Astounding in sound and narrative.
avant-garde jazz
Clown Core - Van
ReviewsCommentJust a couple of regular guys making some smooth tunes on the move.
Matana Roberts - COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis
ReviewsCommentThe fourth installment of Matana Roberts' COIN COIN series is instantly one of the decade's most compelling jazz projects.
Onyx Collective - Lower East Suite Part Three
ReviewsCommentAvant-garde jazz outfit Onyx Collective continues to embody the highs and lows of NYC with Lower East Suite Part Three, their most polished and straightforward set of tracks yet.
Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury
ReviewsCommentImperial Triumphant effectively conveys the decadence and decay of the Big Apple with a unique blend of blackened death metal and avant-garde jazz.
Park Jiha - Communion
ReviewsCommentThe pieces on Park Jiha's Communion are lovely individually, but overall, the blend of sounds could have been a bit more consistent and more attention could have been paid to the album's flow.
André 3000- "Me&My (To Bury Your Parents)" / "Look Ma No Hands"
New TracksCommentAs a Mother’s Day surprise, André 3000 made his return to music with two songs that pay tribute to the life of his parents. Surprisingly, neither song features a rap verse.
“Me&My (To Bury Your Parents)” is a heartfelt ballad that finds André singing and reminiscing about the time he spent with his parents. André joined Instagram recently to announce the tracks and posted the handwritten lyrics to “Me&My” along with the caption, “Happy Mother’s Day I’m sure all the cards, dinners, flowers and last minute gifts are appreciated but I’ve learned the best gift a mother could get is to simply know their child is ok.” André also shared text messages from his mom from the day before she died in 2013.
While both songs feature André on the bass clarinet, the instrument plays a larger role in the 17-minute jazz instrumental “Look Ma No Hands.” The track is a duet, with James Blake on piano.
-Owen Murray
Colin Stetson - All This I Do for Glory
ReviewsCommentColin Stetson manages to pull new sounds and rhythms out of his sax on All This I Do for Glory.