazz muzak, because every time there’s any sort of let up, new contrasting flavors are thrown into the stew. In squaring the circle of the Finely Tuned Elephant experience, one can obsessively count along or simply enjoy the ride – there’s truly something here for anyone.

In the Wonder of the Night
Angela Verbrugge
Independent DEX101025 (angelaverbrugge.com/in-the-wonder-of-the-night)

Luminous chanteuse, lyricist, composer and producer, Victoria-based Angela Verbrugge has already created quite a stir with the success and international touring in support of her three previous recordings. For the release of her fourth studio release, she presents an inspired, deeply moving duo album with noted New York City based pianist, Ray Gallon. This new project carries the mystical theme of the enchantment of the wee, small hours and the inevitable enhancement of the mystical/intuitive nature of our collective unconscious and shows us how music can be the key to entering that sacred, night-time zone. The recording features five of Verbrugge’s original compositions, as well as beloved standards from iconic tunesmiths Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jimmy Van Heusen and more.

Verbrugge has a crystalline pure and inveigling voice (in the cool 50s style of Joanie Summers or Chris Conner) which lends itself perfectly to the luscious and tasteful piano duets presented here. Verbrugge is an artist who respects melody – not some overheated diva who pumps mindless “originals” into the music-sphere that lack interesting chord progressions, a bridge or a complex lyric.

Of the 11 gems here, of special note is Verbrugge’s Paradise Defined – a clever and ironic lyric with a delicious melody, reminiscent of the great Fran Landesman. Gallon’s solo here is delightfully sparse and rhythmic, celebrating each nuance of the melodic line. Also, I’m 99% Sure of You (her collaboration with multiple JUNO winner Caity Gyorgy) is a tasty confection of a zesty swing interwoven with an ironic and contemporary lyric. Also of note is the inspired medley of Burke and Van Heusen’s Moonlight Becomes You, with Verbrugge and Gyorgy’s title track In the Wonder of the Night. It’s a sheer, jazzy delight.

Mysticism for Intellectuals
John Sweenie; Jean-Michel Pilc; Rémi-Jean Leblanc; Richard Irwin
Independent (johnsweenie.bandcamp.com/album/mysticism-for-intellectuals-2)

Objectively speaking, kicking off your album with an elegy for the oft-misunderstood primary antagonist of Blade Runner (1982) is a badass move. Even more so, if said tribute sounds like a footloose pride of ravenous lions escaping the zoo. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, threehundredfortythreesecondsofimprovisation actually clocks in at 344 seconds of active playing and four additional seconds of silence (which is undoubtedly part of the improvisation), and those involved are doubtlessly aware of that fact. This is just the kind of stuff John Sweenie’s latest album is made of: mirages, misdirections and subversions at every turn. Remi-Jean Leblanc’s bass tone might sound like a vast container at one moment and a puddle the next. Richard Irwin’s percussive contributions might come down to the softest whisper, or only have a lingering hallucinatory legacy within the atmosphere. Jean-Michel Pilc might genuinely be two people sitting behind that piano. And saxophonist Sweenie constantly keeps the more inquisitive listener guessing at where what is written ends and where serendipity begins – or if one circle does not devour the other. 

Even the album name could be taken as slightly oxymoronic by some, although the bottomless palate of sounds therewithin constantly serves to rebut that notion. Tempo is only relative, and it can be converted into moldable jelly. Dead space, dead silence gives life, time and time again. There is melodicism pigmenting every minute, especially within the atonalities.

Listen to 'Mysticism for Intellectuals' Now in the Listening Room

Bria Skonberg – Brass
Bria Skonberg; Luther Allison; Eric Wheeler; Darrian Douglas; Kellin Hanas
Cellar Music CMF100225 (briaskonberg.bandcamp.com/album/brass)

Gifted, imaginative and distinctive Canadian trumpeter/composer Bria Skonberg here presents an offering that is not only a tribute to the sheer beauty of the trumpet, but a statement of taste and possibilities in both repertoire and instrumentation. Recorded in NYC and produced by jazz recording icon, Matt Pierson and Skonberg, this new project is comprised of ten compelling tracks, including not only original material but clever, genre blending selections from such diverse composers such as Jelly Roll Morton, Harold Arlen, James Horner, Frank Loesser, Bob Dorough and Cole Porter. Pierson and Skonberg have also assembled a fine musical coterie featuring Luther Allison on piano and B3, Eric Wheeler on bass, Darrian Douglas on drums and percussion and guest trumpeter Kellin Hanas.

The recording opens with a Skonberg original, the Latin-inspired Markham Sunrise. Skonberg’s intonation, breath control and soloing are superb, as are the solos of Allison and the dynamic percussion work of Douglas. Next up is New Orleans Bump, where Skonberg displays her versatility with a down and dirty, Cajun-inspired crawl, and on Arlen’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea one can’t help but feel the stylistic influence of seminal trumpeters Miles Davis, Clark Terry and Clifford Brown.

Other standouts on this gorgeous, well-crafted album include Skonberg’s delightful composition, So it Goes. Skonberg’s performance on this track is breathtaking; her soloing, improvisational ideas, consummate tone and emotional connection are off the hook. Again, Allison delights with his crisp, original ideas and technical skill. Of special note is Skonberg’s take on Horner’s Somewhere Out There, where her sumptuous, long, lush tones, full of emotional content, move straight to one’s heart. 

Glissement du Temps (Slip of Time)
Jazzlab Orchestra
Effendi FND176 (jazzlaborchestra.bandcamp.com/album/slip-of-time)

The Jazzlab Orchestra, based in Montreal since its 2004 creation, has been exploring “musical writing in many styles supported by stunning composers and musicians.” The works on Slip of Time were written by members of the collective and “three other renowned composers, François Bourassa, Gentiane MG, and Pierre de Bethmann.” 

The collaboration between group members and the guest composers is fruitful and varied. For example, Murs de verre (glass walls) by Gentiane MG features some of her distinctly introspective piano parts between the ensemble and solo sections. Night Bus, by saxophone player Claire Devlin, describes a ride through Montreal on a “bus that never sleeps.” This piece combines lugubrious sections where we imagine passengers rocking in their seats, close to sleep, with wilder and more cacophonous parts that suggest vibrant and frenetic street scenes. de Bethmann’s EMT begins with an infectious rhythm section groove and then expands into some sophisticated harmonies for the whole band. 

The word “collective” excellently describes the Jazzlab Orchestra’s originality and diversity, and Slip of Time presents a solid album where, as the liner notes state, “there is no predictability or banality.”

The Lively Air
Aubrey Johnson
Greenleaf Music (greenleafmusic.com/artists/aubrey-johnson/the-lively-air)

The Lively Air is an exciting second album from vocalist and composer Aubrey Johnson. The arrangements and compositions are described as “Johnson’s return to composing after years of writer’s block” and within mere seconds of listening it’s obvious that some things are worth waiting for. 

Johnson is joined by a stellar cast of musicians, including Alex LoRe on woodwinds, Chris McCarthy on piano and Fender Rhodes, Matt Aronoff on bass, and drummer Jay Sawyer. Violinist Tomoko Omura fits into the mix brilliantly, sounding equally grounded playing ensemble parts and improvised solos. The group floats smoothly between “chamber” moments, and aesthetics more commonly associated with a jazz group. 

This multitude of complementary aesthetics may very well be the unifying theme of The Lively Air. Vocally, Johnson strikes an effortlessly effective balance of folksy lyricism and immaculate horn-like precision. This is reflected in the arrangements as well, with singable (literally and figuratively) melodies soaring above dense contemporary harmonies. Johnson’s late uncle is keyboardist Lyle Mays, who composed Chorinho. This track and the album’s other “covers” fit naturally alongside original pieces. 

The Lively Air is an exhaustive offering. Its runtime is barely shy of an hour, but with so much for a listener to digest, I wondered if it could function as a double album. This is far from a complaint, and if it sounds like one, it’s akin to “my steak is too tender!”

Listen to 'The Lively Air' Now in the Listening Room

Solo Motions
Phil Sargent
Symphonic (philsargent.bandcamp.com/album/solo-motions)

Phil Sargent studied Jazz Performance and Composition at the University of New Hampshire and still resides in that area where he teaches privately and gives clinics at high schools and colleges around New England. He has played, toured and recorded with many different artists “and a variety of other ensembles ranging from straight ahead jazz to the avant-garde.” 

Solo Motions is a gorgeously restrained album containing solo guitar arrangements of standards and one original, Kelita, written for his wife. Sargent’s guitar tone is beautifully mellow while containing enough edge to clearly hear all the lines he plays. The interpretations are full of intriguing contrapuntal lines which take us in delightful directions and away from the more common “chord melody” style of solo jazz guitar. 

The Way You Look Tonight is played as a rubato ballad with several journeys into spiraling lines. Billy’s Bounce mixes solid groovy bebop lines with a number of delightfully whimsical meanderings. Bemsha Swing is laid back, and the licks dig deeply enough into the groove that we can almost imagine Monk himself nodding his head to Sargent’s inventive lines.

Saturday’s Child
Jon Irabagon; Dan Oestreicher
Irabaggast Records 033 (jonirabagon.bandcamp.com/album/saturdays-child)

Decades ago, when I was studying saxophone, the baritone member of the family was generally the lowest you would hear although it was a good trivia question to know that Les Brown’s jazz band had a bass saxophone playing the distinctive opening to Leap Frog. In our current era it is becoming more common to hear the bass saxophone in contemporary jazz and improvised music, and even the contrabass has become more well known. 

It is still a bit unusual that Saturday’s Child presents two bass saxophones, played by Jon Irabagon and Dan Oestreicher, recorded live at the Instigation Festival in Chicago. Apparently these two musicians had not met before taking the stage for these improvisations. The liner notes describe the duo’s music as “freewheeling” and “in, out, groovy, outer space, sounds, melodies, effects, harmonies, it’s all there.” I believe that describing this “happening” or “bass saxophone meetup” in more detail merely detracts from the bonkers spontaneity this album presents. 

Irabagon and Oestreicher navigate through a variety of sounds: some contrapuntal, some experimental and most extremely rhythmic and it is clear they are always listening and responding to the other player. I especially loved Daycare Infantry which brought to my mind a vision of storm troopers comically trying to remain steadily marching while stepping around a pandemonium of unruly toddlers! And Sugar Rush presents an escalating rhythmic intensity which completely lives up to its name.