In his first post of the new decade, NPR jazz blogger Patrick Jarenwattananon, lamenting his lack of participation in the recently released Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll, writes about his ten favorite moments from the many jazz recordings he’s heard in 2009, including Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) and Fay Victor’s The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music).
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Fay Victor, General, Secret Society/Darcy James Argue | Tagged: a blog supreme, best of 2009, darcy james argue, favorite moments of 2009, Fay Victor, freesong suite, greene avenue music, infernal machines, jazz, new amsterdam, NPR Music, Patrick Jarenwattananon, top 10 | 
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Photo by Dylan Morris
Tad Hendrickson’s Top 10 list is now posted at Spinner.com, and we’re pleased to report that the Joe Morris Quartet’s Today On Earth (AUM Fidelity) came out on top. Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) placed sixth.
“Here with his old quartet of saxophonist Jim Hobbs, bassist Timo Shanko and drummer Luther Gray,” Hendrickson writes, “Morris is at his most eloquent. He writes for these guys as gracefully as he does for himself, conjuring heartfelt melodies. The group responds with revelatory musical voyages and strong interplay.”
“Oftentimes, I don’t really dig the mix of indie rock and jazz,” he continues in his review of Infernal Machines, “but the big-band compositions here are stunning, right up there with Maria Schneider. The guy is making his debut here with a seriously hot record.”
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Larry Blumenfeld writes about his favorite CDs of the year, including Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam), in today’s Wall Street Journal.
“Composer and big-band leader Darcy James Argue’s blog contains some of the most literate and invigorating writing about modern jazz and its context—free of cliché, wary of dogma, catholic about tastes, and fastidious about details. The same can be said of Mr. Argue’s compositions for the extraordinary ensemble he conducts. This debut studio recording reveals something fully matured: brimming with fresh ideas; elegant in its combination of disparate influences (from distorted electric guitar to magisterial wind-instrument arrangements to minimalist rhythms); and accomplished in execution.”
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AllAboutJazz-New York published its annual Best of 2009 feature in the new January issue and we’re very proud to say our clients are well-represented.
Special congratulations to those recognized as the year’s best in the following categories:
Albums of the Year
Darcy James Argue, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records)
Bill Dixon, Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records)
David S. Ware, Shakti (AUM Fidelity)
Debut Albums
John Hébert, Byzantine Monkey (Firehouse 12 Records)
Darius Jones Trio, Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) (AUM Fidelity)
Vocal Releases
The Fay Victor Ensemble, The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music)
Large Ensemble Releases
Darcy James Argue, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records)
Albums of the Year – Honorable Mention
Cleaver/Parker/Taborn, Farmers By Nature (AUM Fidelity)
Harris Eisenstadt, Canada Day (Clean Feed)
Garrison Fewell, Variable Density Sound Orchestra (Creative Nation Music)
KLANG, Tea Music (Allos Documents)
Michael Musillami Trio + 3, From Seeds (Playscape Recordings)
2 Comments | AUM Fidelity, Creative Nation Music, Fay Victor, Firehouse 12, General, Harris Eisenstadt, James Falzone/KLANG, Michael Musillami, Playscape, Secret Society/Darcy James Argue | Tagged: AAJ-NY, albums of the year, allos documents, AUM Fidelity, best of 2009, bill dixon, byzantine monkey, canada day, clean feed, craig taborn, Creative Nation Music, darcy james argue, darius jones, david s. ware, debut of the year, farmers by nature, Fay Victor, Firehouse 12, from seeds, Garrison Fewell, gerald cleaver, greene avenue music, Harris Eisenstadt, infernal machines, John Hebert, KLANG, man'ish boy, Michael Musillami Trio, new amsterdam, Playscape, secret society, shakti, tapestries for small orchestra, tea music, the freesong suite, Variable Density Sound Orchestra, vocal, william parker | Permalink
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We were away much of last week dreaming of dancing sugar plums and rockin’ around the Christmas tree, but the year-end lists featuring Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) continued to flow as freely as egg nog in our rare but enjoyable absence.
Here’s a quick summary to get you caught up:
1. The AMN Top 5 of 2009 at AvantMusicNews.com
2. Michael J. West’s Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2009 in the Washington City Paper
3. Jacob Teichroew’s Best Jazz Albums of 2009 at jazz.about.com
“Argue’s pieces are haunting and eruptive, and his dextrous band is capable of thrilling maneuvers.”
4. Peter Hum’s 10 Best Jazz CDs of the 2000’s at Jazzblog.ca
“Years in the making, this disc by the Vancouver-raised, New York-based composer and bandleader points the way ahead for big bands. Argue’s music is fresh and intoxicating, unfurling dramatic surprises and conventional beauties while tapping indie rock and ambient music for references.”
Leave a Comment » | General, Secret Society/Darcy James Argue | Tagged: avant music news, best of 2009, best of the decade, darcy james argue, infernal machines, jacob teichroew, jazz.about.com, jazzblog.ca, michael j. west, new amsterdam, peter hum, secret society, top 10, washington city paper, year-end list | Permalink
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Resident jazz critic Devin Leonard includes Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) on his 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2009 list in today’s New York Observer.
“As the name of his nu big band suggests” Leonard writes, “the composer-bandleader-blogger Darcy James Argue sees himself as an artistic insurgent. He is a former student of trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, celebrated for his work as an arranger who broke new ground as an arranger for the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra in the sixties and seventies. But Infernal Machines also draws on the minimalism of Steve Reich and the apocalyptic rock and roll of Radiohead. This is also music with a message, a decidedly leftist one. What else would you expect from a Canadian jazz man resettled in Carroll Gardens?”
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Time Out New York‘s Music Editor Steve Smith chose Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) as the only jazz record on his 10 best albums of 2009 list, published in the latest issue.
“Composer and bandleader Argue’s highly anticipated debut offered an expansive, inclusive new jazz that’s open to all,” Smith wrote.
The magazine’s five-star review of Infernal Machines, written by David R. Adler for the May 7th issue, can be found here.
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Darcy James Argue‘s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam) is number eight on Nate Chinen’s multi-genre top 10 list in Sunday’s New York Times.
“A wickedly intelligent dispatch from the fading border between orchestral jazz and post-rock and classical minimalism,” Chinen writes, “this impressive debut radiates self-assurance, and an almost chilling steadiness of conviction.”
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Darcy James Argue‘s highly acclaimed debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam), has already turned up on dozens of best-of-the-year lists all around the jazz world, but being named one of eMusic’s 60 Best Albums of 2009 is a testimony to Argue’s ability to not only integrate different styles and genres into his sound, but also to develop an audience for creative big band music well beyond jazz aficionados.
“Critics are raving because the innovations are organic and synthesized rather than slapdash,” writes the uncredited reviewer. “I hear nods to the smooth textural vamps and odd time signatures of Steve Reich, the dynamism and harmonies of Gil Evans, the flowing lyricism of Maria Schneider, the gusty, cavernous blowouts of Christian Scott, the shamble of Tortoise and the jazz-rock of Charlie Hunter. Or not. When there are that many citations (and other reviewers have their own comparisons), it becomes clear that most of Argue’s ideas are homespun. New music—what a concept.”
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Congratulations to both Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records) and the Darius Jones Trio’s Man’ish Boy (AUM Fidelity) on being voted one of JazzTimes‘ Top 50 New Releases of 2009, as compiled from year-end lists submitted by the magazine’s contributing writers and editors.
Leave a Comment » | AUM Fidelity, General, Secret Society/Darcy James Argue | Tagged: 2009, AUM Fidelity, best of list, darcy james argue, darius jones, infernal machines, jazztimes, man'ish boy, new amsterdam, rakalam bob moses, top 50 | Permalink
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Improvised Communications 