Opener Pendulum lays down the template – mesmeric, melodic bass riffs circle and whirl, moving with breath-taking fluidity and timing. The rhythm catches hold immediately, laying down the groundwork for some remarkable flights of imagination. Somehow, Weber is able to build these runs into the composition without ever sacrificing the tempo. The music, dark-tinged as it is, remains thrilling. Imagine the soundtrack to an intelligent, thoughtful crime movie shot in monochrome and you won’t be far off.

Ready Out There pulses and charges, a vibrant hum of racing sounds and beats. Weber’s forward-thinking attitude here is incredible. Recorded nigh on three decades ago, the slashing, slapping rhythm, with its swirling echoes and undertones, could easily be a blue-print for tomorrow’s ultra-chic club-music. Weber, of course, elevates sound to a far higher plane than that devoted to repetitive movement. Within every track, his art is evolving, and the results are simply extraordinary.

With its slowly unfurling soundscape and Eastern tones, Delirium is no less affecting. Above an undercurrent of vibrating, shifting tones, Weber lets the bass strings dance as expressively as any guitar ever has. It is hard to imagine any player reaching the same level of mercurial communication. Looped lines fly like falcons, graceful, powerful and full of purpose. Over this, Weber coaxes an astonishing breadth of sound from his instrument, from lyrical runs to sax-like squawks and wails, reminding us that he is a unique performer, a one-off whose vision is immense.

A lengthy cover, perhaps exploration would be a better word, of My Favourite Things is a standout. This is ‘total music’ as another fine bass-player, Jah Wobble, might put it. Here, rhythm and melody combine completely, spilling out fuzzy edges, dense splashes and coalescing patterns which sound wholly organic; a living, breathing entity throbbing with life. Weber pierces the beating heart of the tune, turning it inside out like a subtle piece of origami, unfolding it again into four dimensions – familiar yet transformed. Air takes us out, a brooding, spiralling number which features some spell-binding finger-work.

Fans of Weber, and fans of ECM, are bound to treasure this release. It’s a fascinating document of the musician at his best, and there are few who could match his wondrous jazz canvases.

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hEre nOw theN is just such a beast – ten tracks of solo guitar from Athens-based Giorgos Tabakis. Tabakis certainly has the requisite skills and knowledge. He started learning the classical style aged ten, before spending years studying jazz guitar, harmony, theory and composition from renowned player Andreas Georgiou. What makes this album especially interesting is that here Tabakis plays an eight-stringed guitar, a GT 8 MOOV, to be precise. It’s a fascinating instrument, which somewhat resembles a medieval crossbow. It’s also a challenging instrument, but then Tabakis is likewise proficient on the sitar, the sarod, the didgeridoo and even the Tibetan Horn.

Attraction, opens the show, and a beautiful opening it is. Tabakis uses the increased dynamic range of the eight-string guitar to full effect, setting up rolling, nuanced bass-lines simultaneously with higher-pitched melodies. In fact, the roles of the two often swap, with bass and then treble taking the lead. It’s a wondrous performance. The skill on display here is incredible. Most impressively, the music itself is gripping. By turns adventurous, rhythmic and questing,Tabakis takes us on a wonderful journey full of unexpected detours into fascinating nooks and crannies.

This standard is matched by the rest of the album, though Tabakis injects a lovely variety into the set. Touch drifts by on delicate clouds of ringing melody, saying as much in its spaces as in its fluid, running lines. Tabakis is never content just to set up a groove. Nothing feels predictable here, yet at the same time the music is never obtuse. Emotion lies at the core of Tabakis’ music, and that emotion is channelled through mesmerizing technique. It”s a cliché, but you will utterly forget that this is a solo album.

Dream Within A Dream conjures up all the nuanced mystery of the Poe short story from which it undoubtedly takes its name. Tabakis explores the upper register here to great affect, constructing an ephemeral staircase of notes which will lead you up into mysterious clouds. Alternating crystal-clear expressions with muggy chords and slapped effects, Dream Within A Dream is a striking and memorable piece. Once again, Tabakis utilises the breadth of the eight-string’s vocabulary in surprising, exhilarating fashion.

Dust drifts by delicately, both dense and meaningful. It’s a brief, poignant statement which seems to speak of fate, time and all in-between. The rousing, bopping Soul And Body begins with a lovely bass-line before veering off in multiple, captivating directions, like a bunch of fireworks going off. Again, however, Takabis keeps the music accessible and moving. His simultaneous bass-and-melody style is captivating.

hEre nOw theN offers ten highly thoughtful, highly emotive tracks which are both fun and inspiring to listen to. Aside from admiring Tabakis’ technique, it’s clear that a huge amount of effort and planning has gone into these tracks, and the rewards are there to hear.

The post Giorgos Tabakis – ‘hEre nOw theN’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Opener Studio Venezia makes for a fascinating listen. Serafimova’s spiralling marimba lines swirl like autumn leaves picked up on a breeze, over a shimmering backdrop of “found sounds” and delicate electronic tones. Snippets of percussion blow and rustle, summoning a skeletal framework which suggests, more than builds, a sonic base. Mare A Mare, in contrast, rattles along at pace, the perfect score for a classy, contemporary thriller. Drums thud softly yet urgently, unidentifiable sounds click and drive. The marimba is the glue which binds these disparate elements together, weaving fascinating lines. As a percussive instrument, it provides both melodic and rhythmic elements. This is beguiling music indeed.

There’s an impressive variety here. The Dawn, with its ghostly vocals, unfurls slowly but also urgently. A thudding bass drum pounds the beat. Mesmeric marimba patterns whirl in stereo. An ominous bed of synth arises. If this were the soundtrack to a film, it would have to be one by Christopher Nolan, playing with big ideas and notions of time and space. White Circle Canteen offers up a dazzling waterfall of sound. Hidden voices chant, chimes ring and, when the beat comes, it is compelling and never obvious. The melody, too, is gorgeous in a thoughtful manner. Were they to make simple pop, Chloé & Serafimova would be in-demand producers for all the leading R&B acts, but that would restrain the pair’s creative imagination far too much.

Balani bounces playfully in off-kilter rhythms, building steam like a retro-future express train, running joyously and magically through a fairytale night. It’s worth stating, once again, that although this is highly accessible music, there is plenty of depth on offer. Repeated listens will bring much reward. Driveway slows things down, in pace if not in feel, hitting a spot somewhere in-between John Carpenter and Kraftwerk. A slower-tempo version of Mare A Mare makes for an enjoyable end to this fine, fine album.

The post Chloé & Vassilena Serafimova – ‘Sequenza’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

The much-loved standard, Black Coffee, opens the set. Tackling a song made famous by Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald is courageous, to say the least. From fluttering strings and shimmering cymbals, Ruimy’s version surges forth impressively before descending into that famous bass-line. The production and arrangement here are first-rate, with plenty of orchestral swells and subtle adornments. Ruimy’s intimate, understated and whispery vocals make for a pleasant counterpoint; a delicate butterfly around which the assembled players circle and swoop. That it is a memorable version in its own right is the highest compliment I can give.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me, sung in French, is a breathy, kitsch delight. Wistful accordions and keening strings are wonderfully placed. The song soon opens up into a shuffling, swinging number, with gypsy violins and bouncing brass. Perhaps the most interesting selection here, a cover of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android, is also one of the most effective. Over twinkling keys and hand-percussion, Ruimy and company weave a wide-open spell which effortlessly draws the listener in. Subtle touches of cello and more of those shimmering strings are employed judiciously. There’s an evident touch of Moroccan style here. The exotic charm stems not only from Ruimy’s voice, but from qualities within the music itself; a certain sway which seeps up from its core.

J’ai Deux Amours lilts and sways, with gentle guitar flourishes. As with every song here, a certain dreamy 60s feel permeates. Indeed, had this record been released during the Summer Of Love you would not have been surprised. Black Coffee, however, does not sound in any manner dated or contrived. There’s an earnest love which bubbles up through the arrangements and Ruimy tackles everything with zeal and heart. Video Games floats by on clouds of cinematic strings with a big-band aesthetic. It is dramatic, stirring stuff. La Vie En Rose closes the show. It takes a singer with personality to carry this off, and Ruimy does so admirably. Plenty of space is left in the arrangement, which allows for nuanced touches of piano, accordion and violin to grab the ear.

Black Coffee is an ambitious and wonderfully-produced album. Karen Ruimy carries enough charm and talent to do the songs justice.

Karen Ruimy – vocals; Conrad Korsch – upright and electric bass; Robbie Kondor – piano; Jamshied Sharifi – keys, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes; Jim Oblon – drums; Rodney Jones – guitar; Frank Filipetti – engineering and mixing; Cashybear (Tim Ross) c/o Z Management – string arrangements.

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