Review: Koma Saxo - Post Koma (We Jazz Records)

It's the 50 up for We Jazz Records as they continue to find all what's exciting in contemporary jazz; which includes avante-garde, space-age, modal, punk-jazz when it comes to Koma Saxo.

Founded by Berlin-based Swedish bassist and producer Petter Eldh, the group is becoming more of a big band [small 'b'] with Sofia Jernberg, Jonas Kullhammar, Otis Sandsjö, Mikko Innanen, Maciej Obara and Christian Lillinger.

Totally different to Eldh's trio work (such as with Tilo Weber, see review HERE) it's definitely "post" Koma, if not "post" everything!  'Koma' is like a dnb rework of some Barry Adamson track whilst 'Watten Koma' gets all dubbed up flute Bob James without keyboards.   

'Komma Hem' has a cool jazz horn line that's romantically soothing with Petter thinking about some Jaco lines before 'Stundens Hetta' goes Big Band Swing-100mph bop: it's that sort of an adventurous album.

'Poly Amok' sounds tinged with 'Ayler' and then, as the title aludes, 'Portal Koma' somehow seems to wrap up all of the above with the comforting squarks of a James White/Black of no-wave jazz and it's heavy as Hot 8 Brass Band, as Nordic as Teppo Mäkynen, as free as Ornette Coleman. 

'Eka Amok' and 'Sista Dansen' are the chill-out/Stereolab versions (one with the mixtapegeeks) along with the Daedelus/'Jobim'/Madlib influenced 'Koma Grav' and the stunning 'Mittenmelodin I Erzeben Koma'.

Fans of last years' album, 'Koma West' will know what's coming but on this new album there's going to be something for everyone and I'm going to call it now, this is going to win awards, perhaps not the Mercury (or the Express & Star), but if you want to get ahead of the 'Musically eclectic and open minded' Jez Nelson's and Gilles Peterson's of this world, this is the album for you/us.

Artist: Koma Saxo

Title: Post Koma

Release date: 10^th November, 2023

Label : We Jazz Records

Catalog Number : WJLP50  LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Tilo Weber - Tesserae (We Jazz Records)

We know We Jazz Records but who'd have thought they'd be on the forefront of the baroque revival!

Who knew that there is a baroque revival I here you say.!  Well, over in France/Canada, they know that Pierre Chrétien and  Ed Lister are on it with their OST inspired Cinephonic album 'Visions' (review HERE) so here's a German/Finnish/Austrian jazz trio take as Tilo Weber (drums), Petter Eldh (bass) of Koma Saxo and Elias Stemeseder (various keyboards/electronics).

And it's not just the obvious harpsichord baroque as Elias can take us into the synth of the future, really Like 'In Expitaxy' as its got something of the Sun Ra about it.There's eight tracks on this album so I wouldn't get too tied to the 'Baroque' tag as there's more to it than that.

This is a fun trio jazz album that's not all dour or minimal; check out the lively Barry Lynden romp of 'Entrope Nestled' or the wild flute on 'Sacre Sacre' and sax on ' Soul Redoubled'.
All the compositions are by Weber and it's so far from a typical drummer led trio as all three migrate from their 'instruments' as it does get a little wild at times

As we do know We Jazz, even thought this is far from the label's most recent releases. the Big band of 'Agatha 2 (with Ricky​-​Tick Records - see review HERE) and Antti Lötjönen's 'CircusCitadel - see review HERE), it's got me and more please. 

Artist: Tilo Weber Trio
Title: Tesserae 
Release date: 21st April, 2023
Label : We Jazz Records
Catalog Number : WJLP53 / CD / Digital / Bandcamp