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Ava Mendoza

Ava Mendoza is a Brooklyn-based guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Her guitar work has received acclaim for its technique and viscerality. She is best known as leader of experimental rock band Unnatural Ways, and as a solo performer on guitar/voice. Performing/recording credits include work with Carla Bozulich, Fred Frith, Malcolm Mooney, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, John Zorn, and Negativland.

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16
Album Review

Mendoza - Hoff - Revels: Echolocation

Read "Echolocation" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary jazz, Echolocation emerges as a bold exploration of sonic frontiers. Crafted through the collaborative virtuosity of Ava Mendoza on guitar and Devin Hoff on bass, this project embarks on a musical journey which delves deep into the avant-garde jazz realm, blending experimental rock, electric jazz, and the limitless creativity of neo-psychedelia. The album commences with “Dyscalculia," a track which weaves the raw energy of metal with the intricate layers of free jazz, ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Ava Mendoza, Daniel Karlsson, Makiko Hirabayashi, Hannah Marks & More

Read "Ava Mendoza, Daniel Karlsson, Makiko Hirabayashi, Hannah Marks & More" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


From wall of sound albums to projects of sparse beauty, this week we cover the whole sonic gamut, with a special attention to the trio format, because... three is the perfect jazz number!Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" Mondo Jazz Theme 0:00 Daniel Karlsson Trio “Bus Stop Story" Sorry Boss (Howgling Jazz) 0:16 Host talks 5:04 John Scofield “Mask" Uncle John's Band (ECM) 6:22 Host talks 12:51 Makiko Hirabayashi ...

10
Album Review

Mendoza / Hoff / Revels: Echolocation

Read "Echolocation" reviewed by Troy Dostert


Among today's leading guitarists fusing the power of rock and avant-garde jazz--a list that has to include Nels Cline, Marc Ribot, Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook--Ava Mendoza may be the one with the strongest link to the punk tradition. All the evidence one needs is on Echolocation, a project by Revels, her close collaboration with bassist Devin Hoff, on which the pair are joined by saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and drummer Ches Smith. With eight deviously crafted songs expertly navigating ...

Album Review

Ava Mendoza, Vijay Anderson, Stephen Gauci: Studio Sessions Vol. 4

Read "Studio Sessions Vol. 4" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Free jazz della più chiara (e abbastanza indiscriminata, acritica) acqua è quello che ci accoglie da subito in questo album, inciso nel febbraio 2019 e pubblicato alla fine di quello stesso anno. Vi figura uno degli elementi più interessanti delle nuove leve del jazz (in realtà classe 1983, ma si sa che oggi, musicalmente parlando, si diventa maggiorenni attorno ai quaranta) come la chitarrista Ava Mendoza, ma il deus ex machina dell'operazione, nonché editore dell'album (ricorda un po' quei ragazzini ...

9
Album Review

William Parker: Mayan Space Station

Read "Mayan Space Station" reviewed by Mark Corroto


The immediate impact of the recording Mayan Space Station is that of a sheer out-and-out physicality presented by this music. While it is obvious the musicians—guitarist Ava Mendoza, bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver—are engaged in the nonautomatic operation of their respective musical instruments, their Herculean efforts are conspicuous. While rarely recognized, credit must be given to engineer Jim Clouse who recorded, mixed and mastered this session to center the listening experience on the band's energy. ...

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Album Review

Nate Wooley: Seven Storey Mountain VI

Read "Seven Storey Mountain VI" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Since 2007 trumpeter Nate Wooley has been producing compositions in a song cycle collectively called “Seven Storey Mountain." The first one was performed by a trio and each succeeding version has included a greater number of musicians. The newest one, the sixth of an eventual seven iterations, is performed here by fourteen players including three vocalists. It is a compelling and heart-wrenching musical epic. one uninterrupted 45-minute piece which combines pre-recorded tapes and live performance. Part of the ...

16
Album Review

Nate Wooley: Seven Storey Mountain VI

Read "Seven Storey Mountain VI" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


From 2010 onwards, composer-trumpeter Nate Wooley has explored creative music as a solo artist and through a spectrum of collaborators such as Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Mary Halvorson, Ken Vandermark, and Matthew Shipp. These projects have been offset by Wooley's Seven Storey Mountain succession of releases; Seven Storey Mountain VI is a masterwork of expressionist passion and discord, taking the series to a new level. The sound that Wooley debuted in 2009 was compact in scale, with drummer Paul ...

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