ACT Music: Daniel García Trio / Jan Lundgren & Yamandu Costa

We've been fortunate to showcase a few albums from ACT Music over the last year - 'Tales of Utopia' from the prolific Israel-based trio, Shalosh, and more recently we unpacked the masterpiece that is 'Bloom' by pianist Bill Laurance alongside The Untold Orchestra.  The European label can boast an incredible amount of innovative contemporary jazz releases and is a label that continues to garner widespread recognition for its inspired roster and projects.

ACT continues to be represented this year by a slew of fascinating projects including the latest release from the Daniel García Trio.  Marking his third release for ACT, pianist and composer García unveils a scintillating project in 'Wonderland'.  Teaming with long-time collaborators in double-bassist Reinier "El Negrón" and drummer Michael Olivera, 'Wonderland' explores the joys, imagination and intimacy of our own selves.  Proving something of a study into various aspects of human nature, García, Reinier & Olivera embrace those indefinable qualities and celebrate them across the album's twelve tracks.  

The album is boosted with the addition of guests including guitarist Gilad Hekselman on the album's title track and vocalists Lau Noah and Verónica Ferreiro who appear on 'You and Me' and 'La Tarara', respectively.  The inclusion of such accomplished vocalists help to add sublime new dimensions to the project further elevating the concepts to an even higher plateau.  

With songs both playful and spirited, the Daniel García Trio create a project that teams with personality and charm, and a project that regards human nature with an apt affection.  In the hands of others, such a concept for an album could very well inspire perhaps more harsh and unforgiving perspectives but 'Wonderland' is not just an album reflective of García's specific take on the world but a vehicle to invite others to explore these qualities in themselves as well.  

And from a revered ACT trio to a burgeoning ACT duo featuring the pairing of Jan Lundgren and Yamandu Costa...

Coming together for their debut joint recording, Swedish pianist Lundgren partners with Brazilian guitarist Costa for the release of 'Inner Spirits'.  An exceptional two-hander from these two well-versed artists, their union pools together a wealth of experience and accolades which has seen Lundgren make his name as a member of the Mare Nostrum Trio and Costa as a Latin Grammy-winning artist.

With Lundgren and Costa having only started performing together in 2023, their chemistry has since propelled them on to becoming frequent live collaborators and the subsequent release of 'Inner Spirits' which, again, could be said to have all come together incredibly quickly.  But when something is right, it's right.  And that acknowledgement was not only recognised by its players but also by ACT who have been quick to facilitate the release.  

Across the album's fourteen original compositions, Lundgren and Costa play together exquisitely sharing writing credits and treating the project as a genuine partnership, knowing when to allow the other to have their moment supporting each other through an inspiring dynamic.  

We definitely encourage you to explore these new releases as ACT continue to deliver some outstanding projects this year.