tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75542933123084289422024-03-20T02:00:40.612-07:00jazz and assorted candyMusic is the best, Frank Zappa said. Well, it certainly brings profound pleasure, doesn't it? The purpose of this blog is to share thoughts about music. Mainly jazz, but - as you might have guessed - also assorted candy.jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-31041914729683833452013-01-14T00:30:00.001-08:002013-01-14T00:30:25.536-08:00<strong>BARRY ALTSCHUL IS BACK</strong><br />
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In the spring of 2011 I had the enormous pleasure of doing a long interview with drummer Barry Altschul in New York. He announced the recording of a new cd then. It took a while, but next month the Finnish label TUM is releasing The 3dom Factor by the Barry Altschul trio, his first release as a leader in more than 25 years.<br />
The perfect occasion to publish this interview. Hope you enjoy it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUfZt7SzWaKWt57jqifPfNys9OtgyC6iEEfXg5nZy7-4gJuQyTFmLEq086COPP73v_LG_cOVM80lAwQpHEbCqs6OjrPInwD4XWoWFVDYO5vmtyKknhk6m28e0596r5PgBuKmEe6pDTO5e/s1600/New+York+mei+2011+212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUfZt7SzWaKWt57jqifPfNys9OtgyC6iEEfXg5nZy7-4gJuQyTFmLEq086COPP73v_LG_cOVM80lAwQpHEbCqs6OjrPInwD4XWoWFVDYO5vmtyKknhk6m28e0596r5PgBuKmEe6pDTO5e/s320/New+York+mei+2011+212.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Legendary
drummer Barry Altschul is back on the forefront<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘I want to
be a really free drummer’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He was one
of the first and foremost free drummers on the scene. He played on legendary
records like Dave Holland’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Conference of the Birds</i>. He was Paul Bley’s
drummer of choice for two decades, was a member of Circle (which in hindsight
is no less than a supergroup) and made a string of creative and original
records under his own name. But then, around 1986, Barry Altschul seemed to
disappear from the scene. Now he is back, as a member of Jon Irabagon’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Foxy-trio and with plans for a new cd, which
will be the first under his name in more than 25 years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Make no
mistake’, says Altschul on a bench in a very sunny Central Park, New York, at
the side of which he has been living for many years in the same apartment. ‘I
have never been away from the scene. All these years, musicians came to my
house to practice or to just play. I have a drumset in my apartment, of course,
but also a bass and a piano, so we can really play there.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Altschul is 70 by now, but in his jeansjacket
and with his hair in a bun looks much younger and bursts with energy. Otherwise
he wouldn’t be playing in the trio of Jon Irabagon, the young saxophonist of
Mostly Other People Do The Killing, one of the hippest bands on the present
jazz scene. Altschul is featured on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Foxy</i>,
a very energetic blowing session with the young Peter Brendler on bass and
Irabagon on saxophone. The cd is inspired by Sonny Rollins’ record <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doxy</i> and contains a cover of that piece.
But the recording nevertheless sounds like a whirlwind from beginning till end.
‘It’s very intense’, says Altschul. ‘It was what Jon wanted: all tension, no
release. It’s one stream of consciousness heavy blowing session, based on the
impetus of Sonny Rollins’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doxy</i>. We
cover the tune on the cd, but you have to listen really careful to recognize
it. Jon and I have also been doing some duo concerts and he wants to record
with me.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still, the
drummer doesn’t consider himself to be a patron of young players. ‘But as an
older player I have the responsibility to pass on the information that I have
learned. And playing with younger people keeps you young and fresh.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barry Altschul
plans to record under his own name (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Update:
the Finnish label TUM will release The 3Dom Factor in february 2013</i>), which
is big news since his previous cd, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That’s
Nice</i> on the Soul Note label, dates from 1986, more than a quarter of a
century ago. Many will see the new cd as his comeback record. ‘But I’ve never
gone away’, replies Altschul. ‘I just was not looking for gigs as a bandleader.
My ego is not such that I have to be a bandleader all the time. But now I feel
I have to do it. Creativity works in a curve and I have written some music that
I really want to record. It will be some kind of an all star band, though I
can’t give you any names yet <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Update:
finally, it appears to be a trio record with Jon Irabagaon on sax and Joe Fonda
on bass)</i>. But it’s not going to be a total avant-garde record. I feel like
I’m able to fuse <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inside</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">outside</i> better than I have before.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Altschul is widely regarded as an avant-garde
drummer. And that upsets him a little bit, since he also worked extensively
with mainstream musicians like Art Pepper, Hampton Hawes, Chet Baker, Sonny
Criss and Lee Konitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though Altschul
has recordings of many of these sessions, none of these ever came out on a
record, while his work in the avant-garde world was well documented.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time the jazz public<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>got aware of Barry Altschul was on recordings
with pianist Paul Bley, in the sixties one of the pioneers of free jazz.
Altschul has fond memories of how he met Bley. ‘I was a janitor in the studio
where Paul Bley was recording with Paul Motian, Gary Peacock, John Gilmore and
Don Ellis. I had to clean the studio, but was of course also learning about
recording and engineering on the spot. Those days I was playing hardbop with
George Cables and Dave Liebman, guys who I grew up with in NY. I started
talking to Paul and told him I was a drummer. A few days later I got a phone call
from him, asking me to come to a gig for the opening night of a new club,
Slugs. That must have been 1964 or ‘65. Paul had never heard me play and we had
never rehearsed. When I set up my drums, he asked me: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do you want to play some standards or some music that I’m into</i>? I
was an arrogant kid from The Bronx, so I said: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">play whatever you want</i>. Well, Paul played very <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">out</i>, and I responded to that. And I worked with him on and off for
the next 20 years. But until then I had no idea of free music.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Altschul
played mainstream and avant-garde alternately. Wasn’t it difficult to make that
shift, from playing free to playing hard bop? ‘There was no shift’, says the
drummer firmly. ‘It’s all jazz to me. There’s certain techniques you have to
use to play avant-garde. But it’s all music. I am an American jazz drummer and
like to feel that I’m a complete musician. I consider myself as a free drummer,
not an avant-garde drummer. Freedom has nothing to do with the word
avant-garde. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It’s a
matter of choices. The more choices you have, the freer you are. If I have the
ability to play something that sounds like Arabic, Indian or African music, why
shouldn’t I put it in my music if it’s a good musical choice at the moment? I
have the choice to do that. There’s many avant-garde players that I feel don’t
have too many choices. They are free in their improvisations, but their freedom
is within a cage.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Altschul
was never in a cage. Certainly not in the group Circle, which was very free in
its concept. With Chick Corea on piano, Dave Holland on bass and Anthony
Braxton on reeds this was kind of a supergroup. ‘But we weren’t that super back
then as some may think of us now’, Altschul smiles. The drummer played all
kinds of stuff in Circle. ‘From ragtime to no time’, as he is often quoted.
‘That phrase is not mine. It comes from Beaver Harris (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">drummer with Archie Shepp and leader of his own 360° Degree Music
Experience, until his death in 1991</i>). But it describes exactly what I do,
even today.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, his work with Circle put even more the
avant-garde stamp on him. His string of records under his own name, most of
them on the Italian Soul Note label, are also pretty much in an outside vein.
‘But on each record there was also one or two tracks that were really inside’,
says Altschul. This certainly is true of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That’s
nice</i>, dating from 1986, and the most recent Barry Altschul record to date.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The drummer
seemed to disappear after that record came out. But he nevertheless stayed very
active. ‘I had moved to Paris in 1983 and lived there for ten years’, says
Altschul. ‘I played with about everybody there, from Americans Steve Lacy and
Alan Silva to the Russian pianist Simon Nabatov. I even had a big band for two
years, when I was musical director of the Orchestre Regional de Jazz in Nancy.
I didn’t play drums with them, but wrote the music, and even took conducting
lessons to be a real big band conductor.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 1993
Altschul went back to New York and started teaching as an adjunct-professor at
Sara Lawrence College in Bronxville, which he did for ten years. ‘But always,
always, always, musicians came to my house to play’, stresses Altschul. ‘And I
played countless gigs.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 2003
Altschul got a phone call from Adam Lane, fellow New Yorker and bass player. ‘I
didn’t even know him at the time. But he wanted a quartet with Paul Smoker on
trumpet and John Tchicai on sax. So I said yes.’ It was the incitation for
Altschul to go back on the road and play more. ‘I recorded with the FAB-trio,
with Joe Fonda and Billy Bang who died recently, sadly enough. And for several
years I was involved in a group with Steve Swell, Gebhard Ullmann and Hilliard
Greene. I also played a lot with Roswell Rudd.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now –
finally - he is ready for that new record under his own name. ‘I like where I’m
at now. I gained another level and I’m happy with my own playing. I’d like to
tour more than I do now. But other than that, I’m OK. I am very fortunate to
have the gift of music. I am able to play, so why should I complain?’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Peter De Backer</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-85249543900121091982011-10-17T08:53:00.000-07:002011-10-17T10:37:12.713-07:00Robin Trower in Breda<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just some assorted candy.</div>Probably most jazzfans will not like this,<br />
but I can't help loving it.<br />
I'm so proud I filmed and uploaded this all by myself, like a big boy!<br />
Enjoy!!! (and let me know what you think of it)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SWbgVEq98Kc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-87741700356539297632011-03-16T14:38:00.000-07:002011-03-16T14:38:59.882-07:00Verneri Pohjola - Aurora ****<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4VQxXc-QlsINK7Z8UpOH1ypZt2QB1RR81XbX-0LOvI2_0wnSnGrKzLYi_fxnwPeWBQd4c16oftlEGPwUwgX7DY4R95SK9P2AqaEp7Wb7znHgYzWAKRBxuiL_j_okqlt2zwn7NU6-mRf3/s1600/Verneri+Pohjola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4VQxXc-QlsINK7Z8UpOH1ypZt2QB1RR81XbX-0LOvI2_0wnSnGrKzLYi_fxnwPeWBQd4c16oftlEGPwUwgX7DY4R95SK9P2AqaEp7Wb7znHgYzWAKRBxuiL_j_okqlt2zwn7NU6-mRf3/s320/Verneri+Pohjola.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>American jazz journalists seldom show any intrest in European jazz. EST is the only European band that ever got on the cover of Downbeat, which says a lot. However: the European scene has a lot to offer. In Scandinavia alone there seems to be plenty of intresting jazz musicians.<br />
One I got to know thanks to the German Act-label is trumpet player Verneri Pohjola. Upon hearing the first notes, you think: this must be Norway, someone like Nils Petter Molvaer or Arve Henriksen. Wrong! Pohjola is from Finland, and this cd (his debut) was released there in 2009. It was quite a success, and now Act reissues it to give it the international audience it deserves.<br />
The cd starts very solemnly and slowly. The second piece is more uptempo, very well constructed, clocking in at about 12 minutes, with a bass clarinet and a string quartet adding classical and folky colours, with some heavy drumming, a beautiful piano solo, and so on. <br />
The mood will shift a lot on this cd: Pohjola differs the instrumentation from piece to piece, creating a rich palette of musical colours.<br />
Pohjola must be a fan of Miles Davis, since he tackles Rodrigo's Concerto De Aranjuez, but he does it in an entirely different manner, reworking it as a trumpet/bass duo for the biggest part.<br />
Great playing througout, not only of Pohjola himself. He seems to stem from a musical family. His father, bassist Pekka Pohjola, plays on a couple of tracks on this recording but died soon afterwards. This cd is dedicated to him. <br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-17067473240656002352011-03-11T12:15:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:15:20.331-08:00Kip Hanrahan - Desire Develops an Edge ****<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Even 27 years later I still have deep memories of the excitement I felt when opening the hard cardboard cover of this double LP. The strange black and white photography was very artful and tasty, with a mysterious touch to it. It was upon reading a 4 1/2 star review in Downbeat that I went to the local record shop, and to my enormous surprise found a copy of <em>Desire Develops and Edge</em> (still a mysterious title to me).</div>Not only the DB-review aroused my intrest. But it fascinated me how one man whose name was 'Kip' (which means chicken in my language) and who was hardly a musician himself (he only touches some percussion once in a while) could convince so many interesting musicans from totally different backgrounds - such as Jamaladeen Tacuma, Arto Lindsay, Ricky Ford, John Scofield, Milton Cardona, Jerry Gonzalez, John Stubblefield and hordes of percussionists - to create his very imaginative music. Hanrahan acts like a film director here: he assembles a cast of musicians who play different scenes of his scenario following his directions. <br />
And it is Steve Swallow and (especially) Jack Bruce who are the stars on the set. Bruce only plays bass sparingly here (the bass chair is mostly filled by Swallow, brilliant as always), but his singing is awesome. Jacks voice has never sounded warmer than on this recording, and for a man with his recorded output, this really means something.<br />
This record focuses on percussion, changing from South American to African flavours. Some pieces are merely rough sketches, while others are really beautifully wrought songs. The closing track Nancy (with Steve Swallow playing bass <em>and</em> piano) is simple and nice, and still sounds very fresh to my ears. It was a pleasure to hear it again after more than two decades. <em>Desire Develops an Edge</em> was the second in a long series of a (mostly) very captivating string of records by one of the most enigmatic figures on the jazz scene.<br />
I admit some pieces on this record tend to be a bit dull, but I still consider this cd as a piece of art by a strong personality. A most welcome reissue.<br />
Peterjazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-16276560402016600822011-03-09T01:53:00.000-08:002011-03-09T01:54:42.143-08:00Donny McCaslin - Perpetual Motion ****<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOI1X2kUW0jHgsyfHHHJC-IrtYucB96KpVpbAb3TEs9I8brxayonFCfUFzuyBfutiu-20htGe51bgYbGpoHjqnHkr8xpsbjss-gJUm_JvvR4E36bLZ-1waXBJzmNuur6Z9krt_JSC5LOg3/s1600/donny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOI1X2kUW0jHgsyfHHHJC-IrtYucB96KpVpbAb3TEs9I8brxayonFCfUFzuyBfutiu-20htGe51bgYbGpoHjqnHkr8xpsbjss-gJUm_JvvR4E36bLZ-1waXBJzmNuur6Z9krt_JSC5LOg3/s1600/donny.jpg" /></a></div>Ok, this <em>is </em>some kind of electric cd, since there is an electric bassplayer (Tim Lefebvre) and a Fender Rhodes, played on most tracks by Adam Benjamin (who doubles on piano once in a while), and on one track by Uri Caine. But don't be afraid: this is excellent jazz, as you quite rightfully expect from Donny Mc Caslin.<br />
The saxophonist hasn't stopped surprising me since his debut <em>Exile and discovery</em> (1998) on the now defunct Naxos Jazz label. Dave Douglas and Maria Schneider were equally impressed, since they used McCaslin in their groups and on their recordings. I was particularly in awe of his trio cd <em>Recommmended Tools</em> of 2008, which is one of thé most astonishing saxophone trio-cd's of recent years.<br />
This one is very different, because of the (modest) use of electric instruments, be it a Fender Rhodes, with some strong but quite dry basslines by Tim Lefebvre (he never slaps) and some sparingly used electronics added by David Binney (who also plays alto saxophone on one track).<br />
Donny McCaslin is a real powerhouse on his tenorsaxophone, his virtuosity is really amazing. But it serves the music right (he wrote most of the compositions himself). The music sounds like a 21st century version of jazzrock, in the best meaning of the word. Enjoy it!<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-71494000711744296402011-03-07T01:31:00.000-08:002011-03-07T01:31:49.442-08:00Danilo Perez - Providencia ***1/2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzJge8lEC7SE6Y_sv3j3cKvTUOwDh6X60QpZJxzrZ1nhWElhZ7TVqxmQgwEriG84joJqcowWFAsYHB_SLmxT6qCeXbn8p8kr0DUkJD82_rYgkkYOIBuEXYZ3yyfwVLdxf7Z2rgAyxAWHm/s1600/DaniloPerez-Providencia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzJge8lEC7SE6Y_sv3j3cKvTUOwDh6X60QpZJxzrZ1nhWElhZ7TVqxmQgwEriG84joJqcowWFAsYHB_SLmxT6qCeXbn8p8kr0DUkJD82_rYgkkYOIBuEXYZ3yyfwVLdxf7Z2rgAyxAWHm/s320/DaniloPerez-Providencia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>What strikes the most on first hearing is that some pieces on this cd are heavily influenced by European classical music. The opening notes on piano could be the start of a Bach piece. And in other pieces, most obviously in the two parts of <em>Bridge of life </em>(starring a woodwind quintet)<em>,</em> Perez brings music that has plenty of classical references.<br />
Indeed, Danilo Perez - who you probably know best as the piano player of the Wayne Shorter Quartet - had a classical training when he was very young. But Perez is from Panama. No wonder then, that you hear Latin American sounds on this cd. There's plenty of percussion, for instance. But Perez has an open mind, and his musical world spans more than jazzy, classical or Latin American flavours. The highligts on this cd are his dialogues with Indian American Rudresh Mahanthappa, whose altosaxophone has an astonishingly Indian sound. <em>Galactic Panama</em> is a fantastic track by two musicians with two completely different backgrounds who provoke each other to bring out the best in themselves. The same is true of <em>The Maze</em>, a duet in two parts.<br />
For those who only know Perez of his work with Wayne Shorter, this cd will be a a pleasant surprise.<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-21533686769309976052011-03-05T12:01:00.000-08:002011-03-05T12:32:46.357-08:00Vijay Iyer - Tirtha ***<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oSkhrIYaZebDVmXaQDCRR8o6qn2bsHOAUQe2twfjbG-FyTmKoGWE2o-I0pgroKWWpqhYwZuTd-7wKzq5aWokIDYWyus23GC90eblSToHSZmrv1b1oLzyTSNIyL5I5qPbhvs1KNNT0B5d/s1600/Tirtha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oSkhrIYaZebDVmXaQDCRR8o6qn2bsHOAUQe2twfjbG-FyTmKoGWE2o-I0pgroKWWpqhYwZuTd-7wKzq5aWokIDYWyus23GC90eblSToHSZmrv1b1oLzyTSNIyL5I5qPbhvs1KNNT0B5d/s1600/Tirtha.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Pianist Vijay Iyer is one of the most fascinating young jazz musicians of recent years. He is the son of Indian immigrants but is a real American, since he was raised in the US from early childhood. In his recorded work, his Indian roots were not really obvious, until now. As Iyer himself stated in his liner notes to previous cd's, he was very much influenced by his tutor Andrew Hill, and by the likes of Alice Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and even Sun Ra. Their musical traces can be heard especially in his solo piano cd of last year, a brilliant one as you hopefully know by now.<br />
But here, on this third outing on the superb German Act-label, Iyer gives an insight in what his Indian parentage means to him. More than in his own pianoplaying, the sound of India is very prominent by his choice of partners on this cd: Prasanna (born in Chennai/Madras) on guitar and Nittin Mitta (of Hyderabad) on tabla.<br />
The tabla is of course an Indian percussion instrument, so the Asian flavour it delivers is inevitable. But Prasanna's electric guitar, with those very eastern sounding bended notes, is even more Indian. It is Iyer who makes this music a crossing between Indian music and jazz. Tirtha hence combines the best of these worlds. This is a strange combination of hardbop and raga. Let's call it world jazzfusion or something.<br />
The result probably isn't as strong as Iyer's <em>Historicity</em> and <em>Solo</em> albums, but it's surely the work of three great artists.<br />
<strong>Peter </strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-537701642053029462011-01-08T13:19:00.000-08:002011-01-13T04:23:59.546-08:00Best of 2010I know: I'm probably a bit late. But I love lists! And admit it: so do you! So here are some of the cd's I enjoyed most in 2010. I haven't listened yet to all I wanted (I'm looking forward to the cd by Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green, for instance, I haven't heard the live one by [em] yet... But I did listen extensively to at least 250 new cd's, mainly jazz, but also some assorted candy, as always.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Adam Lane</strong><br />
<strong>Ashcan Rantings</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsb1EC8d-2e1LNttmXxu3YX9G6WoNy2cCgV8kF_sZU12LpKGDtKPYzqyotX71LY45Bg7hNsph5JRJzRE8Kank1ZpW1zFwjPAdbdtvzmWbztwQlY8EuH7Psxx091Nz-7BRBXdc35UjQVlGO/s1600/Adam+Lane+Ashcan+Rantings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsb1EC8d-2e1LNttmXxu3YX9G6WoNy2cCgV8kF_sZU12LpKGDtKPYzqyotX71LY45Bg7hNsph5JRJzRE8Kank1ZpW1zFwjPAdbdtvzmWbztwQlY8EuH7Psxx091Nz-7BRBXdc35UjQVlGO/s320/Adam+Lane+Ashcan+Rantings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If you were wondering how Charles Mingus would sound if he was still among us, then this is your best bet. This is also how Dave Holland would sound, if he was thirty years younger. You understood the message: this is thoroughly composed music by a (almost big) band full of young virtuoso musicians. Two cd's, never a dull moment. That's not bad, is it?<br />
<br />
<strong>Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth</strong><br />
<strong>Deluxe</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-loCxxKl-aBYgYshf0BkpJARHecjjN09prsgkl9m_AlLmMi4Ie78dLWMApY7B_yK9c4y7sVTNZH2-n3FbueBUG0Vv_Cgmac8AOwvZK5dP81djJ7a5_eitofNe436soiqBgbZq1IE__dK5/s1600/Chris+Lightcap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-loCxxKl-aBYgYshf0BkpJARHecjjN09prsgkl9m_AlLmMi4Ie78dLWMApY7B_yK9c4y7sVTNZH2-n3FbueBUG0Vv_Cgmac8AOwvZK5dP81djJ7a5_eitofNe436soiqBgbZq1IE__dK5/s320/Chris+Lightcap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This band really is deluxe, and just like Adam Lane, Chris Lightcap is a fantastisc bassplayer, and has assembled a very interesting band to record his beautiful music. I hear creamy melodies, slowly unwinding lines, full of musicality. With a band of avantgarde players who don't sound avantgarde here. Tony Malaby is great, but has never sounded as accessible as on this cd. Enjoy it while you can!<br />
<br />
<strong>Frank Zappa</strong><br />
<strong>Hammersmith Odeon</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL6lRC6ikduntKtVbneEPHGTBjMGPvYeWRJXITfOjhanF6U2UhTgIm5WztMPDY5h9L78mSk1BHKZ31UKqux6fWKm6VhnvU6DLw6ECmBwL25suSGlG_6Atwag4vmo__-1qoUjh1IFUWzJC/s1600/FZOH2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL6lRC6ikduntKtVbneEPHGTBjMGPvYeWRJXITfOjhanF6U2UhTgIm5WztMPDY5h9L78mSk1BHKZ31UKqux6fWKm6VhnvU6DLw6ECmBwL25suSGlG_6Atwag4vmo__-1qoUjh1IFUWzJC/s1600/FZOH2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Please read the previous post.<br />
<br />
<strong>Ken Vandermark 5</strong><br />
<strong>Special Edition</strong><br />
<strong>The horse jumps/The ship is gone</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVG580s2r88hglG44x4dzUPil4v0wavok4Eq06cXoYSLtSmuhmuaNcjYcDwGachR6V97HCSpuiaK5vEnxeq4SKRcpR7vbhve7pz60fHeruax8NmAaKKzsASBw-wm7EA-5_v9zDGO2FGiT/s1600/Vandermark+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVG580s2r88hglG44x4dzUPil4v0wavok4Eq06cXoYSLtSmuhmuaNcjYcDwGachR6V97HCSpuiaK5vEnxeq4SKRcpR7vbhve7pz60fHeruax8NmAaKKzsASBw-wm7EA-5_v9zDGO2FGiT/s1600/Vandermark+5.jpg" /></a></div>Talking 'bout a prolific guy.... Ken Vandermark is even as bad as John Zorn... But his output is always interesting, or even impressive, like this cd of his group, combined with two Norwegians (Magnus Broo, tp, Havard Wiik, p). They are members of Atomic, Europe's best kept secret if it's jazz we're talking about.<br />
What a band, what an energy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Vijay Iyer</strong><br />
<strong>Solo</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEFSVcwahjbE2C2-AaiVZM_BkAGLHX1ocRg4LxBnM5hBNADNOtiEZyFgIf7usd2XhViCrXyEJd_wC2m-V3eGH8xIB6ahljlQhXhhBPt3gnuMOZfiU7yEtG0f_20lCmHaV2lQG1rF-lt_u/s1600/Vijay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEFSVcwahjbE2C2-AaiVZM_BkAGLHX1ocRg4LxBnM5hBNADNOtiEZyFgIf7usd2XhViCrXyEJd_wC2m-V3eGH8xIB6ahljlQhXhhBPt3gnuMOZfiU7yEtG0f_20lCmHaV2lQG1rF-lt_u/s320/Vijay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
For this extremely gifted and superintelligent pianoplayer 2010 was kind of a breakthrough. His previous trio-cd, Historicity was the cd of 2009. This solo cd is at least one of the cd's of 2010. Iyer has found a highly original voice on piano. When Miles Davis played Michael Jackson's Human Nature, he just played the melody and that was that. The way Vijay Iyer tackles the same tune is much more original. Iyer combines the talents of his mentors Andrew Hil, Sun Ra, Randy Weston, Cecil Taylor and adds a personal flavor to it (though I seldom here influences of his Indian roots, contrary to the also very great Rudresh Mahanthappa).<br />
<br />
<strong>Avi Buffalo</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiu45nnRX8tDoD-WCWrlC-Plp2fZi34viPLsmMUS71Hn_A5dmzvLVpR27vj1p7xSqgMm7RKStKV316t23Q13CoI8d44Gbnz7qNqsc6xF_ZNfr1Wc_BZUgqmmaPYbkfvjd7rjja3H2-TKJ/s1600/avi-buffalo-main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiu45nnRX8tDoD-WCWrlC-Plp2fZi34viPLsmMUS71Hn_A5dmzvLVpR27vj1p7xSqgMm7RKStKV316t23Q13CoI8d44Gbnz7qNqsc6xF_ZNfr1Wc_BZUgqmmaPYbkfvjd7rjja3H2-TKJ/s320/avi-buffalo-main.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Please do not hold it against this 48-year old guy, but the cd I listened to most this year is beyond doubt this one by Avi Buffalo. This guy Avi wrote most of these songs when he was 16. Quite confronting... But how I loved it! This is fun hippie music that makes you smile, that makes you happy. Grateful Dead probably would sound this way if they were 19 years old in 2010.<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading this<br />
Peterjazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-77257122229405604492010-12-18T10:17:00.000-08:002010-12-18T10:22:42.821-08:00Zappa rules at 70<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhzinADrHOTZwOU9Jl4elJte7fmjYwwcMl9TzZ9S8NBui8yjjce4EPlSXEdrbwuk2ZXKi0sH_bY_Aazy6C2qQ9CCkc-0L6bsEZn-ez0LfvykP_qvQ891tFFCAmx5oRe_cVcxT4LAUI4vP/s1600/FZOH2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhzinADrHOTZwOU9Jl4elJte7fmjYwwcMl9TzZ9S8NBui8yjjce4EPlSXEdrbwuk2ZXKi0sH_bY_Aazy6C2qQ9CCkc-0L6bsEZn-ez0LfvykP_qvQ891tFFCAmx5oRe_cVcxT4LAUI4vP/s1600/FZOH2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
He should have been 70 by now, as an excellent special edition of MOJO reminds us. But cancer decided otherwise, so Frank Zappa is no longer among us, and that is a pity, for his family and friends of course, but also for fans of truly original music. <br />
Happily there's a release from 'the vault' once in a while. Although the quality of the ones that already came out since Frank's death in '93 is uneven (Joes' Corsage, Menage and Domage are pretty poor..., Qaudiophiliac and Wazoo are brilliant) I look forward to everything that 'vaultmeister' Joe Travers (also drummer in Dweezil's Zappa plays Zappa band) prepares for release. <br />
So I was eagerly waiting for this three cd-offering of a concert in Hammersmith Odeon (London), since it was recorded in 78, the period I started buying FZ-records (starting with Sheik Yerbouti and never ending since then). Well: it delivers fully, for 100 procent. This must be the best FZ cd since he left us all much too soon.<br />
The band is one of the best that FZ ever had: Tommy Mars and Peter Wolf on keys (the synths replacing the horns on Zappa in NY), Adrian Belew on guitar; Patrick O'Hearn on bass, Terry Bozzio on drums and Ed Mann on percussion (and of course on FZ on guitar (my god...) and vocals).<br />
Three hours long, they give you their all, and FZ leads them through some very essential compositions of his, like <em>Pound for a Brown</em> (more than 20 minutes!!), <em>Peaches en Regalia, Envelopes</em>, a stunning 'prequel' to <em>Watermelon on Easter Hay, The Black Page, Black Napkins </em>(what a melody!!!!) and many more. The lecture FZ gives on why he wrote <em>I have been in you </em>is really funny. At least: I laughed out loud! And these three cd's made me smile from beginning till end. From shere excitement, total enjoyment of so much beauty, so many creamy melodies, such great guitar playing (the solo in <em>The torture never stops</em> is overwhelming!).<br />
I realise there's a big nostalgia-factor explaining why I love this so much. Since I got to learn this music when I was 16, 17, and life was easy... But nevertheless I sincerely think that these three hours of excellent music illustrate that FZ was a highly original voice in rock music, and remains one of it's greatest composers till this very day.<br />
Enjoy it while you can!!!<br />
Thank you Frank!<br />
Peter<br />
jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-19638692828592254732010-11-21T12:41:00.000-08:002010-11-21T12:41:28.478-08:00Whatever happened to..... Charles Brackeen?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMGGed2_Rt6vQGz6xclG96NSPxQKP1P1F6BJdf6akxK-5ODYaTDlBVuVsL3FZ2IfydpUgQVjGl3d3KkHuT6Yz1cfaaZew4zuTFU2XrC-EiZB0GQd5AvRNx2PnKlob-9dtF3UWc50NzNU5/s1600/Brackeen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMGGed2_Rt6vQGz6xclG96NSPxQKP1P1F6BJdf6akxK-5ODYaTDlBVuVsL3FZ2IfydpUgQVjGl3d3KkHuT6Yz1cfaaZew4zuTFU2XrC-EiZB0GQd5AvRNx2PnKlob-9dtF3UWc50NzNU5/s1600/Brackeen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Saxophonist Charles Brackeen (born 1940) produced some very fine records in the eighties, like <em>Worshippers come nigh</em> and <em>Bannar</em>, in a band with Fred Hopkins or Malachi Favors and the fantastic Dennis Gonzalez. He also appeared on records by Paul Motian and he was married to a great pianoplayer who still bears his name, Joanne Brackeen. But what has become of him? I can't find any cd's of him since the nineties. Anyone who knows, please let me know. I consider Mr Brackeen's contribution to jazz as very important.<br />
Thanks<br />
Peterjazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-20620004678159497472010-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:14:46.410-08:00Henry Threadgill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9S2ZGXon3K6oeXun0QGpzYIBEk_BFsO12e5fpZRVEPk1I829JDpB3bz3tWvU8gHzE6LRWlGF-2HeotwQg0uGRwN8-7icrlzeauZBWyCh5b6LPmMDnBlldftL2k20BHjPMQK2CR6co7WG/s1600/HT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9S2ZGXon3K6oeXun0QGpzYIBEk_BFsO12e5fpZRVEPk1I829JDpB3bz3tWvU8gHzE6LRWlGF-2HeotwQg0uGRwN8-7icrlzeauZBWyCh5b6LPmMDnBlldftL2k20BHjPMQK2CR6co7WG/s1600/HT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
All praise be to Mosaic Records for reissuing historic jazz recordings, although most of their releases are outside my range of intrest. But the Anthony Braxton box was a pleasant surprise (his band with Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler and Barry Altschul!), and now this great Henry Threadgill reissue will serve the same strange people who love the bizarre sounds of avantgarde jazz...<br />
Threadgill has been too silent for many years now (only two short cd's on Pi Recordings in eight years...), yet he remains to me one of the greatest artists on the music scene today. This box with eight cd's illustrates this perfectly.<br />
The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air contains three albums by Air (his trio with Fred Hopkins on bass and Steve McCall on drums): <em>Open Air Suit</em>, <em>Montreux Suisse Air</em> and <em>Air Lore</em>. Then there is his special X-75-band, of which the <em>Volume 2</em> included here was never released before. Then there is three albums by the notorious sextett (with two t's at the end, since it consisted of seven people...): <em>You Know the Number</em>, <em>Easily Slip into another World</em> and <em>Rag, Bush and all</em>.<br />
Finaly, there's three records by the Verry Very Circus and Make a Move-bands: <em>Carry the day</em>, <em>Makin' a move</em> and <em>Where's your cup</em>.<br />
The music on all of these cd's is never less than fantastic. When I got to know the work of Henry Threadgill in the early eighties, I considered him to be a postmodern artist, in that he summed up all iconoclastic avantgarde experiments that came before him (be it with respect to the early history of jazz), and put his very personal stamp on it. <br />
But he is much more than that, really. His sense of adventure is never less than jaw dropping. Air is basically an 'ordinary' trio, consisting of a horn, bass and drums, but Threadgill organized it as a real group of equal partners. He was in that period very much influenced by the roots and early outings of jazz, such as ragtime, evidenced on <em>Air Lore</em>, on which the band plays pieces by Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton.<br />
Hopkins and McCall are terrific partners. Especially Fred Hopkins is very underrated, I think. To my ears he has the most identifiable sound on acoustic bass ever. These three albums by Air included here are great, but the group recorded many more, and my favorite, <em>80° below 82, </em>was on the label Antilles, so is not included here, unfortunatley.<br />
The same is true of the sextett. I consider their first two albums as highlights in the history of recorded music, be it jazz, rock, classical or whatever. <em>When was That?</em> and <em>Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket </em>are brilliant from beginning till end. But they were released on the label About Time. <br />
The Henry Threadgill Sextett is really an amazing band: who could ever have the idea of combining a frontline consisting of sax, trumpet and trombone with a cello, bass and two drummers? The cello of Deirdre Murray is central in all recordings of this band. The sextett sounds like a fanfare, firmly rooted in tradition, but extremely modern in its sound. My god, I hadn't listened to this stuff for more than a decade, but I still love it so much.<br />
Henry Threadgill allways uses strange instrumentation. On X-75 he used four (4!) basses. After the sextett broke up, he used electric guitars (but the soprano guitar of Brandon Ross surely sounds like no other guitarist), but it's probably the use of two tubas that is the most dominant sound of the Very Very Circus and Makin' a Move bands. <em>On Where's Your Cup</em>, Threadgill also uses the accordion of South African Rony Cedras as the main voice, with the electric bass of Stomu Takeishi replacing the tubas.<br />
Throughout all the work of Threadgill, there's a weird sense of humor. In the music itself, and in the crazy song titles like <em>Let Me Look Down Your Throat or Say Ah</em>, <em>Dirty in the Right Places </em>or <em>Those who Eat Cookies </em>and<em> The Devil is on the Loose and Dancin' with a Monkey</em>.<br />
And, last but least, and I almost forgot: HT is a virtuoso musician himself. I especially love his sharp sound on the alto saxophone! And his bands are full of interesting musicians like Ray Anderson, Rasul Siddik, Frank Lacy... <br />
Those who love jazz but haven't heard anything by HT (and Ethan Iverson writes on his blog that such people <em>do</em> exist): please, eat these cookies!<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-78292734005079229732010-10-05T13:08:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:52:47.231-07:00Michael Formanek The Rub and Spare Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbXGP75x2iBk4FzCWX5So7sUTwyNQj8pbujFCWa8AsCaYNDpt8EXYlTXvOm3wlQVAnj37mja2amC4Cse88alxJJKFdiiEEybBeNc8rKcMhbgqX9WaN1G8JAuSGJtkYiuyFPmcdN2koCte/s1600/MFORMANEK2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbXGP75x2iBk4FzCWX5So7sUTwyNQj8pbujFCWa8AsCaYNDpt8EXYlTXvOm3wlQVAnj37mja2amC4Cse88alxJJKFdiiEEybBeNc8rKcMhbgqX9WaN1G8JAuSGJtkYiuyFPmcdN2koCte/s1600/MFORMANEK2.jpg" /></a></div>Most of the recent ECM releases can hardly be labeled jazz, but this one surely can. And it's a very impressive kind of jazz, I must say, by a group of four fantastic musicians, all of them leaders in their own right.<br />
Though this really is Michael Formanek's date: he wrote all the tunes and surely organised the event. Formanek came to prominence in the nineties with some great stuff on Enja, but then stayed below radar for ten years or so. If Dr. Wiki tells the truth, then he must have devoted his time primarily to teaching at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. His sound on bass is as strong as ever. He is a perfect match for drummer Gerald Cleaver. <br />
But it's the soloing of alto saxophonist Tim Berne and - especially - pianist Craig Taborn that gives this cd its unique flavour. Berne has never been recorded better, and I prefer these tunes of approximately 8 minutes to the lengthy, often fatigueing pieces he records under his own name. Although there is one very long piece here also, <em>Tonal Suite</em>, which stands the test beyond doubt.<br />
I don't know much of the work of Craig Taborn, though I was very fond of <em>Junk Magic</em>, mainly an electric affair. Taborn here only plays acoustic piano and he really sounds terrific. And very modern. And virtuosic. Listen to his solo on <em>Inside the Box</em>, one of the highlights of this cd.<br />
The music could be described as - hmmm, let's say - very complex freebop with an avantgarde edge. Though it never gets too complicated, don't be afraid. To me this cd means a relief that ECM still produces great new jazz, apart from the inevitable Keith Jarrett. I admit I wasn't sure of that anymore, Manfred!<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-3189016227705821612010-09-26T13:29:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:53:14.004-07:00Paul Bley pleasures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHUeYcJE3mw3ZywuMKOqKPikK9RL8qugsmj1-xGPTSHyKi8vhTHYk9CGVWiBQRSZ_3oSeAqXMft8GgrvHc25n0YEemjkl1jbsucaJvmI6p-hICGib1RJVaK4K8xnC6C27Fn14g3GO8mPB/s1600/paul+bley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHUeYcJE3mw3ZywuMKOqKPikK9RL8qugsmj1-xGPTSHyKi8vhTHYk9CGVWiBQRSZ_3oSeAqXMft8GgrvHc25n0YEemjkl1jbsucaJvmI6p-hICGib1RJVaK4K8xnC6C27Fn14g3GO8mPB/s320/paul+bley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"The artists alone decide what you will hear on their ESP-disk." A label with such a motto should be cherished. And I do, as all hardcore jazz fanatics should. But I guess Paul Bley didn't decide on the sound of this recording. Like all ESP-recordings I know, it sounds as if it was recorded under water or in a refrigerator or something. <br />
But even then ESP (which started in the sixties when free jazz was invented and seems to have regained life in recent years) produced wonderful records. <em>Closer</em> is beyond doubt my favourite, since it got me to know Paul Bley, a wonderful pianoplayer, whose impact on jazz and improvisatory music cannot be over-appreciated.<br />
Oh my god, I still remember hiring this record from the local discotheque when I was 17 years or something. I was completely stunned by the opening track, <em>Ida Lupino</em> (named after an actress, which I didn't realise until decades later). The track was penned by Carla Bley, then Paul's wife, although as far as I know their marriage didn't last too long. Carla wrote seven of the ten (short to very short) tracks here, and they are all terrific. Although none of the others are as melodic as <em>Ida Lupino</em>, I consider tracks like <em>Start</em>, <em>Batterie</em> and <em>Closer</em> as little gems, small pieces of art that deserve respectful accolades of all true music lovers. They are all classics to my ears. <br />
Paul wrote one piece, and the remaining two were penned by Annette Peacock (if I'm not mistaken, Bley's partner after his marriage with Carla broke up) and Ornette Coleman, the man who changed the sound of jazz once he became member of the Paul Bley group in '58 (or was it '59?).<br />
Bley's trio consists of Steve Swallow (then still on ACOUSTIC bass, although he's so badly recorded you can hardly hear him) and the wonderful Barry Altschul, an excellent drummer who was one of the key figures of free jazz, then disappeared for too many years, but now seems to have re-emerged on the scene.<br />
My cd collection contains about 45 cd's by Paul Bley (and then another ten or so on vinyl), but I guess this one is still my favourite. Especially since the master himself decorated it with his autograph after a concert last year in Ghent, Belgium....<br />
Thank you for reading this<br />
Peterjazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-63111399859336427672010-09-18T13:59:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:53:38.052-07:00Tony Malaby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsFgCDqUv6j8rd1rApa_hTG5wnDGUB0izSDjNIG64r6AJ2gfE20Cx-lRsQPSFO0IhTJQGy7rbCzewmwBiPwNUloP8UARpZmRFMIbN-0EPQazGqDGQnC65BYCwrrYHEfSQSoIjpg4DZWA4/s1600/malaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsFgCDqUv6j8rd1rApa_hTG5wnDGUB0izSDjNIG64r6AJ2gfE20Cx-lRsQPSFO0IhTJQGy7rbCzewmwBiPwNUloP8UARpZmRFMIbN-0EPQazGqDGQnC65BYCwrrYHEfSQSoIjpg4DZWA4/s320/malaby.jpg" /></a></div>Last year I spent a week in New York. I not only had the pleasure of visiting the Village Vanguard (David Sanchez), the Blue Note (Odean Pope, James Carter, even Stanley Clarke) and the tiny Barbès in Brooklyn (Tom Rainey, Ingrid Laubrock, Mary Halvorson). But the very best concert I saw during that week was in the beautiful Cornelia Street Café in the heart of the Village.<br />
The band playing there was a quartet led by Tony Malaby (with John Hébert, Ralph Alessi and Billy Drummond). Beyond doubt Malaby's one of the most interesting saxophonists on the present jazz scene. On the same trip, I bought loads of cd's in the Downtown Music Gallery (go there when you're in NY!), and <em>Adobe</em> is definitely the one I listened to the most.<br />
It's a "classic" sax trio, recorded in 2003, with the rock solid Drew Grass on bass and on drums Paul Motian, still incredible after all these years. Malaby, who wrote four of the nine tunes, shines on tenor and on soprano. His reading of Ornette Coleman's <em>Humpty Dumpty </em>, the excellent opener, sounds very fresh. His tone on sax sounds very modern, firm, full of vision, with an open mind and an avantgarde edge, though he never loses himself in extensive squeaking or growling.<br />
As excellent as Drew Gress sounds, it's Paul Motian who makes this cd a special success. His sound is so recognizable, and he propels the music to a higher level.<br />
I know there's been plenty of beautiful saxtrio-cd's recently (the ones by Donny McCaslin and J.D. Allen come to mind), but this one will neither disappoint the avid fan of real present-day jazz. <br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-48579517930351469172010-09-17T15:16:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:53:58.656-07:00Jeremy Pelt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCJydSLSZKR-rEEEq6-ELyTFgi0yuYht9yaP-o13n_3ezlTddWvj5x7LmMlovUMWhPcotty_kbGEuVNVt6l25TmIwD5qmfM8zYX_4bCG83_C1GmY7PZkXUVNpQ3ZeiOBk1B_KNuJMa56f/s1600/pelt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCJydSLSZKR-rEEEq6-ELyTFgi0yuYht9yaP-o13n_3ezlTddWvj5x7LmMlovUMWhPcotty_kbGEuVNVt6l25TmIwD5qmfM8zYX_4bCG83_C1GmY7PZkXUVNpQ3ZeiOBk1B_KNuJMa56f/s320/pelt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>How to play hardbop and still sound fresh and modern? Listen to this cd and Jeremy Pelt gives you the answer. The trumpeter had already published some very strong cd's, some with an electric feel, like the well received <em>Shock Value: Live at Smoke</em> on MaxJazz.<br />
But this all acoustic quintet is his band of choice since the excellent previous cd, <em>November</em> (MaxJazz). This quintet consists of Dwayne Burno (bass), Danny Grissett (piano), J.D. Allen (tenorsax) and Gerald Cleaver (drums). With the exception of Burno, they are all leaders in their own right. But this not an 'all stars' affair. This is really a group effort, and the sound is that of a quintet full of interaction, with musicians listening to each other, with an almost telepathic feeling of how their colleagues will react.<br />
Like Dave Holland, Jeremy Pelt gives each member of his group the opportunity to bring along a composition, and this works fine. The sound is definitely reminiscent of the second great Miles Davis Quintet, although Pelt has a sound that differs from the Great Master of the Understatement.<br />
Pelt is beyond doubt a virtuoso, and he is very lucky to have next to him in the frontline J.D. Allen, who is a rising star on saxophone. Listen to J.D.'s trio-cd's, and you will agree.<br />
<em>Men of Honor</em> (this time on the HighNote label) should be the breakthrough of a major jazz band. Hope you like it!jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-17786345384917133822010-09-12T14:00:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:54:30.472-07:00Steve Lehman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtZpQ3M_V9D77sEs2gNglwcbqlCBJpqZfFVh-oPW5o0RKoY-2HsMsY3ox5LXVlROI8Im2MCP3QTdnKDA3FYQTnBp_zvSF2PiLGXnwuywRdQZi5tFLPZP10mgg63OTahVhU7hHAL7SJIAM/s1600/steve+lehman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtZpQ3M_V9D77sEs2gNglwcbqlCBJpqZfFVh-oPW5o0RKoY-2HsMsY3ox5LXVlROI8Im2MCP3QTdnKDA3FYQTnBp_zvSF2PiLGXnwuywRdQZi5tFLPZP10mgg63OTahVhU7hHAL7SJIAM/s320/steve+lehman.jpg" /></a></div>For those of you who are tempted to think that in jazz everything has been done before, please keep your ears open, and you will definitely come across the sound of the unexpected. Like the sound of the Steve Lehman Octet, which is definitely something you have never heard before.<br />
Surely Lehman's sound on alto sax has traces of Steve Coleman or Greg Osby. But the music he writes for this exceptional instrumentation (two saxes, trumpet, trombone, tuba, vibes, bas and drums) is something really modern, with elements of all kinds of jazz (inlcluding the hard avantgarde stuff) and modern classical music nicely intertwined. The rhythm is very complex (which brings us to... Tyshawn Sorey, who is again shining on drums), the five piece frontline plays strong melody lines, with the tuba intervening as an extra bass, and the soloing is real intense. Mark Shim on tenorsax, Joathan Finlayson on trumpet, Tim Albright on trombone: they are all impressive.<br />
Like his mentor Anthony Braxton, Steve Lehman doesn't limit himself to jazz alone. He also writes for large orchestras and chamber ensembles. Well, this octet sounds like a very contemporary jazz chamber ensemble.<br />
This cd (with an enigmatic title...) is out on the very interesting Pi Recordings. An excellent label, which documents the present day innovative jazz scene as the Italian Black Saint-label used to do in the eighties and nineties. Much to my liking.<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-46333579582666054522010-09-12T13:08:00.000-07:002010-09-12T13:08:20.237-07:00Robin Verheyen Starbound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6scSdcEFKt5dTPq52b4v-Gd-_UAT3rF9WK3CK0a7tgfEpKQMhB-zKjapJSiUIQlFJIxogwd8Xkz4cjythdCbXBS69SnuIzCi8yY3WqHKROp8TyZPPtdbR7xNV105UGSIqDWRU9WM9yP6/s1600/robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6scSdcEFKt5dTPq52b4v-Gd-_UAT3rF9WK3CK0a7tgfEpKQMhB-zKjapJSiUIQlFJIxogwd8Xkz4cjythdCbXBS69SnuIzCi8yY3WqHKROp8TyZPPtdbR7xNV105UGSIqDWRU9WM9yP6/s320/robin.jpg" /></a></div>The Belgian jazz scene is blooming and booming, with many young players pushing the envelope. Pianist Jef Neve is realising an international breakthrough thanks to his intimate cd with the excellent singer José James. Jef has a new cd out this september with his pianotrio, and it will certainly please those who are fond of EST or Brad Mehldau.<br />
But perhaps the most talented Belgian guy is saxophone player Robin Verheyen. He has been living in New York for a couple of years now, where he plays with avantgarde musicians like Ralph Alessi, Jeff Davis or Tom Rainey. His most recent cd, <em>Starbound</em> on the German Pirouet-label, may be the best 'Belgian' jazz cd I ever heard.<br />
It features Robins quartet, with Bill Carrothers on piano, Nicolas Thys (who lived in NY for seven years but returned to Brussels) on bass and Dré Pallemaerts (very active on the French jazz scene) on drums. They play nine originals by Robin, one by Nicolas, and the standard <em>I Wish I Knew</em>. The result is very satisfying. Robin has a mature tone on his sax, especially on soprano. I'm not the only one who says so: Branford Marsalis invited Robin several times on stage to sit in with his band and praised his soprano sound in particular. And a Brazilian website (<a href="http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-jazz-of-2009.html">http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-jazz-of-2009.html</a>) ranked him as best soprano player of 2009, before Dave Liebman and Jan Garbarek.<br />
Robins compositions are very entertaining, opener <em>On the House</em> being my favorite. This is modern jazz I really like. It certainly has an avantgarde flavour to it, but it is still very accessible. And the band is terrific.<br />
Robin has a new cd out his autumn, with another band. I'm definitely looking forward to it.<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-1147751257312457152010-09-05T14:08:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:55:03.379-07:00Jeff Beck Emotion&Commotion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLyfmUmULruMnMM81qO8lOUiDxDcN7dgd8Q3gGZHF4GnVF-f4x-eV0BMf3T2ky1fhc93cxvOLayaIYHFVLiK8IbV5mKasu5JpYOaJpo8i9ruZvnosf9JiizXLSEQxrYvoU_InLx9ETDWQ/s1600/jeff+beck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLyfmUmULruMnMM81qO8lOUiDxDcN7dgd8Q3gGZHF4GnVF-f4x-eV0BMf3T2ky1fhc93cxvOLayaIYHFVLiK8IbV5mKasu5JpYOaJpo8i9ruZvnosf9JiizXLSEQxrYvoU_InLx9ETDWQ/s320/jeff+beck.jpg" /></a></div>Time for some assorted candy, isn't it? Well, here it is: Jeff Beck. 'Oh my god, you don't really like this, do you?' Well, I do, and Downbeat gave this cd four and a half stars, so I'm definitely not the only jazz freak who digs this.<br />
I admit: some of this stuff is on the verge of sentimentalism. But this is candy, as I told you. The opener, <em>Corpus Christ Carol</em> by Benjamin Britten (!), <em>Over the Rainbow</em> (yes, that one!) and <em>Elegy for Dunkirk</em> (from the film <em>Atonement</em>) are the musical equivalent of sweet pies with loads of cream on top of it. My god, I like it! But the most sugared piece of candy is beyond doubt track number 8, <em>Nessun Dorma</em>, yes indeed, the aria by good old Giacomo Puccini. But this is not Luciano Pavarotti singing, this is Jeff Beck on electric guitar! And believe me, this track makes me laugh and brings me to tears at the same time. Now how much music is there that makes your flesh creep? Bravo for Jeff Beck!<br />
The guy invented instrumental rock, remember? Mostly with covers. I've only recently discovered that <em>Cause we've Ended as Lovers</em>, his signature track on his most famous record <em>Blow by Blow</em>, is actually a Stevie Wonder piece.<br />
Beck wrote only two of the ten tracks here, and they are both excellent. His keyboard man Jason Rebello wrote some stuff, with the powerful <em>There's no other me</em> standing out. This track reminds me of Massive Attack, and is sung by Joss Stone, who sounds like a young Tina Turner here. Stone also sings on <em>I Put a Spell on You</em>, another cover of an oldie brought to life by this British gentleman of 66 years.<br />
Need I say that Beck's guitar is a constant joy from beginning to end? Emotion&Commotion? Only 41 mintues, but never a dull moment.<br />
<br />
By the way: the answer to the question in the previous post is yes. They are engaged to be married...<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-82430374549837906642010-09-02T06:08:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:55:48.852-07:00Reut Regev This is R*time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZaHre9o2C8s34lWdxqeRvp5T3P1BJ5UwV3mtLpyFdQG4h_LmVlUQzoOoGaRcEa6yy984gmxq5dLqqlEWhqlxYgDHvxTidDKbztKTOlf_KzR7sT6-1NomoTIdJbVm0cGXIwHnLaIqe1qQ/s1600/reut+regev+old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZaHre9o2C8s34lWdxqeRvp5T3P1BJ5UwV3mtLpyFdQG4h_LmVlUQzoOoGaRcEa6yy984gmxq5dLqqlEWhqlxYgDHvxTidDKbztKTOlf_KzR7sT6-1NomoTIdJbVm0cGXIwHnLaIqe1qQ/s320/reut+regev+old.jpg" /></a></div>Women in jazz: it used to be a topic, because there weren't any, except for vocalists. But now we have dozens of excellent female jazz muzisicans: Matana Roberts, Ingrid Laubrock, Tineke Postma, Lotte Anker, Mary Halvorson, Sylvie Courvoisier, Regina Carter, Marilyn Crispell, Esperanza Spalding, Teri Lynn Carrington, Cindy Blackman (by the way: is she really Carlos Santana's girlfriend?)... They play saxophone, guitar, piano, violin, bass or drums and most of them are definitely part of the avant-garde jazzscene. But a female trombone player?<br />
Yes, way back when there was Melba Liston, who did some nice work (also as arranger) for Randy Weston until she died in '99. But on the present jazz scene? <br />
Well, be prepared for a nice suprise, because here comes Reut Regev! Don't be misled by the cover of her debut cd, that looks like a Christmas album (I've noticed that on amazon.com the cover is slighty different...), because this is going to blow your mind. Regev is Israelian but has been living in New York for more than a decade now. That the likes Anthony Braxton, Butch Morris and Dave Douglas have employed her for tours or recordings, gives you an idea of what to expect.<br />
But don't be afraid: this music is not the kind of hardboiled avant-garde some of these guys are famous for. <em>This is R*time </em>is very listenable indeed, with the music (all originals, some cowritten with drummer (and husband) Igal Foni) shifting between jazz, heavy rock (due to the excellent electric guitar of David Phelps), and both Eastern and African world music. This cd is really a joy from beginning till end.<br />
The sound of Regev is very modern, a bit like Ray Anderson, but then more dry. She has definitely listened to a lot of trombonists. And she has a great band, with David Phelps on electric guitar, Brad Jones on acoustic and electric bass, and Igal Foni on drums. Percussionist Eddie Bobé guests on two tracks.<br />
<strong>Peter</strong> jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-17200559063612613732010-08-27T15:02:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:56:18.007-07:00Steve Coleman is back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdlOx45HqtXz5vnqIWwCEuXtIiGEYP-jjNConFX2e28K29l9ZEtRMLvbB1mFnD_4q2bzQ_5HCmxht_IU__D6unS8Dz6ExOE0BgkByv5lF2OR-c0PAhFO0nuLopORDzlgwud-nswZQIBrU/s1600/cdhoesstevecoleman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdlOx45HqtXz5vnqIWwCEuXtIiGEYP-jjNConFX2e28K29l9ZEtRMLvbB1mFnD_4q2bzQ_5HCmxht_IU__D6unS8Dz6ExOE0BgkByv5lF2OR-c0PAhFO0nuLopORDzlgwud-nswZQIBrU/s320/cdhoesstevecoleman.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Steve Coleman seems to be back at the forefront of the jazzscene, albeit with a new cd that was recorded almost four years ago. Maybe the explanation for his absence is the sad end of the French Label Bleu, for which Coleman recorded extensively the years before.<br />
But the music of <em>Harvesting Semblances and Affinities</em> (on the excellent Pi Recordings) sounds very fresh, even if it had to wait a couple of years to be released. This is a totally acoustic outing, but nevertheless the musical atmosphere is very reminiscent of the funk of the electric version of Five Elements. Very dominant are the wordless vocals of Jen Shyu. Her voice is used as an extra instrument, and I can imagine some people will be irritated by the special flavour of it after a while.<br />
Coleman's alto sax is liquid as ever with his bittersweet sound recognisable as ever. But the real star of the recording may be Tyshawn Sorey. He is beyond doubt the most talked about drummer of the moment, but even four years ago his style was spectacular, as proves this recording.<br />
Bass player is Thomas Morgan (another young talent) and the excellent trombone of Tim Albright is also very prominent in the group sound.<br />
The compositions are inspired by Ramon Lull, a Spanish writer and philosopher of the 13th (!) century, with a special intrest for mathematic and statistics. Coleman's compositions may be structured according to his principles - refers to it in the liner notes - and the music sounds indeed tightly structured. But hasn't this been Coleman's signature since many years?<br />
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<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-47774163078339601322010-08-25T13:04:00.000-07:002010-10-14T01:52:15.408-07:00Roscoe Mitchell and the Sound Ensemble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9vvavaEFEVKaVK0cI4pk30uXs702yTJN7Bp3dXYuAefqq7nTVCzYqZHrqCLoPOVKPBfBOH5waevjtp0AapKYVA_McRFjXYFev2HC1Bot2Kbser91M4r815G9Q7H_e4OcRjRp5p_vc8I1/s1600/CDHOESRoscoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9vvavaEFEVKaVK0cI4pk30uXs702yTJN7Bp3dXYuAefqq7nTVCzYqZHrqCLoPOVKPBfBOH5waevjtp0AapKYVA_McRFjXYFev2HC1Bot2Kbser91M4r815G9Q7H_e4OcRjRp5p_vc8I1/s320/CDHOESRoscoe.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Roscoe Mitchell probably would file under the label 'freejazz', provided there are any cdshops left. I guess for many people (even jazzfans) their intrest would end right there. But why don't they listen to this little gem from 1980, <em>Snurdy Mc Gurdy and her Dancin' Shoes</em>, on the Nessa label. <br />
The cover gives a clue: a beautiful young girl (Roscoe's daughter?) dancing or simply jumping around. This is going to bring some joy. Hell it does. The opener <em>Sing/Song </em>starts with the bowed bass of Jaribu Shahid, followed by the most beautiful trumpetsound of Hugh Ragin playing a nice line. What follows then is a frenetic shift of melodies, with a nice solo from guitarist A.Spencer Barefield and culminating in a joyful coda with a highly sensitive solo by Roscoe Mitchel himself on alto saxophone. In short: a brilliant opener. <br />
The rest of the cd is equally brilliant, but quite different in feeling. <em>CYP</em> and<em> Round</em> are sound poems reminiscent of Roscoe's work with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. <em>March </em>is a cover of an early Anthony Braxton-piece (tell me <em>who </em>would cover Braxton today?), hmmm, a march indeed. <br />
But two pieces stand out, since they are unusually melodic for an avantgarde icon like Mitchell. On <em>Stomp and the Far East Blues</em> the band really rocks (Jaribu Shahid shifting to electric bass) and Roscoe plays tenor (exceptional for him), but the very same piece ends as a sonic exploration, a mood piece. <br />
The title tune is the second surprise of the album: what a joyful melody, with again Hugh Ragin shining on trumpet and Shahid, drummer Tani Tabbal and guitarist Spenser Barefield playing like a teenage rocking combo. But what an emotional altosolo by Roscoe!<br />
This record is 30 years old and I had neglected it for many years now. But upon listening to it again, I can only conclude that it hasn't lost anything of its initial attraction to me. Enjoy it!<br />
Roscoe made other records with the Sound Ensemble, worth checking out, but not as surprising as this one.<br />
<strong>Peter</strong>jazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554293312308428942.post-4965226645620960582010-08-21T13:56:00.000-07:002010-08-21T13:56:00.265-07:00StartMusic is the best, Frank Zappa said. Well, it certainly brings profound pleasure, doesn't it? The purpose of this blog is to share thoughts about music. Mainly jazz, but - as you might have guessed - also assorted candy.<br />
Yours Truly<br />
Peterjazzaddicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07419352916418560416noreply@blogger.com0