Matt Otto - Umbra - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Saxophonist and composer Matt Otto's innovative new recording integrates his modern jazz sensibilities with InchEnsemble Iberica,Inch a Kansas City-based collective devoted to the music of Spain and Portugal, and whose instrumentation focuses on the guitar but includes the Cuban tres, Brazilian Cavaquinho, and Turkish oud. Rendering the lines and voicings of Otto's music within the texture and aesthetic of a chamber music ensemble results in a sound that is both rich and contemplative, creating new, compelling soundscapes. Iberica also features Brad Cox on Fender Rhodes, Karl McComas-Reichl on bass & cello, and Mike Stover on steel guitar. Inch... haunting, understated sophistication... like a skilled boxer, he stays within himself, confidently bobbing and weaving melody through the steady rhythm, jabbing and dancing, soloing in flurries of notes.Inch - JAZZ REVIEW

With their ninth full-length InchThe Head & The HabitInch, Swedish heavy rockers Greenleaf have reached the pinnacle of a long evolution. The musical handwriting and well-honed mastery of guitarist Tommi Holappa, who has been a pioneer and pillar of the European stoner rock scene for more than 25 years, shines clearly through. This is perfectly complemented by the soulfulness, intuitive sense of melody, and depth of character that the vocals of classically-trained singer Arvid Hällagard bring to the sound of Greenleaf. Apart from world-class vocal lines and massive riffs with electric fuzz-power, Greenleaf have put extra thought into the themes of InchThe Head & The HabitInch, which lift it's lyrics far above much of the often cliche-ridden genre. As the album title implies, the new songs resemble symbolic short stories that revolve around emotional struggles and even mental illness. Written by the vocalist, the lyrics reflect real life experience as Hällagard works with people who suffer from problems with drug abuse and psychological health. Heavy rock afficionados Greenleaf were initially formed as an informal project by friends that were already playing in other bands including such notable names as DOZER, LOWRIDER, and DEMON CLEANER. The Swedes simply wanted an outlet for their mutual love of '70s-era hard rock and proto-metal while being free from the expectations and pressures of their main bands. Despite intentions to keep Greenleaf purely for pleasure, the undiluted joy of creating catchy songs led to everyone demanding for that material to be recorded. This eventually resulted in the of a self-titled debut EP in 2000, which was quickly followed by first full-length InchRevolution RockInch only a year later. Having turned from an on and off fling to a full-time love affair, the years of rotating line-ups ended and Greenleaf's newfound focus and stability wa

Phalanx Ambassadors is the latest from pianist/keyboardist/composer Matt Mitchell, whom PopMatters calls Inchthe most complete and well-integrated improvising pianist of the last 15 years.Inch They also called his prior , A Pouting Grimace, Inchbrilliant and varied... animated by breathtaking compositional imagination and startling arrangements.Inch His bold new features works that burst forth with intricate detail, featuring precise execution of complex polyrhythms and irrational meters, adventurous harmonic exploration and otherworldly melodies. While rigorously structured, the music leaves ample room for varied layers of improvisation. The eponymously-named band - with Mitchell on piano and keyboards, Miles Okazaki on guitars, Patricia Brennan on vibraphone and marimba, Kim Cass on bass, and Kate Gentile on drums, along with producer David Torn - immerse themselves completely in Mitchell's idiosyncratic sound world, creating music that eludes genre boundaries and comparisons.