Kiln - Meadow: Watt - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Following the critical acclaim of The Talisman (SCCD 31955), alto saxophonist Dave Pietro returns with The Butterfly Effect, his second on SteepleChase-a tag that has become a vital for his richly inventive voice. A veteran of ensembles led by Maria Schneider, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Gil Evans, Pietro continues to command attention as a composer and bandleader whose work is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant.Returning collaborators include pianist Gary Versace, whose kaleidoscopic soloing adds depth and color, and bassist Jay Anderson, whose expressive lines anchor the group with elegance. Trumpeter Scott Wendholt and drummer Adam Cruz round out the lineup, each contributing dynamic performances that elevate Pietro's compositions. His writing is marked by intricate counterpoint, unexpected harmonic shifts, and a deep sensitivity to ensemble interplay. Pietro's music balances complexity with clarity. The Butterfly Effect is more than a follow-up-it's a statement of artistic evolution. Where The Talisman introduced Pietro's voice to a broader audience, this new deepens the narrative, offering a compelling blend of lyrical beauty, structural sophistication, and improvisational fire.InchPietro has great chops and a profound imagination, and possesses a warm, accessible, lyrical sound...Inch (Lee Lowenfish - New York Jazz Newsletter) Album Tracks 1. Svengali 2. Promises, Promises 3. B & H 4. Butterfly Effect 5. Idle Tears 6. Free Man in Paris 7. Taboo to Love 8. Mr. Breitenfeld 9. Sunyata

Two years following 2017's Costero, Slow Meadow returns with it's third full-length album Happy Occident, a collection of textured ambient melodies. Fueled by the anxiety derivative of modern life and the frenetic and often uncertain state of these ever-changing times, Happy Occident provides music for reflection. A soundtrack to life's contemplative moments, and an experience akin to mindfulness meditation. 'The album is like a waking dream of ideas strung together in a nonlinear fashion,' says Matt Kidd. 'I have been thinking more about what it means to be 'Happy' in the Occident. Happiness is often nothing more than a false promise used to sell something, even ideas. I dwell on the utter failure of that word to mean what aims to, especially in comparison to something like the Greek word 'eudaimonia.' To complement the sound of Happy Occident, Slow Meadow enlisted the talents of violinist Ellen Story, whose playing, Kidd says, dictated much of the direction on a couple of tracks. Album Tracks 1. Stellarum Fixarum 2. Artifical Algorithm 3. The Future Belongs to Ghosts 4. Pareidolia 5. Blink 6. Helium Life Jacket 7. Drifting Phonetics 8. We Can Only Love Through Suffering 9. Liminal Animal 10. Fake Magic Is Real 11. Everything Is a Memory

2010 , the long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed Copia, Eluvium takes a courageous creative leap with Similes, an album featuring key elements previously uncharted by Eluvium percussion, a verse-chorus song structure, and singing. For a celebrated experimental musician, it was just about the bravest and scariest direction to go. In this way, Similes is the most truly experimental Eluvium album yet, and the most accessible. Album Tracks 1. Leaves Eclipse the Light 2. The Motion Makes Me Last 3. In Culmination 4. Weird Creatures 5. Nightmare 5 6. Making Up Minds 7. Bending Dream 8. Cease to Know