Start here. That’s what I’m now able to tell people who ask for an entry point into the avant-jazz that constitutes a large part of my music consumption. Suggesting Nels Cline’s new album Consentrik Quartet is an ideal gateway for beginners isn’t intended as an insult. A sturdy bridge between uncompromising indie-rock and skronky free jazz, Consentrik Quartet will almost certainly stand as one of the most consequential albums of 2025. It doesn’t hurt that it possesses the caché of the Blue Note Records imprint. Furthermore, Cline is already known as Wilco’s freaky guitarist. When I heard saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey perform in 2014 I never imagined they’d play with the relatively conventional finesse they display on "Down Close". Bassist Chris Lightcap connects the two realms on tracks like "The 23". The second step for neophytes is more imposing. Released the same day at Consentrik Quartet, the Erik Satie-influenced dissonance Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson showcase on the brilliant Bone Bells is going to be a tougher sell.
Ooh La La
Original image by There Stands the Glass.
I fell in love with Paris during my only visit to the City of Light about a dozen years ago. Negative stereotypes were obliterated by unfailingly gracious and accommodating locals. Ballyhooed raves about the transcendent atmosphere proved true. A pair of hushed new albums by Frenchmen are emblematic of Paris’ subtle charms.
Jazz accordionist Richard Galliano transcends the novelty of the premise. He’s held his own with the world’s top jazz musicians for decades. "Ma plus belle histoire d'amour", the opening track of Galliano’s new album Valse(s), sets the sultry tone of the gorgeous work. And you haven’t lived until you’ve heard Erik Satie’s "Gymnopédie n° 1" played on a squeezebox.
Valse(s) conveys the muted atmosphere of a romantic Parisian bistro, but En Sourdine, a collaboration between vocalist Laurent Naouri and guitarist Frédéric Loiseau, seems intended for boudoirs. An interpretation of Gabriel Fauré’s "Les berceaux" is indicative of the album’s suggestive intimacy. Naouri made his name in opera- he’s married to the charismatic star Natalie Dessay- but he practically whispers on most of the delicate chansons on the delicate En Sourdine.
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I didn’t set out to enrage readers with my unintentionally incendiary K.C. Blues series at Plastic Sax. Honestly, I’ve already made each of my points several times. I published the third installment of the four-part series yesterday.
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Opera update: I’m up to 211 operas in 211 days. The last few screenings were uninspiring. I hope my first viewing of Franz Lehár’s “Die lustige Witwe” snaps my cold streak this evening.