Vijay Iyer/Craig Taborn
Transitory Poems
(ECM Records)
★★★

BIG names in the world of contemporary jazz in their own right, US composers Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn have come to together for this unusual album, an instrumental live concert at the Liszt Academy in Budapest where they duet on two pianos.

Described as “a series of homages” in the inlay notes, several songs are dedicated to recently deceased artists including pianists Cecil Taylor and Muhal Richard Abrams and painter and sculptor Jack Whitten.

While some jazz music is often dismissed as “easy listening,” Transitory Poems is very far from this, with opening track Life Line (Seven Tensions) a challenging and dissonant aural assault.

At nearly 74 minutes long, I’m not sure the record quite works. Nevertheless it’s a fascinating exercise with occasional moments of real beauty and creativity, as on the rolling drama of Kairos.

Jeremy Dutcher
Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
(Self-released)
★★★★★

I’M FAIRLY sure you won’t have heard anything like Jeremy Dutcher’s debut ever before.

Recently awarded the Polaris Prize, Canada’s top music honour, the record is a set of traditional songs from the 28-year old’s First Nation community transformed into powerful, piano-led ballads. Working in the Canadian Museum of History, Dutcher transcribed the songs from 1907 wax-cylinder recordings.

Backed by strings and electronics, he sings in his native Wolastoqiyik language. A classically trained tenor, Dutcher’s voice is an extraordinary instrument, moving from sombre, lonely phrasing, to what sounds like anger and then joyous catharsis, all in the space of one extraordinary track, the brilliant Essuwonike.

The closest reference points I can think of are the Gregorian chants on Jan Garbarek’s Officium album, Rufus Wainwright at his most grandiose or the more magisterial parts of Anohni’s music.

Remarkable.

Aldous Harding
Designer
(4AD)
★★★★

WITH its stately intensity and affected — and deeply affecting — vocal performances, Aldous Harding’s second album, 2017’s Party, made the music world sit up and take close notice.

Still working around the edges of indie folk, the New Zealand-born singer-songwriter’s new album is something of a step change, with the previous austere mood of her previous work replaced, at least on the first few songs, with a more accessible, relaxed vibe.

Fixture Picture, at least musically, exhibits a certain breeziness, while the title track is a happyish shuffle with lyrical phrasing reminiscent of Nick Drake.

I’m still trying to work out what the songs are about but with a voice this good — malleable and darkly mysterious — she could be singing the phone book for all I care.

A spellbinding record from an artist in full command of her craft.