Jazz September 2022

What should you expect from jazz this month?

Welcome to our September 2022 selection of albums that have already been released or will soon be released this month (“What to Wait For”). These albums got our full attention and are worth your time. They are listed in order of release date.

September 2022 Selection

Jeff Parker, Eric Revis, Nasheet Waits

Eastside Romp
(Rogue Art)

“This music is about a delicious understanding of life, that compels us to constantly rethink, relive, every single thing—to not be afraid of visiting our similar limits, as Marion Brown would so subtly say, and explore them. To lift, and spirit away, sounds and meaning.”
–Alexandre Pierrepont, excerpt from the liner notes

Jeff Parker: guitar; Eric Revis: double bass; Nasheet Waits: drums
Release date September 9, 2022

John McCowen

Models of Duration
(Astral Spirits / Dinzu Artefacts)

Models of Duration is as extreme as it is essential. Read our full review here.

John McCowen: contrabass clarinet, compositions; Randall Dunn: engineer, mixing
Release date September 9, 2022

Peter Brötzmann, Keiji Haino The intellect given birth to here

Peter Brötzmann, Keiji Haino Duo

The intellect given birth to here (eternity) is too young
(Black Editions)

“The first music on record by the iconic free music duo of Peter Brötzmann & Keiji Haino since 1996. Two complete performances recorded in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the summer of 2018. The intellect given birth to here (existence) is too young presents the artists traversing a sprawling range of sound and modalities; achieving a stunning unreplicable alchemy and perhaps the defining work of their decades-long collaboration.”
–Black Editions

Peter Brötzmann: saxophone; Keiji Haino: guitar
Release date September 12, 2022

Terry Lyne Carrington

New Standards Vol. 1
(Candid)

Did you ever felt it was hard to find sheet music by women jazz artists? Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, also the founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, just fixed it with the book she has created “New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers” (Berklee Press).

To celebrate this event, here are 11 songs of her selection released on this “New Standards Vol. 1.” It features a dream quintet with Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Kris Davis on piano, Matthew Stevens on guitar, and Linda May Han Oh on bass, plus quite many impressive guests artists!

Terri Lyne Carrington: drums; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Kris Davis: piano; Matthew Stevens: guitar; Linda May Han Oh: bass
Release date September 16, 2022

Jessica Pavone, Lukas Koenig, Matt Mottel

Spam Likely
(577 Records)

Spam Likely consists of two long tracks: “Binge Listen” (23 minutes), which is viscerally beautiful, and “Spam Likely” (19 minutes), which is uncommonly beautiful. Read the full review: Spam Likely

Jessica Pavone: viola, electronics; Lukas Koenig: drum set; Matt Mottel: Keytar, 3-string guitar
Release date September 16, 2022

Jon Lipscomb

Conscious Without Function
(Relative Pitch Records)

Originally from the USA, Jon Lipscomb is now based in Sweden, Europe. Maybe without noticing, you already stumbled upon his name this year: for example on the credits of Jessica Pavone’s When No One Around You is There but Nowhere to be Found (Relative Pitch Records), or on Brandon Lopez, Ingrid Laubrock, and Tom Rainey’s No Es La Playa (Intakt Records). But besides mixing and mastering, he is a musician “With a heavy emphasis on free improv, noise, and free jazz.”‘

Conscious Without Function is his latest solo release and you should definitely give it a try as it goes through a fascinating maze of textures. And having in mind this is a free improvisation exploring the guitar and its sounds, it somehow still manages to end up being very warm and comfortable.

Jon Lipscomb: guitar
Release date September 16, 2022

The Comet is Coming

Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam
(Impulse! Records)

“The Comet is Coming returns with their second full-length album on Impulse! Records. Shabaka, Danalogue, and Betamax’s newest effort finds the Mercury Prize-nominated trio creating a musical landscape that is equally cerebral as it is physically enthralling. While containing elements of jazz throughout, this release leans further into heavy dance-hall themes, providing hypnotic, electronic soundscapes to dance to while keeping you intellectually stimulated.”
—Decca Records

King Shabaka (Shabaka Hutchings): saxophones; Danalogue (Dan Leavers): keyboards; Betamax (Max Hallett): drums
Release date September 23, 2022

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Makaya McCraven

In These Times
(International Anthem)

Makaya McCraven has already been featured in the Best Jazz 2015 selection with In the Moment, and in the Best Jazz 2018 selection with Universal Beings. Both albums went through a lengthy process of writing, developing, and mixing, thereby resulting in perfect releases that will enchant us for years to come.

In These Times seems to be of the same kind, with an impressive lineup but also a deep personal meaning. The “beat scientist” obviously has a lot more to say. In These Times is coming to us on September 30.

Makaya McCraven: drums, sampler, percussion, tambourine, baby sitar, synths, kalimba, handclaps, vibraphone, Wurlitzer, organ; Junius Paul: double bass, percussion, electric bass guitar, small instruments; Jeff Parker: guitar; Brandee Younger: harp; Joel Ross: vibraphone, marimba; Marta Sofia Honer: viola; Lia Kohl: cello; Macie Stewart, Zara Zaharieva: violin; Greg Ward: alto sax; Irvin Pierce: tenor sax; Marquis Hill: trumpet, flugelhorn; Greg Spero, Rob Clearfield: piano; Matt Gold: guitar, percussion, baby sitar; De’Sean Jones: flute
Release date September 23, 2022

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Keith Jarrett

Bordeaux Concert
(ECM)

Bordeaux Concert is Keith Jarrett’s last solo concert in France. It was part of his 2016 world tour, from which ECM already released Munich 2016 on November 1, 2019, and Budapest Concert on October 30, 2020. Here are all the solo concerts from that period.

The concert was held at the Auditorium de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux on July 6, 2016. Keith Jarrett improvised a 13-part suite that was gracefully reviewed by Francis Marmande ↗ for Le Monde the following day: “Keith Jarrett levitates in Bordeaux: tense, relaxed, unexpected.” (Review in French).

Jarrett was really pleased with the audience and clearly gave it back. Bordeaux Concert is a beautiful release, and the perfect way to complete your collection. If you never listen to Keith Jarrett, then lucky you! You are about to step into something so amazing!

Keith Jarrett: piano
Release date September 30, 2022

Wikipedia ↗

ECM ↗

William Parker

Universal Tonality
(Centering Records)

This one is not a new release. It is an archival recording from a 2002 concert that took place at Roulette in New York City. Yet, Universal Tonality—despite already being 20 years old—offers such creative music that you won’t even notice!

However, some of the contributors are unfortunately no longer with us—and what a lineup it was, featuring Billy Bang, Grachan Moncur III, Jerome Cooper, Dave Burrell, Jin Hi Kim, Joe Morris, Mya Masaoka, Daniel Carter, Jason Kao Hwang, Gerald Cleaver, and more.

“It came together without saying a word. So after this concert, I said, ‘Wow, that’s Universal Tonality–the concept that if we’re all breathing together, we’re singing together.'”
–William Parker

Two hours of six extended pieces will leave you amazed, so pleased, and hopefully feeling in harmony with the entire world around you.

William Parker: bass, dilruba, shakuhachi, donso’ngoni, compositions; Jin Hi Kim: komungo; Miya Masaoka: koto; Billy Bang, Jason Kao Hwang: violin; Joe Morris: guitar; Dave Burrell: piano; Leena Conquest: voice; Steve Swell, Grachan Monchur Ill: trombone; Daniel Carter: reeds, brass; Matt Lavelle: trumpet; Rob Brown: alto sax; Cale Bradley: tenor sax; Jerome Cooper: balafon, chiramía, keys, drums; Roger Blank: balafon; Gerald Cleaver: drums
Release date September 30, 2022

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