Acclaimed trumpeter Ralph Alessi is back with his fifth release for ECM Records, and “A Sun That Never Sets” finds Alessi in his usual fine form, leading a strong quintet through his finely crafted compositions; and there’s a change too. He’s swapped out saxophonist Ravi Coltrane for a trombonist, who is none other than his brother Joseph, making this album the first time the two brothers have recorded together. It’s the feature album in this edition of OMJ, but it has company too, two brilliant piano/bass duets: Elias Stemeseder & Thomas Morgan and Matthew Shipp & William Parker with an amazing interpretation of “Summertime”, a preview of the upcoming re-release of Shipp’s “ZO” on vinyl for the first time. ECM seems to be looking at re-releasing some of those great guitar albums of the 70s-80s, and Mick Goodrick’s “In Pas(s)ing” is the latest. Satoko Fujii’s second of five big band releases is imminent so a preview of the very exuberant members of her Kobe group at work is presented. Another excellent trumpet player of the day is Poland’s Tomasz Dabrowski, and the Danish group he co-leads, Ocean Fanfare, is one of five bands on Copenhagen’s artist-run Barefoot Records on the list. There’s more Pat Thomas of course, and a great closer from the trio Tres Hongos featuring another fine trumpeter, Jacob Wick. Enjoy this one!
00:00 Billy Mohler Quartet * Live In Europe – Dox Records * Deconstruction * USA
06:44 Host speaks
08:41 Ralph Alessi Quintet * A Sun That Never Sets – ECM * A Sun That Never Sets * USA
15:24 Tactical Maybe * Tactical Maybe – Barefoot * Cantabrian Circle * Denmark
22:53 Luis Lopes 4Tet * Believe Believe – Clean Feed * Engorged Mosquitoes * Portugal
30:19 Host speaks
32:37 Matthew Shipp & William Parker * Zo – ESP-Disk * Summertime * USA
44:30 Caktus * Flimrende – Barefoot * Et Menneske/Silhuet * Denmark
51:37 Mick Goodrick * In Pas(s)ing – ECM * In Pas(s)ing * USA
1:00:18 Host speaks
1:03:30 Elias Stemeseder & Thomas Morgan * Io Pur Respiro – Squama * I Have The Room Above Her * Austria/USA
1:10:43 Bassism * Dreams Must Explain Themselves – Aut * Foggy * Italy
1:18:39 James Wengrow & Crypsis * Emissary – Endectomorph * Arborealpolitik * Australia
1:27:21 Host speaks
1:29:38 Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe * After The Storm – Libra * After The Storm Part 2 * Japan
1:42:34 Reza Askari ROAR * xSYb v8v dYAx – Boomslang * X A VwV A X * Germany
1:48:44 Horse Orchestra * Four Letter Word – Barefoot * Ton Of Tuna * Denmark
1:54:14 Host speaks
1:56:01 Hyper-Elastic Jinx * We Vote Force Majeure – Barefoot * Let It Happen At Our Peril * Denmark
2:04:15 Mary Halvorson & Ambrose Akinmusire * Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings – Nonesuch * Tangled Pretty * USA
2:08:24 Pat Thomas, Olie Brice & Garry Willcox * The Day After – Jazz Now * Epigram * England
2:17:29 Host speaks
2:19:52 Ocean Fanfare * Third Nature – Barefoot * Kristik Stadie * Denmark
2:24:44 Ralph Alessi Quintet * A Sun That Never Sets – ECM * Duck Face * USA
2:31:04 Host speaks
2:32:28 Tres Hongos * More Chips – Relative Pitch * Midnight They Love You * USA