Review: Debuts from the Deep End

Review, From the Magazine, Bag of Bones, Room 31, Ayumi Ishito, Teiku

By Ivana Ng I Jul. 23, 2024

Teiku plays to the spiritual side of Jewish ancestral songs with avant-jazz soundscapes.
(Photo: Jamie Feldman)

577 Records has a knack for discovering exceptional emerging artists and bringing them to the forefront of jazz and improvisation. This year, the Brooklyn-based independent record label has released four debut albums that demonstrate the diverse range and fluidity of its roster. The London-based quartet Bag of Bones leans toward lyrical melodies and buoyant, accessible improvisation on No One Gets Saved (39:49 ★★★½), while Room 31’s Crazy Town (37:49 ★★★½) and saxophonist Ayumi Ishito’s The Roboquarians, Vol. 1 (54:29 ★★★½) are more influenced by the downtown New York scene. The fourth debut album, the self-titled Teiku (57:39 ★★★★), is more spiritual in nature, using the bandleaders’ Jewish ancestral songs as a foundation for its electronic avant-jazz soundscapes.

From the outset, Bag of Bones propels us forward with punchy piano and percussion on “Onwards And Upwards,” setting the stage for the uninhibited energy that permeates throughout. Tenor saxophonist Riley Stone-Lonergan dances between loose bebop melodies and high-energy bursts, while Oli Hayhurst’s understated bass provides a steady foundation. “Chinny Reckon” showcases the quartet’s ability to create controlled chaos, punctuated by Rick Simpson’s uplifting piano. “For T.C.” offers a dark interlude, with drummer Will Glaser’s atmospheric beats and the sinewy call-and-response between Stone-Lonergan and Simpson. There is a level of ease and mastery to the quartet’s improvisation that is rare to see in a first outing.

Room 31’s Crazy Town has a more solemn, atmospheric vibe. Released on 577’s Positive Elevation sub-label, this record is a vessel to showcase the label’s dedication to experimental electronic music and avant soul. Baritone saxophonist Greg Sinibaldi and drummer/bassist Marlon Patton channel the experience of relocating to New York City as artists into frenetic free improvisation, electronic soundscapes and psychedelic soul motifs. Patton’s jangly percussion and Sinibaldi’s measured melodic lines on the NuRAD evoke a journey through uncharted territories on “The Jackal.” The title track pulsates with kinetic energy and avant-rock aesthetics. As the drums gradually build into a driving beat, Sinibaldi imbues the track with an otherworldly texture. Patton’s unrelenting yet understated backbeat provides a foil to Sinibaldi’s bluesy lines on the NuRAD and blustery, angular melodies on the saxophone.

Saxophonist Ayumi Ishito’s The Roboquarians, Vol. 1, which features guitarist George Draguns and drummer Kevin Shea, is probably the most avant garde of these in that it really leans into dissonance and angularity. “Dusseldorf Sunrise” juxtaposes frenetic electronic textures with genre-shattering motifs to evoke the feeling of being dropped into the middle of a musical maelstrom. “Diamonds In Bb” takes a different approach, with Dragon’s slow, methodical acoustic melody floating atop Shea’s furious drums to create a mesmerizing contrast between the meditative and the chaotic. “Mia Slavenska” and “Vibrations For Erzulie” delve into the realms of fluidity and femininity, with Ishito’s saxophone taking center stage amid hypnotic percussion and bright, jangly guitar melodies. Throughout the album, the trio demonstrates tight cohesion and imaginative improvisation.

Co-led by pianist Josh Harlow and percussionist Jonathan Barahal Taylor, Teiku is a quintet that uses free-jazz to explore and connect with the bandleaders’ Jewish-Ukranian heritage. Their eponymous debut album breathes new life into traditional Passover melodies that have been passed down the generations through aural tradition. Recordings of Harlow’s and Taylor’s parents reciting their family Passover hymns are weaved throughout the album, grounding the music in a profound sense of history and lineage. The interplay between instruments is masterful, with the woodwinds, played by Jaribu Shahid, Peter Formanek and Rafael Leafar, providing a deep, earthy resonance on “Ki Leh Noeh” and “Psalm 136.” The album culminates with “Echad Mi Yodea,” an intimate exploration of spiritual and mental liberation, as gongs and singing bowls mingle with sparse woodwinds and archival vocals. Teiku is a testament to the power of music to transcend time and space, offering listeners a journey of introspection and spiritual connection. Together, these albums show the depth and breadth of experimental music today. DB

Ordering info: 577records.com