A couple of maverick albums to look forward to in 2015... and one to shrug your shoulders about. The only time perhaps that Zheyna Strigalev, Troyka, and Kenny G have ended up in the same sentence together.
Strigalev made his name hosting gigs at Hoxton club Charlie Wright’s and these days his blistering alto sound crops up in ever more advanced company. His new Smiling Organizm album Robin Goodie quirkily shackles together the legend of Robin Hood and boogie-woogie. Well that’s what the acrobatic saxophonist is saying tongue firmly in cheek and I’m guessing it’s his Biro as much as his undeniable brio that has mapped out “You Are Right Here” in the deliberately amateur artwork inside. Strigalev is with a rejigged Organizm line-up on this Whirlwind Recordings release appearing with acclaimed trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and equally in-demand pianist Taylor Eigsti new to the band’s recording set-up joining Weltentraum bass guitarist Tim Lefebvre, Brad Mehldau double bassist Larry Grenadier and Charles Lloyd quartet drummer Eric Harland from last time around on this rocket-propelled bebop dash expected in February.
Troyka have changed record companies moving to Naim for their new album Ornithophobia due in late-January. There can’t be many jazz albums recorded in Eton College but the three-piece certainly don’t stand on ceremony at all moving if anything even deeper into arcane prog-jazz mode channelling Lifetime along the way as well as indulging guitarist Chris Montague’s enduring fascination for the music of Allan Holdsworth.
And by complete contrast Kenny G’s Brazilian Nights also due in late-January is his G-ness’ fourteenth studio album, a sentimental throw-away bossa nova ball of fluff paying tribute to Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond, and Stan Getz. Half of it is co-written with co-producer Walter Afanasieff, known for his work with Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. The big news is the deluxe version is available with coffee and a mug. SG