música en espiral

DAVID MURRAY TRIO - The Hill (1988)

2012-01-28T23:03:00.006-03:00

For this date, Murray teamed up with the able veterans Richard Davis and Joe Chambers, producing a varied, solid, and enjoyable session mixing originals with standards and showing that he was quite capable of holding his own among the older pros. Davis had always shown himself to be open to all sorts of jazz, from the most traditional to the outer reaches of the avant-garde (check out his work with the Creative Construction Company), and he runs the gamut here. His arco playing on the title track and "Herbie Miller" is as free as you please, yet he swings Ellington's "Take the Coltrane" like nobody's business. Butch Morris contributes a lovely number, "Fling," allowing Murray to indulge in his romantic side. The leader's playing is typically gritty and imaginative throughout; Murray rarely gives less than 100 percent live or on record, and if his work here is less than his most inspired, that still leaves plenty of room for a lot of good blowing. Joe Chambers switches to vibes for the closing track, a luxuriant rendition of Strayhorn's classic Chelsea Bridge, and along with deep work from Davis, provides a rich bed for Murray's most probing playing on the date. Summoning the spirits of Ben Webster and perhaps just a bit of Archie Shepp, he pours phrase after liquid phrase in a warm and touching tribute to one of the great jazz composers. The Hill offers an accurate snapshot of Murray in the mid-'80s, straddling the mainstream and avant-garde and proving himself quite adept in either. - Brian Olewnick

Tracks
1. Santa Barbara And Crenshaw Follies (David Murray)
2. The Hill (David Murray)
3. Fling (Lawrence 'Butch' Morris)
4. Take The Coltrane (Duke Ellington)
5. Herbie Miller (David Murray)
6. Chelsea Bridge (Billy Strayhorn)

DAVID MURRAY tenor saxophone
RICHARD DAVIS acoustic bass
JOE CHAMBERS drums

Recorded at Sound Ideas Studios, New York, NY November 1986
Black Saint 120110 - 2 (Italy)

REGINA CARTER - I'll Be SeeingYou: A Sentimental Journey (2006)

2012-01-28T22:10:00.005-03:00

Violinist Regina Carter has made a career out of blurring genre distinctions, bringing a classically steeped feel to her fusions of bop, swing, jazz, and pop. “I’ll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey” continues the artist's ambitious project by taking on a variety of standards, including "St. Louis Blues," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," and "I'll Be Seeing You." Yet Carter's journey is not one of mere nostalgia: her inventive musicianship and forward-thinking vision keep things fresh and relevant. Guest spots from vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, among others, add spice and variety.

Tracks
01. Anitra's Dance (Grieg)
02. Little Brown Jug (Winner)
03. Bei Mir Bist Du Schön (Cahn, Chaplin, Jacobs, Secunda)
04. Sentimental Journey (Brown, Green, Homer)
05. You Took Advantage of Me (Rodgers, Hart)
06. St. Louis Blues (Handy)
07. A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Feldman, Fitzgerald)
08. Blue Rose (Ellington)
09. This Can´t Be Love (Rodgers)
10. How Ruth Felt (Carter)
11. There's a Small Hotel (Rodgers, Hart)
12. I'll Be Seeing You (Fain, Kahal)

REGINA CARTER violin
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER vocals
CARLA COOK vocals
GIL GOLDSTEIN accordion
PAQUITO D'RIVERA clarinet
XAVIER DAVIS piano
MATTHEW PARRISH acoustic bass
ALVESTER GARNETT drums

Verve 62260

BRIAN BLADE & FELLOWSHIP - Perceptual (2000)

2012-01-11T00:56:00.005-03:00

Drummer Brian Blade takes the path less traveled with his sophomore release PERCEPTUAL. Rather than following the more traditional routes with which he has made his mark, Blade opts for a more ethereal, almost folk-like jazz style that incorporates everything from pop and country to avant-garde styles. It is evident that this is very personal music for Blade and his Fellowship; for the listener, it is a glimpse into the creative mind of one of the most mesmerizing percussionists in jazz.

The guitar of Kurt Rosenwinkel and the pedal steel glissandos of Dave Easley blend uniquely with Myron Walden's gentle sax and clarinet tones throughout the set, and it is obvious that Blade is continuously striving to produce a particular mood for each piece. Feeding the ebb and flow of tracks like the moving "Reconciliation" or "Patron Saint of Girls," Blade steers the group like a ship's captain with his dynamic swells. Making special appearances are pop legend Joni Mitchell, who lends dusky vocals to "Steadfast," and Daniel Lanois, usually better-known for his production skills, who contributes some creative guitar work.

Tracks
1. Perceptual
2. Evinrude-fifty
3. Reconciliation
4. Crooked Creek
5. Patron Saint Of Girls
6. The Sunday Boys (improvisation)
7. Variations Of A Bloodline
a) From The Same Blood
b) Fellowship (Like Brothers)
c) Mustangs (Class Of 1988)
8. Stead Fast
9. Trembling

MELVIN BITLER tenor & soprano saxophones
JON COWHERD piano, fender rhodes, pump piano
DAVE EASLEY pedal steel guitar
KURT ROSENWINKEL electric and acoustic guitars
CHRISTOPHER THOMAS acoustic bass and grunting
MYRON WALDEN alto saxophone, bass clarinet
BRIAN BLADE drums, acoustic guitar on (8) & (9), vocal on (9)
DANIEL LENOIS gold top Les Paul on (8), pedal steel guitar on (9)
JONI MITCHELL vocal on (8)

Recorded September 1999 at Avatar Studios NYC
BLUE NOTE 24352 35712

BRIAN BLADE - Brian Blade Fellowship (1998)

2012-01-11T00:32:00.005-03:00

Brian Blade Fellowship is an impressive debut as a leader for Brian Blade, one of the best young jazz drummers of the '90s. Producer Daniel Lanois doesn't follow jazz conventions, letting Blade run wild and blend genres, as on "Folklore," where the adventurous, searching jazz meets pygmy chants. All across the album, there is the sigh of a steel guitar, which adds an unusual, exotic texture to a debut that is uniquely daring and richly rewarding. - Leo Stanley

Tracks
01. Red River Revel (Blade)
02. The Undertow (Blade)
03. Folklore (Blade)
04. In Spite of Everything (Blade)
05. Lifeline (Cowherd)
06. Mohave (Blade)
07. If You See Lurah (Blade)
08. Loving Without Asking (Blade)

BRIAN BLADE drums
MELVIN BUTLER soprano and tenor saxophones
JON COWHERD piano, wurlitzer
DAVE EASLEY pedal steel
DANIEL LANOIS mando-guitar
JEFF PARKER guitars
CHRISTOPHER THOMAS bass
MYRON WALDEN alto saxophone

BLUE NOTE 59417

KEITH JARRETT - Shades (1976)

2012-01-10T23:46:00.004-03:00

1975's quintet album SHADES features bassist Charlie Haden, saxophonist Dewey Redman, and dual percussionists Paul Motian and Guilherme Franco pushing Jarrett's typically serene piano style through four lengthy improvisations.

Pianist Keith Jarrett's mid-'70s quintet was the strongest regular group that he ever led and all of its recordings (even some that ramble a bit) are worth picking up. Thanks to its strong start, Shades is one of this unit's most rewarding recordings. "Shades of Jazz" has a memorable melody and logical (if unpredictable) improvisations by Jarrett and tenor-saxophonist Dewey Redman. The momentum slows down a bit with the gospellish "Southern Smiles" and "Rose Petals" but picks up again with the final number, the rather intense "Diatribe," an excellent vehicle for this classic group. Throughout, bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Paul Motian and percussionist Guilherme Franco keep the band's juices flowing. - Scott Yanow

Tracks
1. Shades Of Jazz
2. Southern Smiles
3. Rose Petals
4. Diatribe

KEITH JARRETT piano, percussion
CHARLIE HADEN bass
PAUL MOTIAN drums, percussion
GUILHERME FRANCO percussion
DEWY REDMAN tenor saxophone, tambourine, maracas

Music composed by Keith Jarrett
Recorded at Generation Sound, NYC 1976
Impulse - ASD - 9322

DUKE ELLINGTON, RAY BROWN - This One's For Blanton (1975)

2012-01-09T20:02:00.003-03:00

Can Duke Ellington's piano playing still be called "underrated?" In the decades since his passing, this seems to be the most common adjective applied to his efforts at the keyboard. This reissue of a 1972 duet session with the incomparable bassist Ray Brown (who has never been underrated, and rightly so) offers further evidence of Ellington's finesse behind the ivories. Even so, Brown is the one on display here, and that's the point.

The Blanton of the title is of course Jimmy Blanton, the bassist who revolutionized the role of his instrument in much the same way as Charlie Christian revolutionized his (and, like Christian, Blanton died at a shockingly young age). As bassist with the Ellington band at the start of the 1940s, Blanton introduced the idea of soloing on the bass, and the concept thereafter found its way into the palette of the band. Ellington and Brown revisit some of the compositional results here, and create some new ones, namely the four movement "Fragmented Suite for Piano and Bass." The sympathetic interplay between these two masters is rendered that much deeper by the gorgeous tone each evokes from his respective instrument.

Tracks
1. Do Nothin' Till Hear From Me (Russell, Ellington)
2. Pitter Phanter Patter (Ellington)
3. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Ellington, Person)
4. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington, Mills, Parish)
5. See See Rider
Fragmented Suite For Piano And Bass (Ellington, Brown)
6. First Movement
7. Second Movement
8. Third Movement
9. Fourth Movement

DUKE ELLINGTON piano
RAY BROWN double bass

Recorded December 5, 1972 in United Recording, Las Vegas. Nevada
PABLO 2310 721

PAUL PLEY, NIELS HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN (1973)

2012-01-09T16:52:00.004-03:00

A jazz duet album by Paul Bley and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen released on SteepleChase Records in 1973. The album was recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark in June and July 1973, and primarily features Bley’s compositions. Bley’s performance here is more extroverted than on some of his other recordings.
Niels Pedersen, a virtuoso who mostly played in bop-oriented settings, was in great demand since he was a teenager. He had to reluctantly turn down Count Basie’s offer to join his orchestra when he was just 17, but worked steadily as the house bassist at the Club Montmartre and as a member of the Danish Radio Orchestra.
Whenever Ameerican jazzmen passed though Scandinavian, they asked for Pedersen; during the 1960s he played with Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Roland Kirk, Dexter Gordon, Bud Powell and Albert Ayler. In the 1970s, Pedersen was featured in a duo with Kenny Drew. Starting in the mid-‘70s, he was an occasional member of the Oscar Peterson Trio and he recorded several dates as a leader for SteepleChase. He remained very active until his sudden death in April 2005. He was 58.

Tracks
01. Meeting (Paul Bley)
02. Mating of Urgency (Paul Bley)
03. Carla (Paul Bley)
04. Olhos de Gato (Carla Bley)
05. Strung Out (Paul Bley)
06. Paradise Island (Paul Bley)
07. Upstairs (Paul Bley)
08. Later (Paul Bley)
09. Summer (Paul Bley)
10. Gesture Without Plot (Anette Peacock)

PAUL BLEY piano
NIELS -HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN bass

Recorded June 24 & July 1, 1973 in Copenhagen
SteepleChase 31005

KENNY BARRON & REGINA CARTER - Freefall (2001)

2012-01-08T03:04:00.004-03:00

Barron, the veteran pianist, and Carter, the young violinist, range through nearly an hour and 10 minutes of duo playing that exults in the swing-era felicities of Johnny Hodges' "Squatty Roo," the unbounded invention of the title tune and an expanse of musical territory in between. They explore the not-so-plain-old B-flat blues in Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso" and the mysterious C-minor blues of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints." They romp through Barron's fiesta of fourth intervals called "What If," working in a section of free improvisation that sounds like something by Bartok. They give loving attention to Carter's ballad "Shades of Gray" (a tribute to Wardell, her fellow Detroiter, perhaps?) and Barron's "Phantoms," with its G-minor gypsy ache. They do a version of Sting's "Fragile" with passion and dynamic feeling that should make its composer happy. The CD begins with a romp through "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" (lots of minor tunes here) and ends with the tenderness of Barron's "A Flower," a slow piece with a melody that could have been written by Edward MacDowell.

We are accustomed to Barron's command of his instrument, his musicianship and creativity. In his case, familiarity breeds anticipation of further surprises, and his playing here is full of them. Carter seemed to appear on the national music scene a couple of years ago fully developed. She may be a new phenomenon to most listeners, but the tonal perfection, inventiveness and swing of her playing make her one of the few jazz masters of her demanding instrument. The cohesion and joy of this duo's music-making is consistent from beginning to end. - Doug Ramsey

Tracks
01. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Romberg/Hammerstein)
02. Fragile (Sting)
03. Misterioso (Thelonious Monk)
04. Phantoms (Kenny Barron)
05. What If (Trad.)
06. Squatty Roo (Kenny Barron)
07. Freefall (Johnny Hodges)
08. Shades Of Grey (Regina Carter)
09. Footsprints (Wayne Shorter)
10. A Flower (Kenny Barron)

KENNY BARRON piano
REGINA CARTER violin

Verve Records - 549 706 - 2

KEITH JARRETT - Facing You (1972)

2012-01-07T20:22:00.003-03:00

Keith Jarrett's first solo acoustic piano recording remains one of his best. At this point in late 1971, Jarrett had just started improvising completely freely. That does not mean that his solos were necessarily atonal but simply that they were not planned in any way in advance. The music on these eight improvisations are often quite melodic, very rhythmic and bluesy. This set makes for a perfect introduction to Jarrett's many solo piano recordings. - Scott Yanow (allmusic.com)

Tracks
1. In Front
2. Ritooria
3. My Lady; My Child
4. Landscape For Future Earth
5. Starbright
6. Vapallia
7. Semblance

KEITH JARRETT piano

All compositions by Keith Jarrett
Recorded November 1971
ECM 1017 / 827 132 - 2

DAVID BINNEY, EDWARD SIMON - Afinidad (2001)

2011-12-30T06:06:00.003-03:00

Since emerging in the mid-'90s with the cross-genre fusion group Lost Tribe, alto saxophonist David Binney has been carving the kind of musical niche that most artists dream of. Though he's a potent and innovative player, his compositional skills are even more important. His writing is so distinctive that one can identify a Binney composition—regardless of the context—within the first few bars. And between the experimental cooperative Lan Xang and his own gradually growing discography, Binney has been developing a reputation for complex form that still leaves ample room for improvisational exploration.

Edward Simon has similarly been emerging as one of his generation's most versatile and compelling pianists. Through associations with artists including Bobby Watson, Greg Osby, and Terence Blanchard, Simon has demonstrated a remarkable ability to fuse his personal roots in Latin music—he's a Venezuelan by birth—with a more contemporary jazz sensibility. And, over the past few years, he's developed a personal rapport with Binney that has resulted in some particularly special collaborations, including the recent duet recording for the Italian Red Records label, “Fiestas de Agosto”.

An earlier Red Records collaboration, Afinidad, finds Binney and Simon in a larger group context that includes bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade, along with guitarist Adam Rogers, percussionist Adam Cruz, and vocalist Lucia Pulido on select tracks. Perhaps more than any other recording they've done together, Afinidad explores Latin rhythms and textures, but filtered through Binney and Simon's own broader aesthetics they create a sound that, while possessing unassailable roots, goes in new directions as well: a more progressive Latin, if you will.

Sharing the writing duties, as well as including two miniatures by Argentinean composer Ginastera and a lengthy piece by Venezuelan icon Simon Diaz, Binney's contributions are filled with the rich counterpoint that has come to define his writing, along with memorable themes that seem to glide atop a more complex rhythmic backdrop. As intricate as his writing is, there's a certain folksiness that drummer Blade's own band, Fellowship, has also explored. Binney has a slightly rough edge to his tone at times, and the ability to build the intensity of a solo to an exhausting peak, as he does on his own "Red" and Diaz's "Mi Querencia."

Simon's writing reflects more overt Latin Roots; "Pere" is a high-energy 5/4 piece that takes the clave tradition to new places, while "Aguantando" starts with a classical guitar solo from Rogers that has precedence in Egberto Gismonti, but is more polished, less raw. A lengthy melody, sung by Pulido and doubled by Binney, demonstrates the pair's mutual kinship, both demonstrating a similar penchant for long-form thematic development. Like Binney, Simon takes his time developing his solos, with a warm approach that, while harmonically advanced, is never angular or diffuse.

Afinidad documents the growing affinity between Binney and Simon. It's remarkable how two artists from such diverse cultural backgrounds can find a true common ground through a modernistic approach to Latin music.

John Kelman – All About Jazz

Tracks
01. Red (Binney)
02. Civil War (Binney)
03. Pere (Simon)
04. Aguantando (Simon)
05. Vidala (Ginastera)
06. Sadness (Ginastera)
07. Mi Querencia (Simon Diaz, arr. E. Simon)
08. Simplicity (Simon)
09. Reflecting (Binney/Simon)
10. Red Reprise (Binney)
11. Remembrace (Binney)

DAVID BINNEY alto sax
EDWARD SIMON piano
SCOTT COLLEY bass
BRIAN BLADE drums
ADAM CRUZ percussion
LUCIA PULIDO voice
ADAM ROGERS guitar

Recorded April 14, 2000 at System Two in Brooklyn, NY
RED RECORDS RR 123296 - 2 (Italy)

DAVE DOUGLAS TINY BELL TRIO CONSTELLATIONS (1995)

2011-12-30T05:57:00.003-03:00

First released in 1995, Constellations catches Douglas on the cusp of elevation to international downtown fame, and Tiny Bell's guitarist, Brad Shepik (then still known as Brad Schoeppach), and drummer, Jim Black, were close behind on their own trajectories. Constellations was a shared calling card and, 15 years later, it still sounds like a blast of fresh air. - Chris May

Tracks
1. Constellations (Dave Douglas)
2. Unhooking The Safety (Dave Douglas)
3. Hope Ring True (Dave Douglas)
4. Taking Sides (Dave Douglas)
5. The Gig (Herbie Nichols)
6. Scriabin (Dave Douglas)
7. Les Croquants (Georges Brassens)
8. Maquiladora (Dave Douglas)
9. Vanitatus Vanitatum (Robert Schumann)

DAVE DOUGLAS trumpet
BRAD SHEPIK guitar
JIM BLACK drums

Recorded at Radio DRS Zürich on February 27-28, 1995
hatOLOGY 542

ARILD ANDERSEN - Molde Concert (1982)

2011-12-30T05:33:00.003-03:00

Arild Andersen created some of the most melodic jazz in the latter half of the twentieth century, and the music on this CD reissue of 1981’s (A) Molde Concert adds 20 glorious minutes of unreleased material to this historic date at the prestigious Norwegian festival. Here, the bassist is joined by names which, though now celebrated, were still fledgling at the time: guitarist Bill Frisell (still seeking out his characteristic warble among the increasingly populated trees of the 1980s), pianist John Taylor, and ex-Weather Reporter Alphonse Mouzon on drums. These days, such a line-up would create another—long out the door of wherever they might be playing. Yet if the audience’s reactions are any indication, back then it must have been a welcome surprise.

After an elastic opening, “Cherry Tree” slingshots into a set consisting entirely of Andersen originals, save for the romping “Dual Mr. Tillman Anthony” (Miles Davis) that concludes the show. From the beginning, the breadth of arrangement is apparent, Frisell laying out embracing themes as Andersen and Mouzon work double time. A tumbling Taylor spins his own brand of liquid magic into “Targeta,” bringing its blissful chording into a slow-motion groove. If every solo tells a story, then most prosaic on Molde is Frisell’s here. “Six For Alphonse” is a standout. Featuring rich interplay between guitar and piano, it also explodes with a stellar solo from Mouzon. “Nutune” is far more viscous, a creeping vessel over the helm of which hunches Andersen’s loamy bass. His subsequent duet with Frisell in “Lifelines” dances Weber-like and carries us gently into the epic “The Sword Under His Wings,” which after a few stirrings of blown leaves, spirals into a more shapely cyclone. Andersen delights with a rare arco solo before springing into a forward groove backed by Mouzon and Taylor as Frisell hurls his bends skyward. After the whimsical provincialism of “Commander Schmuck’s Earflap Hat,” the rough-hewn ore of Frisell’s strings hardens into “Koral.” The band’s inspiring precision works to a heartwarming finish that is the essence of Andersen’s soulful wit. “Cameron” bristles with Frisell’s sonic quills, each brushed back carefully with the grain, while “A Song I Used To Play” serves up a steaming bowl of nostalgia.

Andersen’s recognition of these young talents is proof of both his incisive mind and welcoming spirit. The depth of his choices is enhanced by the pristine recording, which holds up well after all these years. For those Andersen fans wanting the perfect balance of ice and fire, look no further.

ecmreviews.com

01. Cherry Tree
02. Targeta
03. Six For Alphonse
04. Nutune
05. Lifelines
06. The Sword Under His Wings
07. Commander Schmuck's Earflap Hat
08. Koral
09. Cameron
10. A Song I Used To Play
11. Dual Mr. Tillman Anthony

ARILD ANDERSEN double-bass
JOHN TAYLOR piano
BILL FRISELL guitar
ALPHONSE MOUZON drums

All compositions by Arild Andersen except "Lifelines" by Arild Andersen & Radka Toneff and
"Dual Mr. Tillman Anthony" by W. Precess
Recorded live August 1981 at the Molde Jazz Festival, Norway
ECM 1236 159497

MIROSLAV VITOUS - First Meeting (1979)

2011-12-23T07:16:00.004-03:00

This 1980 quartet session, unavailable in the U.S., features a young Kenny Kirkland on piano along with John Surman on soprano sax and bass clarinet and Jon Christensen on drums. Vitous wrote all but the title track, a tension-filled group improvisation. The dramatic "Silver Lake" begins the disc with rubato filigree and evolves into a driving yet impressionistic feel. "Beautiful Place To" follows, with its odd, Zen-like repeated melody, leading into "Trees," another rubato exploration with a short, precise melodic theme at its core. "Recycle," the album's high point, is prefaced by a beautiful piano and bass clarinet duo passage that sets the stage for hard-swinging improvisation. Vitous is unaccompanied on "Concerto in Three Parts," giving his warm, ardent arco style an extended feature (he bows throughout much of the disc as well). The lilting "You Make Me So Happy" serves as the finale. Recommended but hard to find, First Meeting documents the strength of Vitous' writing and playing and also yields a satisfying encounter with the late Kirkland, early in his career. - David R. Adler

Tracks
1. Silver Lake
2. Beautiful Place
3. Trees
4. Recycle
5. First Meeting
6. Concerto In Three Parts
7. You Make Me So Happy

MIROSLAV VITOUS bass
KENNY KIRKLAND piano
JOHN SURMAN soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
JON CHRISTENSEN drums

Recorded May 1979 at Talent Studio, Oslo, Norway
ECM 1145

RAY ANDERSON - It Just So Happens (1987)

2011-12-21T06:26:00.003-03:00

Although trombonist Ray Anderson sounded fine on his earlier trio and quartet dates, he really comes into his own when joined by other horns. This spirited (and sometimes jubilant) CD matches Anderson with trumpeter Stanton Davis, clarinetist Perry Robinson, Bob Stewart on tuba, bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Ronnie Burrage. "Fishin' With Gramps" (which was also recorded by Anderson with George Gruntz's Concert Jazz Band) is a crackup; the two versions of "Once In a While" are full of spirit; this interpretation of "La Vie En Rose" is unique; and the trombonist's many originals cover plenty of ground (including "Raven's Jolly Jump-Up" and "Ross the Boss"). An excellent example of the innovative Ray Anderson's work. - Scott Yanow

Tracks
1. Once In A While (Edward/Green)
2. It Just So Happens (Ray Anderson)
3. Ross The Boss (Ray Anderson)
4. Elegy For Joe Scott (Ray Anderson)
5. La Vie En Rose (Piaf/Louiguy)
6. Once In A While (Edward/Green)
7. Raven's Jolly Jump-Up (Ray Anderson)
8. Fatelet (Ray Anderson)
9. Fishin' With Gramps (Ray Anderson)

RAY ANDERSON trombone
STANTON DAVIS trumpet
PERRY ROBINSON clarinet
BOB STEWART tuba
MARK DRESSER bass
RONNIE BURRAGE drums

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on January 31 & February 1, 1987
ENJA CD 5037 - 21

VINCENT HERRING - Folklore (1994)

2011-12-19T04:17:00.003-03:00

Known mainly for his session playing, Vincent Herring has released Folklore under his own name, recorded live at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York City. Herring has played with Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Dizzy Gillespie among many historical giants. On Folklore, he puts together an impressive band, including some of the new, major talents in jazz: Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ira Coleman (bass), Carl Allen (drums) and promising Scott Wendholt (trumpet). The band is tight, and plays with soulfulness and swing. The music is enjoyable and makes for a pleasant listen, yet doesn't break any new ground. Highlights from the set include the thoughtful "Theme for Delores," the fine Wendholt composition, "Window of Opportunity" and the fast-paced cover of Hank Mobley's "This I Dig of You." Of the players, Chestnut continues to impress as one of today's best pianists and provides the most interesting material on this set. Folklore is a solid effort. It will please many fans of live, bop-oriented jazz and not offend any. - Brian Bartolini

Tracks
1. Folklore (Vincent Herring)
2. Theme for Delores (Vincent Herring)
3. The Girl Next Door (Youmans/Harbach/Greene)
4. Romantic Journey (C. Chestnut)
5. Fountainhead (Vincent Herring)
6. Window of Opportunity (S. Wendholt)
7. This I Dig of You (H. Mobley)
8. Mo's Theme (R. Bargad)

VINCENT HERRING alto & soprano saxophone
SCOTT WENDHOLT trumpet
CYRUS CHESTNUT piano
IRA COLEMAN bass
CARL ALLEN drums

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York November 26-28, 1993
MusicMasters Jazz 01612 - 65109 - 2

CHARLIE MARIANO - Helen 12 trees (1976)

2011-12-19T04:03:00.005-03:00

The liner notes to Charlie Mariano's Helen 12 Trees describe how two hundred promos were accidentally misdirected, resulting in negligible press and radio coverage. Over three decades later, the woodwind multi-instrumentalist's disc remains as vital and relevant as ever.

Despite bassist Jack Bruce and drummer John Marshall's energetic rhythms, Helen 12 Trees avoids fusion stereotyping. With Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert and ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra keyboardist Jan Hammer, there's plenty of strength to go alongside Mariano's saxophones, flute and nagaswaram—a South Indian double-reed instrument familiar to fans of bassist Eberhard Weber's Yellow Fields (ECM, 1976), on which Mariano also played.

Mariano's writing approaches electric jazz somewhere between a compositionally focused European classicism and the more visceral, solo-heavy approach taken by artists on the other side of the Atlantic. That said, Bruce, Marshall and percussionist Nippy Noya bring out the funk mightily on the brief-yet-episodic title track, with Hammer's guitar-like synth a familiar texture bolstered by Marshall's seamless blend of virtuosity and groove. Mariano's solo heads for the outer limits but, sadly, is never given the chance to fully develop as the song fades at just under five minutes.

Mariano's South Indian interests are given a greater groove on the hypnotically modal "Parvati's Dance," with Bruce demonstrating that his superstar days with Cream were but one facet of his reach, and Seifert justifying his reputation as "the Coltrane of the violin." The brief "Sleep, My Love," finds Mariano and Seifert locked into an impressionistic flute/violin duet, gradually augmented by sonic manipulation that creates a more expansive sounsdcape. "Charlotte," on the other hand, is a more organic, acoustic piano/soprano sax duet that presents an elegant side to Hammer rarely heard at the time.

Complex meters abound on Mariano's insistent "Avoid the Year of the Monkey," while the equally propulsive "Neverglades Pixie" features both Mariano and Seifert in powerfully expressionistic form, proving it's possible to swing over a rock beat. But it's Hammer's dichromatic "Thorn of a White Rose," with brief but compelling solos traded between Seifert, Hammer and Mariano, where the tragedy of the violinist's passing in 1979 at the age of 33 is hammered home.

This long overdue reissue of Helen 12 Trees may finally afford it the acclaim it deserves. While fusion was taking a decided turn towards excess in North America, Mariano proved that it could be a more all-encompassing term, incorporating elements of South Indian music, classical impresionism and sophisticated jazz harmonies alongside potent, rock-based grooves and concise but muscular soloing.

John Kelman. All About Jazz

Tracks
1. Helen 12 Trees (c. Mariano)
2. Parvati´s Dance (C. Mariano)
3. Sleep My Love (C. Mariano)
4. Thorn Of White Rose (Jan Hammer)
5. Neverglades Pixie (C. Mariano)
6. Charlotte (C. Mariano)
7. Avoid The Year Of The Monkey (C. Mariano)

JOHN MARSHALL drums
JACK BRUCE bass guitar
JAN HAMMER acoustic and electric piano, Moog synthesizer
ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT violin
CHARLIE MARIANO soprano and alto sax, flute, nagaswaram (2)

Recorded May 6, 7, 8, 1976 at Union Studio Munich-Solln, Germany
MPS 15483

DAVID MURRAY BIG BAND & LAWRENCE 'BUTCH' MORRIS (1991)

2011-12-17T14:47:00.003-03:00

The David Murray big band, which can be undisciplined and even a bit out of control, is never dull. This generally brilliant effort has quite a few highpoints. "Paul Gonsalves" recreates the tenor's famous 1956 Newport Jazz Festival solo and has some heated playing from the ensemble. While "Lester" does not really capture the style of Lester Young, "Ben" does bring back the spirit of Ben Webster. "Calling Steve McCall" is a heartfelt tribute to the late drummer (although the poetry does not need to be heard twice) and trombonist Craig Harris' singing on "Let the Music Take You" is so-so, but the colorful "David's Tune" and the eerie "Istanbul" are more memorable. This disc is easily recommended to listeners with open ears. - Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Tracks
1. Paul Gonsalves (David Murray)
2. Lester (David Murray)
3. Ben (David Murray)
4. Calling Steve McCall (Lawrence "Butch" Morris/Craig Harris)
5. Lovejoy (Craig Harris)
6. Instanbul (David Murray)
7. David's Tune (david Murray)
8. Let The Music Take You (David Murray)

DAVID MURRAY tenor sax, bass clarinet
HUGH RAGIN, GRAHAM HAYNES, RASUL SIDDIK, JAMES ZOLLAR trumpets
CRAIG HARRIS, FRANK LACY, AL PATTERSON trombones
VINCENT CHANCEY french horn
BOB STEWART tuba
KAHLIL HENRY flute, piccolo
JOHN PURCELL alto sax
DON BYRON baritone sax, clarinet
SONELIUS SMITH piano
FRED HOPKINS bass
TANI TABBAL drums
JOEL A. BRANDON whistle on "Paul Gonsalves"
LAWRENCE "BUTCH" MORRIS conductor

Arrangements by David Murray and Lawrence "Butch" Morris
Recorded at Clinton Recording Studios, NYC on March 5-6, 1991
DIW CK 48964

ENRICO PIERANUNZI - Fellini Jazz (2003)

2011-12-17T14:22:00.004-03:00

First, it is inspired by the picaresque, many-layered films of Federico Fellini.
Second, Pieranunzi, a composer and pianist, has assembled a top-notch chamber jazz team: Kenny Wheeler, trumpet; Charlie Haden, bass; Paul Motian, drums; and Chris Potter, saxes. The quintet interpret themes mostly from Fellini's 1950s films, which were scored by Nino Rota. His work was often informed by jazz and these new version are subtle, impressionistic pieces. While there is nothing quite as resonant as Rota's Godfather theme, these revisits to La Dolce Vita, La Strada and Amarcord are full of grace and charm. - John Bungey

Tracks
01. I Vitelloni (Nino Rota)
02. Il Bidone (Nino Rota)
03. Il Bidone (Nino Rota)
04. La Citta Della Donne (Luis Bacalov)
05. Amarcord (Nino Rota)
06. Cabiria's Dream (Enrico Pieranunzi)
07. La Dolce Vita (Nino Rota)
08. La Dolce Vita (Nino Rota)
09. La Strada (Nino Rota)
10. La Notti Di Cabiria (Nino Rota)
11. Fellini's Waltz (Enrico Pieranunzi)

KENNY WHEELER trumpet, flugelhorn
CHRIS POTTER tenor and soprano saxophones
ENRICO PIERANUNZI piano
CHARLIE HADEN bass
PAUL MOTIAN drums

CAM CAMJ 7761 - 2 (Italy)

DEXTER GORDON - Biting The Apple (1977)

2011-12-13T18:09:00.004-03:00

Many of Dexter Gordon's finest recordings were cut in Europe just prior to his triumphant return to the United States. This album was recorded just weeks before and it is one of the veteran tenor's best. With strong assistance from pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Al Foster, Dexter plays exciting solos on "I'll Remember April," a warm version of "Skylark" and his two originals, "Apple Jump" and "A La Modal." It is highly recommended, as are all of Dexter Gordon's SteepleChase recordings from this period. - Scott Yanow

tracks
01. Apple Jump (Dexter Gordon)
02. I'll Remember April (Raye-DePaul)
03. Georgia On My Mind (Carmichael)
04. Blue Bossa (Dorham)
05. Skylark (Carmichael)
06. A La Moda (Dexter Gordon)

DEXTER GORDON tenor sax
BARRY HARRIS piano
SAM JONES bass
AL FOSTER drums

Recorded November 9, 1976 at CI Recording Studios, Copenhagen
SteepleChase SCCD - 31080

QUINCY JONES - This Is How I Feel About Jazz (1957)

2011-12-01T18:48:00.004-03:00

The music on this CD is from a period when arranger Quincy Jones was a major part of the jazz world, rather than being content just to take bows for it. Six high-quality selections from a 1956 album offer logical, swinging, and often distinct arrangements with plenty of solos from the all-star cast (which includes Lucky Thompson on tenor, altoist Phil Woods, and trumpeter Art Farmer); highlights include "Stockholm Sweetnin'," "Walkin'," and "Sermonette." The remainder of the CD reissues two-thirds of a slightly odd collection led and produced (but not arranged) by Jones. Originally titled Go West, Man, the LP was designed to show off the talents of West Coast arrangers Jimmy Giuffre, Lennie Niehaus, and Charlie Mariano. Three selections feature an alto summit with Benny Carter, Art Pepper, Herb Geller, and Charlie Mariano, and there are also some numbers with a sax section; three songs with a trumpet section had to be left out due to lack of space. Although these performances are enjoyable, it is the Quincy Jones charts that are most memorable, making one regret his decision in the early '70s to leave jazz altogether. - Scott Yanow

Tracks
01. Walkin’ (Carpenter)
02. Stockholm Sweetnin’ (Jones)
03. Evening In Paris (Jones)
04. Sermonette (Adderley)
05. A Sleepin’ Bee (Arlen, Capote)
06. Boo’s Blues (Jones)
07. Dancin’ Pants (Giuffre)
08. Be My Guest (Neihaus)
09. Kings Road Blues (Neihaus)
10. Bright Moon (Giuffre)
11. The Oom Is Blues (Mariano)
12. Ballad Medley: What’s New (Haggart, Burke) -We’ll Be Together Again-Time On My Hands (Youmans, Adamson, Gordon)-Laura (Raskin)

ART FARMER trumpet
URBIE GREEN trombone
PHIL WOODS alto saxophone
LUCKY THOMPSON tenor saxophone
JACK NIMITZ baritone saxophone
JEROME RICHARDSON flute, tenor saxophone
HANK JONES piano
PAUL CHAMBERS bass
CHARLI PERSIP drums
HERBIE MANN flute
CHARLES MINGUS bass
GENE QUILL alto saxophone
ZOOT SIMS tenor saxophone
MILT JACKSON vibes
JIMMY CLEVELAND trombone
BILLY TAYLOR piano
CHARLIE MARIANO alto saxophone
LOU LEVY piano
RED MITCHELL bass
SHELLY MANNE drums
ART PEPPER alto saxophone
CARL PERKINS piano
BENNY CARTER alto saxophone
PEPPER ADAMS baritone saxophone
BILL PERKINS tenor saxophone
…and others

Recorded in New York on September 29, 1956 (1,2).
Recorded in New York on September 14, 1956 (3,4).
Recorded in New York on September 19, 1956 (5,6).
Recorded in Los Angeles on February 25, 1957 (7-12).

#1-6 were originally issued as "This Is How I Feel About Jazz" (ABC Paramount 149) and #7-12 were originally issued as part of "Go West, Man" (ABC Paramount 186).

IMPULSE / MCA & GRP Records GRD - 115

ARILD ANDERSEN - Triangle (2004)

2011-12-01T17:02:00.002-03:00

Perhaps the most startling aspect of the Triangle, Arild Andersen's 15th date as a leader, and his second with pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos and drummer John Marshall is their re-visioning of the trio. Though Tsabropoulos composed five of the nine pieces here, he does not compose for himself as the centerpiece of the trio's expression. The bass is the true centerpiece of this group's language. And it is not simply because Andersen is the group's "leader." Tsabropoulos was a classical player who came to improvisation late, and jazz later. His phrasing is unique and rhythmic, and his writing lends itself to notions of pulse and color rather than single-line flights of inquiry. Andersen's long-handed style offers unique articulation of the rhythmic pulse allowing for his part to balance Marshall's dancing style of drumming with the knottier eloquence of the Tsabropoulos five- or six- note motifs. The beautiful "Choral," is one example where Andersen's undersided melodic notions are colored by the beautiful chromatic voicings of the pianist. Marshall skitters and shimmers with his brushes, playing through them the rhythm. "Andersen's Saturday," is signatory in that it offers a wonderfully direct flow of even-handed grooves and layers of melody that present themselves in the foreground and reveal their full meaning in the rhythmic push and pull. "Pavane" offers another side of the Triangle with its crystalline lyric and parsed out rhythm coming from shards of chordal investigation. The closer, "Cinderella Song" by Tsabropoulos, strolls unhurriedly though shapes and rounds with Andersen's phrasing being the piece's "singing voice." The Triangle is a refreshing and sophisticated new way to hear the trio. - Thom Jurek

Tracks
1. Straight (Andersen)
2. Pavane (Maurice Ravel)
3. Saturday (Tsabropoulos)
4. Choral (Tsabropoulos)
5. Simple Thoughts (Tsabropoulos)
6. Prism (Andersen)
7. Lines (Tsabropoulos)
8. European Triangle (Andersen)
9. Cinderella Song (Tsabropoulos)

ARILD ANDERSEN bass
VASSILIS TSABROPOULOS piano
JOHN MARSHALL drums

Recorded January 2003
ECM 1752 / 038 1212

ROMANO, SCLAVIS, TEXIER, LE QUERREC - African Flashback (2005)

2011-11-01T07:24:00.004-03:00

As what used to be called rhythm sections go, one of the most irresistibly springy jazz-and-beyond partnerships in European music is the occasional pairing of veteran French bassist Henri Texier and Italian drummer Aldo Romano. Here they join the formidable clarinettist and saxophonist Louis Sclavis on a third venture for Label Bleu.

The pieces are by all three members, responding to images of African life by photojournalist Guy le Querrec, whose evocative work is included in a substantial CD-sized book. As with Texier's Ramparts D'Argile, this set can be as gracefully swinging as the best straightahead jazz, as exuberant as village-wedding music, as edgily cacophonous as a traffic jam in the heat and as funky as a late-period Miles band; the latter is down to Romano, who can move easily between rich, Africanised percussion sonorities and a slamming take-no-prisoners backbeat. Sclavis is teasingly lyrical or abrasively free on clarinets and sax, and Texier's basslines could make an album on their own. Delicious. - John Forham, The Guardian

Tracks
01. Berbère (Texier)
02. Derrière Le Sable (Romano)
03. Harvest (Romano)
04. Entre Chien Et Loup (Romano)
05. Three Children (Sclavis)
06. African Panther 69 (Texier)
07. Surreal Politik (Texier)
08. Viso Di Donna (Romano)
09. Fô Lion (Texier)
10. Le Long Du Temps (Sclavis)
11. 55 Wheels (Sclavis)
12. Look The Lobis (Romano)
13. Dieu N'existe Pas (Sclavis)

ALDO ROMANO drums, guitar
LOUIS SCLAVIS clarinet, soprano saxophone
HENRI TEXIER double-bass
GUY LE QUERREC photojournalist

Recorded at Studio Gil Evans
Label Bleu - LBLC 6679

JOEY BARON - We'll Soon Find Out (1999)

2011-10-31T15:23:00.003-03:00

Perhaps the core, and highly noticeable component here, is that traditional groove oriented, R&B induced music, while in the hands of musicians who respectively possess a distinctive voice enables the tried and true to be elevated to a higher plane. With drummer Joey Baron’s second “Songline/Tone Field” release titled We’ll Soon Find Out, these characteristics provide the winning edge, in an often huge way!

The opener, a composition titled “ Slow Charleston”, is indicative of what looms ahead. Here, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe’s searing vibrato and soul drenched lines surge onward while bassist Ron Carter and Baron implement slow fours with coy understatement amid a loose vibe. On “Junior”, Baron is a one-man percussion band as he employs complex Afro-Cuban rhythms in support of Blythe’s quite ferocity, linear themes and melodic interludes as guitarist Bill Frisell converges with funkified chords and unison lines. Whereas, “Widely” is a moving ballad of perhaps transcendental proportions as Frisell delves into some airy chord structures along with his now infamous injections of C&W style twang and poignant single note leads.

Basically, We’ll Soon Find Out offers breezy passages, finger snapping rhythms, strong yet unobtrusive and quite thoughtful soloing in accordance with Baron’s conspicuous compositional pen. Yet within the hands of ordinary souls, the music and overall format might signify more of the norm; however, Baron, Frisell, Blythe and Carter shine forth with a candid demeanor while also providing a clinic of sorts - on the art of making good music that certainly strikes a memorable chord. - Glenn Astarita

Tracks
01. Slow Charleston
02. Closer Than You Think
03. Junior
04. Time to Cry
05. Wisely
06. Bit o' Water
07. M
08. Equaled
09. Contact

JOEY BARON drums
ARTHUR BLYTHE alto saxophone
RON CARTER bass
BILL FRISELL electric and acoustic guitars

All compositions by Joey Baron
Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, NY, 1999
Intuition INT 3515 - 2

ROMANO/SCLAVIS/TEXIER - Suite Africaine (1999)

2011-10-24T17:17:00.004-03:00

This is a suite composed of selections written by individual members. By now, anyone familiar with this trio knows that there is a thoroughly modern jazz that has at its considerably large heart a global vision. Certainly Suite Africaine was influenced in its entirety by the group's tours of that continent, but the influences that came before and have been attached to their playing since then are also in the mix. First, there are heavy syncopated rhythmic melody lines that crisscross in "Hauts Plateaux," the Arab-Israeli melodies that intersect in two separate yet inextricably linked harmonic intervals in Romano's "Soweto Sorrow," and the crazy percussive semantics -- where even Sclavis on bass clarinet gets into the valve on valve drumming -- in "Bois Crosses." As for the improvisation in this recording, it is kept to a minimum, though what is here is profoundly immediate and angularly imaginative (it has to be since such a weight is placed upon it by its lack of structural space), because, after all, this is a suite. There are 15 segments, all moving toward the center of something that remains unspoken. The music still swings -- "Giraffe" -- and challenges boundaries, as in "Soul Is Free" and "Windhoek Suite," and conveys humorous lyricism such as on "Guy Danse" or "Ombrellas." But a shift took place in the way the trio composes and performs its material. While they may have kept their European sophistication approaching harmony, interval, textural ambience, they've lost their cool distance from their music and from their audiences; they've gained a more complex yet grounded sense of rhythmic and melodic invention, and a sense of integrated modality -- and that exists in no other jazz or improvisational trio on the globe. - Tom Jurek

Tracks
01. Hauts Plateaux (Sclavis)
02. Bois croises (Romano/Sclavis/Texier)
03. Soweto sorrow (Romano)
04. Ggaba (Texier)
05. Windhoek suite (Sclavis)
06. Pingouin (Sclavis)
07. Guy dance (Romano)
08. Water buffalo (Texier)
09. Sur le lac (Sclavis)
10. Impala (Romano)
11. P' tit mome (Texier/Romano/Sclavis)
12. Soul is free (Romano)
13. Girafe (Texier)
14. Ombrelles (Sclavis/Texier/Romano)
15. Bob de klipton (Texier)

ALDO ROMANO drums
LOUIS SCLAVIS saxophone, clarinets
HENRI TEXIER bass

Recorded and mixed at Studio Gil Evans Amiens
Disques Label Bleu / Harmonia Mundi Distribution LBLC 6609

REGINA CARTER - Motor City Moments (2000)

2011-10-23T21:24:00.005-03:00

Two years after her stunning debut on Verve, violinist Regina Carter offers listeners her exceptional string virtuosity on ten great songs inspired by her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Motor City Moments features a stellar collection of songs written by some of the best musicians from Detroit including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Thad Jones, and Milt Jackson. Regina Carter applies her pure skill, pizzicato, and arco passages to "Don't Mess With Mr. T" and "Higher Ground" with impeccable tuning and multiple approaches. Her string virtuosity on Milt Jackson's "For Someone I Love," is a masterful performance backed adeptly by Mayra Casales on percussion and spotlights a brilliant piano solo by Werner "Vana" Gierig. Two originals, "Forever February" and "Up South," which was co-written with guitarist Russell Malone, provide an interesting contrast of the artist's use of reflective temperament and folk-ornamented cadences. Each song also emphasizes Carter's adept techniques with melodic phrasing and song forms. Accompanied by her touring band of Darryl Hall on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, percussionist Mayra Casales, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and flugelhorn, James Carter on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Barry Harris on piano, Lewis Nash, as well as several special guests, Regina Carter has rapidly become one of the most exciting and original violinists to arrive on the jazz scene. - Paula Edelstein

Tracks
01. Don't Git Sassy (Thad Jones)
02. Don't Mess With Mr. T (Marvin Gaye)
03. For Someone I Love (Milt Jackson)
04. Forever February (Regina Carter)
05. Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder)
06. Love Theme From Spartacus (Alex North)
07. Prey Loot (Lucky Thompson)
08. Fukai Aijo (Barry Harris)
09. Chattanooga Choo Choo (Harry Warren/Mack Gordon)
10. Up South (Regina Carter/Russell Malone)

REGINA CARTER violin, train whistle
JAMES CARTER tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
MARCUS BELGRAVE trumpet, flugenhorn
WERNER "VANA" GIERIG, BARRY HARRIS piano
RUSSELL MALONE guitar
DARRYL HALL bass
LEWIS NASH, ALVESTER GARNETTE drums
MAYRA CASALES percussion

Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, New York from April 19-21 and 25, 2000
VERVE 314 543 927 - 2

TOMASZ STANKO - Soul Of Things (2002)

2011-10-23T04:34:00.003-03:00

With his last few ECM albums, Tomasz Stanko has been on a roll, consistently producing jazz of the very highest standard. Albums such as Leonia, Litania and From the Green Hill were recorded with a variable cast, including such well-known names as Bobo Stenson, Tony Oxley, John Surman and Terje Rypdal. Here, by contrast, Stanko has decided to feature the young Polish rhythm section with whom he has played since 1994 - Marcin Wasilewski on piano, Slawomir Kurkiewicz on bass and Michal Miskiewicz on drums. The results are the equal of any of those earlier albums, maintaining their level of creativity and surpassing them in the beauty of the music.

Even now, after eight years experience with Stanko, the band members are still only in their mid-twenties, but they play together with an ease and understanding of each other that make age irrelevant. They know Stanko's music intimately (what Polish jazz musician doesn't?) and their understated playing provides a sympathetic setting for him.

Stanko's trumpet playing has long attracted comparisons with Miles Davis. If anything, those comparisons are more valid than ever here. A defining characteristic of Miles' music was his use of space and dramatic pauses; what he chose to leave out was more important than what he chose to put in, both in his own playing and in that of his bands. Exactly the same is true of this band's music; it has a beautiful simplicity and economy about it. When one isolates the contributions of individuals, they can sound sparse and overly impressionistic; when one listens to the totality, all the pieces fit together and it makes perfect sense, with the whole being far greater than the sum of the parts.

The album takes the form of an extended composition in thirteen separate parts ("variations"), the longest lasting only just over eight minutes. The pieces have a consistency of tempo, sound and mood that gives the album an overarching unity. To be fully appreciated, the album needs to be heard in its entirety (but if you need to sample one piece, try "Variation VII"). Stanko's writing throughout is exquisite - full of melody, soul and allusions to past work. Highly recommended. - John Eyles

Soul of Things, Variations I - XIII

TOMASZ STANKO trumpet
MARCIN WASILEWSKI piano
SLAWOMIR KURKIEWICZ double-bass
MICHAL MISKIEWICZ drums

Music composed by Tomasz Stanko
Recorded August 2001 at Raimbow Studio, Oslo
ECM 1788 / 016 374 - 2

GARY PEACOCK - Guamba (1987)

2011-10-21T05:48:00.004-03:00

Good late '80s session with bassist Gary Peacock heading a group that has saxophonist Jan Garbarek and trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg taking the lead and Peacock working with drummer Peter Erskine in the rhythm section. The only defect comes from ECM's occasional tendency to introduce New Age themes and production values into the mix. - Ron Wynn

Tracks
1. Guamba
2. Requiem
3. Celina
4. Thyme Time
5. Lila
6. Introending
7. Gardenia

GARY PEACOCK bass
JAN GARBAREK tenor and soprano saxophones
PALLE MIKKELBORG trumpet, flugelhorn
PETER ERSKINE drums, drum computer

Music composed by Gary Peacock, except "Thyme Time" by Gary Peacock and Peter Erskine
Recorded March 1987, Raimbow Studio, Oslo
ECM 1352 / 833 039 - 2

WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET - Revue (1980)

2011-10-21T02:42:00.003-03:00

The World Saxophone Quartet always believed in putting on a show, although without watering down its adventurous music. The nine numbers on this set are generally concise (only two songs exceed six minutes) and consist of originals by all four saxophonists: altoist Julius Hemphill (who contributed four of the nine pieces), baritonist Hamiet Bluiett, altoist Oliver Lake and tenor saxophonist David Murray. Sometimes quite rhythmic (and almost danceable) despite not having a rhythm section, the WSQ used melodies and rhythm for their own purposes, creating unpredictable music that always holds one's attention. This release is a good example of their talents. - Scott Yanow

Tracks
1. Revue (Julius Hemphill)
2. Affairs Of The Heart (Julius Hemphill)
3. Slide (Julius Hemphill)
4. Little Samba (Julius Hemphill)
5. I Heard That (Hamiet Bluiett)
6. Hymn For The Old Year (Oliver Lake)
7. Ming (David Murray)
8. David's Tune (David Murray)
9. Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church (Hamiet Bluiett)

OLIVER LAKE flute, soprano, alto & tenor saxophones
JULIUS HEMPHILL flute, soprano & alto saxophones
HAMIET BLUIETT alto clarinet, baritone saxophone
DAVID MURRAY bass clarinet, tenor saxophone

Recorded 14 October 1980 at Georges Pompidou Center, Paris
Black Saint 120056 - 2

WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET with AFRICAN DRUMS - Four Now (1996)

2011-10-20T07:06:00.007-03:00

The WSQ, which has performed as a unit since '76, has generated a mountain of excellent recordings on the Black Saint and Elektra labels. In late '95, the same year that founding member Julius Hemphill died, the quartet recorded its first Justin Time record with John Purcell taking Hemphill's place. As a result of Purcell joining the group, the other members were freed to play other instruments outside the earlier paradigm of two altos, a tenor, and a baritone sax.

Four Now also distinguishes itself by the addition of three African drummer/vocalists who first appeared on the '91 Nonesuch album Metamorphosis. In contrast to this earlier album, the group explores more rhythmic freedom on Four Now, juxtaposing the cross-continental interplay of drum improvisation and horn improvisation. The results of this American-African cultural fusion are dramatically successful. Compositions by both the horn players and the drummers achieve a delicate balance between arrangement and improvisation, as is the WSQ trademark. "Dakar Darkness," an adventurous piece by David Murray, manages to integrate poetry text read by Oliver Lake into the freedom of the mix without losing the group's overall coherence. - Nils Jacobson

Tracks
1. Dou Dou N'Daiye Rose (Gueye)
2. Dakar Darkness (Lake/Murray)
3. Suga (Thiam)
4. Colors (Purcell)
5. For Now (Bluiett)
6. What a Dream (Lake)
7. Sangara (Thiam)

DAVID MURRAY tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
HAMIET BLUIETT baritone saxophone, contra-alto clarinet
OLIVER LAKE alto saxophone, poetry text
JOHN R. PURCELL saxello, english horn, alto flute, c flute
CHIEF BEY african drums, vocals
MOR THIAM african drums, vocals
MAR GUEYE african drums, vocals

Recorded at Sound On Sound, New York on October 3-4, 1995
Justin Time JUST 83 - 2

KEITH JARRETT - Yesterdays (2001)

2011-10-19T22:02:00.004-03:00

Yesterdays is the third title ECM has released by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack Dejohnette (dubbed "the standards trio"). The first two -- The Out-of-Toweners released in 2004 and My Foolish Heart issued in 2007 -- were actually recorded later than this live date recorded in Tokyo in April of 2001. This also marks a first in the pianist's career: the George Gershwin tune "You Took Advantage of Me" appeared on My Foolish Heart in a very different arrangement, making this the first time Jarrett has ever employed a single track on two consecutive albums. On My Foolish Heart Jarrett used a full-on ragtime intro to the tune. Here, he employs a denser harmonic construction based on its changes and melodic frame. When the band enters, the pop and swing in the tune become pronounced, standing in the same universe as ragtime (which is more than likely the reason Jarrett employed it before) but also much more sophisticated and harmonically complex. Other standouts on this fine set include the bop burners "Scrapple from the Apple" and "Shaw'nuff," the glorious ballads "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "You've Changed," and a deeply moving rendition of "Stella by Starlight." What is most remarkable about this band is its sense of balance between eloquence, interplay, improvisational communication, and swing. This group is not only a solid link to the tradition Jarrett, Peacock, and Dejohnette all came up with, but it is a solid teaching pointer as to how to employ standards for the music in the future. - Thom Jurek

Tracks
01. Strollin' (Horace Silver)
02. You Took Advantage Of Me (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart)
03. Yesterdays (Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach)
04. Shaw'nuff (Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker)
05. You've Changed (Carl Fisher/Bill Carey)
06. Scrapple From The Apple (Charlie Parker)
07. A Sleepin' Bee (harold Arlen/Truman Capote)
08. Intro (keith Jarrett)/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach)
09. Stella By Starlight (Victor Young/Ned Washington)

KEITH JARRETT piano
GARY PEACOCK bass
JACK DeJOHNETTE drums

Concert recording April 30, 2001 at Metropolitan Festival Hall, Tokyo
"Stella By Starlight" sound-check recording April 24, 2001, Orchard Hall, Tokyo
ECM 2060 / 1774447

ENRICO PIERANUNZI - Les Amants (2004)

2011-10-18T05:51:00.003-03:00

After having released seven recordings for the Italian EGEA label in settings ranging from solo to trio, when pianist Enrico Pieranunzi was asked what he'd like to do next, he immediately replied, "a CD with piano, sax, bass and—a string quartet." Given the green light, Pieranunzi put together a series of pieces that seamlessly combine the rich culture of the string quartet with the improvisational verve of a jazz chamber trio. The result, Les Amants , successfully marries these two traditions in a way that is respectful to both, balancing them perfectly in a combination that is dramatic without being melodramatic, sweet without being syrupy, and completely accessible without losing a certain sense of exploration. - John Kelman

Tracks
1. Canto nascosto
2. Canto del mare
3. The kingdom (where nobody dies)
4. Les Amants
5. Canzone di Nausicaa
6. Where I never was
7. The flower

ENRICO PIERANUNZI piano
MARC JOHNSON double-bass
ROSARIO GIULIANI saxophone
GABRIELE PIERANUNZI violin
ALESSANDRO CERVO violin
FRANCESCO FIORE viola
DANIELA PETRACCHI cello
ANGELO CICILLINI viola on "Canto del Mare"

All compositions by Enrico Pieranunzi
Recorded at Perugia 14-15 April 2002
Egea Records SCA 106

VINCENT HERRING - Evidence (1990)

2011-10-16T02:41:00.005-03:00

The underrated but talented hard bop altoist Vincent Herring is in excellent form on the quintet date Evidence. While Herring's tone is as usual a bit reminiscent of Cannonball Adderley, he comes up with many fresh ideas and swinging phrases on the eight songs, which include two of his originals and one song from pianist Mulgrew Miller. Miller and trumpeter Wallace Roney also take consistently rewarding solos, with bassist Ira Coleman and drummer Carl Allen offering stimulating support. Highlights include Herring's warmth on "Stars Fell on Alabama" and the driving versions of "Voyage" and Cedar Walton's "Hindsight." Easily recommended to fans of Herring's straight-ahead playing. - Scott Yanow

Tracks
1. Mr. Wizard (Herring/Willis)
2. I Sing A Song (Tex Allen)
3. Stars Fell On Alabama (Parish-Perkins)
4. Voyage (Kenny Barron)
5. Hindsight (Cedar Walton)
6. Never Forget (Harring)
7. Evidence (Thelonious Monk)
8. Soul-Leo (Mulgrew Miller)

VINCENT HERRING alton saxophone
WALLACE RONEY trumpet
MULGREW MILLER piano
IRA COLEMAN bass
CARL ALLEN drums

Recorded June 29 and July 2, 1990
Landmark LCD - 1527 - 2

EDWARD VESALA - Nan Madol (1976)

2011-10-08T23:07:00.004-03:00

The album is an eclectic mandala of drones, eruptions of ecstatic liberation, and snatches of melody from both near and far. Influences range from Japanese folk melodies to Alpine herding calls, and all of them strung by a powerful understatement of continuity

Tracks
1. Nan Madol
2. Love For Living
3. Call From The Sea
4. The Way Of...
5. Areous Vlor Ta
6. The Wind

EDWARD VESALA drums, percussion, harp, flutes
JUHANI AALTONEN saxophones, bells, flutes, voice
SAKARI KUKKO flute
SEPPO PAAKKUNAINEN flute, soprano saxophone
CHARLIE MARIANO alto saxophone, flute, nagaswaram
PENTTI LAHTI soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
ELISABETH LEISTOLA harp

All composed and arranged by Edward Vesala
Recorded April 25/26, 1974 at Alppi Studio, Helsinki
ECM 1077 / 829 376 - 2

GIANLUIGI TROVESI - les Hommes Armés (1996)

2011-10-02T16:48:00.004-03:00

Elements of Toshiko Akiyoshi's big band, alpine folk songs, bop, and world music creep into the Gianluigi Trovesi Octet's Les Hommes Armés. The album is largely based around two 16-minute-long compositions, "Ambulat Hic Armatus Homo" and "On Va Marcher." "Ambulat" concludes with "L'Homme Arme," a melody line that dates backs to the chants from the Middle Ages, but along the way moves between the lushness of a didgeridoo and the shrieks of a piccolo. "On Va Marcher" is less impressive (too much electric bass), but just as mixed: traditional jazz elements are fused with electronic noise. The real gems are shorter compositions, however. "T'Ungo," "Tengo," and "Tingo"--all variations on, you guessed it, the tango--are short, cartoonish romps filled with upbeat horn interplay. - Jason Verlinde

Tracks
01. Tango
02. Ambulat Hic Armatus Homo: Introito / Cantus I / Armatus Homo / Cantus II / Triadi / Kyrie Dalla Messa "L'Hommes Arme" / L'Homme Arme
03. Tengo
04. Mood Indigo
05. Tingo
06. Dance for a King
07. Tongo
08. On va Marcher: Prelude / Petite marche / Marche Des Nuages / Trois Petites "Valeureuses" / Freres En marche / Valeureux Liegeois
09. T' Ungo

VITTORIO MARINONI drums
FLUVIO MARAS percussion
MARCO REMONDINI cello, alto sax
MARCO MICHELI acoustic and electric bass
ROBERTO BONATI acoustic bass
RODOLFO MIGLIARDI trombone, tuba
PINO MINAFRA trumpet, prepared trumpet, flugelhorn, didjeridoo, voice and noise
GIANLUIGI TROVESI alto saxophone, Eb clarinet (piccolo), alto clarinet, bass clarinet

All compositions by Gianluigi Trovesi, except Kyrie Dalla Messa "L'Homme Armé" by G. Duday, Mood Indigo by D. Ellington, L'Homme Armé and Valeureux Liegeois composers unknown
Recorded at Studio 7, Milan, Italy May 1996
Soul Note 121311 - 2

OLIVER LAKE - Holding Together (1976)

2011-09-22T05:42:00.003-03:00

As evidenced by his work with the renowned World Saxophone Quartet, alto saxman Oliver Lake knows how to create challenging, complex, experimental jazz. HOLDING TOGETHER, released in 1976, provides more of the same, though the proceedings here have a distinct chamber-jazz feel. Characterized by their use of space, subtle instrumental interchange, and lack of steady backbeat (the percussion on the album is remarkably quiet and used to create accents), Lake's compositions have an almost ambient feel at times.

As a player, Lake only flirts with straight melody (the bop-like head of "Hasan," for example, and the gorgeous "Ballad"), opting more often to employ rhythmic figures and rapid, conversational voicings that blend in with the other instruments. Michael G. Jackson lends color with his electric guitar, electric mandolin, bamboo flute, and vocals, while the rhythm section of Fred Hopkins (bass) and Paul Maddox (drums) keep things alternately tense and languid. Radically free, yet evocative and engaging, HOLDING TOGETHER is like the soundtrack to a night of restless, nervous dreams. - AllMusic

Tracks
1. Trailway Shake Sad Louis
2. Hasan
3. Usta B
4. Holding Together
5. Machine Wing
6. Ballad

OLIVER LAKE alto and soprano saxophones, flute, percussions
FRED HOPKINS bass
PAUL MADDOX drums, percussions
MICHAEL G. JACKSON acoustic and electric guitar, electric mandolin, bamboo flute, percussion, vocal

All compositions by Oliver Lake except (6) composed by Michael Gregory Jackson
Recorded at Generation Sound Studios, New York in March 1976
Black Saint 120009 - 2

ARILD ANDERSEN, RALPH TOWNER, NANA VASCONCELOS - If You Look Far Enough (1993)

2011-09-04T15:50:00.003-03:00

01. If You Look (Arild Andersen)
02. Svev (Arild Andersen)
03. For All We Know (Fred Coots, Sam Lewis)
04. Backé (Arild Andersen)
05. The Voice (Arild Andersen, Nana Vasconcelos)
06. The Woman (Trad. arr. Arild Andersen)
07. The Place (Trad. arr. Arild Andersen)
08. The Drink (Trad. arr. Arild Andersen)
09. Main Man (Arild Andersen, Nana Vasconcelos, Ralph Towner)
10. A Song I Used To Play (Arild Andersen)
11. Far Enough (Arild Andersen)
12. Jonah (Paul Simon)

ARILD ANDERSON bass
RALPH TOWNER guitar
NANA VASCONCELOS percussion

Tracks 6 to 8 are based on the Norwegian folk songs "Gullbor Og Rideboll", "Tveitaen" and "Me Skal Bryggia Til Jul".
"If You Look" & "Far Enough" were recorded in spring, 1988 for "Blucher", a Norwegian film.
Recorded spring 1988, July 1991 and February 1992 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo
ECM 1493 / 513 902 - 2

HILTON RUIZ - Doin' it Right (1989)

2011-07-27T22:04:00.004-04:00

This is a mostly straightahead jazz date by pianist Hilton Ruiz that achieves some variety by alternating the instrumentation. The pianist/leader adds percussionist Daniel Ponce to some numbers (such as "Doin' It Right") for some Latin-jazz, jams with his trio (which also includes bassist Jimmy Rowser and drummer Steve Berrios) and pays tribute to both Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. Don Cherry sits in on his muted trumpet for the ballad "Misty Moods" and the minor-keyed "Scottish Blues" but his solos wander and his intonation is shaky. Much better is Ruiz’s unaccompanied exploration of "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" and a quartet version of his original "The Blessing." Other than Cherry’s appearances, this is a satisfying modern mainstream set. - Scott Yanow

Tracks
1. Doin' It Right (Ruiz)
2. Slip Slidin' Blues (Ruiz)
3. Stella By Starlight (Washington/Young)
4. Shades OF Thelonious (Ruiz)
5. Misty Moods (Ruiz)
6. Scottish Blue (Ruiz)
7. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Hart/Rodgers)
8. The Blessing (Ruiz)

HILTON RUIZ piano
JIMMY ROWSER bass
RUBEN RODRIGUEZ e-bass (1)
STEVE BERRIOS drums, timbales, guiro, claves
DANIEL PONCE congas, bongos
DON CHERRY trumpet

Recorded November 9, 10 and 11, 1989
NOVUS 3085 - 2 - N

MARIO PAVONE, PAUL BLEY - Trio Arc (2008)

2011-07-19T04:24:00.002-04:00

Bassist Mario Pavone's first recording was as a member of pianist Paul Bley's trio on the little-heard 1968 release Canada (Radio Canada International). This was when Bley's trio was at the peak of its acoustic glory, but Pavone's tenure was short-lived as Bley moved into an electronic phase shortly after. Pavone would go on after to release a number of fine recordings of his own forward-looking music as well collaborating with such players as Bill Dixon, Anthony Braxton and Thomas Chapin.

Trio Arc is the first meeting of the two in 35 years (Pavone briefly rejoined Bley's group in 1972). The trio is rounded out by drummer Matt Wilson who, though a couple of generations their junior, sounds as if he was raised on this music. The disc, seven improvised tracks, opens with a flurry of activity from Pavone and Wilson as they lay down an all-over bed of rhythm that Bley attacks with relish. Yet soon the music slows down and the trio engages in the slow, organically unfolding interplay that Bley pioneered.

There are many moments to savor. Wilson's concluding drum solo on "Hello Again" is a model of how drums should be played in a trio like this and also segues nicely into the ride cymbal of "Quest." On "Lazzi," he lays down a tick-tock beat that finds Bley and Pavone jousting above, splattering notes all over the rhythm. And if there's any doubt as to how together this trio is, check out the concluding measures of "Sweet."

There are a couple of disappointments. First of all, at 42 minutes, the disc could have gone on for at least another fifteen minutes. It also would have been nice if this trio did a few of the Annette Peacock or Carla Bley songs that Bley made famous; perhaps that could be the focus of a second volume. But despite these two rather minor reservations Trio Arc is a disc of music as timeless and innovative as only a piano trio can be. - Robert Iannapollo - All About Jazz

Tracks
1. Slant (Pavone/Bley/Wilson)
2. Hello Again (Pavone/Bley/Wilson)
3. Quest (Pavone/Bley/Wilson)
4. Miro (Pavone/Bley/Wilson)
5. Lazzi (Pavone/Bley/Wilson)
6. Sweet (Pavone/Bley/Wilson)
7. Solo Bley (Paul Bley)

MARIO PAVONE bass
PAUL BLEY piano
MATT WILSON drums

Recorded October 8, 2007
Playscape 100807

HENRY THREADGILL - Easily Slip Into Another World (1988)

2011-07-09T05:36:00.005-04:00

This Henry Threadgill title is one of three excellent recordings the jazz alto and flute player made for Novus in the late '80s. He is joined here by his stellar sextet (actually a septet) comprised of trumpeter Rasul Saddik, trombonist Frank Lacy, cellist Diedre Murray, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummers Pheeroan Aklaff and Reggie Nicholson. Like avant-garde contemporaries Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams, Threadgill created a seamless mix of improvisation space and complex arrangements to galvanize his musicians. Threadgill, though, went further by exploring a wider range of styles. The positive effects are made evident here by the group's inspired solos and ensemble playing on everything from the New Orleans' march "Black Hands Bejeweled" and Olu Dara's calypso-funk tune "I Can't Wait to Get Home" to the manic, free-form number "Hall" and sprechstimme-jazz piece "My Rock." Threadgill's acerbic and mercurial alto work seem to point to the dark humor underlying these and many of his other compositions, while Lacy's warbling and growling trombone statements bask in their inherent joy; the two sentiments made respectively clear on the expressionist-flavored "Let Me Look Down Your Throat or Say Ah" and the ecstatic, Raymond Scott-inspired "Award the Squadtett." Easily Slip Into Another World and Threadgill's other Novus titles (You Know the Number and Rag Bush and All) offer a fine introduction to the work of one of jazz's best and most underrated composers and improvisers.
~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide

Tracks
1. I Can't Wait Till I Get Home
2. Black Hands Bejewelled
3. Spotted Dick Is Pudding
4. Let Me Look Down Your Throat Or Say Ah
5. My Rock
6. Hall
7. Award The Squadtett

HENRY THREADGILL alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, arranger
FRANK LACY trombone, french horn, flugelhorn
RASUL SIDDIK trumpet
DIEDRE MURRAY cello
AISHA PUTLI vocals (4)
FRED HOPKINS bass
PHEEROAN AKLAFF drums
REGGIE NICHOLSON drums

Recorded on 20 September 1987 at Mediasound Studio, NYC
Novus PD 83025

HENRY THREADGILL & VERY VERY CIRCUS - Carry The Day (1995)

2011-07-09T04:45:00.005-04:00

It seems that every five years or so Columbia signs a token avant-garde musician. Arthur Blythe and Tim Berne emerged from their experiences as major-label artists relatively unscathed and, on evidence of Henry Threagill's somewhat forbidding Columbia debut, it would not be surprising if the altoist survived his stint with his priorities straight. There is certainly nothing commercial or watered down about this CD. The music ranges from "Come Carry the Day" (which builds from a group chart to some very dense ensembles) and Threadgill's Dolphyish alto on "Between Orchids" to a couple of very odd vocals and the intense group improv "Jenkins Boys." The group sound (with its accordions, tubas and Mark Taylor's french horn) is attractive in its own way even if the originals do little more than set mysterious moods. This unique music takes several listens to absorb and even then it still might be somewhat incomprehensible. At 37 minutes, it is all over too soon. - Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Tracks
1. Come Carry The Day
2. Growing A Big Banana
3. Vivjanrondirkski
4. Between Orchids Lilies Blind Eyes And Cricket
5. Hyla Crucifer...Silence
6. Jenkins Boys Again, Wish Somebody Die, It's Hot

HENRY THREADGILL alto saxophone, bass flute, flute
MARK TAYLOR french horn
BRANDON ROSS electric and soprano guitars
MASUJAA electric guitar
EDWIN RODRIGUEZ tuba
MARCUS ROJAS tuba
GENE LAKE drums
WU MAN pipa (1, 3 & 5)
TONY CEDRAS accordion (1, 3 & 5)
JAASON HWANG violin (1, 3 & 5)
MIGUEL URBINA percussion, vocals (1, 2 & 5)
SENTIENLA TOY vocals (3 & 5)
MOSSA BILDNER vocals (5)

All songs written by Henry Threadgill
Recorded at Power Station, New York
Columbia CK 66995

AIR - Air Song (1975)

2011-07-09T03:39:00.004-04:00

Air, the improvisational collective of Henry Threadgill on reeds, woodwinds, and lots of other stuff, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer/percussionist Steve McCall, was the first major group after the Art Ensemble to come out of Chicago. The feel of Air's sound is one where the collective improvises and creates without an individual soloist or group leader anchoring the proceedings. On the first two recordings, this debut outing in particular, this concept worked well. There are four long pieces here, all of them based on minimal themes with variations entering into the fray simultaneously and opening the door to a free for all that pays attention to both dynamics and texture. The interplay between the three members is almost always inventive, engaging, and full of warmth and humor. There is little excessive indulgence to be found on these improvisations, and the degree of musicianship with these men is off the chart. Communication in the new jazz often amounted to little more than cats trying to make one another louder. Air proved that the signal of development is in the listening and expressing oneself based on what has been played as a soloist and as part of the whole. A lovely and auspicious debut. - Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Tracks
1. Untitled Song
2. Great Body of the Riddle or Where the Dodge Boys when my Clay started to slide
3. Danca of the Beast
4. Air Song

HENRY THREADGILL alto, tenor & baritone saxophones, flute
FRED HOPKINS bass
STEVE McCALL drums

All compositions by Henry Threadgill
Recorded September 10, 1975 at P.S. Recording Studios, Chicago
Trio Records (Japan)

AIR - Air Mail (1981)

2011-07-09T03:16:00.003-04:00

1. B. K. (Steve McCall)
2. R. B. (Fred Hopkins)
3. C. T., J.L. (Henry Threadgill)

FRED HOPKINS bass
STEVE McCALL drums, bells
HENRY THREADGILL tenor & alto sax, flute, bass flute, hubkaphone

Dedications as follows: (1) to Bobbie Kingsley (2) to Ronnie Boykins and (3) to Cecil Taylor & Jimmy Lyons.
Recorded December 28, 1980 at Right Track Studio, New York, N.Y.
Black Saint BST 120049 - 2

DAVE DOUGLAS - A Thousand Evenings (2000)

2011-06-04T04:30:00.005-04:00

Bringing the "Charms of the Night Sky" ensemble to his new creative home at RCA Victor, trumpeter and over-achiever Dave Douglas releases his third album of the year, A Thousand Evenings. The lineup is the same as it was on the group's 1998 Winter & Winter debut: Douglas on trumpet, Mark Feldman on violin, Guy Klucevsek on accordion, and Greg Cohen on bass. "Chamber jazz" does seem the ideal term for this instrumentation, although Douglas is of course eager to shun all labels.

If anything, the album is even more unpredictable than its predecessor. Klucevsek's unaccompanied solo "Variety," written by Douglas in honor of its performer, is one of the biggest surprises. There are two mini-suites this time around: "The Branches," written for Dave Tarras, a klezmer clarinetist active in the earlier part of the 20th century; and "In So Many Worlds," written for the recently departed Jaki Byard, one of the most unique piano stylists of the post-bop era. As always, Douglas emphatically calls attention to his wide-ranging influences, even while creating music that is every bit his own. The two non-originals even come across as original. These are Nat Adderley's "The Little Boy with the Sad Eyes," the most explicitly jazz-oriented piece (which, interestingly, doesn't sound especially sad), and the old James Bond theme "Goldfinger," an oddball choice that seems to fit perfectly. The penultimate track, "On Our Way Home," is a riotous Mediterranean/polka/klezmer romp that surely ranks as one of Douglas's best moments to date.

Douglas's orchestrations are enormous in scope, even as they home in on exquisitely small, subtle details—the leader's barely perceptible breath effects during "In Praise," the third movement of the Byard tribute, are one example. In terms of instrumentation, as well, Douglas confounds every assumption with this group: opting for the much-maligned accordion over piano, dispensing with drums. The sonic blend of trumpet, violin, accordion, and bass is a continual delight, and the virtuosity of every player is consistently astounding. Mark Feldman's timbral repertoire and expressive capacity are particularly worth savoring. - David Adler - All About Jazz

Tracks
01. Thousand Evenings (D. Douglas)
02. The Branches Part One (D. Douglas)
03. The Branches Part Two (D. Douglas)
04. Words For a Loss (D. Douglas)
05. Variety (D. Douglas)
06. Little Boy With The Sad Eyes (Nat Adderley)
07. Ecstasy (D. Douglas)
08. Moumful (D. Douglas)
09. In Praise (D. Douglas)
10. Goldfinger (A. Newley/J. Barry/L. Bricusse)
11. On Our Way Home (D. Douglas)
12. Memories of Pure Spring (D. Douglas)

GUY KLUCEVSEK accordion
GREG COHEN bass
DAVE DOUGLAS trumpet
MARK FELDMAN violin

Recorded at Avatar, New York on February 2 & 3 and August 14, 2000
RCA Victor / BMG BVCJ - 31024

BILL FRISELL - Live (1995)

2011-06-03T02:33:00.002-04:00

For guitarist/composer Bill Frisell, the acclaim has come pouring from all sides. Not only do esteemed jazzmen such as Julius Hemphill, John Zorn, Paul Motian, Ginger Baker and David Sanborn look up to him as a valued collaborator, but lately renegade producers and rock icons such as Hal Wilner, Marianne Faithful and Elvis Costello have come to depend on his imaginative touch to enliven their own experimental projects. Why? Because Frisell is a musician's musician, deeply rooted in the jazz tradition ("No Moe " ) , but with an uncanny ear for texture and a rhythmic drive which is equal parts blues, rock and psychedelia (the Chuck Berry-like trashorama on "Crumb " ) , with an overlay of southwestern Americana and country ("Have A Little Faith In Me " ) . LIVE documents the work of the Bill Frisell Trio at the peak of their expressive powers, recorded in concert before an ecstatic audience in Sevilla, Spain...where they know from guitarists. From the opening strains of "Throughout," Frisell's method is clear: over the waltzing, minimalistic backbeat of Driscoll and Baron, the guitarist unwinds spare sheets of reverberant chords and tape loops. His calliope-like melody goes through multiple transformations, from countryish slurs to screaming blues asides worthy of Jeff Beck and Carlos Santana. On "Rag," he illustrates his gift for evocative chordal voicings, as Driscoll's woody bass punctuations and Baron's spasmodic percussive asides turn this waltz into a humorous circus of sounds. A rollicking theme like "Pip, Squeak" is equal parts western swing and free jazz, and the trio's ability to juggle multiple moods and tempos transforms "Hello Nellie" from a moody ballad, to syncopated free-for-all, to barnyard boogie. Such fanciful leaps of imagination mark each improvisation, from odd rhythmic cycles of "Hangdog" to the climactic Hendrixian calypso-cum-Stones rave-up of "When We Go." LIVE is an evocative, original, joyous recital.

Tracks
01.Throughout - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll
02.Rag - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
03.Crumb / No Moe - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
04.Have A Little Faith In Me - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
05.Pip, Squeak / Goodbye - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
06.Hello Nellie - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
07.Strange Meeting - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
08.Hangdog - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
09.Child At Heart - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
10.Again - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)
11.When We Go - (with Joey Baron/Kermit Driscoll)

BILL FRISELL guitar

KEMIT DRISCOLL electric bass

JOEY BARON drums

Recorded live at Teatro Lope de Vega, Sevilla, Spain on October 27, 1991.
GRAMAVISION GCD 79504

CHRIS POTTER - Concentric Circles (1994)

2011-05-19T20:31:00.005-04:00

1. El Morocco (Chris Potter)
2. Klee (Chris Potter)
3. Blues in Concentric Circles (Chris Potter)
4. Dusk (Chris Potter)
5. Lonely Moon (Chris Potter)
6. You And The Night And The Music (Dietz-Schwartz)
7. Mortal Coil (Chris Potter)
8. In A Sentimental Mood (Ellington-Mills-Kurtz)
9. Aurora (Chris Potter)

CHRIS POTTER tenor, altp and soprano saxophones
KENNY WERNER piano
SCOTT COLLEY bass
BILL STEWART drums
JOHN HART guitar

Concord CCD - 4595

BILL FRISELL with DAVE HOLLAND and ELVIN JONES (2001)

2011-05-17T01:59:00.004-04:00

01. Outlaws (Frisell)
02. Twenty Years (Frisell)
03. Coffaro's Theme (Frisell)
04. Blue Dream (Frisell)
05. Moon River (Mancini/Mercer)
06. Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa (Frisell)
07. Stranger Meeting (Frisell)
08. Convict 13 (Frisell)
09. Again (Frisell)
10. Hard Time (Come Again No More) (Foster)
11. Justice And Honor (Frisell)
12. Smilin' Jones (Frisell)

BILL FRISELL electric and acoustic guitars, loops
DAVE HOLLAND bass
ELVIN JONES drums

NONESUCH 7559 - 79624 - 2

KENNY DREW - Morning (1975)

2011-05-11T04:20:00.003-04:00

A talented bop-based pianist (whose son has been one of the brightest pianists of the 1990s), Kenny Drew was somewhat underrated due to his decision to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1964. He made his recording debut in 1949 with Howard McGhee and in the 1950s was featured on sessions with a who's who of jazz, including Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Buddy DeFranco's quartet, Dinah Washington, and Buddy Rich (1958). Drew led sessions for Blue Note, Norgran, Pacific Jazz, Riverside, and the obscure Judson label during 1953-1960; most of the sessions are available on CD. He moved to Paris in 1961 and relocated to Copenhagen in 1964 where he was co-owner of the Matrix label. He formed a duo with Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and worked regularly at the Montmartre. Drew recorded many dates for SteepleChase in the 1970s and remained active up until his death

Tracks
01. An Evening In The Park (K. Drew)
02. Autumn Leaves (J. Kosma)
03. Bossa Mood (K. Drew)
04. Poor Brother's Blues (K. Drew)
05. Morning (K. Drew)
06. Isn't It Romantic (R. Rodgers)

KENNY DREW piano
PHILIP CATHERINE guitar
NIELS HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN bass

Recorded in Copenhagen, Denmanrk, September 8, 1975
SteepleChase SCS - 1048 / SCCD - 3108

KEITH JARRETT - Birth (1972)

2011-05-09T23:08:00.001-04:00

1. Birth
2. Mortgage On My Soul
3. Spirit
4. Markings
5. Forget Your Memories
6. Remorse

KEITH JARRETT piano
DEWEY REDMAN tenor sax, chinese musette, clarinet, percussion
CHARLIE HADEN bass, steel drums
PAUL MOTIAN drums, miscellaneous percussion, steel drum, bells

All selections written by Keith Jarrett
Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, N.Y.
Atlantic / Wounded Bird Records WOU 1612

KEITH JARRETT TRIO - The Mourning of a Star (1971)

2011-05-09T07:28:00.003-04:00

01. Follow The Crooked Path
02. Interlude No 3
03. Standing Outside
04. Everything That Lives Laments
05. Interlude No 1
06. Trust
07. All I Want (Joni Mitchell)
08. Traces Of You
09. Mourning of a Star
10. Interlude No 2
11. Sympathy

KEITH JARRETT piano, soprano sax, tenor recorder, steel drums, congas
CHARLIE HADEN bass, steel drums
PAUL MOTIAN drums, congas, steel drums

All music composed by Keith Jarrett, except (7) comosed by Joni Mitchell
Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York 1971
Atlantic 8122 - 7535 - 2

STANLEY COWELL - Illusion Suite (1973) repost

2011-05-08T01:08:00.002-04:00

1. Maimoun
2. Ibn Mukhtarr Mustapha
3. Cal Massey
4. Miss Viki
5. Emil Danenberg
6. Astral Spiritual

STANLEY COWELL piano
STANLEY CLARKE bass
JIMMY HOPPS drums

All composed by Stanley Cowell
Recorded November 29, 1972 at Sound Ideas Studio, New York
ECM 1026 / POCJ - 2793 (Japan)

NIELS HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, KENNETH KNUDSEN - Pictures (1976)

2011-05-06T05:32:00.006-03:00

1. Skagen (Knudsen)
2. School Song (Pedersen)
3. It's All There (Knudsen)
4. Signal (Knudsen)
5. Afternoon's Sentiment (Pedersen)
6. Daughters (Knudsen)

NIELS HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN bass
KENNETH KNUDSEN keyboards

Recorded December 4 & 5, 1976, Denmark
SteepleChase SCCD 31060

JOHN TAYLOR, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - Rosslyn (2003)

2011-05-04T01:09:00.005-03:00

Oddly enough, this outing signifies British pianist John Taylor's first "ECM Records" issued solo effort, especially when considering the artist's twenty-five year tenure with this notable record label. Here, Taylor employs one-time Bill Evans trio bassist Marc Johnson, and New York City based drummer Joey Baron for a set consisting of Taylor originals, such as the mood evoking, "The Bowl Song," and others. A seminal "ECM" session ace, Taylor has graced recordings by drummer Peter Erskine and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler throughout his distinguished career. However, widespread fame has eluded this superior musician, who -- like many of his peers -- derives inspiration from the so-called, Bill Evans School. With this release, Taylor and associates pursue a spacious format, featuring the leader's penchant for melding a sense of optimism with joy and sadness throughout the body of his works. He often hints at themes, or perhaps uses the power of suggestion via his musical vernacular and delicately executed chord voicings. Whereas Johnson's gorgeous acoustic bass tone and nimble lines complement Baron's soft accompaniment on many of these works, marked by breezy swing vamps and soft balladry. Taylor reconstructs Wheeler's "Ma Bel," guitarist Ralph Towner's "Tramonto," and Irving Berlin's standard "How Deep Is The Ocean," to round out this rather introspectively enacted venture.

Glenn Astarita

Tracks

1. The Bowl Song (John Taylor)

2. How Deep Is The Ocean (Irvin Berlin)

3. Between Moons (John Taylor)

4. Rosslyn (JohnTaylor)

5. Ma Bel (Kenny Wheeler)

6. Tramonto (Ralph Towner)

7. Field Day (John Taylor)

JOHN TAYLOR piano

MARC JOHNSON bass

JOEY BARON drums

Recorded April 2002 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo

ECM 1751 012 159 924 - 2

NGUYÊN LÊ - Walking On The Tiger's Tail (2005)

2011-05-04T00:12:00.005-03:00

For his ninth record, French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê renews musical relationships with two artists who appeared on his first two releases—woodwind multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless from Lê's '96 debut, Zanzibar, and pianist Art Lande, who played on the '97 record Miracles. That Lande and McCandless also share a musical friendship that dates back over thirty years makes their teaming on Walking on the Tiger's Tail that much more significant.

Over the course of his career, Lê has demonstrated remarkable breadth. From the more culturally traditional Tales from Vietnam and the broader ethnic leanings of Bakida to the rock-inflections of Purple: Celebrating Jimi Hendrix, Lê has demonstrated an ability to place himself in a variety of stylistic spaces. And yet, with a tone and approach that leans towards fusion without ever indulging in the overbearances that so often characterize the genre, he remains distinctive. Whether involved in freewheeling improvisation or more straightforward funk, Lê's style incorporates an unusual way of twisting the end of a phrase, just the slightest hint of microtonality that leans ever so slightly away from his generally more Occidental approach.

It may be the shared musical language of Lande and McCandless, or maybe it's just that their musical personalities are so strong, but much of Walking on the Tiger's Tail has an ambience that supposes how McCandless' longstanding collaborative group Oregon might sound if it were a little more fusion-leaning. Like Oregon, there's a certain pastoral calm on pieces like "Snow on a Flower and "Butterfly Dream, with Lê playing acoustic guitar on the former and a cleaner-toned electric on the latter. But on the more playful "Wingless Flight and "Totsu! Lê indulges in an overdriven and funky tone—and some distinctly rock-inflected lines—that seems to mesh strangely and yet wholly naturally with the more organic textures around him.

Jamey Haddad divides his time between a traditional drum kit and a variety of ethnic percussion instruments, completing the link to Oregon and bringing to mind its mid to late-'80s period, when Trilok Gurtu had replaced the sadly-departed Collin Walcott.

That Lê should choose to form an ensemble without a bassist is not particularly unique. What is unusual is how rhythmically propulsive the whole affair is. Every member of the band takes a turn at carrying the bottom end—whether it's Lê's electronically pitch-shifted guitar, Lande's strong left hand, McCandless' bass clarinet, or Haddad's percussion. This isn't a case of creating a more atmospheric ambience, a la Paul Motian's trio; this is more about not missing the instrument because its role is always being emulated in some way, shape, or form.

Walking on the Tiger's Tail contains some of Lê's most focused writing to date, and it gives the clear sense that he wrote the album with these specific players in mind. Representing a broader world view like Oregon's but with a harder edge at times, Lê has crafted one of his most engagingly melodic and ultimately satisfying records to date.

John Kelman - All About Jazz

Tracks
01. Wingless Flight
02. Yielding Water
03. Totsu!
04. Snow on a Flower
05. Jorai
06. Butterfly Dream
07. Walking on the Tiger's Tail
08. Bee
09. Evening Glory
10. Zamora
11. Eventail

NGUYÊN LÊ electric & electroacoustic guitars, electronics
ART LANDE piano
PAUL McCANDLESS tenor, soprano & sopranino sax, oboe, english horn, bass clarinet
JAMY HADDAD drums, percussion

Music written by Nguyên Lê. "Jorai"inspired by a traditional tune from the Jorai ethnic minority in Viet Nam.
Recorded in Oct. & Nov. 2004 at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg
ACT 9432 - 2

STEFANO BOLLANI - Ma L'amore No (2004)

2011-04-29T01:09:00.003-03:00

01. Here's To Life (Butler, Molinari)
02. Se Non Avessi Piu Te (Migliacci/Zambrini)
03. Ma L'amore No (Galdieri/D'anzi)
04. Arrivederci (Calabrese/Bindi)
05. Una Lacrima Sul Viso (Mogol/Lunero)
06. De Conversa Em Conversa (L. Alves, D. Hellington, J. Hodges)
07. Sono Contento (A. Britti)
08. Non Ho L'eta Per Amarti (Pazeri/Nisa)
09. Boccuccia Di Rosa (A. Testa/G. Cichellero)
10. I'm Beginning To See The Light (H. James, D. Hellington, J. Hodges)

STEFANO BOLLANI piano & vocal
ARES TAVOLAZZI bass
WALTER PAOLI drums

Recorded At The House Recording Studio in Rome on January 27 and 28, 2004
VENUS KACD 073 (Japan)

DAVID MURRAY - Ballads (1990)

2011-04-28T22:30:00.004-03:00

1. Valley Talk (Dave Burrell)
2. Love In Resort (Dave Murray)
3. Ballad For The Black Man (David Murray)
4. Paradise Five (Dave Burrell)
5. Lady In Black (Ralph Peterson Jr.)
6. Sarah's Lament (Dave Burrell)

DAVID MURRAY tenor saxophone
DAVE BURRELL piano
FRED HOPKINS bass
RALPH PETERSEN JR. drums

Recorded at A & R Studio, New York in January 1988
DIW 840 (Japan)

JOHN SURMAN QUARTET - Stranger Than Fiction (1994)

2011-04-28T15:37:00.004-03:00

John Surman's thoughtful solos (which take their time and make a liberal use of space) have long made him the perfect ECM artist. On his quartet set with pianist John Taylor, bassist Chris Laurence and drummer John Marshall, Surman mostly sticks to soprano although there are some short spots for his baritone and bass clarinet. Surman always sounds relaxed, even on the more heated originals. It's an interesting set of generally introverted music. ~ Scott Yanow

Tracks
1. Canticle With Response
2. A Distant Spring
3. Tess
4. Promising Horizons
5. Across The Bridge
6. Moonshine Dancer
7. Running Sands
8. Triptych

JOHN SURMAN soprano & baritone saxophones, alto & bass clarinet
JOHN TAYLOR piano
CHRIS LAURENCE bass
JOHN MARSHALL drums

All compositions by John Surman except (4) & (8) by Surman, Taylor, Marshall.
Recorded December 1993 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo
ECM 1534 521850 - 2

ENRICO RAVA - Certi Angoli Segreti (1998)

2011-04-28T00:05:00.006-03:00

01. Bandoleros (E. Rava)
02. Èigua (E. Rava)
03. Le Solite Cose (E. Rava)
04. Electric Five (E. Rava)
05. Theme For Jessica Tatum (E. Rava)
06. Certi Angoli Segreti (E. Rava)
07. Tango For Vasquez Y Pepita (E. Rava)
08. The Choice (Roberto Cecchetto)
09. Could Be Goodbye (Domenico Caliri)
10. Nino (Giovanni Maier)

ENRICO RAVA trumpet, arranger
RODOLFO MIGLIARDI tuba
DOMENICO CALIRI guitar, arranger
ROBERTO CECHETTO guitar
GIOVANNI MAIER arranger, drums, double bass
STEFANO BOLLANI piano
EMANUELE CISI tenor saxophone
GIANLUCA PETRELLA trombone
MAURO NEGRI clarinet

Recorded at Cavalicco, Udine, Italy. May 22, 1998
LABEL BLEU LBLC - 6594

STEVE GROSSMAN - Some Shapes To Come (1973)

2011-04-21T04:29:00.002-03:00

1. WBAI (Steve Grossman)
2. Haresah (Steve Grossman)
3. Zulu Stomp (Don Alias)
4. Extemporaneous Combustion (Grossman, Hammer, Perla, Alias)
5. Alodian Mode (Grossman, Hammer, Perla, Alias)
6. Pressure Point (Steve Grossman)
7. The Sixth Sense (Grossman, Hammer, Perla, Alias)

STEVE GROSSMAN tenor and soprano saxophone
JAN HAMMER e-piano, moog synthesizer
GENE PERLA electric and acoustic bass
DON ALIAS drums, congas

Recorded at Secret Sound Studio New York, September 1973
PM QSCA - 1029 (made in Japan)

STEVE KUHN - Motility (1977)

2011-04-02T02:17:00.003-03:00

1. The Rain Forest
2. Oceans In The Sky
3. Catherine
4. Bittersweet Passages
5. Deep Tango
6. Motility/The Child Is Gone
7. A Dance For One
8. Places I've Never Been

STEVE SLAGLE soprano and alto saxophone, flute
STEVE KUHN piano
HARVIE SWARTZ double-bass
MICHAEL SMITH drums

All compositions by Steve Kuhn
ECM 1094

DINO SALUZZI - Once Upon A Time - Far Away In The South (1986)

2011-03-24T22:36:00.003-03:00

1. José, Valeria and Matías (Dino Saluzzi)
2. And The Father Said...(Dino Saluzzi)
3. The Revelation (Dino Saluzzi)
4. Silence (Charlie Haden)
5. ...And He Loved His Brother, Till The End (Dino Saluzzi)
6. Far Away In The South (Dino Saluzzi)
7. We Are The Children (Palle Mikkelborg)

DINO SALUZZI bandoneon
PALLE MIKKELBORG trumpet, flugelhorn
CHARLIE HADEN bass
PIERRE FAVRE percussion

Recorded July 1985 Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg
ECM 1309 / 78118 - 21309 - 2

BILL FRISELL, RON CARTER, PAUL MOTIAN (2006)

2011-03-18T23:10:00.003-03:00

01. Eighty-One (R. Carter & M. Davis)
02. You Are My Sunshine (J. Davis)
03. Worse And Worse (Bill Frisell)
04. Raise Four (T. Monk)
05. Pretty Polly (Trad. arr. Bill frisell)
06. On The Street Where You Live (F. Loewe & A. j. Lerner)
07. Monroe (Bill Frisell)
08. Introduction (Paul Motian)
09. Misterioso (T. Monk)
10. I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry (h. Williams, arr. by Bill Frisell)

BILL FRISELL guitar
RON CARTER bass
PAUL MOTIAN drums

Recorded February 14-15, 2005, at Avatar Studios, New York, NY
Nonesuch 7989 - 2

KENNY DORHAM & JACKIE McLEAN - Inta Somethin' (1961)

2011-03-10T21:46:00.003-03:00

Recorded live at San Francisco's Jazz Workshop, this CD has the exceptional rhythm section of Walter Bishop, Leroy Vinnegar and Art Taylor, while the horns still receive reliable swinging support. McLean was beginning to look forward and be influenced by the avant-garde; the passion he puts into his tone on such tunes as “It Could Happen to You” and “Lover Man” is memorable. Dorham was able to keep up with the times during this era and his compositions add a lot to the music. This generous CD is worth picking up as an example of veteran players stretching the boundaries of hard bop

Tracks
1. Us (Kenny Dorham)
2. It Could Happen To You (Burke-Van Heusen)
3. Let's Face The Music (Irvin Berlin)
4. No Two People (Frank Loesser)
5. Lover Man (Sherman-Davis-Ramirez)
6. San Francisco Beat (Kenny

KENNY DORHAM trumpet
JACKIE McLEAN alto saxophone
WALTER BISHOP JR. piano
LEROY VINNEGAR bass
ART TAYLOR drums

Recorded live a San Francisco's Jazz Workshop CA, November 13, 1961
Pacific Jazz PJ - 41 / TOCJ - 6390 (Japan)

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Music (1989)

2011-03-09T03:28:00.005-03:00

01. Looking Up
02. Memories of Paris
03. My Bebop Tune
04. Brazilian Suite No 2
05. Bite
06. Lullaby
07. O Nana Oye
08. Play Me
09. Happy Birthday Mr. K
10. Thinking of Wayne

TANIA MARIA vocal
JOE LOVANO soprano saxophone
ANTHONY JACKSON electric bass
CHRIS WALKER electric bass
ANDY McKEE acoustic bass
LENNY WHITE drums
VICTOR JONES drums
FRANK COLON percussion
ROMERO LUMAMBO acoustic guitar
GIL GOLDSTEIN accordion
ADAM HOLZMAN synthesizer
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI steinway piano, synthesizer, B-3 organ and vocal

All compositions by Michel Petrucciani
BLUE Note CDP 7 92563 2

TERJE RYPDAL - What Comes After (1974)

2011-03-06T23:45:00.003-03:00

1. Bend It (Terje Rypdal)
2. Yearning (Terje Rypdal)
3. Icing (Terje Rypdal/Jon Christensen)
4. What Comes After (Terje Rypdal)
5. Séjours (Barre Phillips)
6. Back Of J. (Barre Phillips)

TERJE RYPDAL guitars, flute
BARRE PHILLIPS double bass, piccolo bass (5)
JON CHRISTENSEN percussion, organ (5)
ERIK NIORD LARSEN oboe, english horn
SVEINUNG HOVENSJÖ electric basS

Recorded August 7 & 8, 1973 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo
ECM 1031 (836 306-2)

JAN GARBAREK - Afric Pepperbird (1970)

2011-03-06T23:36:00.003-03:00

Long ago, before he achieved relative stardom with his Nordic, somewhat new-agey recreations of medieval music, Jan Garbarek produced a handful of spectacular, robust albums for ECM where the influence of free jazz, particularly Albert Ayler, was paramount. Afric Pepperbird was his first recording for the then fledgling label and it features his quartet at the height of their powers, embellishing his muscular and imaginative compositions with outstanding, individualistic playing. From the eerie keening of the opening "Scarabee," framed by Jon Christensen's pinpoint delicate drums, to the hard-driving "Beast of Kommodo" with the leaders wailing bass sax to Rypdal's manic explorations on Blow Away Zone, this is one stellar effort. Add to that three drop-dead gorgeous miniatures by the great and undersung bassist Arild Andersen and the title track, one of the most deliriously infectious melodies you'll ever hear. Together with Sart, Tryptikon, and Witchi-Tai-To (as well as a prior recording on Flying Dutchman), this album represents the strongest, most aggressive portion of Garbarek's career, before he succumbed to what became known as the ECM aesthetic. Very highly recommended.

Brian Olewnick – All Music Guide

Tracks

1. Skarabée (Jan Garbarek)

2. Mah-Jong (Arild Andersen)

3. Beast Of Kommodo (Jan Garbarek)

4. Blow Away Zone (Jan Garbarek)

5. MYB (Arild Andersen)

6. Concentus (Arild Andersen)

7. Afric Pepperbird (Jan Garbarek)

8. Blupp (jon Christensen)

JAN GARBAREK tenor and bass saxophones, clarinet, flutes, percussion

TERJE RYPDAL guitar, bugle

ARILD ANDERSEN bass, african thumb piano, xylophone

JON CHRISTENSEN percussion

Recorded September 1970 at Bendiksen Studio, Oslo

ECM 1007

CHARLIE HADEN LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA - Not In Our Name (2005)

2011-03-03T22:58:00.003-03:00

Bassist Charlie Haden and pianist Carla Bley, two of the more eclectic and versatile people in jazz, make a great team as musical conceptualists as a they draw on a shared vision and Bley's knack for sometimes off-kilter large ensemble arranging.

It has been 37 years since Charlie Haden and Carla Bley formed the first edition of Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra at the height of the Vietnam War. This edition launched an international tour in 2004 that began with a stunning performance at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and was recorded in Rome three weeks later during the European tour leg.

While there are brief, cohesive solos scattered throughout the work by most, if not all of the members, it is the ensemble nature of the work that makes it special. While not every tune is an "anthem per se, each of them gets a sweeping anthemic treatment and feel. Haden and Bley each wrote one tune (the title track and "Blue Anthem respectively) and drew the other material from composers ranging from Samuel Barber and Antonin Dvorák to Bill Frisell, Ornette Coleman ("Skies of America ), Gary McFarland, and Pat Metheny, among others.

Whether you agree or disagree with the politics of Bley and Haden, it is hard not to appreciate the depth and breadth of their musicality, and how the LMO brings it all to life. If there were six stars in the ratings, this disc would deserve them.

Ken Franckling - All About Jazz

Tracks
1. Not In Our Name (Charlie Haden)
2. This Is Not America (Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, David Bowie)
3. Blue ANthem (Carla Bley)
4. America The Beautiful - Medley
- a) America The Beautiful (Samuel August War)
- b) America The Beautiful (Gary McFarland)
- c) Lift Every Voice And Sing (James Weloon Johnson, J. Rosamono Johnson)
- d) Skies Of America (Ornette Coleman)
5. Amazing Grace (John Newton / Traditional)
6. Goin' Home - from the largo of The New World Symphony (Antonin Dvorak)
7. Throughout (Bill Frisell)
8. Adagio - from Adagio For Strings (Samuel Barber)

CHARLIE HADEN bass
CARLA BLEY piano
MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ trumpet
SENECA BLANC trumpet
CURTIS FOWLKES trombone
AHNEE SHARON FREEMAN french horn
JOE DALEY tuba
MIGUEL ZENON alto saxophone
TONY MALABY tenor saxophone
CHRIS CHEEK tenor saxophone
STEVE CARDENAS guitars
MATT WILSON drums

Arranged and conducted by Carla Bley
Recorded July 19-22, 2004 at Studio Forum Music Village, Rome, Italy
Verve 80004949-02

ERIC PERSON - Extra Pressure (1999)

2011-03-03T05:25:00.001-03:00

Eric has performed with some of the best on the music scene, from Dave Holland, McCoy Tyner, Chico Hamilton, and the World Saxophone Quartet to Vernon Reid, and Ben Harper.

Tracks

01. The Pull

02. Fallout

03. Personal blues

04. There Will Be Better Days

05. Sonf of September

06. This Devotion

07. Perfection

08. Plummett

09. Special Someone

10. Constellation-Pictures of Orion

11. Extra Pressure

ERIC PERSON saxophones

JOHN ESPOSITO piano

CARLOS HENDERSON bass

E.J. STRICKLAND drums

All songs composed by Eric Person, except "Personal Blues" written by John Esposito

Recorded at Hillside Soun Studio Englewood, NJ, 19 & 20 August 1999

Distinction Records DR 4001

DAVID TORN, MICK KARN, TERRY BOZZIO - Polytown (1994)

2011-02-26T01:26:00.003-03:00

01. Honey Sweating
02. Palms For Lester
03. Open Letter To The Heart Of Diaphora
04. Bandeged By Dreams
05. Warrior Horseman Of The Spirit...Of Hope
06. Snail Hair Dune
07. This Is Abduction Scene
08. Red Sleep
09. Res Majuko
10. City Of The Dead

DAVID TORN guitars, loops + percussing, hammond B-3, harmonica, fake koto, tiny piano & voice
MICK KARN fretless bass, bass clarinet, dida & greek voice
TERRY BOZZIO drums, percussion, bodhran, dumbek, throaty french horn imitation & 12 notes on the piano

Composed and performed by Torn, Karn & Bozzio between June 26 and July 10, 1993
CMP 1006

DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - JUmpin' In (1983)

2011-02-13T00:57:00.002-03:00

1. Jumpin In
2. First Snow
3. The Dragon And The Samurai
4. New-One
5. Sunrise
6. Shadow Dance
7. You I Love

DAVE HOLLAND bass, callo
STEVE COLEMAN alto saxophone, flute
KENNY WHEELER trumpet, pocket trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn
JULIAN PRIESTE trombone
STEVE ELLINGTON drums

Compositions by Dave Holland except (3) by Steve Coleman
Recorded October 1983, Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg
ECM 1269 / 817 437 - 2

ESBJORN SVENSSON TRIO - Tuesday Wonderland (2006)

2011-02-13T00:46:00.001-03:00

01. Fading Maid Preludium
02. Tuesday Wonderland
03. The Goldhearted Miner
04. Brewery Of Beggars
05. Beggar's Blanket
06. Dolores In A Shoestand
07. Where We Used To Live
08. Eighthundred Streets By Feet
09. Goldwrap
10. Sipping On The Solid Ground
11. Fading Maid Postludium

ESBJÖRN SVENSSON piano
DAN BERGLUND bass
MAGNUS ÖSTRÖM drums

All song composed, arranged & produced by e.s.t. (Svensson/Berglund/Öström)
Recorded at Bohus Sound Recording Studios, Gothenburg in March 2006
ACT B0006613 - 02

JASON MORAN - Sountrack To Human Motion (1998)

2011-02-13T00:37:00.005-03:00

01. Gangsterism Oncavas
02. Snake Stance
03. Le Tombeau de Couperin (State of Art)
04. Still Moving
05. Jamo Meets Samo
06. Kinescis
07. Aquanaut
08. Retrograde
09. Release From Suffering
10. Root Progression

JASON MORAN piano
GREG OSBY alto & soprano saxophones
STEFON HARRIS vibraphone
LONNIE PLAXICO bass
ERIC HARLAND drums

All compositions by Jason Moran except (3) written by Maurice Ravel
Recorded at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY on August 20 & 30, 1998
BLUE NOTE 7243 4 97431 20

ROSARIO GIULIANI - More Than You Know (2004)

2011-02-13T00:26:00.003-03:00

The enthusiastic and triumphal tones used by the press to describe Giuliani's playing characteristics derive directly from the special sound he creates. With nonchalance he draws from his instruments a fluid phrasing style, at times dazzling, which naturally links him to great saxophonists such as Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Art Pepper, and John Coltrane. Frequent comparisons are made spontaneously by his listeners. But even though this musician has been inspired by great saxophonists, it is the instinctive originality that strikes us, and it is easily found, not only in his instrumental approach, but also in his originally composed scores.

Impressive is his "trophy cabinet", which counts among the many awards important acknowledgements. In 1996 he won the Massimo Urbani prize, and one year later he was named "Best Soloist" in addition to his own quartet which won the "Best Group" award at the European Jazz Contest in Belgium. In the year 2000 he took first place honours, by popular vote, in the "Top Jazz" contest in the "New Talent" category. The contest is held as an annual referendum by Musica Jazz magazine.

His collaborations in the jazz field have been frequent and prestigious, having played together with the likes of Charlie HADEN, Gonzalo RUBALCABA, Phil WOODS, Enrico PIERANUNZI, Enrico RAVA, Franco D'ANDREA, Martial SOLAL, Jeff "Tain" WATTS, Mark TURNER, Kenny WHEELER, Bob MINTZER, Joe LOCKE, Joe LA BARBERA, Cedar WALTON, Cameron BROWN, Biréli LAGRENE, Philip CATHERINE, Sylvain LUC, Donald HARRISON, Marc JOHNSON, Joey BARON, Guy BARKER, Jean-Michel PILC and Richard GALLIANO, to name but a few.
After having made many recordings with various Italian and foreign record labels, in September of 2000 Rosario Giuliani signed an important contract with the prestigious French recording company, Dreyfus Jazz, with whom he has already recorded five very successful albums: "Luggage" (April 2001), "Mr. Dodo" (October 2002), "More Than Ever" (October 2004), "Anything else" (January 2007), and the new one "Lennie's pennies" (March 2010).

Tracks
01. More Than Ever
02. Seven Thoughts
03. Dream House
04. I Remember Astor
05. J.F.
06. MR. R.G.
07. Suite Et Poursuite I, II, III
08. Monsieur Martin
09. London By Night
10. Bianco E Nero

ROSARIO GIULIANI alto & soprano saxophones
REMI VIGNOLO double bass
BENJAMIN HENDCQ drums
RICHARD GALLIANO accordion
JEAN-MICHEL PILC piano

All compositions by Rosario Giuliani except: 4 & 5: Richard Galliano, 6: Jean-Michel Pilc
Recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell, Suresnes, France on April 2004
DREYFUS FDM 36669-2

McCOY TYNER - Focal Point (1976)

2011-02-12T23:57:00.004-03:00

McCoy Tyner was always a powerhouse pianist, but his cleanly articulated torrents of notes seemed modest and sculpted when he was with John Coltrane. Once on his own, his playing exhibited an unleashed fury.
Tyner's playing displays a modal similarity throughout FOCAL POINT; the propelling dynamic in these six compositions is the interplay between the pianist and drummer Eric Gravatt. Guilherme Franco plays congo drums, percussion, and tabla, lending an ethnic flair to the proceedings, while on horns are the formidable Gary Bartz, Ron Bridgewater, and Joe Ford

Tracks
1. Mes Trois Fils
2. Parody
3. Indo-Serenade
4. Mode For Dulcimer
5. Departure
6. Theme For Nana

McCOY TYNER piano, dulcimer
GARY BARTZ clarinet, sopranino, soprano and alto saxophone
JOE FORD flutes, soprano and alto saxophones
RON BRIDGEWATER soprano and tenor saxophone
CHARLES FAMBROUGH bass
ERIC GRAVATT drums
GUILHERME FRANCO conga drums, percussion, tabla

All selections composed and arranged by McCoy Tyner
Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, August 4-7, 1976
Milestone M - 9072 / OJCCD 1009 - 2

ERIC DOLPHY with BOOKER LITTLE - Far Cry (1960)

2011-02-12T23:48:00.002-03:00

1. Mrs. Parker Of K.C. [Bird's Mother] (Jaki Byard)
2. Ode To Charlie Parker (Jaki Byard)
3. Far Cry (Eric Dolphy)
4. Miss Ann (Eric Dolphy)
5. Lft Alone (Waldron-Holiday)
6. Tenderly (Gross-Lawrence)
7. It's Magic (Styne-Cahn)
8. Serene (Eric Dolphy)

ERIC DOLPHY alto saxophone, bass clarinet & flute
BOOKER LITTLE trumpet
JAKI BYARD piano
RON CARTER bass
ROY HAYNES drums

Recorded in Englewood Cliffs, NJ; December 21, 1960
Prestige P - 24046 / New Jazz OJC20 400-2

ORNETTE COLEMAN - The Ornette Coleman Trio At The Golden Circle In Stockholm Vol. 2 (1965)

2011-02-08T06:36:00.003-03:00

1. Snowflakes And Sunshine (Ornette Coleman)
2. Morning Song (Ornette Coleman)
3. The Riddle (Ornette Coleman)
4. Antiques (Ornette Coleman)

ORNETTE COLEMAN altosax, violin, trumpet (1)
DAVID IZENZON bass
CHARLES MOFFETT drums

Recorded live at the "Golden Circle" in Stockholm, Sweden on December 3 & 4, 1965
Blue Note CDP 7 84225 2

ORNETTE COLEMAN - The Ornette Coleman Trio At Golden Circle In Stockholm Vol. 1 (1965)

2011-02-08T06:27:00.003-03:00

1. Announcement
2. Faces And Places (Ornette Coleman)
3. European Echo (Ornette Coleman)
4. Dee Dee (Ornette Coleman)
5. Dawn (Ornette Coleman)

ORNETTE COLEMAN alto saxophone
DAVID IZENZON bass
CHARLES MOFFETT drums

Recorded live at the "Golden Circle" in Stockholm, Sweden on December 3 & 4, 1965
Blue Note CDP 7 84224 2

JAN GARBAREK, ARILD ANDERSEN, EDWARD VESALA - Triptykon (1973)

2011-02-06T03:56:00.003-03:00

1. Rim (Garbarek/Andersen/Vesala)
2. Selje (Garbarek/Andersen/Vesala)
3. J.E.V. (Garbarek/Andersen/Vesala)
4. Sang (Garbarek/Andersen/Vesala)
5. Triptykon (Garbarek/Andersen/Vesala)
6. Etu Hei! (Garbarek/Vesala)
7. Bruremarsj

JAN GARBAREK soprano, tenor and bass saxophones
ARILD ANDERSEN bass
EDWARD VESALA percussion

Recorded on November 8, 1972 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo
ECM 1029 / 78118 - 21029 -2

METTA QUINTET - Going To Meet The Man (2002)

2011-02-02T01:36:00.003-03:00

Drummer H. Benjamin Schuman is the founder and director of JazzReach, a Brooklyn based not-for-profit organization that takes its educational jazz programs on the road to expose students to the often hidden away piece of American culture known as "jazz". "Jazz has the ability to enrich and elevate them in ways that a lot of pop music doesn't," Schuman explains. "The music is a really vital, exciting art form and it isn't a part of the standard classroom curriculum, and it's not promoted in mainstream media." He, therefore, has taken it upon himself to make sure that young people were learning about the music and history of jazz. After selling an inherited Steinway piano to raise money, Schuman started JazzReach in 1994, and began creating unique and informative programs geared towards students from elementary to high school. A few years ago, the writing of James Baldwin so moved and inspired him that he commissioned pieces from his musician pals that would represent stories from Baldwin's Going to Meet the Man. "I was so taken by his writing, the level of _expression, the sense of urgency he seemed to have," explained Schuman. "It reminded me of music. The feeling of 'I have to get this out. My life depends on it'." The result is an album of the same name, recorded by the organization's resident group, the Metta Quintet. In addition to Larry Golding's title track, the disc combines the playing and compositions from four of New York's premier young musicians: guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel , saxophonist Mark Turner , pianists Brad Mehldau and George Colligan . Each track captures Baldwin's literary tone with harmonies that change from minor to major keys and fluctuating tempos and motifs that represent individual characters. Each piece tells a tale of human suffering, relationship strife and woebegone ways. But jubilance, curiosity, growth and development prevail. An influx of letters from students, teachers and administrators assures Schuman that he's getting somewhere. "When they love it, when they get it, it's incredible," Schuman admits. "When we leave the stage feeling like they've gotten it, I really feel like we've accomplished our mission."

All About Jazz. Celeste Sunderland

1. Previous Condition (Kurt Rosenwinkel)
2. Question & The Smile (Mark Turner)
3. The Outing (Brad Mehldau)
4. Chico Harriet Pt. I, II & III (Kurt Rosenwinkel)
5. Sonny's Blues (Mark Turner)
6. Going To Meet The Man (Larry Goldings)
7. Out The Wilderness (George Colligan)
8. The Rockpile (Brad Mehldau)

MARK TURNER tenor saxophone
KURT ROSENWINKEL guitar
MARK GROSS alto & soprano saxophones
GEORGE COLLIGAN piano, hammond B3 organ
JOSHUA GINSBURG acoustic bass
H BENJAMIN SCHUMAN drums

Recorded April 2000 at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY
KOCH JAZZ 6 52405 14132 3

DAVE BRUBECK - All The Things We Are (1976)

2011-01-25T01:58:00.003-03:00

1. Like Someone In Love (Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke)
2. In Your Own Sweet Way (Dave Brubeck)
3. All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein)
4. Jimmy Van Heusen Meddley:
a) Deep In A Dream
b) Like Someone In Love
c) Here's That Rainy Day
d) Polka Dots And Moonbeams
e) It Could Happen To You
5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington & Bob Russell)

DAVE BRUBECK piano
ANTHONY BRAXTON alto saxophone
LEE KONITZ alto saxophone
JACK SIX bass
ALAN DAWSON drums
ROY HAYNES drums

Atlantic 1684 - 2 781 399 - 2

EBERHARD WEBER - Yellow Fields (1976)

2011-01-24T03:42:00.002-03:00

1. Touch
2. Sand-Glass
3. Yellow Fields
4. Left Lane

EBERHARD WEBER bass
CHARLIE MARIANO soprano saxophone, Shenai, Nagaswaram
RAINER BRUNINGHAUS keyboards
JON CHRISTENSEN drums

All Compositions by Eberhard Weber
Recorded September 1975 at Tonstudio, Bauer
ECM 1066 / 843 205 - 2

MASQUALERO - Re-Enter (1991)

2011-01-20T05:01:00.003-03:00

1. Re-Enter (Nils Petter Molvaer)
2. Lill' Lisa (traditional arranged by Arild Andersen)
3. Heiemo Gardsjenta (traditional arranged by Arild Andersen)
4. Gaia (Nils Petter Molvaer)
5. Little Song (Arild Andersen)
6. There Is No Jungle In Baltimore (Nils Petter Molvaer)
7. Find Another Animal (Arild Andersen)
8. Stykkevis Og Delt (Tore Brunborg)

NILS PETTER MOLVAER trumpet
TORE BRUNBORG tenor and soprano saxophone
ARILD ANDERSEN bass
JON CHRISTENSEN drums, percussion

Recorded at Rainbow Studio, Oslo December 1990
ECM 1437 / 78118 - 21437 - 2

BILLY COBHAM - Flight Time. Live (1980)

2011-01-17T23:31:00.002-03:00

1. Flight Time (Cobham)
2. Antares (Cobham)
3. 6 Persimmons (Grolnick)
4. Day Grace (Cobham)
5. The Whisperer (Grolnick)
6. Princess (Cobham)
7. Jackhammar (Finnerty)

BILLY COBHAM drums
BARRY FINNERTY guitar
DON GROLNICK keyboard
TIM LANDRES bass

Live in Köln and Stuttgart 1980
INAKUSTIK INAK 8616 CD

GARY PEACOCK and BILL FRISELL - Just So Happens (1994)

2011-01-17T00:31:00.004-03:00

01. Only Now (Peacock/Frisell)
02. In Walked Po (Peacock/Frisell)
03. Wapitis Dream (Peacock/Frisell)
04. Home On The Range 1 (tradditional)
05. Home On The Range 2 (traditional)
06. Through A Skylight (Peacock/Frisell)
07. Red River Valley - bass solo (traditional)
08. Reciprocity (Gary Peacock)
09. Good Morning Heartache (Irene Higginbottom & Erving Drake)
10. N.O.M.B. (Gary Peacock)
11. Just So Happens (Peacock/Frisell)

GARY PEACOCK bass
BILL FRISELL guitar

POSTCARDS 7 - 1005 - 2

JACKIE McLEAN - 'Bout Soul (1967)

2011-01-16T14:02:00.004-03:00

1. Soul (G. Moncur/B. Simmons)
2. Convension Point (Jackie McLean)
3. BIg Ben's Voice (Lamont Johnson)
4. Dear Nick, Dear John (Scott Holt)
5. Erdu (Lamont Johnson)
6. Big Ben's Voice [alt tk]

WOODY SHAW trumpet
GRACHAM MONCUR III trombone
JACKIE McLEAN alto saxophone
LAMONT JOHNSON piano
SCOTT HOLT bass
RASHIED ALI drums
BARBARA SIMMONS vocal

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 8, 1967
Blue Note CDP 7243 8 59383 2 0

KENNY KIRKLAND (1991)

2011-01-15T19:12:00.004-03:00

01. Mr J. C. (Kenny Kirkland)
02. Midnight Silence (Kenny Kirkland)
03. El Rey (Jeff Watts)
04. Sleepian Faith (Kenny Kirkland)
05. Celia (Bud Powell)
06. Chance (Kenny Kirkland)
07. When Will The Blues Leave (Ornette Coleman)
08. Ana Maria (Wayne Shorter)
09. Revelation (kenny Kirkland)
10. Criss Cross (Thelonious Monk)
11. Blasphemy (Kenny Kirkland)

KENNY KIRKLAND piano, keyboard
BRANFORD MARSALIS tenor and soprano saxophones
CHARNELL MOFFETT bass
JEFF "TAIN" WATTS drums
DON ALIAS percussion, bongos
CHRISTIAN McBRIDE bass (6)
RODERICK WARD alto saxophone
ANDY GONZALEZ bass (8) (10)
JERRY GONZALEZ congas, percussion (8)
STEVE BERRIOS drums (8)
ROBERT HURST bass (9)

Recorded at BMG Studios A & B, New York
verve 314 543 037 - 2

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO - Full Force (1980)

2011-01-15T05:25:00.006-03:00

1. Magg Zelma (Malachi Favors Maghostus)
2. Care Free (Roscoe Mitchell)
3. Charlie M (Lester Bowie)
4. Old Time Southside Street Dance (Joseph Jarman)
5. Full Force (Art Ensemble Of Chicago)

LESTER BOWIE trumpet
MALACHI FAVORS MAGHOSTUS bass, percussion, melodica, vocal
ROSCOE MITCHELL soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, piccolo, flute,Bb clarinet, gongsglockenspiel, conga
FAMOUDOU DON MOYE sun percussion (drums, bells, bikehorn, congas, tympany, bongos, chimes, gongs, conch shell, whistles, wood blocks, cowbells)
JOSEPH JARMAN sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, bass clarinet, Bb clarinet, basson, piccolo, flute, alto flute, conch shell, vibraharp, celeste, gongs, congas, whistle

Recorded January 1980 at Columbia Recordings Studios, New York
ECM 1167 / 78118 - 21167 - 2

CHARLES LLOYD - Voice In The Night (1999)

2011-01-10T06:47:00.005-03:00

01. Voice In The Night (Charles Lloyd)
02. God Give Me Strengh (Elvis Costello / Burt Bacharach)
03. Dorotea's Studio (Charles Lloyd)
04. Requiem (Charles Lloyd)
05. Pocket Full Of Blues (Charles Lloyd)
06. Homage (Charles Lloyd)
07. Forest Flower: Sunrise/Sunset (Charles Lloyd)
08. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (Billy Strayhorn)

CHARLES LLOYD tenor saxophone
JOHN ABERCROMBIE guitar
DAVE HOLLAND double-bass
BILLY HIGGINS drums, percussion

Recorded May 1998 at Avatar Studio, New York
ECM 1674 559 445-2

PAUL BLEY - Axis (1977)

2011-01-09T16:33:00.002-03:00

Review

by Thom Jurek

After the groundbreaking Open to Love, issued in 1973, pianist Paul Bley further explored the deep reaches of improvisation with an expressionist brush and pointillistic technique. This 1977 set featured two compositions by Bley, including the 16-minute title track and a pair by George Gershwin and Prince Lawsha, respectively. The opening of Axis is all played inside the piano, setting up for three or four minutes the inner dialogue and symptomatic lyricism of what is to follow. For Bley and his darkly chorded epiphanies, this track is landmark, as it goes to the same harmonic edges Cecil Taylor chooses to often, but with a wholly different dynamic and methodology. In Bley listeners can hear quite plainly the Second Viennese School, as well as Bill Evans and even Fats Waller, all of them criss-crossing harmonic ideas and lyrical architectures in his iconic inner world and being translated sublimely to the listener as something highly idiosyncratic and original, but also warm and inviting. The three shorter tracks on side two do nothing to dispel this myth, but despite a stunning read of Gershwin's "Porgy," it is Bley's own "El Cordobes -- Don't Ever Leave Me" that takes the side with its raw, pleading emotionalism and insistent longing and grief that touches on everything from Schöenberg to Villa-Lobos to Jelly Roll Morton and Ornette Coleman in its articulation of those feelings. This is one of Bley's most painterly and moving solo dates.

Tracks
01. Axis (Paul Bley)
02. Porgy (George Gershwin)
03. Music Matador (William B. Lawsha)
04. El Cordobes - Please Don't Ever Leave Me (Paul Bley)

PAUL BLEY piano