u/--THRILLHO--

Sorry for the delay, here’s the second album for the listening club. My plan for these threads is to focus on new jazz (released in the last 5 years or so) as we’ve all heard plenty of jazz from the golden age. I’m hoping to post every 2 weeks or so. I’m always on the lookout for new interesting stuff, so if you have any thoughts, drop me a DM.

Knats are a quintet from Newcastle upon Tyne, about as far away from London as you can get in the north of England. If you don’t know much about Newcastle, you might have a better idea by the end of the album as their hometown and the people that inhabit it are as much a part of the music as the music itself.

Newcastle’s inhabitants are known as Geordies, but this album has a double helping of Geordie as it’s produced and arranged by Geordie Greep (Black Midi) who also plays on a couple of tracks. I’m not sure how exactly to label this but as simply as possible I’d say…Fusion-poetry?

The vocals will be a sticking point for some, and a highlight for others. New member Cooper Robson’s geordie slam poetry turns up on most of the songs, spinning a yarn about someone he once met, or the history of his city. It helps that there are long instrumental passages though, so the vocals never get overwhelming for me. I see it more as another instrument that takes a solo sometimes before other players take their turn.

Speaking of the other players, it’s a really tight band. They’re labeled as a quintet, but there are 20 musicians on this record by my count (plus a poet). I’m not always great at describing music, so you’ll have to do that for yourself in the comments, but these songs are catchy and danceable. Sometimes they sound like Weather Report, teetering on the edge of smooth/cheesy territory, other times they sound much more modern.

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this because 1: fusion generally isn’t my thing and 2: I CAN NOT STAND Geordie Greep (sorry Greep stans). But it’s a really fun record, and the storytelling makes it stand out for me.

But what did you think?

##Knats - A Great Day In Newcastle

Personnel:

Cooper Robson - Vocals-

Stanley Elvis Woodward - Bass Guitar/Synths

King David Ike-Elechi - Drums/Percussion

Ferg Kilsby - Trumpet/Flugelhorn

Sandro Shargarodsky - Piano/Keyboards/Synthesiser

George Johnson - Tenor Saxophone

###Links:

• YouTube
• Apple Music
• Tidal
• Qobuz
• Bandcamp

It’s time to revive the /r/Jazz Listening Club which was previously excellently run by /u/Electrical-Slip3855

I'll be making a new thread in a couple of days with some specific thoughts about the club, but for now here's the first album:

The Listening Club is back, and to celebrate you get 3 albums for the price of 1 with my first pick. But don’t worry if you don’t want to listen to all 3. Make a start with Volume 1 and see how you feel.

My first pick for the listening club is Live at the Village Vanguard by the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet. A 3 volume live album released over 3 months earlier this year. I’ve only listened to each part once when they were released, so I won’t say much in detail here. But what struck me on first listen was the intensity of some of the solos from Wilkins. He gets into a zone and just blows these extended solos, reminding me of what Coltrane’s quartet used to do on records like Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up.

Four minutes into Wilkins’ solo on opener Warriors, Micah Thomas just stops comping on the piano, letting Wilkins hold his own for another two minutes. It’s an exciting and intense way to start the show. The highlight for me is Composition IX from Volume 3. Wilkins and his drummer, Kweku Sumbry, just go ham for about 12 minutes before piano and bass eventually decide to join.

But there’s a surprising amount of variety here. On some songs the band sound more straight-ahead, on some they push into avant-garde territory. On Eternal, they end their first set by locking into a dreamy, repeating motif that never looks like ending. On DOLLA$ they play an immaculately cool 12-bar blues. There really is something for everyone here.

But what do you think? I'll be listening to the 3 volumes over the next few days and posting my thoughts below, and I hope that you'll do the same! As I said, I'll make a specific thread about the listening club in a few days, so DM me if you have any thoughts. My goal with the club is to keep the albums mostly contemporary, because we've all done enough listening to Miles and Coltrane.

##Immanuel Wilkins Quartet - Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 1, 2, & 3

Personnel:

Immanuel Wilkins - alto saxophone

Micah Thomas - piano

Ryoma Takenaga - bass

Kweku Sumbry - drums

###Links:

Vol. 1:

• YouTube
• Apple Music
• Tidal
• Qobuz

Vol. 2:

• YouTube
• Apple Music
• Tidal
• Qobuz

Vol. 3:

• YouTube
• Apple Music
• Tidal
• Qobuz