The fluttery indie-pop that acclaimed violinist Kaoru Ishibashi makes under the name Kishi Bashi has always been fantastically bright, texturally rich, and celebratory. Omoiyari is his fourth full-length since adopting the moniker in 2012 (he founded the popular 2000s indie-rock group Jupiter One and then spent time as a violinist in Of Montreal) and it's a decidedly folky detour for a project that's always been steeped in swirls of keyboards. Side A pop shuffles like "Angeline," "F Delano," and "A Song for You" are dressed for a wide audience, but they're still bristly and compositionally authentic folk songs at their cores. However, the most compelling material arrives in the album's back-half, beginning with the teary memoir "Theme from Jerome (Forgotten Words)," a verse of which is sung in Japanese (his parents’ native language). "A Meal For Leaves" is an atmospheric instrumental number that introduces the strikingly intense, and fittingly titled, "Violin Tsunami," the most climactic and dense track on the record. But Ishibashi chose to end with the minimalist, appalachian bluegrass bop, "Annie, Heart Thief of the Sea." It's a joyous, hand-clapping sing-along that achieves the magnificent radiance of his catalog's busiest songs with half the instruments and a quarter of the studio polishing. It's a testament to the strength of his songwriting, and a crystallization of the collective spirit his music inspires. © Eli Enis / Qobuz

It's simple: any music fan seeking something quite "different" from contemporary instrumental music -- and specifically from conventional notions of the "jazz piano trio" -- should investigate Switzerland's Colin Vallon Trio. Danse, Vallon's third date for ECM, might be the recording that establishes the band's (and his) reputation outside Europe and hopefully with an audience outside the confines of jazz. Danse hasn't much to do with pop, but Vallon, who wrote nine of these 11 tunes, obviously admires its more adventurous expressions. Those familiar with the trio's two previous albums know this music is as expansive as it is articulate and focused. The improvisation is plentiful, and based on the trio's interaction in (mostly) songlike pieces that are usually inseparably dependent on circular rhythm. Vallon, double bassist Patrice Moret, and drummer Julian Sartorius do solo, but almost always within structural harmonic themes and defined rhythmic pulses. They communicate a piece's inner dynamic that is welcoming, even when dissonant, to listeners. In opener "Sisyphe," Sartorius sets a 4/4 rhythm with his brushes. When Vallon enters, he establishes a hymn-like melody, almost a processional. Moret initially reflects only the changes, but within a couple of choruses he delivers an elegant solo that illuminates both harmony and time signature. In "Tsunami," Vallon introduces a mysterious, classically tinged waltz. In his own solo he uncovers layer after layer of hidden melody. Sartorius uses his bass drum to keep time, all the while gently accenting and altering the actual motif with his snare and cymbals, until the tune reflects an unveiled muscularity and has been transformed into a rather dramatic exercise in tension and release. In the group improvisation "Oort," he sets a seemingly fixed rhythm as Vallon explores Moret's haunting but effusive arco patterns. Its angular timbres and tonalities are tempered by the reflection of the time signature. "Kid," the set's longest cut, uses a tender, almost spiritual piano motif that weds songlike lyricism to modern classical harmony. This is buoyed by Moret's deep woody tone and economical use of notes. Sartorius "dances" on his own beat and the melody, adding a fluid, jazzman's musicality as the pianist's fills and chord voices lift it off the ground. Vallon's piano chops shine on "Tinguely." Rolling and muted snares, toms, and percussion set a quick pace for his fleet prepared piano solo that extends all over the keyboard. Moret and Sartorius keep increasing the tempo so that when the trio does comes back together, it's in a sprint of whirling color and timbre. Danse goes a full step further than 2014's Vent. Almost certainly most jazz fans will enjoy it for its fine display of dynamic, rhythmic, and improvisational group interplay. That said, other open-minded music listeners -- especially those who enjoy Jóhann Jóhannsson, Max Richter, Björk, Ólafur Arnalds, and Nils Frahm -- should find it appealing as well. This trio's music is as attractive and engaging as it is idiosyncratic and inventive.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

In the XL discography of the Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette trio, Always Let Me Go is among the albums comprised of original compositions. After Changes (1983), Changeless (1987) and Inside Out (2000), here is the fourth disc that the three Americans penned in complete freedom. Twenty years after the start of their partnership, their harmony is such that the improvisations they offer here lean on a complete complicity and mutual listening. Recorded live in April 2001 in Tokyo, Always Let Me Go offers rhythms from DeJohnette and Peacock that are more agile and feline than ever before. It’s a tandem that had become one with the melodic (or not) motifs that develops Jarrett. Motifs and non-stop bifurcations—we go from the most swinging jazz to the freest improvised music in the blink of an eye—like on the 32 minutes of Hearts In Space, the completely captivating (but demanding) theme that opens the disc. More than 135 minutes of intense music, often intellectual, and always looking forward. © CM/Qobuz

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