Patrick Cress’ Telepathy, Alive and Teething. A rare
strain of wild free jazz given to bobbing heads and tapping toes
— not to mention shapely songcraft. Many bass melodies seem
culled from rock and funk, but the horns are pure jazz. Led by Cress
(saxophones) and colored by Aaron Novik’s bass clarinet (once put to
use on an all-clarinet metal album), Telepathy’s songs blur the line
between comfortable and challenging. (Telepathic Music)
Sparky Grinstead, Winter Comes and Goes. Recorded in
producer Eric Kampman’s living room, this is a decidedly do-it-yourself
release. Grinstead, aka Norman Famous, began home recording back in the
late 1970s, issued a trio of full-lengths, then stopped — making
Winter Comes and Goes his first in 26 years. As a collection of
modest, introspective folk-pop tunes, it works just fine. (Sparlene
Records)
Neiro, Sound of My Blood EP. Led by electric guitarist
Tomoki Spilsbury, North Bay contemporary jazz trio Neiro features Kit
Walker on Hammond B-3 and Paul van Wageninen on drums. Though not
always front and center, Spilsbury’s electric guitar is the spindle
around which his compositions turn, characterized by circular phrasing
and bold excursions that echo traditional Japanese melodies.
(self-released)
Blisses B, You Should. This San Francisco act
recommends itself to fans of Wilco, the state of South Carolina, and
corn dogs and gummy worms. Regardless of whether lovers of the latter
confections will take to Blisses B’s sound, the band can’t be far off:
You Should is full of jubilant funk and folk festival fare that
never bogs down in jam-band excess. Reluctant hippies take note.
(self-released)
