Jim Snidero: Project-K

  Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero’s latest release is Project-K, recorded with a sextet incorporating the gayageum, a Korean zither-like instrument played here by Do Yeon Kim. Jazz has a long history of adapting fresh instruments and rhythms, constantly expanding the field of musical possibilities. Snidero, whose has been married to a Korean woman for more than two decades, writes that his intention with this disc “was to blend traditional Korean texture with my music.” He’s assembled a genuine all-star band to help, with trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Rudy Royston. The veteran Snidero sounds great, with his powerful sound and inventive spirit. He composed most of the tunes for the date. The nicely varied program also includes versions of Jenga, a K-Pop song from 2018 that showcases a sturdy and rhythmically astute solo by pianist Evans, and the Korean folk song Han O Bak Nyun. Snidero can’t resist the pun of Seoulful, but his tune fits the bill, as the rolling rhythms of Royston propel solos by the horns. Mother, with its sinuous melody, features a lively duet for trumpet and gayageum and an alto solo that finds Snidero plumbing the lower registers of his alto. The gayageum, boldly played by Do Yeon Kim, fits in perfectly everywhere. Sometimes it sounds like a guitar, sometimes it shadows the bass parts, and at still other times, Kim emphasizes the percussive possibilities of the instrument. Snidero’s arrangements here typically begin with gayageum, which sets the tone for the rest of the band. Kim proceeds to weave in and out of the ensemble. More often than not over the course of a full disc, one particular musician will stand out from the rest. Not here though. Project-K is of those relatively rare releases where that doesn’t happen. Everyone gets a chance to stand out, and on a piece like the hard-charging DMZ, with the whole band wailing, it’s impossible (and pointless) to single anyone out. The impeccable and ultra-dynamic rhythm team of Evans, Oh, and Royston is a joy throughout, and let’s not forget the incisive trumpet work of Dave Douglas. Snidero was pretty happy with the results, telling Ted Panken that he hopes “to do another record with this configuration.” I’ll be looking forward to that one, but for now, there’s Project-K to enjoy, again and again. 

Savant SCD 2185; Dave Douglas (tpt) Jim Snidero (as) Orrin Evans (p) Linda May Han Oh (b) Rudy Royston (d) Do Yeon Kim (gayageum; exc. on *); Astoria, NY, August 11, 2019; Han/ DMZ/ Jeju/ Mother/ Jenga*/ Seoulful/ Goofy/ Han O Bak Nyun; 53:26. www.jazzdepot.com

Joe Fiedler’s Big Sackbut: Live In Graz

You don’t have to be a big fan of the sound of massed trombones, or even know what a sackbut is, to lose yourself in the wonderful sounds of Joe Fiedler’s Big Sackbut. Trombonist Fiedler is joined by fellow ‘bonemen’ Ryan Keberle and Luis Bonilla in this quartet. They’re usually joined by tuba player Marcus Rojas, but he couldn’t make the European tour, so on Live In Graz, we’re treated to the deep sounds and impeccable drive of Jon Sass in his stead. Fiedler got Jacob Garchik, another trombone player, to write the liner notes, and he’s contributed a learned essay about, among other topics, the history of multiple trombone ensembles in jazz, a guide to the player’s individual sounds and an appreciation of the late, great Roswell Rudd. In homage to Rudd, Big Sackbut performs three of his compositions. The multi-part Bethesda Fountain comes from the rare Japanese album Blown-bone (1979), Yankee No-how first appeared on Rudd’s Everywhere (Impulse!, 1966), and the delightfully weird Suh Blah Blah Buh Sibi comes from Flexible Flyer, a 1974 release on Arista’s Freedom imprint. No one plays these songs, except for the composer and now Fiedler, and that’s the best tribute of all. The closing Tonal Proportions is a Fiedler composition in honor of Rudd, featuring a an extended Fiedler solo over slithering trombones and Sass’ steady bass part. Beautifully recorded over two nights at a club in Graz, Austria, the band is at a peak of unity and mutual support. The format really gives the listener a chance to focus on Sass and the phenomenal job he does in the role. Who needs a drummer, anyway? I’ve been fan of the trombone in modern jazz who bought Rudd’s Impulse! album a long time ago, so I’m especially attuned to and primed for this killer ensemble. In a sense, a group like this one offers clear insight into the core conundrum of jazz: how to play together, as a section, and at the same time, maintain one’s own individual voice. That this quartet makes it sound so easy is a testament to their considerable skills and their shared sensibilities. Happily recommended. 

Multiphonics Music MM005; Joe Fiedler, Ryan Keberle, Luis Bonilla (tbn) Jon Sass (tba); Graz, Austria, December 12-13, 2019; Peekskill/ Devil Woman/ I’m In/ Bethesda Fountain/ Ways/ Yankee No-How/ Chicken/ Suh Blah Blah Buh Sibi/ Tonal Proportions; 60:15. joefiedler.com

 

The Karuna Trio: Imaginary Archipelago

  The Karuna Trio unites percussionists Adam Rudolph and Hamid Drake with Ralph M. Jones on various wind instruments. On Imaginary Archipelago, the band offers a techno-tribal blend of every genre that Rudolph and Drake have worked in over the course of decades. These spontaneous improvisations combine sounds from “primitive” sources like drums and rattles with instruments of the industrial age like saxophone and clarinet, overlaid by Rudolph’s nuanced application of electronic effects. The conceit for the session has the three musicians embarking on a journey through an island chain that exists only in their minds. In the words of the artist’s statement that appears in the booklet, a “three person Research and Development team discovered an imaginary archipelago ... The music documented on this recording is a sounding of these island people’s lived philosophy.” There’s also a note to the effect that although some of the instruments heard may sound familiar, “this is only coincidental.” Each track is named after one of these islands of thought, representing the varied ways of imagined life. Rudolph and Drake go way back, meeting in a drum shop as teenagers in 1969. Rudolph met Jones in 1974 at a music festival where they played with pianist Kenny Cox. With trumpeter Charles Moore, Jones and Rudolph went on to form Eternal Wind, a group that made a couple of albums for the small Flying Fish label in the mid-Eighties. Those connections establish a high degree of trust and instant interplay that characterize their thoroughly absorbing and wildly inventive music. As listeners, we can only be glad that Rudolph, Drake, and Jones made the trip and came home safely to tell all these stories. Recommended. 

Meta 024; Ralph M. Jones (aerophones, voice) Adam Rudolph (membranophones [fingers & hands], idiophones, chordophones, overtone singing, electronic processing) Hamid Drake (membranophones [sticks & hands], idiophones, voice); New Haven, CT, September 21, 2018; Okomibo/ Alima/ Ibak/ Dimahala/ Apekweh/ Madazuba/ Pitek/ Chandirasa/ Suwakaba/ Vajna/ Sorokaba; 66:24. metarecords.com

Ran Blake & Frank Carlberg: Gray Moon

  I’ve never been fond of two piano situations, but the gorgeous Gray Moon, by the duo of Ran Blake & Frank Carlberg reminds me that it’s really not the instruments that matter, it’s the creative minds that manipulate them. Beautifully recorded in the thousand-seat Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory (where Blake was the founding chair of their Contemporary Improvisation department from 1972 through 2005, and continues to teach full-time), this hour-plus recital issued on Carlberg’s Red Piano Records covers plenty of ground. The pair takes on music by composers as varied as Thelonious Monk (the slowest version of ‘Round Midnight you’re likely to encounter), Billy Strayhorn (a playful Take the ‘A’ Train), Mikis Theodorakis (the opening Vradiazi, a Blake favorite), George Russell (a relaxed Stratusphunk), and Vincent Youmans (a delightful Tea For Two). There are also explorations of several Blake originals, including Gunther’s Magic Row, delicately shaped by the two pianists, and Short Life of Barbara Monk, a musical meditation that first appeared as the title track of Blake’s 1986 Soul Note album, and has been revisited by him periodically over the years in several different contexts. Remarkably, Blake and Carlberg almost never get in one another’s way, and the entire session has the feeling of two very close friends in a distinctively focused conversation. The pair writes of their “attempt to bring disparate sources together forming a unified whole, guided by a shared aesthetic ...” They’ve succeeded most admirably with this thoroughly enjoyable program. Highly recommended. 

Red Piano RPR 14599-4440; Ran Blake, Frank Carlberg (p); Boston, MA, July 5, 2016; Vradiazi/ Bebopper/ El Cant Dels Ocells/ Take the “A” Train/ Pinky/ Dr. Mabuse/ ‘Round Midnight/ Gunther’s Magic Row/ Stratusphunk/ Wish I Could Talk to You Baby/ Vanguard/ Memphis/ No More/ Tea For Two/ Short Life of Barbara Monk/ Mood Indigo; 62:49. www.redpianorecords.com 

Sonar with David Torn: Tranceportation, Volume 2

American guitar wizard David Torn joined the Swiss quartet Sonar for a week’s worth of sessions in the spring of 2019. Now what’s billed as Sonar with David Torn is back with Tranceportation, Volume 2. When I wrote enthusiastically about Volume 1, I described the sound as “neo-psychedelic trance music with a beat.” This second helping is, not at all surprisingly, more of the same. The grooves are relentless and the electronic textures are raw over the course of 4 long tracks. Sequels like this one that live up to their predecessors are easy to write about: if you were transported by Volume 1, you’ll be more than happy to get lost in Volume 2. Great on headphones, by the way, especially on the dub-wise Tranceportation. 

RareNoise RNR0114 (CD)/ RNR114LP (vinyl); David Torn (el g, live looping) Stephen Thelen, Bernhard Wagner (tritone g) Christian Kuntner (tritone b) Manuel Pasquinelli (d, perc); Bellmund, Switzerland, April 29-May 3, 2019; Triskaidekaphilia/ Tranceportation/ Slowburn/ Cloud Chamber; 42:10. www.rarenoiserecords.com

 

Piano Trios: Jerry Granelli, Denny Zeitlin, Micah Thomas

Pianist Vince Guaraldi had a huge hit single in 1962 on Fantasy Records with Cast Your Fate to the Wind and went on to compose some much-loved music in a collaboration with the Peanuts comic strip franchise. Mose Allison, pianist and songwriter, had his “hit” when The Who blasted his Young Man Blues on their Live At Leeds album. One other thing they have in common is having led trios with Jerry Granelli on drums. Granelli, who played with Earl Hines (!) in 1961, was with Guaraldi on most of his Fantasy recordings, and played with Allison starting in the mid-Seventies. Other recorded associations along the way include Denny Zeitlin in the Sixties, Ralph Towner, Gary Peacock, and Jay Clayton in the Eighties, and Jane Ira Bloom and Charlie Mariano in the Nineties. Starting in 1988, he’s also recorded frequently as a leader. Pianist Jamie Saft was a member of his Badlands ensemble that made a couple of CD’s for the Songlines label in the late Nineties, and he joins him in the Jerry Granelli Trio for the admirable new release, Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison. On bass is Bradley Christopher Jones, a stalwart of the New York scene. Together, the trio tackles a batch of some of the better-known tunes by Guaraldi and Allison and has a ball with them. Kicking off the proceedings is a fairly straight-forward reading of Cast Your Fate to the Wind, and it’s apparent from the start that this is a formidable trio that’s having a grand time with this material. Allison’s Parchman Farm rolls right along, featuring an extended break by Saft. At 8:04, it’s the longest piece of the date. A pair of bass and drum improvisations (Mind Preludes 1 & 2), fit nicely into this program of songs from the Guaraldi and Allison songbooks. Guaraldi’s Star Song is the most obscure number, taken from an album the pianist made with guitarist Bola Sete in 1963. Tunes like Allison’s Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy or Guaraldi’s Christmas Time is Here are so pretty that they hardly need any embellishment, and Granelli’s crew is happy to play them just that way. The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison is an unexpected release, to be sure, and one of the better surprises in a year that’s had way too many unhappy ones. Listening to this music will absolutely improve your day, so don’t miss it. 

RareNoise RNR120 (CD)/RNR120LP (violet vinyl); Jamie Saft (p) Bradley Christopher Jones (b) Jerry Granelli (d); Brooklyn, NY, no dates indicated; Cast Your Fate to the Wind/ Parchman Farm/ Baby Please Don’t Go/ Mind Prelude 1/ Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy/ Star Song/ Young Man Blues/ Mind Prelude 2/ Your Mind is on Vacation/ Christmas Time is Here; 50:08. www.rarenoiserecords.com

Pianist Denny Zeitlin made his first recordings in 1964 in a trio format. While he has performed in a variety of contexts since that debut, he always comes back to the standard acoustic piano, bass, and drums lineup. His latest is Live At Mezzrow, an intimate New York club, in the company of bassist Buster Williams and drummer Matt Wilson. Zeitlin delights in stretching familiar themes every which way, and he needs musical co-conspirators that are on the same wavelength. After 18 years of playing with Zeitlin, the absolutely reliable Williams and the exuberant Wilson are right there with him at all times, and the music just flows and flows. Selections include the Monk-Hawkins composition I Mean You (great trades between Wilson and Zeitlin), Gershwin’s The Man I Love, a fresh look at Arthur Schwartz’ 1931 Dancing in the Dark, Wayne Shorter’s Paraphernalia, and a pair of Zeitlin’s original compositions, Echo of a Kiss, a waltz first played as a duet with bassist David Friesen 1994, and the challenging 10 Bar Tune with what the composer describes as its “circular structure.” Zeitlin has a special affinity for the music of Billy Strayhorn, and the thoughtfully sequenced program includes three pieces from the pen of one of the masters of jazz writing. The Star-Crossed Lovers is played with cool restraint. The inimitable Isfahan, as Zeitlin notes, “lends itself to many approaches.” The trio styles it as a slow bossa nova, with a gentle piano introduction and graceful drumming from Wilson as Zeitlin explores the melody in typically incisive fashion. Strayhorn’s The Intimacy of the Blues was originally a vehicle for an Ellington octet in 1967. Here it becomes the occasion for some upbeat and tasty swinging. The finale is the Shorter tune, introduced on Miles Davis’ 1968 album Miles In The Sky, and a Zeitlin favorite for decades. The trio gives it a free interpretation, with the pianist’s brooding introduction setting the tone for the group’s exploration. Matt Wilson’s drive and forceful but understated playing is especially impressive on this number. Indeed, his playing is a total joy throughout. His playing, in conjunction with Williams’ sensitive bass work and Zeitlin’s deeply probing piano, will keep me coming back to this date again and again. Happily recommended. 

Sunnyside SSC 1582; Denny Zeitlin (p) Buster Williams (b) Matt Wilson (d); NYC, May 3-4, 2019; The Man I Love/ Echo of a Kiss/ I Mean You/ The Star-Crossed Lovers/ 10 Bar Tune/ Dancing in the Dark/ Isfahan/ Intimacy of the Blues/ Paraphernalia; 71:56. sunnysiderecords.com

Pianist Micah Thomas is out with his first trio album, after appearances on discs by Immanuel Wilkins and Walter Smith III. There are eight original compositions on the self-produced Tide, recorded in performance at the Kitano Hotel in New York. He proves in the first two minutes of Tornado, the opening track, that he’s more than ready for the spotlight. With bassist Dean Torrey and drummer Kyle Benford contributing spirited accompaniment, Thomas takes flight and soars. The piece is aptly titled, a whirlwind of intriguing chord progressions and a quick pace that at some points threatens to overwhelm pianist and the audience alike. Torrey’s bass solo slows things down somewhat, and we get to hear some lovely comping from Thomas before he comes roaring back in. The title track is calm at first, then picks up steam after a Torrey bass solo, with an energetic Thomas exploring every nook and cranny of his song. Benford, another newcomer, sounds great here, with a strong sense of pacing and dynamics. From their tightness and empathetic playing, it sounds to me like this trio has been playing together quite a bit. Across My Path is a pretty ballad that’s carefully caressed by the band in a crafty arrangement that has Thomas alone at the beginning and the end. Grounds is a happy cooker, the kind of tune that you might be humming on the way home from a gig. It’s the kind of piece that gives you the feeling that they could keep it up for hours in an endless series of variations. At just under 9 minutes, this is one of the disc’s highlights. The fun continues with the multi-sectioned The Game, with plenty of tempo shifts and fresh motifs along the way. The Day After is hushed, with bowed bass and gentle chords from the piano in a rather precious and unconvincing performance. The music is back on track with the mellow Vänta, a solo excursion for Thomas in an exploratory vein. It almost feels like he’s having a conversation with himself. Closing the session is Wanderer, which picks up where Vänta leaves off. The trio moves into a light-hearted melody that leads to some delicate interplay and features some fine deep bass playing and convincingly understated drumming. I expect that jazz fans will be hearing a lot more music from Micah Thomas in the future. Don’t miss this one. 

self-produced; Micah Thomas (p) Dean Torrey (b) Kyle Benford (d); NYC, March 2019; Tornado/ Tide/ Across My Path/ Grounds/ The Game/ The Day After/ Vänta/ Wanderer; 64:09. micah.io

Piano Trios: Lafayette Gilchrist, Kjetil Mulelid, Jeff Hamilton

A trio of piano, bass, and drums forms the bedrock of the modern jazz combo. As a format, it seems virtually inexhaustible, limited only by the imaginations and talents of the musicians. A steady supply of trio music arrives at Mr. Stu’s Record Room. In a pair of posts, I’ll discuss six recent projects. 

Pianist and composer Lafayette Gilchrist and his trio with Herman Burney on bass and Eric Kennedy on drums come ready to rock the house and rile things up on Now, with a generous running time of nearly two-and-a-half hours on two CDs. Gilchrist has mined a number of musical areas to come up with his own approach to composing and playing. In his irresistible melding, we find the blues, of course, the spirit of early jazz piano styles like stride and ragtime, a healthy dose of gospel, echoes of Hollywood scores and television theme music, the musical knowledge gained over two decades performing with saxophonist David Murray, and crucially, the funk-soul feeling of go-go music, the long-lasting Washington, D.C.-based musical style and one of the few remaining regional musics in America. Gilchrist and company easily avoid the trap of set routines that a piano, bass, and drums combo sometimes falls into during the course of an evening’s listening. Bassist Burney is a steady ensemble player and fine soloist, and the group picks his solo spots wisely. It’s the same with the eminently tasty drumming of Eric Kennedy. Instead of showy drum solos, we’re treated to his deep in the pocket groove and his consistently rewarding lock with Burney. I’m of the mind that there are different ways to listen to any given album, and while Gilchrist’s formidable pianism is obviously the main event, taking the time to concentrate on the bass and drums throughout this set will be seriously edifying. Touches like the bowed bass and mallets on shimmering cymbals approach to the relatively gentle Say a Prayer For Our Love or the dynamic free-flowing give and take that they bring to the next track, Bmore Careful, are just two examples of their knack of getting it just right every time. Gilchrist’s last release was a solo effort, Dark Matter, one of the best discs of last year, and when I get around to compiling a list for this strangest of all years, I’m sure Now will on it. Memorable melodies, unstoppable invention from Gilchrist, and a solidly rocking and swinging beat seal the deal: Now is music for right now and many tomorrows to come. Strongly recommended. 

Lafayette Gilchrist Music; Lafayette Gilchrist (p) Herman Burney (b) Eric Kennedy (d); Bowie, MD, no dates specified; disc 1 (75:36) : Assume the Position/ Bamboozled/ Rare Essence/ Old Shoes Come to Life/ On Your Belly like a Snake/ Say a Prayer for Our Love/ Bmore Careful/ The Midnight Step Rag. disc 2 (73:25): Tomorrow Is Waiting Now (Sharon's Song)/ The Wonder of Being Here/ Purple Blues/ Newly Arrived/ Enough/ Get Straight to the Point/ Can You Speak My Language/ Specials Revealed. www.lafayettegilchristmusic.com

I was so taken with the first CD by the Kjetil Mulelid Trio when I reviewed it that you might expect their next effort, What You Thought Was Home, to soar to the top of my review pile. But humans are notoriously perverse, and slim discs in slim cardboard sleeves are too easily overlooked. Or maybe I just needed to wait until the right time to start listening to it, with the news all bad and getting worse. It can’t hurt to have some eminently pleasing and almost startlingly optimistic piano trio music on hand to change your mood. Mulelid, who composes the bulk of the material, has a knack for one enchanting melody after another. His trio caresses his genial songs with enough rhythmic vitality and energy to keep the music in motion. Bassist Bjørn Marius Hegge, who composed the gentle Bruremarsj (Wedding March), and drummer Andreas Skår Winther work together very well, making their presence felt without drawing much attention away from pianist Mulelid. The overall feeling of Mulelid’s music is best summed up with his song When Winter Turns Into Spring. The title alone evokes an immediate positive response from anyone who has ever lived with a cold and snowy winter. And Mulelid is from Norway, so the change of seasons is an especially noteworthy event. Particularly fine are Homecoming, a calm processional that has echoes of Keith Jarrett and Abdullah Ibrahim, and the exploratory flow of Far Away, a solo feature for Mulelid. There’s also a bit of musical humor in the appropriately titled A Cautionary Tale Against a Repetitive Life. Hummable melodies, pleasing interactions among the musicians, and the overall feeling of music delivering the equivalent of a warm embrace make What You Though Was Home an eminently worthy follow-up to their first release. Warmly recommended. 

Rune Grammofon RCD2208 (CD/lp); Kjetil André Mulelid (p) Bjørn Marius Hegge (b) Andreas Skår Winther (d); Halden, Norway, November 15-16, 2018; What You Thought Was Home/ Folk Song/ Bruremarsj (Wedding March)/ Tales/ Far Away/ A Cautionary Tale Against a Repetitive Life/ Waltz For Ima/ When Winter Turns Into Spring/ Homecoming; 37:06. runegrammofon.com

The drummer and leader of the Jeff Hamilton Trio has amassed hundreds of credits in a distinguished career that began in the Seventies with Monty Alexander and Woody Herman. He was a member of the L.A. Four from 1978-82, played with prominent figures like Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, and George Shearing, and in 1985, co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with bassist John Clayton and alto saxophonist Jeff Clayton, which still plays gigs and records. He’s also managed to keep a trio together with pianist Tamir Hendelman for the last 22 years. Their latest effort is Catch Me If You Can, with bassist Jon Hamar joining the trio to replace Christoph Luty. The trio’s crisp rapport is in evidence from the first notes of Make Me Rainbows, an early piece by composer John Williams that swings right along at a bright tempo. Hamilton plays a lot of sessions, which exposes him to songs he might otherwise miss, like the Williams song he encountered while playing a Holly Hoffman date. It’s a lovely melody that sets the tone for the entire disc. Hamilton is close friends with pianist George Cables, and Cables’ timelessly beautiful Helen’s Song is treated to a charming, finger-snapping arrangement. Hendelman’s title track arose as a challenge from Hamilton, who asked for “a medium up-tempo piece.” Hamilton adds “Big mistake!” as the pianist wrote a devilishly tricky tune, but they have a lot of fun just the same. Hamilton studied with drummer John Von Ohlen, citing him as a major influence on his playing. Von Ohlen was a pianist as well as a big band drummer with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton, and The Pond is one of his tunes. Hendelman handles it with care, and Hamilton’s brushwork is impeccable. Lapinha comes from the repertoire of Sergio Mendes, and it cooks in a lightly swinging bossa groove. Bassist Hamar contributes two songs. The Barn is a bluesy mid-tempo swinger named for the trio’s rehearsal space, and a feature for Hamar’s sturdy bass playing. His other piece, Bucket O’ Fat, starts off with a powerful yet relaxed bass solo, then develops into a sort of blues. Hamilton, once again on brushes, is impressive on this one. The last three tracks were associated with big bands. Bijou is a Ralph Burns composition that the drummer used to play with the Herman band, played here as a tribute to the great Herman drummers. Thad Jones’ Big Dipper was played by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and Hamilton tells us in his friendly liner notes that as a teen, he would start every day by playing along to the recording. Here he lays down a slightly up tempo that works perfectly for the tune. The finale is Moonray, an Artie Shaw song brought in by Hamar, and played with bright panache. Catch Me If You Can is a well-crafted and enjoyable mainstream piano date that swings like nobody’s business. Recommended. Capri 74163; Tamir Hendelman (p) Jon Hamar (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Hollywood, CA, August 14-15, 2019; Make Me Rainbows/ Helen’s Song/ Catch Me If You Can/ The Pond/ Lapinha/ The Barn/ Bucket O’ Fat/ Bijou/ Big Dipper/ Moonray; 58:02. caprirecords.com