Clear vinyl. Artful designs. A shiny, luxe collector’s box. No question, Newvelle albums are beautiful to the eye. The story could end there, with these records sitting as vanities on a shelf somewhere. But you’ll want to take them down. They sound as gorgeous as they look.
The 2020 edition of Newvelle Records’ boxed sets, Newvelle Season Five (NVSLP05; HHHH), follows in the same tradition as the four previous editions, with the highest quality production values, start to finish. Each collection contains six LPs rolled out individually, one every month or so through August, featuring a different ensemble each time. The collections, available only by subscription, are pricey, ringing up at a whopping $400 for the 2020 set. But they’re investments—and the rare jazz commodity that can compete in this price range.
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On the first release of the 2020 collection, due out in February, bassist Rufus Reid teams up with pianist Sullivan Fortner on a rich duo effort, Always in the Moment (NV025; 40:36). A mix of Reid originals and a few standards, the nine tracks demonstrate a palpable rapport between these two intuitive players, whether in the relaxed vibe of Reid’s “It’s The Night” or the fine-spun swing of Duke Ellington’s “Sound of Love”—and their rendition of the haunting standard, “The Peacocks,” is one of the best around.
The Pablo Ablanedo Octet, led by the Argentine pianist/composer, comprises an attention-grabbing lineup of talent: clarinetist Anat Cohen; violinist Jenny Scheinman; saxophonists Chris Cheek, Daniel Ian Smith, and Jerome Sabbagh; trumpeter Diego Urcola; guitarist Ben Monder; bassist Fernando Huergo; and percussionist Franco Pinna. The combined musical gravitas on the album Christreza (NV026; 36:59), available in April 2020, seems light as a feather on tunes like the sweetly somber “Ti Mi Do” and the invigorating “Karmavaleando.” Urcola’s solo on the title cut positively aches with feeling.
Newvelle label head, the pianist Elan Mehler, and acclaimed trumpeter Dave Douglas turn out nine absorbing, all-new compositions on If There Are Mountains (NV027; 37:48), the collection’s third installment, slated to drop in May 2020. Using haiku and poetry for the texts, Mehler and Douglas’ compositions provide a singular showcase for the sinuous vocal lines of singer Dominique Eade and an occasion for the ensemble (reedist John Gunther, bassist Simón Willson, and drummer Dayeon Seok) to cohere around some penetrating musical ideas. An outstanding collaboration.
On Woodland (NV028; 37:48), pianist Carmen Staaf writes bracingly energetic selections for her trio with bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Jeff Williams. From the opener, a neatly improvised “The Caterpillars,” through a jauntily swinging “New Waltz,” to the deftly lyrical “Evergreen,” the ensemble moves as a delightfully coordinated unit. Staaf does step away briefly, however, to execute a spry solo version of “Pannonica,” the oddly satisfying Thelonious Monk tune. The album comes out in June 2020, right after the trio’s European tour in May.
Saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli puts his virtuosic playing on display on Book of Dreams (NV029; 40:32), a cluster of his original jazz tunes and sensitively arranged Songbook standards, set for release in July 2020. He partners again with Nonesuch bandmates pianist Kevin Hays and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, both longtime collaborators. Their program here is varied, ranging from the seductive (“Algo Mas”) to the ponderous (“Dreamscape”), with many stops in between. It’s easy to get lost in the musical world that Zimmerli creates—the album’s end comes as an unwanted surprise.
The OWL Trio—bassist Orlando Le Fleming, saxophonist Will Vinson, and guitarist Lage Lund—deliver compelling musical statements without the benefit of percussion on the final installment of the collection, Life of the Party (NV030; 42:34), slated for an August 2020 launch. The considerable impetus of their music derives from a shared awareness of an understated pulse; their arrangements are minimal, not meandering—weighty, not wanting. Vocal luminary Kurt Elling shares the mic on two eloquent originals.
(Reprinted from the February 2020 issue of Downbeat magazine)