Hello! How Are You?
Caity Gyorgy and her trio
Independent (caitygyorgy.com)

With Hello! How Are You? Caity Gyorgy continues on her path toward world domination of the vocal jazz scene. Jokes aside, since embarking on her career a few short years ago, the singer and songwriter has released two EPs and three albums – two of which have won JUNO awards – and completed a Master’s degree, all before turning 26. With her fourth album Gyorgy not only gives us her trademark brilliant vocals, but her songwriting just keeps getting stronger, too. All but three of the tracks were written by her, in the style of the Great American Songbook, yet they sound very fresh, as Gyorgy combines sophisticated lyrics with interesting musicality.

The album launches with the hard-swinging title track, showcasing Gyorgy’s scatting skills alongside her super tight trio of Anthony D’Alessandro on piano, Thomas Hainbuch on upright bass and Jacob Wutzke on drums. Standout tracks for me are Just My Luck, a slightly melancholy and totally gorgeous piece of writing and music-making, driven by sparse yet compelling rhythm section work. The sharp wit of Letter From the Office Of is a nice contrast. Being a sucker for a heartbreaking ballad, I’ll be listening to Familiar Face on repeat for the next while. I also really liked the rhythmic take on Rodgers and Hart’s It Never Entered My Mind, which manages to make the song’s already poignant lament even deeper.

With this accomplished album I predict yet more accolades in Gyorgy’s future. “Hello Grammy committee! How are you?”

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Pita Parka Pt. 1: Xam Egdub
Dun-Dun Band
Ansible Editions 007 (kunudusuvuntu.bandcamp.com/album/pita-parka-pt-i-xam-egdub)

When the music, instrumental credits (i.e. Craig Dunsmuir on single line electric guitar and P___r P____r, Colin Fisher on the “Hahahacksaw” Jim Duggan, Mike Smith handling keyboard transcombobulations), themes and textures defy categorization, why bother trying to categorize them? Pita Parka, Pt.1: Xan Egdub is the latest from Dun-Dun Band, which is an incredible improvised music project that has yielded truly unique odysseys across the sonic spectrum. As a ten-piece outfit sporting an impressive lineup of perpetual experimenters on their respective instruments, it is astounding to witness the places they go throughout this album, and perhaps even more inspiring to experience long stretches of restraint. 

Leader Dunsmuir’s influences include elements of minimalism and post rock, which is manifest in the strong devotion to repetition and atmospheric build throughout these compositions. No.1 in particular has hypnotic qualities to it, with the cyclical nature of its primary sequences continuously hooking and holding the listener in a trance, daring their ears to become lost in minute detail rather than any overt changes to each steadfast rhythmic pattern. Throughout, there is a tangible sense of interconnectedness and deep listening between musicians, primarily evident in magical instances where a sound or idea crawls to the forefront, and the rest of the ensemble immediately uplifts it on a whim. Why bother trying to categorize all this? Mileage may vary, but one thing is for certain: however you try, categorizations won’t stick.

Live in Vancouver
Ryan Oliver Quartet
(ryanoliverquartet.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-vancouver)

Toronto saxophonist extraordinaire Ryan Oliver’s sizzling new release takes us on a journey back in time to the 60s and the world of jazz at the time. The record is full of Oliver’s unique and catchy takes on classic tunes, such as John Coltrane’s Equinox and the American traditional folk song The Wayfaring Stranger, covered by many famous artists such as Johnny Cash and Burl Ives. Elevating the tunes to new heights is a group of star-studded musicians, some of Canada’s best: Brian Dickinson on piano, Neil Swainson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. Oliver has this to say about the idea for this record: “I wanted to showcase compositions from the jazz lexicon associated with some of my influences while also adding in original music and new takes on existing repertoire.”

A notable aspect of this album is that it is recorded live, from a two-night stint that Oliver and company had at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver a year ago. Live records always have a certain magical quality to them, the raw emotions portrayed in the songs and the musicians’ talents, personalities and styles of playing come to the forefront, there’s less of a “polished” quality to the tunes. Take The Wayfaring Stranger for example, where the loneliness and ruggedness of the journey through life is expressed and heard directly through Oliver’s wailing saxophone melody. For an immersive musical experience, check out this album.

Spirit Stronger than Blood
Frank London; The Elders
ESP Disk 5099 CD (espdisk.com)

While much music is a celebration of life and birth, a subcategory exists dealing with death and dying. However, few creations approach eventual demise with the same combination of remembrance and defiance as this disc by New York trumpeter Frank London’s quartet. Recently diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare and fatal blood cancer, London’s compositions celebrate other artists who have died from cancer. Aiding him are veteran improvisers, New Yorkers drummer Newman Taylor Baker and bassist Hilliard Greene, Toronto pianist Marilyn Lerner, and on four of the six selections, the trumpeter’s long-time associate and now ordained rabbi, tenor saxophonist Greg Wall.

Despite the topic the tracks are anything but downers, instead they usually move with relaxed bounces or swaying swing. They also inhabit the juncture where freylekhs meet funk, with the instrumental language and rhythms often as much Latin as Ladino. Sound tapestries include cymbal sizzles, thick string pulses, chiming keyboard patterns and reed bites and squeezes. As well, when not playing in unison with Lerner or Wall, London’s tone is much closer to Garbriel than the graveyard. He tongues triplets, projects half-valve and bent notes with davening intensity and moves from meditative respiration to guttural growls that push The Elders into sounding like a Judaic Jazz Messengers.

A common medical-philosophical theory is that dying is just another stage in a person’s life, where acceptance eventually overcomes grief. Add audacity and London’s band aptly demonstrates those concepts on this CD.

Meandering Demons
Peter Van Huffel’s Callisto
Clean Feed CF 667 CD (cleanfeedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/meandering-demons)

With tandem harmonies comparable to those of the classic Gerry Mulligan quartet, baritone saxophonist Peter Van Huffel from Kingston, ON and Toronto trumpeter Lina Allemano do more than put a contemporary spin on these seven Berlin-recorded tracks. Their polyphonic counterpoint includes spiky and smeared timbres, fragmented and stretched by the electronics used by Van Huffel and pianist Antonis Anissegos, yet with the expositions steadied by drummer Joe Hertenstein’s concentrated rumbles.

Alongside horizontal narratives, massive space remains for all four to personalize the expositions with raging triplets and half-valve growls from Allemando, bitten-off snarls, thickened overblowing and basement slurs from Van Huffel and just enough keyboard clips, stops and voltage-altered textures to overcome the expected. On Ravenous Hound for instance a concluding lockstep horn march is emphasized only after an impressive display of drum patterning and key clicks. With Interdimensional Planet Hopper the jokey veracity of the title is established as multidirectional tempos and pitches billow. Electronics expand and contract motifs created by raunchy reed vamps, strained brass bugling, celeste-resembling tapping from Anissegos and Hertenstein’s thickened ruffs and ratchets until all return to earth with a four-part unison finale.

Although throughout quartet members can create raunchy narratives seemingly without stopping for breath, thematic control is always evident. While some sounds expressed suggest the fun pinpointed in the disc’s concluding track title – Barrel of Monkeys – it’s clear that these musical devils can also meander into the music of angels.

Jaya
Raagaverse
Rhea Records (raagaverse.bandcamp.com/album/jaya)

I have the pleasure of reviewing two albums from Canada’s West Coast this month, and it’s always a treat as a Toronto-based writer to explore the musical happenings elsewhere in the country. Jaya is an exciting debut album from Vancouver collective Raagaverse, led by its vocalist Shruti Ramani. Admittedly Ramani was the member of the group I was least familiar with prior to exploring this recording, but her reputation precedes her in contemporary musical circles nation-wide. 

Jaya’s album design alludes to the Indian origins of its contents, eschewing the often-drab layouts and artwork that enclose many Canadian jazz discs. Rhea Records features artists from the jazz/improvised music realm, and while Raagaverse’s core quartet instrumentation might be right at home performing originals and standards, this album uniquely evades categorization. 

Pianist Noah Franche-Nolan and drummer Nick Bracewell have recently become common names in Vancouver’s creative music scene, and they bring both youthful energy and mature restraint to their playing in Raagaverse. Jodi Proznick is a coveted bassist locally and internationally who shines throughout this album, notably with an energetic solo on Parindey. Ramani’s use of Indian syllables when improvising was of particular interest to me, offering a unique approach compared to wordless vocalising. 

There was an “Indo-Jazz” trend some years ago that led to interesting music at its best, and some strange appropriation when less successful. Raagaverse manages to enter this domain in the most organic and exciting way possible, while simultaneously existing in a realm of its own divorced from labelling. If you’re a fan of jazz, Indian music, contemporary improvisation or all of the above, I highly recommend Jaya. And even if you’re not inclined in any of those directions, I expect you’ll still find a favourite track or two.

Kyiv Soul
Nastasia Y
Lula World Records (nastasiay.com)

Innovative vocalist/keyboardist/creator Nastasia Y has just released a dynamic and thought-provoking recording which has been informed by her remarkable journey… growing up in Kyiv while being surrounded by her late activist father’s folk songs, to eventually joining the global indie jazz coterie of Toronto’s explosive world music/independent music scene. Nastasia’s potent material is really a fusion of folk songs, or as Nastasia says “Ukrainian Blues,” with a liberal dash of jazz and funk. On this unique project, she has assembled a gifted complement, while celebrating the proud legacy of resistance and Ukrainian patriotism of her late, heroic father, Kost’ Yerofeyev. The recording also explores the depths of Slavic ancestral magic and the incredible fortitude and bravery of the Ukrainian resistance, as well as the nature of war and the nature of love. 

The repertoire here has all been composed/adapted by Nastasia, including Salgir River, a traditional Crimean song of the nearly obliterated Tatar people, re-imagined with ancient, powerful and stirring vocals and face-melting contiguous guitar/synth lines. A true stand-out is Kupalo, a contemporary twist on the mystical Ukrainian summer solstice celebration and a fine guitar solo by KC Roberts is the icing on the pagan cake!! 

Also superb is the Carpathian ballad, Pod Oblachkom, which dives deep into the nature of infatuation. Nastasia’s crystalline, pitch pure soprano inveigles the listener into the magical, mysterious depths of passion. And the incendiary closer, Bez Vas, is a contemporary Ukrainian power ballad, not only embracing President Zelenskyy’s vision, but musically highlighting the eternal cultural identity of Ukrainians and of their sovereign nation.

Recuerdo
Amanda Martinez
Independent (amandamartinez.ca)

With the release of her fifth recording, dynamic Latina vocalist/composer Amanda Martinez has presented a programme of original compositions and collaborations that is rife with ideas, instrumental skill and deft arrangements,all embraced by her sumptuous vocals. Martinez has also assembled a stellar complement here, comprised of fine musicians and composers, including trumpeter Alexander Brown; Osvaldo Rodriguez on violin and piano; producer Kevin Laliberte on guitar, keyboards, drum and bass programming; co-producer Drew Birston on acoustic and electric bass, ukelele, accordion and piano and Rosendo “Chendy” Leon on drums, percussion and back-up vocals. Additional featured vocalists include Aviva Chernick, Donne Roberts and guitarist Waleed Abdulhamid.

Every track here is an inspired work of art, but must-listens include the stunning title song, Recuerdo (I Remember), which was written by Martinez and Laliberte in honour of her late father – a fearless man, filled with optimism and a zest for life and music. No te vayas (Don’t Go) was penned by Martinez, Chernick and Birston and brilliantly interweaves Hebrew and Spanish lyrics in this sumptuous ballad about the complex emotions of having to say the final good-bye to our ailing, much adored fathers.

Of special beauty is Sol de ayer (Martinez/Rosales), which features Birston on accordion and Laliberte on luminous guitar. The moving closer, Nostalgia, presents Martinez at her most evocative, while the magic of Laliberte’s guitar supports and embraces her gorgeous vocal interpretation of this deeply emotional exploration of love and loss.

Island Hopping
Gabriel Evan Orchestra
Independent n/a (gabrielevanorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/island-hopping)

This is New York saxophonist Gabriel Evan’s third album and continues his investigation of delightfully retro genres from the context of Caribbean jazz. When I first heard Island Hopping it brought to mind Earl Bostic, the American alto sax player who played a combination of jazz, swing and jump blues from the 30s to the 60s. Evan’s primary instrument is soprano saxophone and his “orchestra” has Charlie Halloran on trombone, Josh Dunn (guitar), Kris Tokarski (piano) Pete Olynciw (upright bass) and Jafet Perez (drums and percussion). All the tunes are lively and delightful and many date from the 30s (such as Carmencita, a classic Lionel Belasco waltz) while two are Evan’s originals. In the latter group, Boychick Calypso is a playful shuffle full of sophisticated energy and delightfully melodic solos while Habana Hammock is gently relaxing as its name suggests. Island Hopping’s upbeat swing is infectious throughout and you cannot help but smile from beginning to end.

Cuckoo
Lemon Bucket Orkestra
(lemonbucket.com)

There is so, so much exciting world music performance energy in Toronto-based Lemon Bucket Orkestra’s fourth release. Together for 14 years, their ensemble playing has paid off again, as they cleverly combine powerful Ukrainian folk polyphony, driving Balkan rhythms, Klezmer and such modern Western music elements like punk to create their sound.  

The 11 tracks feature LBO’s modern arrangements of traditional folk music and original compositions. Opening track arrangement of Shchedryj Vechor, a traditional Ukrainian folk song, opens with bright singing and accented ends of phrases. Drum crashes and horn held notes and a short horn solo leads back to opening repeated singing. Title track Cuckoo draws on two Ukrainian folk songs, with whispered speaking female vocals. Energy galore comes from violin against background repeated horns, background screaming/talking, back to fully orchestrated sung melody. Unexpected clapping to repeated horn solo and quieter vocal quasi screaming. Big crash ending with screaming backdrop. Two tracks – original Mik Mik and traditional Ukrainian Da Ishly Divky – showcase special “feature” Macedonian master trumpeter/arranger Nizo Alimov from Kočani Orkestar. Petrunino combines traditional Bulgarian folk and Irish jigs and it is astounding how well these two culture’s music combines. Fun violin combines Irish, a bit of jazz, Bulgarian folk for a completely new musical genre.

Lemon Bucket Orkestra is pushing the boundaries of traditional world folk music to great success, giving it a new sonic future while still respecting the original song. From intense, loud sounds to groundbreaking genre arrangements to free sections, it is party time!

Lullabies After Storms and Floods
Parade
Elastic Recordings ER013 (paradetoronto.bandcamp.com)

Their press release states that Parade “is an experimental pop-rock trio based out of Toronto, Ontario featuring Stefan Hegerat (drums, compositions), Chris Pruden (synthesizers) and Laura Swankey (vocals, electronics)” who draw on “their diverse backgrounds in jazz, classical and electronic music” to combine “improvisation and composition to create unique and immersive sonic landscapes.” Their latest album Lullabies After Storms and Floods demonstrates an eclectic and exciting mix of slightly dissonant melodies, electronic sounds which invade and regress, sweeps of drums and precise but almost emotionless vocals. 

The Bridge begins quietly with a soft vocal (”What moved her to cross the bridge that night….”) and builds into a more epic rock piece with some swirling drums, before returning to the opening mood. The Basin begins with a “marimba” repeating a minimalist pattern for over two minutes before it abruptly shifts to a standard rock beat with Swankey singing “In the basin, where tender thoughts coalesce… trapped in stillness, my heart is on ice…”. The vocals are eventually replaced by the recurring minimalist rhythm but with different instrumentation. Other pieces contain jazz influenced sections (the opening to Frozen Portrait deliciously evokes a late-night jazz singer and the piano work is subtle and warm). The mixture of vocals (with vibratoless and slightly dissonant melodies) and changing moods and genres, make Parade an intriguing and fascinating band and this album succeeds in producing many “immersive sonic landscapes.”

Listen to 'Lullabies After Storms and Floods' Now in the Listening Room

Towards the Light
Les Arrivants
Independent (lesarrivants.com)

This is the second release from acclaimed Montreal-based instrumental ensemble Les Arrivants. Musicians Amichai Ben Shalev (bandoneon), Abdul-Wahab Kayyali (oud) and Hamin Honari (percussion) each moved independently to Montreal during COVID, where they met and started making music together. Their 2022 first release Home resounded with their personal, resettlement and expertise of styles like tangos, classical Arabic music, traditional Persian rhythms, contemporary and improvised music. Here their development artistically expands in inspirational sounds.

Each musician is also a composer, arranger and improvisor. Phoenix Landing is Les Arrivants’ “short but sweet” conversational improvisation featuring bandoneon swells/lines, oud runs and drum rhythms. The title track is a group improvisation with guest Didem Basar (ganoun) that has touches of atonal melodies, strums, faster lines leading back to tonal short uplifting melodies. Each instrumentalist is equally memorable.

The opening track City of Ashes is composed by Honari. A Held note begins the piece moves to faster, rhythmic, dance along, happy tune touching on different styles; colourful instrumental answering back and forth, accented chords and held note swells illuminate the unique sound. Shalev’s composition Bagelissimo (Miles End Tango) has original yet traditional-based tango bandoneon, drumming bangs keeping it together along with guests Reza Abaee (ghaychak) and Pierre-Alexander Maranda (double bass). Kayyali’s Hayrah (Confusion) opens with a sad oud melody above bandoneon held notes/vibratos, then faster happier two instrumental leads with emotional cymbal splashes. Guest composer/arranger/bass clarinetist Charles Papsoff is featured on Apatride.

Les Arrivants mesh countless stylistic musical sounds together in perfect performances.

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Air Cake and other summery occupations
Catherine Cary
Orchard of Pomegranates (catharinecary.bandcamp.com/album/air-cake-and-other-summery-occupations)

France-based American Catherine Cary has had many careers including economist, visual artist, story writer, improviser and performer. During COVID she would phone her nephew and improvise quirky children’s stories. Orchard producer Ayelet Rose Gottlieb suggested adding music to them. Here Cary energetically tells/improvises/sings nine of her children’s stories for all ages about three young children – Leila, Grecian and Manu – on an adventurous French beach summer vacation. Playful, spontaneous, tight, free improvised music by Montrealers Eric Lewis (cornet, bass clarinet, percussion) and Eyvin Bamford (drums, percussion) complement the stories.  

Daisy Day opens with drums, then matching percussive rhythms to energetic speaking from loud to almost whisper. Loud speedy cornet during the going home segment softens to high note at home ending. Lazy Day is their tired day after collecting daisies. Cornet held note and intervals interspersed with more dynamic spoken words build to closing softer “you are just quiet” with distant drum roll ending. Climbing the Rhune features rock drumming and rhythmic spoken words, with a few almost sung, about the three going out for walk to incredibly tired back home hilarious loud boom crash ending. Contemplative Air Cake has wind sounds, pitched clarinet and drums backdrop to “I want to make cake but there is nothing in the house, nobody went shopping. It is all air.” High pitched atonal sounds and drums build and get softer to the final closing cymbal hit.

Be prepared to be “blown away” by this unbelievable, funny, one-of-its-kind release. Multiple listenings increase the joy! 

Mountain Air
Harry Bartlett
(harrybartlett.bandcamp.com)

Canadian guitarist and composer Harry Bartlett grew up in the Pacific northwest, studied jazz guitar at the University of Toronto and currently lives in Nashville. I reviewed his superb album Wildwood when it was released in 2023. Streaming and digital releases have become commonplace so releasing an “album” no longer means the standard 30 to 40 minutes of music. This increased flexibility allowed Bartlett to spend an afternoon in Toronto playing and recording the contemplative and exquisite Mountain Air with Aline Homzy (violin) and Andrew Downing (upright bass). All three pieces are original compositions and are presented with a delicacy combining classical, string band and jazz elements. Trail Song has elegant solos from all three players and the music is both percussive, up-tempo and expressive. A Sun Beneath the Clouds is slower and more sombre, and Eagle River seems to be the most folk influenced of the three. Mountain Air works well as an EP-length contained suite; Bartlett’s compositions exquisitely balance the guitar, violin and bass and all three players contribute their subtle performances. I’m happy Bartlett did not wait to release Mountain Air as part of a larger project.

Chasing the Sun
Colin James
Stony Plain SPCD1499 (stonyplainrecords.com/colinjames)

This is exciting music by renowned Canadian blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Colin James in this, his 21st release. Many famous guests also perform and compose here with James in seven blues/rock originals and four covers. 

Opening Protection grabs one’s attention as James (electric guitar, vocals) Colin Linden (electric guitar), Darryl Jones (bass) and Charlie Drayton (drums) perform energetic grooves, and James is joined by legendary singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams who co-wrote the tune. A contrasting quieter vocal verse leads to a loud chorus with backup singers Ann and Regina McCreary, instrumentals, guitar solos and James’ wailing vocals to upbeat ending. Instrumental Devilment, composed by Linden and Paul Reddick, starts with repeated descending guitar lines and drums. An elaborate harmonica solo by guest Charlie Musselwhite follows and gradually becomes syncopated bluesy swing and morphing into classic closing bass line and final drum crash. 

In My Own Dream by Paul Butterfield is a trio with James and Linden on guitars and Janice Powers on keyboards. This song has slower close ensemble playing with James singing, guitar flourishes and reflective feel. Closing track Open Your Mind by James and Tom Wilson is a group performance with James’ clear vocals and words, interest boosting Drayton drums, straightforward James and Linden guitars and Jones bass instrumentals, and McCreary backup vocals. Colourful performance to gradual decrescendo softer ending and fade to James’ closing words. 

James’ amazing musicianship keeps developing new blues sounds and Chasing the Sun is fun, energetic blues-to-rock music.