New releases from Chris Potter’s quartet and Ernesto Cervini’s sextet Turboprop wash away the dust of everyday life* and demonstrate that modern jazz is alive and well and in good hands.
A Supergroup Quartet and a Super Sextet
Delbert Anderson’s Ceremony of Remembrance
In November 2023, Diné jazz trumpeter Delbert Anderson sounded the first note of a composition, “The Long Walk,” whose performance will be completed in about four and a half years, mirroring the length of time in the 1860s that the Diné were forcibly removed from their ancestral homeland by the United States government before winning the right to return. That note initiated a solemn ceremony of remembrance, and people around the world have joined the performance.
A Grab Bag of New Releases
The music had started sounding the same to me, and I feared that I could not listen—or hear—anymore. Then, within a week or so, I came across these five albums—from John Lurie, American Patchwork Quartet, Alexvndria, the Yes! Trio, and Allison Burik—that sound nothing like one another. Thank goodness. Here are five short (mostly) reviews to whet your appetite.
Two Singular New Releases, from Sorry for Laughing and from Lily Guarneros Maase
Sorry for Laughing, Gordon Whitlow’s unclassifiable group, has developed a sound that would be near impossible for anyone else to imitate. Lily Guarneros Maase unblinkingly considers abusive love.
A New Carnaval Celebration at the NHCC and a New Album from Frank Leto
On February 9 and 10 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), Frank and Pilar Leto will present “Carnaval 2024: Comunidade,” their 19th almost-annual celebration of Carnaval, which features vibrant original music and dance and lavish costumes. This year, they are paying tribute to the many dancers, musicians, actors, and sponsors from the Albuquerque community who have made these unique Carnaval performances possible year after year. In addition, Frank’s latest album, It Seems Like Yesterday, will be available at the event in advance of its official release.
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