Music Monday: Grossmann, Allen, Crocker and Fortner

I’ve been listening to recent music lately as the pace of new releases has accelerated in the run up to the holidays. And it’s been pretty great.

For example, I’ve been very much enjoying Murriel Grossmann’s Breakthrough and absolutely loving the interplay between Grossmann’s sax and Radomir Milojkovic’s guitar. Grossmann sees her work in the tradition of spiritual jazz and this album does nothing to challenge her claim:

Grossmann’s meditative compositions and playing find a complement in JD Allen’s latest release. I’ve always enjoy Allen’s more blues inflected playing especially his two volumes of Americana (from 2016 and vol. 2 in 2022 with Charlie Hunter on it). His albums of ballads reminds me a bit of Archie Shepp’s more ballad-y work where tone and phrasing comes to the fore. To be clear Allen’s tone and style is not quite as distinctive as Shepp’s but it works. I think Brandon McCune’s piano, which the Downbeat review described as “uncommonly plush and billowy” works well for these pieces. 

Finally, I am blown away about Theo Crocker’s and Sullivan Fortner’s album Play. Crocker’s recent recordings have felt a bit too R&B and even hiphop inflected to get repeated listenings in my house. Crocker’s willingness to record some straight ahead jazz (with just enough of his characteristic edgy virtuosity to remind us that this is serious business). 

It reminds me a bit of some of Wadada Leo Smith’s duets with Vijay Iyer or (most recently) Sylvie Courvoisier. 

As a bonus album for today, check out Meklit’s latest A Piece of Infinity.