Yelena Eckemoff’s hot streak continues. Desert is astounding, partly because of the presence of the multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless, bassist Arild Andersen and drummer Peter Erskine. RIYL: Oregon, underdogs, John Surman.
Transfixed by the 98-minute album, I listened to Blooming Tall Phlox twice before researching the backstory of the unheralded but startlingly brilliant new release. I discovered that each of the selections is intended to evoke a different scent that Yelena Eckemoff recalls from her childhood in Russia. Whatever. I’m far more interested in the ingenious arrangements and stellar playing of Eckemoff and the young band of Finns who realize her vision. The cringey album trailer doesn’t reflect the project’s dazzling qualities.