'Perseverance' by Fabio Rojas

'Perseverance' marks the new album release from drummer and composer, Fabio Rojas, who assembles an elite New York-based collective to help bring life to a long-gestating musical vision.

As perhaps easily deduced from the album title, the project's running theme is rooted within the concept of adversity, and each of our own willingness to see that struggle through to the other side - a theme that strives to, both, bring attention to Venezuelan politics that have distanced the country from its once thriving position as a democracy to a country in dire economic circumstances struggling under a repressive and corrupt dictator.

And while perseverance in that context has served very much as a driving force for Rojas in the creation of this album, the ideal also serves as a credit to his own hurdles that have ultimately brought the versatile artist from Venezuela to New York some fourteen years ago.

Rojas' musical journey has certainly garnered its own storied path but delivered some monumental successes as well - having achieved his Bachelor of Music from Boston's Berklee College of Music, Rojas then went on to score his Master of Music in Jazz Studies at Cuny Queens College.  Now an educator in his own right, teaching at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Rojas has managed to garner incredible accolades through the commitment to his craft.  That very commitment has further seen the drummer either record or perform with luminaries including Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Regina Carter, and perform on stages across the US.

Rojas' lengthy ties to New York have afforded him access to a phenomenal ensemble of musicians that inject scintillating energy and proficiency across the album's seven tracks.  Featuring Greg Osby and Gustavo D'amico on saxophones, Kevin Harris on piano and Osmar Okuma on bass, the musicians relish in pieces that revolve around improvisation as building blocks to more intricate compositions.  

From the sparse yet vibrant bounce of album opener 'Ni Un Paso Atras', to the urgency of 'Atlas', to the sublime charm of 'Loneliness', Rojas conducts proceedings in a manner that affords his collaborators the freedom to explore the space around them and to enthusiastically interact with each other while respectfully adhering to Rojas' musical framework.  

Although Rojas has been open about his motivations stemming from the phrase "he who perseveres, wins", there's another sentiment about perseverance that is perhaps apt regarding this album: "I may not be there yet but I am closer than I was yesterday".  Sometimes, perseverance can just be a way of life.  A self-taught discipline to continually work hard towards achieving the unattainable or just the acknowledgement that the ideal isn't attached to one big end-goal but lots of smaller ones.  Through his inability to quit, Fabio Rojas continues to raise the bar for himself while determinedly maintaining his path.

'Searching' by Tristan de Liège

Tristan de Liège's Bandcamp page appropriately cites the LA-based artist's inspirations as stemming from "instrumental hip-hop and downtempo artists and also his love of film soundtracks and orchestral arrangements" with each influence serving as its own acute observation into his own ever-evolving musical make-up.

Throughout his output over the last few years, de Liège - while maintaining his foundation within electronic music - has managed to expertly manoeuvre his aesthetic to accomodate these aforementioned long-time passions, achieving far more expansive and inspired results. The series of releases alongside David Hanke alter egos Lehto and Keno nurture those lush, downtempo elecronica gems for the Bathurst label while his 'Life As A Film' (2023) project in collaboration with pianist Taylor Mackall and violinst Gregory Allison bestows listeners with an exquisite, string laden, neo-classical-meets-ambient treasure.

Perhaps it all stems from a healthy appreciation of great music, or perhaps from his PhD in Philosophy, but Tristan de Liège approaches his compositions with such a profound intimacy that results in a seamless intertwining of styles.  An inimitable de Liège touch.

And certainly, when discussing recent Tristan de Liège releases, we can't skip past his fantastic 'Refractions' full-length from just two years ago.  A project that presented a sensational take on neo-soul alongside some downtempo Jay Dee-inspired productions that set the bar incredibly high amongst the forever burgeoning de Liège catalogue.

Which brings us to the latest release from the Tristan de Liège lab, 'Searching'.  A typically superb and ethereal offering that presents some wonderful results - some perhaps best described as endearingly playful.  Brazilian guitarist Fabiano de Nascimento adds a nice Latin touch to 'Iara' in elegant contrast to 'Tarna' which is so elegant in its management of hip-hop production, rousing vocal samples and spirited strings.

Tru Thoughts vocalist Bryony Jarman-Pinto makes for a thrilling pairing on no less than three tracks throughout the album as does saxophonist Sam Gendel who delivers on another genuinely dream combination.

With the allure of creation seemingly too great a call to resist, Tristan de Liège continues to deliver music at an inspired pace and with such astonishing quality - 'Searching' proves to be the exclamation point to that fact!  A perfection introduction for new de Liège listeners while long-term listeners will recognise this as essential as anything he's ever released.

'Waves' by Ross McHenry

As a bassist, producer and composer from Adelaide, Australia, Ross McHenry has always boasted an uncanny ability to present a range of various facets to his music.  Whether it was the blazing funk and soul of The Transatlantics or the Fela Kuti and afrobeat inspired collective, The Shaolin Afronauts - both collectives with projects released through the UK's Freestyle Records - McHenry's unbridled joy for performance and collaboration would go on to result in one of the most beloved names associated with Freestyle and their continual celebration of contemporary funk, soul and afrobeat.

But even further to that, McHenry's ability to recontextualise his music has led to almost unrecognisable contributions as a producer, as was the case with Melbourne vocalist Chelsea Wilson's 'Chasing Gold' - a contemporary disco-infused soul release in the vein of the revered Elektra era recordings of Patrice Rushen amongst other influences.

Henry's solo releases however continue to relish within the ideals of improvisation along with a healthy dose of experimentalising when it comes to his own perceptions of contemporary jazz.  Marking his fifth solo release, 'Waves' finds Henry create an impassioned piece of work born of such unfortunate circumstances in Australia's devastating bushfires that raged, unbelievably, for nearly a year between 2019 and 2020.  Believed to be the costliest natural disaster in the country's history, McHenry presents 'Waves' as a poignant celebration of sorts to his home and the land's unrivalled beauty.

Recorded in New York, McHenry enlists a typically A-list selection of musicians for the album including drummer Eric Harland, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, guitarist Ben Monder and pianist Matthew Sheens.  Over the course of the album's seven incredibly immersive and intricate compositions, McHenry & company navigate an enveloping course that features moments of pure brilliance - from the absorbing urgency of 'In Landscape' to the introspective and somewhat mesmerizing quality of 'July 1986'.  

'Love and Obscurity' serves as another beautifully-composed number, once again, demonstrating the unwavering allure of 'Waves' as a complete project.  The album is yet another testament to Ross McHenry's phenomenal and ever-evolving mastery that has garnered without doubt one of his most compelling projects to date.

'Beautiful Things' by Katrin Merili

'Beautiful Things' marks the new EP release from singer-songwriter, Katrin Merili, who unveils a compelling debut project.

Conveying the humble summation of her talents through her Instagram page as simply "I write songs", the Estonian-born and now Paris-based Merili has firmly established herself within the French scene as a keen live performer and an impassioned artist.

Comprised of five excellent tracks that relish in their contemporary neo-soul stylings, Merili tackles a range of subject matter that finds her lamenting on love, loss, doubt and self-confidence.  The release of 'Beautiful Things' has found life with the production soundscapes of Sacha "Johnny Longlegs" Arnaud - an immensely talented artist in his own right who proved something of a kindred spirit for Merili when it came to putting the project together.

Brilliantly performed, wonderfully produced... Katrin Merili's vision is brought to life by her excellent vocal that speaks to the luxury of a sublime musical backdrop; With Arnaud credited throughout the EP for a variety of duties pertaining to the music - Merili's confident perspective on what 'Beautiful Things' would ultimately represent features subtle nods towards varying musical facets that bring so much to the project's overall sound.  With equal doses of future soul, neo-soul and progressive R&B, Merili boldly conveys her message to eager ears, presenting herself as a massively talented artist in the process.

As a project, 'Beautiful Things' straddles a fine line between serving as a statement about hope and one that laments the notion of what could have been.  'Girl in the Mirror' asks "what happened to all her hopes and dreams?" while the EP's title track poignantly asks "Why do we ruin beautiful things?" - a sentiment that echoes with you long after the song has ended.  

Honesty can, in turn, lead to contradiction which is in part where the project excels.  It's a credit to Merili as a songwriter and her ability to subsequently embrace - and eloquently articulate - the intricacies that are the make-up and foundation of each of us.

Yes, a lot of the time we do ruin beautiful things but, as Katrin Merili shows us, sometimes we can create beautiful things too.