Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why today we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews.

Daniel Herskedal – Movements of Air

Think of jazz, and the first wind instrument that comes to mind. Saxophone. Trumpet. Trombone, perhaps. And the tuba? The tuba. That is the instrument that Norwegian composer Daniel Herskedal plays on “Movements of Air”, supported only by piano and percussion. It does not get much more minimalist than this. That “air” does not refer to the amount of breath needed to play the tuba, but rather to the compositions themselves. Herskedal draws inspiration from nature, something his homeland has in overwhelming abundance. “Movements of Air” contains ten cinematic compositions where Herskedal demonstrates how refined and, above all, versatile a tuba can sound. As if you were fine-painting with a broad brush. The variation in tempo and atmosphere across the ten compositions is not only impressive but also very pleasant. From the quiet opening “The Olive Branch” to the groove in more up-tempo tracks like “Change”, where drummer Helge Norbakken is the driving force. Herskedal works magic with the tuba. It is a true art to make the instrument sound light, as if it floats on air, only to reveal its strength a few bars later. Yet the sound always remains nuanced. The Norwegian makes full use of the instrument’s range, keeping things exciting throughout. Despite the minimal instrumental setup, you remain captivated by how the tuba and Eyolf Dale’s piano seek each other out, challenge each other, reinforce each other, and sometimes intertwine in rich harmonies, as in “Elements of Harmony”. Mystical minimalism, beautifully executed on a mighty instrument that can also sound very delicate. (Jeroen Mulder) (9/10) (Edition Records)

Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brian Blade – Trilogy 3 (Live)

“Trilogy 3”, the new double live album from jazz legend Chick Corea with Christian McBride and Brian Blade, forms a fitting closure to an impressive career. Recorded during Corea’s final tour in 2020, just before the pandemic outbreak, this record offers a masterful demonstration of what is possible when three virtuosos with a deep musical connection come together. The trio builds on the success of the Grammy-winning predecessors “Trilogy” (2013) and “Trilogy 2” (2018), adding new dimensions to their live interplay. The eight tracks, including both Corea compositions and reinterpretations of jazz standards by the likes of Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, show a perfect balance between technical brilliance and emotional expression. Highlights include the playful rendition of the opener “Humpty Dumpty”, where Corea’s inventive piano playing shines, and the surprising reworking of Scarlatti’s “Sonata in D Minor”, which blends jazz and classical more than perfectly. Also worth mentioning is the more than fifteen-minute “You’d Be So Easy To Love”. McBride’s warm, resonant bass and Blade’s subtle yet powerful drumming provide an irresistible foundation for Corea to excel. What makes this album so special is the spontaneous interaction and the effortless way these three masters sense and complement each other’s musical ideas. “Trilogy 3” is like an intimate conversation between three virtuosos who perfectly understand each other. As the closing chapter of the 28-time Grammy winner’s impressive career (Corea passed away in 2021), “Trilogy 3” offers both a retrospective and a forward-looking vision of what jazz can be: timeless, boundary-pushing, and deeply moving. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (9/10) (Candid Records)

Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman

On her third album, “A Complicated Woman”, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, embraces life’s grey areas with refreshing honesty. After her successful breakthrough with “Prioritise Pleasure” and a theatrical turn as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret”, she returns with an album that is as complex as it is liberating. Taylor’s paradoxical thinking comes beautifully to the fore in songs like “Cheers to Me” and “The Curse”, where she candidly sings about her struggles. The contrast between her vulnerable lyrics and the rousing, festive instrumentation creates a fascinating tension that works surprisingly well. Musically, Self Esteem reinvents herself with hyperpop elements on “Lies” (featuring Nadine Shah) and the early 2010s-inspired “Mother”. Guest contributions from Sue Tompkins, Julie Hesmondhalgh, and Moonchild Sanelly add depth to this kaleidoscopic record. The album closes with the jubilant song “The Deep Blue Okay”, in which Taylor’s hopeful conclusion “You’ll always work it out” resounds. With “A Complicated Woman”, she proves that embracing contradictions and complexity is not only human but also spectacularly beautiful. (8/10) (Elodie Renard) (Universal Music Operations)

Yonglee and the DOLTANG – Invisible Worker

It’s always worth being cautious when an artist claims to have pushed boundaries and added a unique sound to a genre with improvisation and “electronic experiments”. First off: after Davis, Corea, and Hancock, are there still any boundaries left to push within jazz and fusion? Legions of ambitious young musicians try anyway, but often it’s less painful to have all your teeth pulled than to listen to the experiments born of such ambitions. So we approached this album with some hesitation; Korean pianist Yonglee collaborated with The DOLTANG, a Korean fusion group. On their debut “Invisible Worker”, they mix jazz with prog rock, pop, electronica, and even modern classical music. You certainly can’t deny this Seoul group’s bravery. With unusual time signatures, occasional roaring guitars, and complex melodies, “Invisible Worker” leans more towards prog than jazz. After a minute of introductory synth sounds, “Pay Day” is the first full-fledged track, with truly untraceable rhythms providing a bed for improvisations on piano, keyboards, and guitar. “Fluorescent Light” even starts in 4/4 time, but by then the listener knows there’s almost always an unexpected hook lurking in the compositions. By the way, the surprise here is the beautiful vocal contribution from Blue Note luminary Song Yi Jeon. We hear her again on “March of the Invisibles”. Perhaps unintentionally, while improvisations take the foreground, it is actually the rhythm section that deserves the greatest compliment as the “invisible worker”. In terms of drumming, even a Danny Carey would be impressed by this material. The pièce de résistance, with the intriguing title “Do Plastic Bags Dream About Sunset”, features a wonderful build-up and a truly phenomenal bass line. Moreover, that piece is simply very pleasing to the ear. Thus, the album shows two faces: one where the band fully indulges in technical showpieces, and the same group delivering highly enjoyable jazz music. Yonglee and the DOLTANG live up to their claims. Boundaries have been pushed. A little. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Unit Records)

Jazzanova – In Between Revisited: Jazzanova Live

Jazzanova celebrates the twentieth anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album “In Between” in a special way. With “In Between Revisited: Jazzanova Live”, the group presents a fresh, live reinterpretation of their classic material, recorded at the renowned Little Big Beat Studios in Liechtenstein. What started as a studio concept never intended for live performances now gains a second life thanks to the Jazzanova Live Band, which has been touring worldwide for fifteen years. Opener “L.O.V.E. and You & I” starts delightfully, clearly reflecting the disco of the 1970s, and “No Use” continues full throttle, in collaboration with singer Clara Hill. Jazzanova moves beyond acid jazz but retains its signature sound. On “The One-Tet”, the collective leans towards old-school hip hop from early Sugarhill Records recordings, without fully becoming rap; think of an offbeat version of Guru. The band succeeds in seamlessly combining the original, sample-based essence of “In Between” with the energy of live instruments. Highlights include the club classic “That Night” with vocal contributions from Wayne Snow, and the more subdued yet beautiful “Place In Between / Cyclic” with its trumpet parts. The danceable “Days to Come” and the organic version of “Dance the Dance” show that these songs also work perfectly in a live setting. With this recording, Jazzanova proves not only that their music is timeless but also that they continue to evolve with every listen. A must-have for fans of jazz, soul, and electronic fusion. Listening to this album leads to only one conclusion: find out where Jazzanova is playing live as soon as possible! (Norman van den Wildenberg) (8/10) (Sonar Kollektiv)