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T ony Malaby's Apparitions "Voladores"
By this day you get used to have only great albums coming from this new giant of the tenor saxophone, but watch out: “Voladores” is nothing less than a masterpiece, the best music ever Tony Malaby put to record. At his seventh release, after “Sabino”, “Apparitions”, "Adobe", "Warblepeck", "Tamarindo" and "Paloma Recio", the two-drum project of the New York musician became a true wonder. Inspired by the Mexican troup of "Voladores" that Tony watched as a young child at Mexican festivals in Tucson, Arizona (there is an initial dance made by five men, the instruments being a carrizo flute, a tamborcillo and maracas. The men, each representing the five elements of the indigenous world climb a top a 100ft. pole, one of them stays on the pole playing a flute and dancing while the remaining four descend the pole with a rope tied by one of their feet. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year). With the new addition of John Hollenbeck, who adds vibraphone, marimba, xylophone and melodica to his drumkit, Tony's group Apparitions takes a new sonic leap and achieves soaring heights. With bassist Drew Gress making wonders, drummer Tom Rainey on top of his game and Hollenbeck fitting in as if he was always a member of the group,"Voladores" is the strongest release by Malaby (along with 6 new compositions by Malaby, 3 group improvisations and a never recorded composition by Ornette Coleman). Now it's our time to have the privilege to sense it.
 Marty Ehrlich Rites Quartet "Things Have Got to Change"
Things Have Got To Change is Marty Ehrlich’s dynamic new CD featuring his Rites Quartet. Inspired by the sound of Julius Hemphill’s landmark recording “Dogon A.D.”, Ehrlich presents five new compositions, ranging from the urgent to the reflective in mood. Joined by long time musical colleagues James Zollar on trumpet, Erik Friedlander on cello, and Pheeroan AkLaff on drums, Things Have Got to Change moves from dance rhythms into elegiac chorales, tied together by Ehrlich’s distinctive voice on alto sax. Two previously unrecorded compositions by Julius Hemphill’s are brought to light by the Rites Quartet on this CD, as well as a rocking version of his signature work Dogon A.D. The CD’s title points both inward and outward, to the task of keeping the past alive in the present, and as one of Ehrlich’s pieces “Song For Tomorrow” expresses, keeping our sights forward.
 Joe Morris / Barre Phillips "Elm City Duets"
Guitarist (and sometimes bassist) Joe Morris has in “Elm City Duets” a new chapter of his ongoing objective to play with his lifetime heroes: after the meeting with the renowned multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, resulting in a box with 4 CDs released by the label Clean Feed, here is another duo with a veteran of improvisation: Barre Phillips. And what a wonderful encounter this turned to be! The most magnificent music was created spontaneously by these two improvisers of the finest order, one a much respected protagonist of the current avant jazz scene, the other a cult and historical figure who performed with the greatest, like Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Giuffre and Archie Shepp, among many others, released the first solo double bass album ever in 1968, “Journal Violone”, and, with Dave Holland, also recorded the first bass duo LP, in 1971, “Music From Two Basses”. Morris admiration for Barre Phillips is very clear in the liner notes he wrote for this CD, but his playing isn't reverential and passive. What we have here is a vivacious dialogue between two equals, with precious and incisive arguments by both parts. Your record colection will be incomplete without this!
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On April 3rd, New Haven's Firehouse 12 Records will release the Anthony Braxton 12+1tet's 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (FH12-04-01-002), a nine-CD (plus one-DVD) box set documenting what Time Out New York called “last Spring's epochal run" at New York's Iridium Jazz Club in March 2006. Described by Braxton as “THE point of definition in my work thus far," these concerts featured the world premieres of Compositions 350 through 358, the final works in his Ghost Trance Music series, recorded over the course of this rare four-night stand on an American stage. Included with the music is a Braxton documentary, interspersed with live concert footage, and an extensive collection of essays, commentary and biographical information. This definitive set is being released in coordination with Braxton's return engagement at Iridium March 29th-April 1st, 2007.
