We Jazz is a label based in Helsinki, Finland, releasing cutting edge music on the jazz lineage. Founded by DJ/designer Matti Nives in 2016 and based on ever-expanding love for records and the stories they can tell about the music, We Jazz Records initially took shape as a vinyl operation that quickly expanded into other formats, now releasing most of its releases on LP, CD and digital formats, with the occasional tape here and there. The music on the label is curated without geographic boundaries and with the basic idea of pushing things forward on the broad field of "jazz," whether is acoustic avantgarde or mainstream influenced expression, genre-bending futuristic music that's equally at home filed next to abstract electronic music, or some other thing, yet unknown. For We Jazz, the genre shout-out presents a starting point, rather than a conclusion. We Jazz also runs a "sibling label" (Other Power), an internationally distributed magazine and two festivals (We Jazz Festival and Odysseus Festival). Since spring 2023, We Jazz operates Helsinki's legendary Digelius Music record store, originally established in 1971.
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WJMAG 013
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$28.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 11/29/2024
All articles presented in English. Includes "Mary Lou Williams" by Anton Spice, "Tomeka Reid" by Michael Mikesell, "Horace Silver" by Seymour Wright, "Wind Up & Julius Eastman" by Marc Medwin, "Esmond Edwars at Prestige" by Francis Gooding, "Contemporary Ethio-Jazz" by Nathan Hamelberg,
"Ivo Perelman & Matthew Shipp" by Phil Freeman, "Arooj Aftab" by Rob Garratt, "John Surman" by Bret Sjerven, "Punk Jazz with Benjamin Herman" by Danny Veekens, "Discaholic Column" by Mats Gustafsson, Odysseus Festival 2024 photo report, reviews, and more. 128 pages, 170 x 240 mm in size and printed on 140g Edixion paper with laminated 300g Invercote covers.
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WJLP 062LP
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$28.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 11/15/2024
Mysterious quartet Oaagaada has for some years been one of the best-kept secrets in the vibrant Finnish scene. Now, the band is ready to share their eagerly-awaited debut album on We Jazz Records. Oaagaada's music is "togetherness music" in the lineage and spirit of the great acoustic free jazz innovators, but always moving forward and developing on its own path. This music is far-removed from the sterile "contemporary hi-fi sounds" but it doesn't mean that it would be decidedly "lo-fi" either. Recorded at the band's home base, Hämeenlinna's Odd Funk studios, this is simply how Oaagaada sounds, and their album rendition is true to the band's much-loved live energy. Music Of Oaagaada flows naturally, with the opener "Oag-Ada Sweet" clocking in at mere 52 seconds, and the longform four-part Suite Tuli ("tuli" is "fire" in Finnish) heating up the entire side B of the LP. "Seagull Shapes", driven by the meditative sounds of the shruti box, makes for thrilling listening and echoes the spirit of the likes of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders without sounding that much like either of them. Live, Oaagaada is at home in acoustic settings which offer proximity and intimacy with their listeners. RIYL: Art Ensemble Of Chicago, ESP-Disk', Archie Shepp, Don Cherry.
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WJLP 073LP
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LP version. Peter Evans makes his We Jazz Records debut with Extra. The band formation includes Evans on trumpet, Petter Eldh (Koma Saxo/Post Koma) on bass and Jim Black on drums. Peter Evans, an acclaimed trumpet player, improvisor, and composer based in New York City presents a gutsy new band that gets right to work with his eight new compositions. Extra was recorded at the iconic Namouche Studio in Lisbon and it has a feeling of a session where all musicians are pushing for the new together with great excitement. Both Eldh and Black are long-time collaborators of Evans, and every ounce of Extra brims with musical joy of togetherness and new discovery. Comprised of eight Evans originals, the album is a firecracker set off from the first beats of album opener "Freaks". While Peter Evans is often lauded for his remarkable technical prowess, he is first and foremost serving his broader musical vision at all times. That is, the remarkable musical ability of the trio doesn't outshine how together the unit is in realizing the music at hand. The strong rhythmic base of Eldh and Black allows for Evans to push his compositions to their limits and for the band to find new avenues of expression together while doing so. Tracks like "Freaks", "In See" and "Boom" are full on forward-looking fire music with more heat than a sunny day in Lisbon, while "Movement 56" and "The Lighthouse" flip the script in ways that stun and surprise like an alleyway you only discovered after taking a couple of left turns far away from the high street. This is effortless creative music by a band that's comfortable together while pushing each other forward at all times.
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WJLP 077LP
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$28.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 11/1/2024
It Was Always Time, the debut duo release from Berke Can Özcan and Jonah Parzen-Johnson on We Jazz Records, is a refreshing and full-throated expression of joy and curiosity. In a year when 76 countries hold national elections and listeners find themselves in an existential battle against apathy and cynicism, this effortlessly authentic album offers an innocent reminder that the antidote to stagnation is curiosity and the fuel for change is the joy of building something transformative together. In April 2022, Brooklyn based baritone saxophonist, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, found himself on a flight from New York to Istanbul to play a one-off duo concert with a veteran drummer and sound designer at the center of Istanbul's vibrant music scene, Berke Can Özcan. They met for the first time 30 minutes before soundcheck. The concert that followed could have been the culmination of years of collaboration. Both urgent and timeless, their musical partnership is instantly solid, innocent and joyful. Recorded across continents, time zones, and cultures, It Was Always Time meticulously builds on itself, weaving layers of found-sound samples over acoustic percussion to frame poignant saxophone melodies that melt into rich synth interludes. Although the album is almost completely improvised, the depth of texture and devotion to melody make it feel through-composed. From track to track, each musician places their trust in the other, and as ambition evolves into empathy, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. This is not a protest album, or music that sets out to directly change the world. Rather, in the subtle way that only art is capable of, the music made by this international duo of strangers turned friends is a reminder: Be curious, find joy, build something better together. It's time. It was always time.
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WJCD 073CD
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Peter Evans makes his We Jazz Records debut with Extra. The band formation includes Evans on trumpet, Petter Eldh (Koma Saxo/Post Koma) on bass and Jim Black on drums. Peter Evans, an acclaimed trumpet player, improvisor, and composer based in New York City presents a gutsy new band that gets right to work with his eight new compositions. Extra was recorded at the iconic Namouche Studio in Lisbon and it has a feeling of a session where all musicians are pushing for the new together with great excitement. Both Eldh and Black are long-time collaborators of Evans, and every ounce of Extra brims with musical joy of togetherness and new discovery. Comprised of eight Evans originals, the album is a firecracker set off from the first beats of album opener "Freaks". While Peter Evans is often lauded for his remarkable technical prowess, he is first and foremost serving his broader musical vision at all times. That is, the remarkable musical ability of the trio doesn't outshine how together the unit is in realizing the music at hand. The strong rhythmic base of Eldh and Black allows for Evans to push his compositions to their limits and for the band to find new avenues of expression together while doing so. Tracks like "Freaks", "In See" and "Boom" are full on forward-looking fire music with more heat than a sunny day in Lisbon, while "Movement 56" and "The Lighthouse" flip the script in ways that stun and surprise like an alleyway you only discovered after taking a couple of left turns far away from the high street. This is effortless creative music by a band that's comfortable together while pushing each other forward at all times.
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WJLP 067LP
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Finnish duo Lampen presents their second album Halogen on We Jazz Records. Lampen is Kalle Kalima and Tatu Rönkkö. Kalle plays guitar, Tatu plays percussions and sampler. The band makes its home between Helsinki and Berlin, where Kalima is based. Lampen's sound is reminiscent of the wide-screen meditations of the likes of Earth and The Necks, but on a territory of their own. Think meditative deep contemporary jazz drawing from way outside of the genre's borders and landing somewhere with heightened levels of low-key sonic intensity. Ideas form in time and nothing is rushed, and when you land in the full eruption of the duo's force, you get there surprisingly yet logically.
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WJCD 072CD
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Finnish quartet Superposition returns with their second album, II, on We Jazz Records, led by drummer Olavi Louhivuori, Superposition features Linda Fredriksson and Adele Sauros on saxes and Mikael Saastamoinen on bass. Having won the EMMA prize for the Finnish jazz album of the year with their debut, Superposition takes leaps forward with their remarkably strong new album, taking the quartet's acoustic free jazz-based sound towards a more melodic, flowing direction. Superposition, a sought-after live combo, is first and foremost a solid group that understands the power of developing their music together. Each of the four members bring in compositions for album number two, and they all write in a way that serves the band's overall sound. Olavi Louhivuori, the band's de facto leader, has composed four of the nine tracks, but there is no hierarchy here and the Superposition sound is certainly a shared one. Introspective, moody passages ebb and flow naturally with the fire spirit of the band that snaps, crackles and pops with the best of them. Think of acoustic freedom jazz lineage set in motion by the likes of Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, and many more. Already the starting three tracks show you the many shades of the unified band, from the sneaking intensity of the first single "Clouding" via the subdued tension of "Clashes" into the all-out gallop of "Huia." There's something both intimate and anthemic in the sound of Superposition. The band's music has a strong narrative, making II a true aural "page-turner."
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WJLP 072LP
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LP version. Finnish quartet Superposition returns with their second album, II, on We Jazz Records, led by drummer Olavi Louhivuori, Superposition features Linda Fredriksson and Adele Sauros on saxes and Mikael Saastamoinen on bass. Having won the EMMA prize for the Finnish jazz album of the year with their debut, Superposition takes leaps forward with their remarkably strong new album, taking the quartet's acoustic free jazz-based sound towards a more melodic, flowing direction. Superposition, a sought-after live combo, is first and foremost a solid group that understands the power of developing their music together. Each of the four members bring in compositions for album number two, and they all write in a way that serves the band's overall sound. Olavi Louhivuori, the band's de facto leader, has composed four of the nine tracks, but there is no hierarchy here and the Superposition sound is certainly a shared one. Introspective, moody passages ebb and flow naturally with the fire spirit of the band that snaps, crackles and pops with the best of them. Think of acoustic freedom jazz lineage set in motion by the likes of Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, and many more. Already the starting three tracks show you the many shades of the unified band, from the sneaking intensity of the first single "Clouding" via the subdued tension of "Clashes" into the all-out gallop of "Huia." There's something both intimate and anthemic in the sound of Superposition. The band's music has a strong narrative, making II a true aural "page-turner."
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MAG
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WJMAG 012
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The twelfth issue of We Jazz Magazine, Worldwide for Gilles Peterson. 128 pages, 170 x 240 mm in size and printed on 140g Edixion paper with laminated 300g Invercote covers. All articles presented in English. Includes "Gilles Peterson" by Anton Spice, "Ingrid Laubrock" by Stewart Smith, "Hannibal Lokumbe" by Bret Sjerven, "Universal Folks Sounds" by Magnus Nygren, "Spoken Word/Free Jazz" by Alex Coles, "Dutch Jazz Archive" by Danny Veekens, "Takuya Kuroda" by Rob Garratt, "Jan Roder and Michael Griener of Die Enttäuschung" by Bill Meyer, "divr" by Daryl Worthington, "Astro Can Caravan" by Wif Stenger, "Discaholic Column" by Mats Gustafsson, "J Jazz 1955-88" by Tony Higgins, album reviews, and more.
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2LP
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WJLP 070LP
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Chicago's Black Diamond debuts on We Jazz Records with their new album Furniture Of the Mind Rearranging. Co-led by Artie Black and Hunter Diamond (composers, saxophones, and other woodwinds), Black Diamond appears in both quartet and duo formations. The first three album sides present the quartet, complete with long standing band members Matt Ulery (double bass) and Neil Hemphill (drums), under the heading "Furniture Of the Mind." The remaining two tracks on side D fall under the title "The Mind Rearranging," with Black and Diamond presenting a meditative duo encounter of two tenor saxophones. Furniture Of the Mind Rearranging is an assemblage of new compositions and improvisations that develop the band's established sound and exemplify the way in which this band folds into the Chicago creative music community. The quartet traverses their familiar aesthetic ranges between driving off-kilter groove, plaintive minimalism, and intimate chamber music, with the ever-present spirit of small-group jazz and a hovering influence of Chicago's improvised music culture. And while this collection represents three previous albums and more than a decade of close kinship and artistic evolution between co-leaders Black and Diamond, neither are too precious about any one element on the album. This is very simply the latest work in what continues to be an expanding body work founded on a guiding principle: cultivation without expectation. "Say To Yourself" epitomizes Black Diamond's flexibility, moving with a sense of inevitability between danceable grooves and abstracted improvisation. On this track the band develops material collaboratively, speaking a shared language born out of a decade of growth as an ensemble. The main theme of the piece emphasizes the distinctive blend of Black and Diamond's tenors, unfolded through rhythmic layering and permutation often evident in Black's compositional voice. The two long form duo improvisations "Mycelium" and "Motor Neurons" that make up "The Mind Rearranging" teem with visual prompts and miniature tone-poems. In this instance, the music takes a leap forward as a stark two-saxophone dialogue reminiscent of the austere and nuanced duo recordings of BAG (Black Artists Group) saxophonists Oliver Lake and Julius Hemphill's "Buster Bee" or the title track of AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) saxophonists Joseph Jarman and Anthony Braxton's "Together Alone." The four sides with two formations flow together in a natural way, forming an idiosyncratic musical entity that is sure to grow with each new spin on the turntable.
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WJ 7019EP
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Finnish drummer/producer Teppo "Teddy Rok" Mäkynen returns with his alias The Stance Brothers with Sao Paolo/Timmy, a new 7" release on We Jazz Records. Lauded by the likes of DJ Koco aka Shimokita, Kenny Dope, and Gilles Peterson, Mäkynen's studio creation released the new album Duktus in November 2023, the project's first full length in more than ten years. He is now back with a new version of album cut "Sao Paolo" plus an unreleased new track, "Timmy," the project a treasure-trove for everyone into crunchy jazz funk à la Bob James and CTI, but this is no retro exercise. Teddy Rok moves forward in all directions, constantly bringing new elements into his sound, which is more-layered and deep than ever before. At the same time, the crunch and the breaks are there when you need them. The Stance 7" sides are often dominated by crunchy drums and crystal-clear vibraphone melodies, and that's the overall vibe here, too. That being said, Mäkynen keeps things moving forward at all times, achieving moments of pure bliss with tracks that sound compact but expand far and wide both emotionally and musically. The Stance Brothers are active live as a four-piece band, appearing live over the summer in Finland at Odysseus Festival and Flow Festival in Helsinki, plus G Livelab Tampere. RIYL: Roy Ayers, Mizell Brothers, Bobby Hutcherson, Cesar Mariano, Patrice Rushen, George Duke, Madlib's Mind Fusion Mixtapes.
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WJLP 071LP
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Guitar explorer Nels Cline is best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco. His recording and performing career -- spanning jazz, rock, punk, and experimental -- is well into its fourth decade, with over 200 recordings, including at least 30 for which he is leader. Beyond Wilco, Cline has, in the last few years, performed and recorded in a duo project with guitarist Julian Lage as well as in his quartet The Nels Cline 4 (featuring Lage plus bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Tom Rainey). Other collaborators include Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, Elliott Sharp, Tim Berne, Jim Black, Larry Ochs, Phil Lesh, Medeski, and Martin & Wood, among many others. Nels currently collaborates with his partner Yuka Honda as the duo CUP, performs as Stretch Woven with percussionist Scott Amendola, and has led The Nels Cline Singers for 23 years. Chris Corsano is a New York-based drummer who has been active at the intersections of collective improvisation, free jazz, avant-rock, and experimental music since the late 1990's. He's been the rim-batterer of choice for some of the greatest contemporary purveyors of "jazz" and "rock," as well as artists beyond categorization. His dedication to collective improvisation has led to Corsano to join forces with many kindred spirits and his appearance on over 180 records and thousands of live performances. Darin Gray is known as a solo artist, tireless collaborator, session bassist, improviser, composer, educator, Jim O'Rourke's go-to bassist for over 25 years, as half of the long standing duo On Fillmore, as the touring bassist for TWEEDY, as a member of Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi, and as the bassist for Grand Ulena, Dazzling Killmen, You Fantastic!, and Brise-Glace. Darin's discography includes over 150 releases. Its Glenn Kotche's ability to thrive in different and seemingly disparate worlds -- that really makes him stand out as a drummer, percussionist and composer. Since 2001, Kotche has been the rhythmic anchor in the rock band Wilco, garnering a Grammy award and seven Grammy nominations. He has appeared on over 150 recordings by artists as diverse as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Jim O'Rourke, First Aid Kit, Neil Finn, John Luther Adams, Iron and Wine, Radiohead's Phil Selway & Ed O'Brien, Missy Mazzoli, Andrew Bird and KD Lang, and Neko Case & Laura Viers.
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WJLP 071X-LP
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Yellow color vinyl version. Guitar explorer Nels Cline is best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco. His recording and performing career -- spanning jazz, rock, punk, and experimental -- is well into its fourth decade, with over 200 recordings, including at least 30 for which he is leader. Beyond Wilco, Cline has, in the last few years, performed and recorded in a duo project with guitarist Julian Lage as well as in his quartet The Nels Cline 4 (featuring Lage plus bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Tom Rainey). Other collaborators include Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, Elliott Sharp, Tim Berne, Jim Black, Larry Ochs, Phil Lesh, Medeski, and Martin & Wood, among many others. Nels currently collaborates with his partner Yuka Honda as the duo CUP, performs as Stretch Woven with percussionist Scott Amendola, and has led The Nels Cline Singers for 23 years. Chris Corsano is a New York-based drummer who has been active at the intersections of collective improvisation, free jazz, avant-rock, and experimental music since the late 1990's. He's been the rim-batterer of choice for some of the greatest contemporary purveyors of "jazz" and "rock," as well as artists beyond categorization. His dedication to collective improvisation has led to Corsano to join forces with many kindred spirits and his appearance on over 180 records and thousands of live performances. Darin Gray is known as a solo artist, tireless collaborator, session bassist, improviser, composer, educator, Jim O'Rourke's go-to bassist for over 25 years, as half of the long standing duo On Fillmore, as the touring bassist for TWEEDY, as a member of Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi, and as the bassist for Grand Ulena, Dazzling Killmen, You Fantastic!, and Brise-Glace. Darin's discography includes over 150 releases. Its Glenn Kotche's ability to thrive in different and seemingly disparate worlds -- that really makes him stand out as a drummer, percussionist and composer. Since 2001, Kotche has been the rhythmic anchor in the rock band Wilco, garnering a Grammy award and seven Grammy nominations. He has appeared on over 150 recordings by artists as diverse as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Jim O'Rourke, First Aid Kit, Neil Finn, John Luther Adams, Iron and Wine, Radiohead's Phil Selway & Ed O'Brien, Missy Mazzoli, Andrew Bird and KD Lang, and Neko Case & Laura Viers.
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WJCD 066CD
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The Swedish quartet Goran Kajfe Tropiques share their new music with We Jazz Records. Tell Us, an album consisting of three long pieces composed by the group, is "slow music" to the bone, a deep body of work utilizing the language of jazz as its core mode of communication but echoing way beyond. The quartet is expanded with strings, adding wings to the music and helping it lift off the ground in a personal, highly engaging manner. The Tropiques quartet consists of Goran Kajfe (trumpet, synthesizer), Alexander Zethson (piano, organ, synthesizer), Johan Berthling (acoustic bass), and Johan Holmegard (drums) -- each a key member in the Swedish creative music scene, with experience from groups such as Dungen, Ghosted, Fire!, Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, Oddjob, plus many more, including Goran Kajfe's own Suptropic Arkestra. Their music, groove based and connected to the tradition of "minimalism" has at times been called "hypno-jazz." Tropiques initially came together in 2011 when Kajfe was commissioned to compose and perform music to a performance by the Swedish modern dance company Vindhäxor. Since then, the group has evolved in its own ways and independently from, yet informed by, their origins. That is, the experience of creating music together with a strong sense of movement. All three compositions on Tell Us expand on what the Tropiques have done before, building around their signature style and its spacey texture and rooting the musical narrative in strong melody, rolling groove and their collective limitless urge for sonic exploration. As the opener "Unity In Diversity" goes to show, Tropiques's compositions are like flowers opening slowly, each element and layer growing out of what has come before, in a constantly surprising manner. This music, then, becomes the perfect antidote for the quick-fix eye candy rolling down your smartphone screen. This music will take its time, but it'll also create new dimensions with each second as it unfolds.
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WJCD 075CD
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Mirror Mirror is the new album by the Finnish jazz legend, pianist/composer Olli Ahvenlahti. Championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson and Kenny Dope, Ahvenlahti is a master of hard-grooving jazz funk. Here, he continues the evolution of his style, much-beloved since the legendary 1970s albums such as The Poet and Countenance. Ahvenlahti's new group highlights some of the best talent on the Finnish scene, including trumpeter Jukka Eskola, saxophonist Joonatan Rautio, bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen. "I'm always striving to make one more great record," Ahvenlahti says. "I'm 75 years old this year and as the years pass, this goal seems all the more concrete. Thus, Mirror Mirror feels a bit like 'now or never', an album that reflects all of my career and searches for something new at the same time." For fans of the classic Fender Rhodes-driven Ahvenlahti jazz funk sound, Mirror Mirror is manna from heaven. Earlier performances of the current group were billed as "The Poet II," which speaks of Ahvenlahti's desire to continue on the lineage of his classic '70s period, while adding new layers and hues into his signature sound. The present album is a further continuation of the idea, the next step for the band tried and tested on such sought-after performance spots as Helsinki's Flow Festival, Odysseus Festival, and Pori Jazz. Mirror Mirror is a well-balanced affair for Ahvenlahti and group, showcasing both their hard-driving funky edge and Ahvenlahti's knack at composing effortless and melodic "slow music," which strolls along at its own pace. The singles "Paint It Blue" and "Rhythm and Rhymes" drive the groove hard, with each band member bringing their soul into it, while especially on the album's last two selections, an honest form of serenity reigns supreme. Perhaps "honesty" is the key here. At 75, there is no extra effort to gain recognition or short-term goals with Olli Ahvenlahti. This is "simply" beautiful new work from a seasoned artist and a scene legend, whose wisdom extends beyond mere composition and performance into the social workings of a jazz quintet. He knows how to make music where everyone can bring in their core musicianship and also be challenged to top what they knew before getting in. RIYL: Olli Ahvenlahti, The Poet and Bandstand, classic jazz funk à la Bob James, Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen, and Mizell Brothers productions.
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WJLP 075LP
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LP version. Mirror Mirror is the new album by the Finnish jazz legend, pianist/composer Olli Ahvenlahti. Championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson and Kenny Dope, Ahvenlahti is a master of hard-grooving jazz funk. Here, he continues the evolution of his style, much-beloved since the legendary 1970s albums such as The Poet and Countenance. Ahvenlahti's new group highlights some of the best talent on the Finnish scene, including trumpeter Jukka Eskola, saxophonist Joonatan Rautio, bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen. "I'm always striving to make one more great record," Ahvenlahti says. "I'm 75 years old this year and as the years pass, this goal seems all the more concrete. Thus, Mirror Mirror feels a bit like 'now or never', an album that reflects all of my career and searches for something new at the same time." For fans of the classic Fender Rhodes-driven Ahvenlahti jazz funk sound, Mirror Mirror is manna from heaven. Earlier performances of the current group were billed as "The Poet II," which speaks of Ahvenlahti's desire to continue on the lineage of his classic '70s period, while adding new layers and hues into his signature sound. The present album is a further continuation of the idea, the next step for the band tried and tested on such sought-after performance spots as Helsinki's Flow Festival, Odysseus Festival, and Pori Jazz. Mirror Mirror is a well-balanced affair for Ahvenlahti and group, showcasing both their hard-driving funky edge and Ahvenlahti's knack at composing effortless and melodic "slow music," which strolls along at its own pace. The singles "Paint It Blue" and "Rhythm and Rhymes" drive the groove hard, with each band member bringing their soul into it, while especially on the album's last two selections, an honest form of serenity reigns supreme. Perhaps "honesty" is the key here. At 75, there is no extra effort to gain recognition or short-term goals with Olli Ahvenlahti. This is "simply" beautiful new work from a seasoned artist and a scene legend, whose wisdom extends beyond mere composition and performance into the social workings of a jazz quintet. He knows how to make music where everyone can bring in their core musicianship and also be challenged to top what they knew before getting in. RIYL: Olli Ahvenlahti, The Poet and Bandstand, classic jazz funk à la Bob James, Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen, and Mizell Brothers productions.
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WJLP 068LP
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$28.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 5/17/2024
Jonathan Bäckström Quartet is an acoustic improvising quartet based in Helsinki with members from Finland and Sweden. Bassist/composer Jonathan Bäckström leads the quartet and they are set on a mission to navigate and discover the music that is being created in the moment. The quartet's expression consists of minimalistic landscapes and explosive, multi-layered free improvisation and is the result of each musician bringing their individual voices to create a strong, collective statement. The group consists of Bäckström, saxophonists Adele Sauros (of Superposition) and Marcus Wärnheim, and drummer Benjamin Nylund -- each an active member of the vibrant Nordic scene. Jonathan Bäckström says: "There are many ways to approach documenting freely improvised music. At the core, this is music best experienced in the presence of now, so documenting this music raises some existential questions. This is a live-group at heart and having done some extensive touring during the last couple of years, I felt it was time to capture the 'now' based on our raw live efforts thus far. Group improvisation is at the center of our music. Most of the music heard on this album is improvised. One exception is the etude 'White Like Silver,' and while it has a predetermined form, there are still moments of subtle improvisation, too. Interpretation is key, allowing for micro-improvisations within the written music. This is a common thread throughout my compositions, enabling the performer to be spontaneous in their rendition of the music. Spontaneity is something I encourage in all of my compositions. I aim to give the performer the means to make the music their own and not to interrupt it with my own ego." RIYL: '60s early free jazz, Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, Art Ensemble of Chicago, AACM, Henry Grimes, William Parker, Peter Kowald, Julius Hemphill.
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MAG
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WJMAG 011
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The eleventh issue of We Jazz Magazine, Oni Puladi for Carla Bley. 128 pages, 170 x 240 mm in size and printed on 140g Edixion paper with laminated 300g Invercote covers. All articles presented in English. Carla Bley by Stewart Smith, Gondwana Records by Debra Richards, [Ahmed] by Seymour Wright, Amirtha Kidambi by Ayana Contreras, Ruth Goller by Daryl Worthington, Abdul Wadud by Pierre Crépon/David Neil Lee, François Jeanneau by Bret Sjerven, Mette Henriette by Debra Richards, Nduduzo Makhathini by Rob Garratt, Discaholic column by Mats Gustafsson, We Jazz Festival 2023 photo essay by Julius Töyrylä, album and live reviews, plus more.
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LP
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WJLP 066LP
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LP version. The Swedish quartet Goran Kajfe Tropiques share their new music with We Jazz Records. Tell Us, an album consisting of three long pieces composed by the group, is "slow music" to the bone, a deep body of work utilizing the language of jazz as its core mode of communication but echoing way beyond. The quartet is expanded with strings, adding wings to the music and helping it lift off the ground in a personal, highly engaging manner. The Tropiques quartet consists of Goran Kajfe (trumpet, synthesizer), Alexander Zethson (piano, organ, synthesizer), Johan Berthling (acoustic bass), and Johan Holmegard (drums) -- each a key member in the Swedish creative music scene, with experience from groups such as Dungen, Ghosted, Fire!, Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, Oddjob, plus many more, including Goran Kajfe's own Suptropic Arkestra. Their music, groove based and connected to the tradition of "minimalism" has at times been called "hypno-jazz." Tropiques initially came together in 2011 when Kajfe was commissioned to compose and perform music to a performance by the Swedish modern dance company Vindhäxor. Since then, the group has evolved in its own ways and independently from, yet informed by, their origins. That is, the experience of creating music together with a strong sense of movement. All three compositions on Tell Us expand on what the Tropiques have done before, building around their signature style and its spacey texture and rooting the musical narrative in strong melody, rolling groove and their collective limitless urge for sonic exploration. As the opener "Unity In Diversity" goes to show, Tropiques's compositions are like flowers opening slowly, each element and layer growing out of what has come before, in a constantly surprising manner. This music, then, becomes the perfect antidote for the quick-fix eye candy rolling down your smartphone screen. This music will take its time, but it'll also create new dimensions with each second as it unfolds.
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WJLP 066X-LP
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LP version. Blue and red color vinyl. The Swedish quartet Goran Kajfe Tropiques share their new music with We Jazz Records. Tell Us, an album consisting of three long pieces composed by the group, is "slow music" to the bone, a deep body of work utilizing the language of jazz as its core mode of communication but echoing way beyond. The quartet is expanded with strings, adding wings to the music and helping it lift off the ground in a personal, highly engaging manner. The Tropiques quartet consists of Goran Kajfe (trumpet, synthesizer), Alexander Zethson (piano, organ, synthesizer), Johan Berthling (acoustic bass), and Johan Holmegard (drums) -- each a key member in the Swedish creative music scene, with experience from groups such as Dungen, Ghosted, Fire!, Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, Oddjob, plus many more, including Goran Kajfe's own Suptropic Arkestra. Their music, groove based and connected to the tradition of "minimalism" has at times been called "hypno-jazz." Tropiques initially came together in 2011 when Kajfe was commissioned to compose and perform music to a performance by the Swedish modern dance company Vindhäxor. Since then, the group has evolved in its own ways and independently from, yet informed by, their origins. That is, the experience of creating music together with a strong sense of movement. All three compositions on Tell Us expand on what the Tropiques have done before, building around their signature style and its spacey texture and rooting the musical narrative in strong melody, rolling groove and their collective limitless urge for sonic exploration. As the opener "Unity In Diversity" goes to show, Tropiques's compositions are like flowers opening slowly, each element and layer growing out of what has come before, in a constantly surprising manner. This music, then, becomes the perfect antidote for the quick-fix eye candy rolling down your smartphone screen. This music will take its time, but it'll also create new dimensions with each second as it unfolds.
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WJLP 065LP
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LP version. Amirtha Kidambi has long affirmed that the role of music in the act of protest is pivotal. For an artist and activist who once cultivated community at defunct Brooklyn spaces such as Death By Audio and the Silent Barn, the 2020 protests became a place to publicly amplify the underground. That subversive spirit of collective dismantlement and reassemblage serves as the catalyst for the longform cuts that comprise New Monuments, Kidambi's third full-length recording with her band Elder Ones. As their leader writes in its accompanying liner notes, the title summons the "tearing down of old colonial and racist monuments and vestiges of power, in order to build new ones to the martyrs of struggle." Tracked at Figure 8 Studios above Prospect Park, the album is the work of an artist concerned with numerous interconnected sites of global conflict: among them, the farmers' protests over agricultural reforms in India, the evolution of the Iranian women's rights movement following the death of Mahsa Amini, and the continuous crescendoing call for Palestinian liberation. This time, the Elder Ones collective consists of saxophonist Matt Nelson, cellist Lester St. Louis, bassist Eva Lawitts, and drummer Jason Nazary -- all four of whom contribute their share of electronic textures and electroacoustic treatments. As a document of dissent, these four compositions give proof that improvisation is instrumental in the realm of resistance. Kidambi's voice hovers over a scorched sonic landscape equally informed by Black American liberation music, the devotional fervor of Indian Carnatic, and the unleashing of an inner scream listeners might associate with hardcore punk and harsh noise. The quintet then locks into a polyrhythmic pulse that conjures up the ghosts of free jazz past and present; throughout its runtime, there are flashes of Albert Ayler's love cry, Don Cherry's eternal rhythms, Alice Coltrane's ecstatic spirituality, and the fortissimo fearlessness of Kidambi's late friend and collaborator Jaimie Branch, to whom the album is partly dedicated. Above all, New Monuments is a call to action with nothing left unsaid: it demands that the drive towards change should not only be seen, but heard.
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WJLP 065X-LP
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LP version. Red color vinyl. Amirtha Kidambi has long affirmed that the role of music in the act of protest is pivotal. For an artist and activist who once cultivated community at defunct Brooklyn spaces such as Death By Audio and the Silent Barn, the 2020 protests became a place to publicly amplify the underground. That subversive spirit of collective dismantlement and reassemblage serves as the catalyst for the longform cuts that comprise New Monuments, Kidambi's third full-length recording with her band Elder Ones. As their leader writes in its accompanying liner notes, the title summons the "tearing down of old colonial and racist monuments and vestiges of power, in order to build new ones to the martyrs of struggle." Tracked at Figure 8 Studios above Prospect Park, the album is the work of an artist concerned with numerous interconnected sites of global conflict: among them, the farmers' protests over agricultural reforms in India, the evolution of the Iranian women's rights movement following the death of Mahsa Amini, and the continuous crescendoing call for Palestinian liberation. This time, the Elder Ones collective consists of saxophonist Matt Nelson, cellist Lester St. Louis, bassist Eva Lawitts, and drummer Jason Nazary -- all four of whom contribute their share of electronic textures and electroacoustic treatments. As a document of dissent, these four compositions give proof that improvisation is instrumental in the realm of resistance. Kidambi's voice hovers over a scorched sonic landscape equally informed by Black American liberation music, the devotional fervor of Indian Carnatic, and the unleashing of an inner scream listeners might associate with hardcore punk and harsh noise. The quintet then locks into a polyrhythmic pulse that conjures up the ghosts of free jazz past and present; throughout its runtime, there are flashes of Albert Ayler's love cry, Don Cherry's eternal rhythms, Alice Coltrane's ecstatic spirituality, and the fortissimo fearlessness of Kidambi's late friend and collaborator Jaimie Branch, to whom the album is partly dedicated. Above all, New Monuments is a call to action with nothing left unsaid: it demands that the drive towards change should not only be seen, but heard.
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WJLP 063LP
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LP version. Berlin-based Swedish tenor saxophonist Otis Sandsjö returns with his third album Y-Otis Tre on We Jazz Records. Y-Otis Tre finds Sandsjö in close collaboration with his long-time working partner and friend, bassist/producer Petter Eldh, and Dan Nicholls, the keyboardist of the Y-OTIS live band and a solo artist on his own right. Composed by the three and produced by Eldh and Sandsjö, Y-Otis Tre lives up to its name ("tre" means three in Swedish) and stands strong in the continuum of layer-caked liquid jazz, a staple of the Eldh/Sandsjö production duo lauded for their string of releases as Y-OTIS and Koma Saxo. While recognizable in form, Y-Otis Tre adds new dimensions to what has come before. Borne out of hours of tripped-out studio jams by Sandsjö and Eldh, Y-Otis Tre feels natural, neon, 3D, at times laser sharp, at times gooey like jelly, and at all times ripe with ideas that would make albums on their own. Golden riffs are taken, twisted, thrown away, then recycled, and always evolving. Perhaps evolution is key here, as the album reuses and cross-refers its own ideas but never exactly repeats. The music has a mixtape-like DNA, and it seems to be breeding and multiplying at each beat. In color terms, it is more RGB than CMYK -- that is, it might appear unrealistically bright and full of tones not found in the natural world. But when you listen to the music closely, you'll likely find it acoustic to the bone. There's no illusion: hearing the band live tells you what Y-OTIS is all about. It's a live band turned studio tool, morphed back into a live band. Or something like that anyway. Putting a tag onto this music feels a bit like trying to hold a very colorful, somewhat thick liquid substance on the palm of your hand. You can see it, feel it, but never fully pinpoint just what's it made of. But it works, so best just to enjoy the ride. RIYL: Koma Saxo, Y-OTIS 1 & 2, J Dilla, Madlib, contemporary R&B, hiphop, and electronic music-influenced jazz.
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LP
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WJLP 063X-LP
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LP version. Orange color vinyl. Berlin-based Swedish tenor saxophonist Otis Sandsjö returns with his third album Y-Otis Tre on We Jazz Records. Y-Otis Tre finds Sandsjö in close collaboration with his long-time working partner and friend, bassist/producer Petter Eldh, and Dan Nicholls, the keyboardist of the Y-OTIS live band and a solo artist on his own right. Composed by the three and produced by Eldh and Sandsjö, Y-Otis Tre lives up to its name ("tre" means three in Swedish) and stands strong in the continuum of layer-caked liquid jazz, a staple of the Eldh/Sandsjö production duo lauded for their string of releases as Y-OTIS and Koma Saxo. While recognizable in form, Y-Otis Tre adds new dimensions to what has come before. Borne out of hours of tripped-out studio jams by Sandsjö and Eldh, Y-Otis Tre feels natural, neon, 3D, at times laser sharp, at times gooey like jelly, and at all times ripe with ideas that would make albums on their own. Golden riffs are taken, twisted, thrown away, then recycled, and always evolving. Perhaps evolution is key here, as the album reuses and cross-refers its own ideas but never exactly repeats. The music has a mixtape-like DNA, and it seems to be breeding and multiplying at each beat. In color terms, it is more RGB than CMYK -- that is, it might appear unrealistically bright and full of tones not found in the natural world. But when you listen to the music closely, you'll likely find it acoustic to the bone. There's no illusion: hearing the band live tells you what Y-OTIS is all about. It's a live band turned studio tool, morphed back into a live band. Or something like that anyway. Putting a tag onto this music feels a bit like trying to hold a very colorful, somewhat thick liquid substance on the palm of your hand. You can see it, feel it, but never fully pinpoint just what's it made of. But it works, so best just to enjoy the ride. RIYL: Koma Saxo, Y-OTIS 1 & 2, J Dilla, Madlib, contemporary R&B, hiphop, and electronic music-influenced jazz.
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CD
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WJCD 065CD
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Amirtha Kidambi has long affirmed that the role of music in the act of protest is pivotal. For an artist and activist who once cultivated community at defunct Brooklyn spaces such as Death By Audio and the Silent Barn, the 2020 protests became a place to publicly amplify the underground. That subversive spirit of collective dismantlement and reassemblage serves as the catalyst for the longform cuts that comprise New Monuments, Kidambi's third full-length recording with her band Elder Ones. As their leader writes in its accompanying liner notes, the title summons the "tearing down of old colonial and racist monuments and vestiges of power, in order to build new ones to the martyrs of struggle." Tracked at Figure 8 Studios above Prospect Park, the album is the work of an artist concerned with numerous interconnected sites of global conflict: among them, the farmers' protests over agricultural reforms in India, the evolution of the Iranian women's rights movement following the death of Mahsa Amini, and the continuous crescendoing call for Palestinian liberation. This time, the Elder Ones collective consists of saxophonist Matt Nelson, cellist Lester St. Louis, bassist Eva Lawitts, and drummer Jason Nazary -- all four of whom contribute their share of electronic textures and electroacoustic treatments. As a document of dissent, these four compositions give proof that improvisation is instrumental in the realm of resistance. Kidambi's voice hovers over a scorched sonic landscape equally informed by Black American liberation music, the devotional fervor of Indian Carnatic, and the unleashing of an inner scream listeners might associate with hardcore punk and harsh noise. The quintet then locks into a polyrhythmic pulse that conjures up the ghosts of free jazz past and present; throughout its runtime, there are flashes of Albert Ayler's love cry, Don Cherry's eternal rhythms, Alice Coltrane's ecstatic spirituality, and the fortissimo fearlessness of Kidambi's late friend and collaborator Jaimie Branch, to whom the album is partly dedicated. Above all, New Monuments is a call to action with nothing left unsaid: it demands that the drive towards change should not only be seen, but heard.
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