If you’re looking for some great new music to discover this weekend, look no further than our weekly New Release Cheat Sheet. This week, a Tommaso Moretti video premiere, a rediscovered Louis Armstrong television performance, some of today’s most notable album releases and more.
New Music and Videos
Tommaso Moretti, “Italiano in America” [Video Premiere]
“Italiano in America” is the opening track from Italian drummer/composer Tommaso Moretti’s new album, Inside Out, which will be released on May 6. Tension, propulsive changes and upended resolutions characterize the recording, which reflects on themes of immigration and refugees. Its accompanying video by Puddingstone Multimedia, premiering below, reflects and expands on this concept via historical footage of Italian immigrants in America from over 100 years ago morphing with more recent footage of African immigrants crossing the Mediterranean and settling in Italy. The video includes sketches by Jorge Orozco and original artworks by Alex V. Puryear.
Louis Armstrong, “On the Sunny Side of the Street”
The Ed Sullivan Show‘s YouTube channel is sharing iconic appearances by jazz artists throughout the month of April for Jazz Appreciation Month. The month’s celebrations kicked off with Louis Armstrong’s performance of “On the Sunny Side of the Street” from 1957. Other segments highlight performances by such greats as Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, the Dave Brubeck Quartet and more. These clips are being made available worldwide via streaming platforms from UMe and SOFA Entertainment.
Nduduzo Makhathini, “Senze’Nina”
New imprint Blue Note Africa launches with the release of In the Spirit of Ntu, the new album by South African pianist/composer/healer Nduduzo Makhathini. Due out May 27, the record finds Makhathini condensing the thematic, sonic and conceptual notions explored over his catalog into a layered, yet accessible ten-track album with a band consisting of some of South Africa’s most exciting young musicians. The announcement comes with the release of its powerful lead single, “Senze’Nina,” which Makhathini describes as “a meditation on renewal.”
New Albums
Chad Fowler and Matthew Shipp, Old Stories (Mahakala)
A completely improvised duet session, Old Stories documents two acute improvisational minds at work in real-time and the first real-life encounter between Chad Fowler and Matthew Shipp. Owing to century-old reference points both players rely on, as well as the tension in their contrasting approaches, this project is a meeting between the saxophonist’s Southern R&B influence and the pianist’s unique brand of modern improvisation.
High Pulp, Pursuit of Ends (ANTI-)
Seattle experimental jazz act High Pulp’s music draws on a wide range of genres, including bebop, punk rock, shoegaze, hip-hop and electronic music. Today, they released their first album, Pursuit of Ends via ANTI- Records. Both vintage and futuristic, its songs offer a balance of meticulousness with visceral spontaneity and showcase raw power virtuosic performances.
Ben Markley Big Band with Ari Hoenig, Ari’s Funhouse (OA2)
Pianist Ben Markley and drummer Ari Hoenig, whose creative partnership dates back to their 2019 meeting at the Tarleton Jazz Festival, will release their first collaborative album on April 15. Ari’s Funhouse features some of Honeig’s most beloved and adventurous compositions with big band arrangements by Markley. This joyful and powerful album is out today and you can order it HERE.
Click here to find out about more great new jazz albums out this month (April 2021) that you need to know about.
Featured photo by Barbara Moretti.
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