Rez Abbasi
Things to Come (Sunnyside)
www.reztone.com

There’s no mistaking the South Asian influence in Pakistani-American guitarist Rez Abbasi’s latest disc. His sinuous guitar lines wind through tricky compound rhythms and slide across the acrobatic, moaning vocals of Kiran Ahluwalia, while saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa pops and twirls in tense, ornate improvisations that carry more than a hint of raga. But the eight thoughtful, chewy tunes presented here are more about personal jazz expression than stylistic fusion. Fronting an excellent band that also includes Vijay Iyer’s bright piano surge and tight rhythmic work by bassist Johannes Weidenmuller and drummer Dan Weiss, Abbasi creates rich, brooding soundscapes that drift and rush into swirling eddies like river currents, splashing and spraying in multiple directions. This serious, compelling music rewards close listening.

Alex Coke / Tina Marsh / Steve Feld
It’s Possible (Vox Lox)
www.creop.org

The sounds on this trio CD are both ancient and postmodern, universal and obscure. Reed and flute player Alex Coke and singer Tina Marsh have a long association through an Austin, Texas ensemble called the Creative Opportunity Orchestra, and their simpatico is evident from the first mysterious notes of It’s Possible. Marsh’s vocals stretch and twist around Coke’s moaning, buzzing spirals and keening, fluttering lines like taffy, soaring high overhead and then dropping down for whispered syllables like some half-heard Balinese monkey chant. Beneath them, the calming tones of Steve Feld’s ashiwa (a West African slit drum) give the pieces an enigmatic, almost ritualistic air. On several tracks, the trio improvises over existing recordings which we do not hear. These pieces are missing their cores, but what is left is fascinating: disconnected reaction that implies but does not reveal the whole. The results are weird, spooky and restlessly inventive.

Jonathon Haffner
Life on Wednesday (Cachuma)
www.jonathonhaffner.com

Saxophonist Jonathon Haffner leads a grinding, talent-packed electro-acoustic sextet in Life on Wednesday, an intriguing mix of rock-jazz romps, contemplative interludes and open electronic soundscapes. Two drummers (Jochen Rueckert and Kenny Wollesen) provide the energy, while Craig Taborn’s flowing or jittery piano, robotic Wurlitzer and gloopy electronic doodles provide much of the texture and space. Haffner’s alto has a strong, stirring sound, building from a lonely call to a nasty wail in “Formigas,” cranking at full speed on “Wednesday Night Firsts” or providing simple strength in “New Year.” Guitarist Wayne Krantz chugs and slices against Eivind Opsvik’s solid bass work, rounding out this well-coordinated ensemble.

Darryl Harper
Stories in Real Time (HiPNOTIC)
www.darrylharperjazz.com

The unusual sound of Darryl Harper’s C3 octet, with four clarinets balanced against vocals and rhythm, is luxurious, agile and highly organic in this beautiful set of thirteen compelling tunes. The disc opens with “Saints and Sinners,” a six-part suite lovingly constructed around poems of faith and lust by Terry Culleton, with vocalist Marianne Solivan winding and stabbing through the baroque lyrics and the band reacting both to the words and their cadences in perfect accord. From there the full band alternates with the clarinet quartet as Harper explores classical, jazz and cinematic spaces in a set of specially commissioned works by composers such as Ken Schaphorst and Sunggone Hwang, even taking detours into gospel and funk. Throughout, the ensemble’s rich harmonies, rhythmic certainty and impish, changeable character keep the music unpredictable, fresh, and approachable.

Arturo Stable Quintet
Call (Origen)
www.arturostable.com

Strong Afro-Cuban rhythms, brainy yet inviting modern-jazz harmonics and genuine emotional depth are the hallmarks of Call, the third release by Cuban-American percussionist Arturo Stable and a worthy follow-up to his outstanding previous disc, Notes on Canvas. But whereas that CD had a grand scale, this one sticks to a tight quintet for a more uniform sound. Saxophonist Javier Vercher and pianist Aruan Ortiz are out front, with the former’s straightforward tone and stabbing wail jostling with the latter’s delicately formed, carefully balanced textures. Stable keeps busy on buzzing uptempo numbers and tender ballads alike, laying down undulating waves of rhythm under bassist Edward Perez’s eloquently melodic commentary, and combining seamlessly with Francisco Mela’s drum kit. Yet it’s the compositions, even more than the musicians, that shine here: ten brilliant jewels that flash fire and project stony solidity, inviting the listener to plumb their depths even while withholding their deepest secrets.

Marcus Strickland Trio
Idiosyncracies (Strick Muzik)
www.marcusstrickland.com

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland gets a variety of textures out of his trio on Idiosyncracies, keeping the mood varied to go along with the eclectic material. Adding tunes from such diverse artists as Björk, Andre 3000, Stevie Wonder and Oumou Sangare to five original pieces, Strickland gets into a range of interesting grooves while making each of the melodies his own. Uptempo numbers like “Middle Man,” “Set Free” and “Cuspy’s Delight” are bright and chunky, while Sangare’s “Nebife” has a wonderful flow and plenty of space for Ben Williams’s lilting bass. E.J. Strickland finds just the right blend of propulsion and space to make each piece distinctive, while the leader alternates throaty musings and swift beboppish runs, along with a few judiciously used studio effects, to get the most from his small ensemble.