'The Producer's Workshop Ensemble in Japan' by The Producer's Workshop Ensemble

'The Producer's Workshop Ensemble in Japan' is the phenomenal new album release from Matthew Rivera's The Producer's Workshop Ensemble outfit.

If you've been fortunate enough to have your ear to the ground, then the name Matthew Rivera may well already be familiar to you.  Through his Stay The Course Records Bandcamp page, Rivera has released a stunning collection of singles, EPs and full-length recordings over the years as a part of various collaborative ensembles and through productions for a line-up of friends and collaborators...  

There's the quintessential dusty analog sound of Linden Troy's soul-drenched singles 'Rise & Shine' and 'Cares of the World', the ecclesiastical 'Rights of Love' by The Jazz Saints of Chicago, and the brilliant multi-faceted Bless The Mad project which paired Rivera alongside Ibrahem Hasan for an album that celebrated 60s psychedelic soul as much as 90s hip-hop and spiritual jazz.  A wonderfully diverse and innovative album that added to the glorious treasure trove of gems amassed by Stay The Course Records over the years.  As part of his Producer's Workshop Ensemble however, Rivera has quite possibly delivered his defining piece of work as his boundless talents have been turned towards creating a contemporary jazz masterpiece that is an absolute joy to listen to.

Born out of his time in Tokyo in 2020, as the story goes, Rivera assembled a small studio's worth of instruments and recording equipment from visiting second-hand stores and then secured studio time where possible to hone and develop his new sound.  Rivera's limitless talents see him credited throughout the album as playing everything from drums to flute, synthesizers, percussion, pianos... the music serves as a real testament to his own unwavering passion to create and perform bringing the music throughout the album up to staggering heights.

Vocals on many of the album's tracks are elegantly tackled by Cat Boys collaborator Yuima Enya who really works beautifully alongside Rivera's productions; productions that are further bolstered by a team of mostly Tokyo-based musicians including guitarist Tetsuta Otachi, Yuki Nakada on koto, Takehide Hashimoto on tenor sax, Kyotaro Hori on flugelhorn and Lito Brown on flute and sax who all breathe scintillating life into the project's eleven tracks.

And it really is scintillating life - a wonderful musical concoction that presents a fresh-faced contemporary take on jazz seen through the eyes of the dusty analog aesthetic and a golden era beat maker's passion.  Matthew Rivera genuinely deserves to be heralded for bringing his distinctive magic to a project that succeeds as an extraordinary achievement for himself and Stay The Course Records.

'Fauves' by Antonio Trinchera

'Fauves' marks the new album release from Italian guitarist and producer, Antonio Trinchera, who continues his long-standing relationship with the brilliant A.MA Records.

Over the course of his music releases dating back over the last twelve years, Trinchera has continually embraced the opportunity to present his multi-faceted vision for modern-day jazz and electronic music through a variety of different projects.  

Following early releases for Psychonavigation Records, Trinchera's extensive projects for the phenomenal hub of contemporary jazz in A.MA Records have gone on to create an exciting and dynamic musical tapestry that enable the guitarist to continue telling his inspired and varied musical stories.  'Next Move', released in 2016, showcased Trinchera alongside an array of accomplished artists - including some excellent contributions from vocalist Nikaleo - for an album more in line with his jazz sensibilities despite still serving as a diverse offering in of itself.  

Under the guise of the BitMapCrew, Trinchera, in collaboration with Dario Antonelli, unveiled their four-track EP in 2021 entitled 'Bits of Impressions', a project initially teased through the 'Love Faces' single release in 2021.  'Bits of Impressions' served as a complete reinvention of Trinchera's sound - a project that fully committed to these expansive and bold sonic soundscapes steeped within electronica and seemingly born of a wholly different creative mind from the Trinchera initially introduced back in 2016.  

But if we are to treat 'Next Move' and 'Bits of Impressions' as wholly different entities then 'Fauves' serves as the definitive union of each, and very possibly the album that Antonio Trinchera has envisioned for some time.

Joining Trinchera throughout the 'Fauves' adventure are a selection of long-standing friends and frequent collaborators including pianist Dony Valentino and double bassist Camillo Pace - both of whom are credited for collaborations on 'Next Move'.  And then the drumming duties for the album are divided between Alessio Santoro and Leo Consoli, the latter of which able to boast contributions towards 'Next Move' as well as 'Bits of Impressions'.

A sublime and subdued '1976' kicks the album off, delicately introducing listeners to the album's concepts before segueing into 'Bug Night' which eschews in a Citrus Sun-esque jazz-funk delight.  As we plunge deeper into the album, the music starts to take more risks with the merging of these disparate worlds starting to become even more apparent.  The album's title track for instance marks a notable turning point in 'Fauves' where the tone shifts towards a decidedly darker tone albeit a massively enjoyable listen.  

'Fauves' is very much a celebration of its own duality - these opposing genres located within a vast musical spectrum that are each as much a part of Antonio Trinchera's make-up as the other.  The album is genuinely an exciting listen and one that will be regarded as a key moment within Trinchera's releases going forward.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #112: Simon S

Welcome to Episode #112 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran connect with the founder of Futuristica Music, Simon S.

This year saw the release of The Peter Franks Group's 2019 debut full-length 'Days Past' released on CD for the first time.  The CD also contains the complete suite of remixes that were created for the project which includes brilliant contributions from Quiet Dawn, As Valet, Mecca:83, Gus La Temp, Ol'English and Buscrates.  With Peter Franks serving as one one of Simon's alter egos, we discuss the project in full and look at the varying creative freedoms this moniker affords over that of Jazz Chronicles.

We also turn out attention to other Futuristica releases including 'HUMAN' by Deborah Jordan & K15 and feature a few subtle teases for what else may be cooking in the Futuristica Lab.  

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#112_Simon S

'Antares Flare' by Antares Flare

Antares Flare unveil their brilliantly versatile debut self-titled release for Wicked Wax.

It doesn't seem that long ago that we were last touting the treasures of the Amsterdam-based label, specifically, through the release of the 'Fledge' EP by bassist and producer kotokid/Freek Mulder.  Even in that very article, we mentioned eagerly anticipating the release of the Antares Flare full-length after being wowed by the project's lead singles, 'What's Gonna Kill Me First?' and 'Sandstones'.

Displaying such a dynamic take on contemporary jazz, The Netherlands-based sextet describe their musical outlook on their Bandcamp page as offering "a musical journey through the Congo rainforest, South-American magic realism and the psychedelic European realm of the 60's".  It's a fantastic description of a thrilling and unhindered perception of your music that seems to thrive in showcasing music that challenges the listener but also challenges the artist in its creation as well.  

Having said that, herein lies the contradiction of Antares Flare in that while the compositions seemingly feature a litany of intricate complexities rooted within its bold approach, the end-result is presented as something created so effortlessly which is where its brilliance is found.  

Formed by Italian band leader and guitarist Piero Conte, Antares Flare is made up of saxophonists Paul van de Calseijde and Andrea Leone, trumpeter Paolo Petrecca, bassist Dean Montanaro and drummer Domen Cizej.  With the album produced by Anton de Bruin (Dragonfruit, Peter Somuah Sextet) and recorded in Rome, the musicians seem to celebrate the luxury of the playground afforded to them across these expansive musical soundscapes...  

The delicious slow build and electronica-tinged 'Mirror People' marks a distinct album highlight as does the unbridled energy of the aforementioned singles 'What's Gonna Kill Me First?' and 'Sandstones'.  'Sketch of a Daydream' and 'Photosynthesis' boast these lush and somewhat expansive sonic landscapes that take the album down new avenues once again rounding out the versatility of such a fantastic project.

The album also features a series of spoken word passages that help to drive the project's overall narrative.  'Gifts', for example, comes together - in music and message - as something of a tip of the hat towards the revered cosmic and otherworldly teachings of the prolific pianist, composer and band leader, Sun Ra, as the voice declares: "I want to give thanks to the divine, labyrinth of causes and effects, for the diversity of beings that form a singular universe."

Antares Flare is a genuinely sensational record and adventure all of its own that invites you along for its joyous explorations into untapped sounds, genres and its boundless blurring of musical borders.  

Remembering Jaimie Branch

With incredible sadness, it was announced that trumpeter and composer, Jaimie Branch, had passed away 22 August 2022 at the age of 39 years.

Branch leaves behind an inspired catalogue of music and despite her extensive list of collaborations with artists including Ashley Henry, James Brandon Lewis and Rob Mazurek, Branch's 'Fly or Die' trilogy may very well serve as her long-lasting legacy, courtesy of her relationship with the brilliant Chicago-based label, International Anthem.

With 'Fly or Die' initially being introduced in 2017 with the follow-up, 'Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise', arriving in 2019, the trumpeter always found ways to tap into different facets of her personality depending on the projects she was working on.  'Fly or Die' was the formal introduction to Branch's unhindered and no-rules approach to music-making and it dared listeners to embrace her own vision for jazz in ways synonymous with International Anthem's own ethos.

Further, much of 'Fly or Die II' revolves around the thoughts and feelings conveyed in its centrepiece - 'Prayer For Amerikkka Pt. 1 & 2': "It's a prayer for America, the good, the bad and the rest of 'ya". It's a song that exudes passion over the course of its 11 minutes and 26 seconds, from the melancholy bass, to Branch's screaming trumpet and ardent vocal openly calling out the racism attached to the recent Republican Presidency.  It's a phenomenal record that adds its name to an awesome lineage of soul and jazz music that sought to inspire thought and change through its bold social commentary.

The trilogy is rounded out by 'Fly or Die Live' which delivers as a thrilling exclamation point to an awesome series.  While 'Fly or Die II' addressed the aforementioned US government concerns across a divided America, 'Fly or Die Live' by default became its own commentary on events surrounding the global pandemic over the last two years.  Recorded live at Moods, Zurich, Switzerland, 23rd January 2020, the Fly or Die tour was now in full force at this time and, with many dates and countries still left on its schedule, would ultimately be halted during the pandemic that would subsequently impact touring for musicians around the world.

With both instalments of 'Fly or Die' bursting with ideas and Branch's impassioned voice, events post the 2020 tour would perhaps have had the wheels turning for what could potentially have resulted in 'Fly or Die III'.  The album would have made for a thrilling vehicle for Branch’s music to address the pandemic and quarantine lifestyle as well as the results of the last US election which would have followed-on nicely from themes raised throughout Branch's sophomore album.

Beyond the 'Fly or Die' series though, it would be remiss not to mention Branch's collaborative Anteloper project with drummer Jason Nazary.  Another International Anthem gem, the project afforded Branch the opportunity to delve deeper with more far-reaching and dynamic interpretations of contemporary jazz drawing from a deeper well of inspirations.  For their 'Pink Dolphins' (2022) release, the album's Bandcamp page features an excellent quote from Branch that surmises, not only the album, but also the joyous energy she brought to her music and I wanted to leave it for you here as the final thought:

“We’re improvisers first and we’re bringing “moment music” into these other zones of hip hop and electronic music, drum-machine music, sound-system culture… Acoustic musicians sun-kissed by electro-magnetism, flowing out into everything. This is the shit that we want to be playing on big ass systems. Omnivorous, energy space time, mosh pit dance-music. Get it in the subwoofers so you can feel it hit, cuz the music has to begin in the body!”