Post-Fusion Contemporary

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Post-Fusion Contemporary is a broad umbrella genre that contains several recent trends in jazz. One important branch of Contemporary Jazz (which first appeared in the mid 1970s) is rooted in Northern Europe and is often associated with the ECM label. This is a somber style of jazz often played in straight (non-swing) rhythm with elements of regional folk music and early 20th century classical music. This style is sometimes referred to as ‘chamber jazz’. Some early practitioners include Keith Jarret and Jan Garbarek. Although originally rooted in Europe, today this style is played and enjoyed around the world.

Another branch of the Contemporary sound started in the late 70s when artists such as Jeff Lorber and Pat Methany began to play in a style that mixed fusion with elements of smooth jazz and post bop. This was a somewhat light and radio friendly style of jazz, and a very dominant force until acoustic post/hard bop made a comeback.

Although most early forms of Contemporary Jazz were of a light and borderline easy listening nature, today’s Contemporary artists are often playing in a more energetic and rhythmic style influenced by indie rock, hip-hop, RnB, drumnbass, world beat and fusion. Leading the way in the new sound is the modern jazz piano trio. Heavily influenced by the popular trio, e.s.t., most of these groups consist of a trap set, acoustic bass and a very powerful virtuoso piano player.

Today’s Contemporary genre often borders on Classic Fusion, but there are differences. The rock influence in fusion comes from extravagant jam band artists like Jimi Hendrix, while the Contemporary artist draws from moody and dronish indie rock bands like Radiohead and REM. Fusion tends to have a basis in Afro-Latin or funk rhythms, while Contemporary Jazz tends to have straighter rhythms taken from pop and art rock.

Generally speaking, the difference between Contemporary and Post Bop is that Post Bop usually swings, while Contemporary often does not, although the new Contemporary piano trios continue to blur lines by occasionally playing in a post bop swing style too. Harmonically speaking, Post Bop usually uses the extended harmonies of jazz (9th chords, 11ths etc), while Contemporary may mix jazz harmonies with the simpler triadic harmonies of pop or classical.

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post-fusion contemporary Music Reviews

TORD GUSTAVSEN Tord Gustavsen Quartet ‎: The Well

Album · 2012 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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Matti P
Norwegian jazz pianist and composer TORD GUSTAVSEN (b. 1970) has recorded albums since 2003, with either the word trio, quartet or ensemble following his name on the cover. Years back I have grown a fondness for two of his trio albums, featuring naturally piano, bass and drums.

This 53-minute album is my first acquaintance for his quartet format, the fourth instrument being a tenor saxophone. I am very rewarded, as the essence of his music remains to be lyrical, serene and introspectively thoughtful, in the finest ECM tradition. The touch of the legendary producer Manfred Eicher is easily recognized, and to a fan of the label that's a positive thing. Sax helps to get associations to Jan Garbarek in the overall spirit, but Gustavsen's music with the emphasis on piano has its own individual personality. The presence of the sax is mostly inferior to the piano during the whole album, and whenever it arrives, it adds another thoughtful element to the sound without breaking the harmonic introspection.

On the slow, melancholic 'Prelude' the sax just gently breathes along the piano melody. On the slightly louder but apparently saxless track 'Playing' the drums appear even before the piano starts, and the double bass is occasionally played with a bow, thus resembling a cello. The longest piece 'Suite' (8:19) has a beautifully calm first section to where the sax arrives as the melodic lead instrument for a while. The track flows very elegantly with a mysterious flair. The sense of a dream or a mystery is even stronger on 'Communion' where the percussion is very sparse and where there are occasionally some peculiar wailing sounds. The quiet, breathy sax is lovely.

I remember some almost Elton John reminding sweet piano melodies from an earlier trio album, and here 'Circling' does the same. That nicely prevents the album of becoming too introvert. Nevertheless, safe to say that to enjoy this album a lot requires a sincere taste for moody introspection and serenity.

WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley & Brian Blade : Dance of the Elders

Album · 2023 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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Carmel
Class is in session, but forget the lecture hall; today's syllabus takes us straight into the musical sandbox of Wolfgang Muthspiel's “Dance of the Elders.” Now, if you haven't jammed to Muthspiel before, here's the 411: this Austrian guitarist is a jazz maven, and he's got the creds to prove it. Teaming up with Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums, this is more than a trio—it's a microcosm of musical evolution.

Context, my friends, context! Think of this album as a sonic seminar where each track is a guest lecture from a different department. We've got cameos from the world of classical music, nods to folk traditions, and a heavy dose of jazz improvisation. It's like attending a conference where Bach and Joni Mitchell share the stage with Brad Mehldau—and they're all jamming together.

Track-by-track, or should I say, lecture-by-lecture, we will explore “Dance of the Elders.” Starting with "Invocation." Picture walking into a cathedral of sound; this track lays the foundation for the album with its meditative, quasi-spiritual vibes. Muthspiel himself calls the "endless loop" a "vast landscape." Think of it as musical mindfulness.

"Prelude to Bach" is your Music History 101 recap, but with a twist. The trio takes a Bach classic and improvises around it, reminding us that the Baroque era was the OG jam session. Next on the syllabus is "Dance of the Elders." This is where ethnomusicology meets polyrhythms. The track incorporates global influences, offering a musical melting pot or, if you will, a 'World Music 101' in under 10 minutes.

Here's where the curriculum gets more interdisciplinary. "Liebeslied," folks, isn't just a waltz that's made its way into the jazz canon. Oh no, this tune has roots that reach deep into the socio-political tapestry of Weimar Germany. We're talking Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, the Lennon and McCartney of political theater, if you will. Now, when Muthspiel's trio takes on this gem, what we're witnessing is not just a musical performance but a nuanced cultural commentary—jazz as the literature of the oppressed, so to speak.

Alright, art majors, let's pivot to "Folksong." This tune is a masterclass in 'less is more.' Muthspiel's guitar sets the canvas with broad harmonic strokes, while Colley's bass adds fine, textured lines. Blade's drumming? Think Jackson Pollock meets Monet—rhythmic splatters bound by subtle finesse. They navigate a folk melody over evolving chords, layering sonic hues like a painting that demands a double-take. Simple yet deep—just like the best art.

How about we let "Cantus Bradus" speak for itself in the language of virtuosity? Influenced by the work of Brad Mehldau, this track showcases harmonic genius and rhythmic acumen. Muthspiel's guitar weaves intricate textures, intricacies met in full by Colley's bass and Blade's drumming. This trio's conversation here isn't casual banter; it's a series of eloquent monologues, responding to and building upon each other. For those of you looking to dissect layers, this is your analytic playground. It's practically a master's thesis in rhythm and harmony, all within the span of a few minutes.

"Amelia," the denouement. It's like the trio took a seminar on Joni Mitchell and aced the final exam. It pays homage while adding fresh academic footnotes.

You see, my scholarly compatriots, “Dance of the Elders,” isn't just a jazz album; it's a multidisciplinary research project. The trio pushes the boundaries, not only of what jazz can be but also of what music, in a holistic sense, has the potential to communicate. So, as we journey from the ethereal to the earthly, from the complex to the accessible, we're reminded that, in the end, it's all part of the more excellent academic discourse—a musical one, in this case.

So if you're looking for a musical text that requires, nay, demands multiple readings—or listenings, in this case—"Dance of the Elders” is your seminar's required listening.

AL DI MEOLA All Your Life

Album · 2013 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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Matti P
Doing a tribute album of The Beatles songs had been a long-time dream for Al Di Meola, one of the most respected fusion guitarists all time. "It simply was a search to find a way to combine my world (whatever that is) into theirs, as I set out to do when I recorded the solo guitar CD of Piazzolla in 2006", Di Meola writes in his liner notes in which he praises the personal and universal importance of The Beatles, his excitement to work in the Abbey Road studios and his haphazard meeting with Paul McCartney in Hampton in May 2012.

This is a solo acoustic guitar work. Some tunes also feature his co-producer Hernan Romero on hand claps and chaca rhythm. The selection of 14 Lennon/McCartney songs -- no George Harrison compositions included -- is in my opinion fairly nice if not truly ideal. The early catchy hits are mostly absent. Sadly there aren't much from the two final Beatles albums either, only 'Because' from Abbey Road. The selection is emphasized on the c. 1965-67 era; for example four pieces from Sgt. Pepper. The Beatles originals such as 'A Day in the Life' and 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite' are so rich sonically that a solo guitar interpretation may feel rather inferior in comparison.

That's the price to pay when dealing with such well-known and heavily covered stuff. Artistically, this is one the most succesful of the few Beatles cover albums I've listened to. Al Di Meola's skills on the acoustic guitar are awesome, and his arrangements are inspired and as rich as pieces for a solo instrument can possibly be. If I felt somewhat disappointed by the opening track 'In My Life' featuring the hand clapping, during the 54-minute album I began to enjoy the music more and more.

A special mention for 'Eleanor Rigby' which sounds like there was a string section. Elsewhere it's often the ripped-down approach that brings up the song's melodic essence in a fresh way, for example the closing piece 'She's Leaving Home'.

Despite the above mentioned risk of sounding inferior to the original songs, it's a certainty that knowing the compositions helps me to enjoy this album. I mean, a regular solo guitar album of unfamiliar compositions would probably tire me on the long run.

IIRO RANTALA Iiro Rantala & Ulf Wakenius : Good Stuff

Album · 2017 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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Matti P
Finnish pianist and composer IIRO RANTALA (b. 1970) has made an impressive discography, and in addition he has written music for several films and stage productions, especially ones made for childern. In the 90's he became known as the frontman of Trio Töykeät. The albums released under his name include both solo performances and collaborations with all kinds of musicians and ensembles. Good Stuff is an acoustic duo collaboration with the Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius (b. 1958), whose recording career started in 1983. Each of them has individually composed pieces named after cities, while half of the 12 tracks are arrangements of various kinds of evergreens.

'Vienna' is a happy opening piece in a fast tempo. 'Carmen' is Rantala's slow-tempo take on Bizet's opera aria, very enjoyable in its serenity. Equally beautiful and personal is the duo's arrangement of the famous 'Nessun Dorma' aria of Puccini. Playful 'Helsinki', romantically laid-back 'Palma' and angular 'Seoul' are Rantala's compositions. The rest of the city pieces are moody 'Berlin' and dramatic 'Rome' by Wakenius. It was a nice idea to be inspired by cities, as the listener can add his/her own images and ideas of them.

'What a Wonderful World' is best known as a Louis Armstrong song. The duo's version is elegant and, in the improvisatory jazz tradition, often running away from the lovely original melody. Then there's Stevie Wonder's 'Sir Duke', the soul classic 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' and John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps'.

I think this album has a good balance between original compositions of Rantala and Wakenius and arrangements of well-known pieces from both opera world and popular music. Wakenius isn't so familiar to me, but anyone familiar with Iiro Rantala recognizes his personal style. Perhaps a little more emotional and melody-centred approach would have pleased me more on some tracks, and some electricity would have been interesting as well, so my rating is between the two existing ratings here, 3½ stars.

TRIO TAPESTRY Our Daily Bread

Album · 2023 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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snobb
Those jazz fans who, as me, are car lovers for decades, most probably will agree that German ECM label is very much a Mercedes-Benz in the jazz recording industry. Half a century ago, "Silver Star" was an innovative (remember Gullwing?), ambitious, brave and at the same time synonymous with 'highest quality'. Then ECM label, which started with the young Jan Garbarek, Kenny Wheeler and Keith Jarrett's European quartet, introduced a new sound quality, technological excellence and innovative take on jazz opening the door for North European folks, European chamber classical tradition and groove-less, partially emotionless, atmosphere as their new jazz standard. Years later, Mercedes experienced a lot of ups and downs, even some years of quality problems, and now it is a sort of safe, expensive and quite old-fashioned product from yesterday's world. I was only a little bit surprised, when I read in car magazine that the average buyer of a new Mercedes in Germany is an upper middle class man, 64 years old. Never heard such statistics about ECM clients, but somehow I expect that the correlation is quite right here.

The Joe Lovano led Trio Tapestry's third release is a good illustration to the longish intro from above. Excellent musicians (pianist Marilyn Crispell is a star on her own right) plays balladry of sort, in the ECM manner. Lovano's sax is signature-soulful, without significant improvisations, with touch of controlled melancholy. Crispell's piano sounds elegant, and Carmen Castaldi, the drummer, adds a lot of percussive sounds in support. The music is groove-less, chamber, slightly emotional, well controlled and safe. Nothing is unexpected or disturbing. It's a quality sound within the comfort zone, soundtrack of yesterday's world for those who want to believe that it's a today, and that it will last forever. Most probably would sound great in a new MB S-class...

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