MUSIC

4^th album (recorded 2004-05) by the Chilean Prog band Tryo, a magnificent opus of contemporary music performed entirely by the acoustic version of the band. Acoustic guitar, cello and a plethora of percussion instruments create a serene, somewhat melancholic mood, which suits the compositions perfectly. The cello is featured as the front instrument on most pieces (strongly reminiscent of the early albums by the Hungarian band After Crying) with marimba and vibes providing the harmonics. This is heartbreakingly beautiful music worthy of repeated listening sessions in a variety of moods. It absolutely touches the soul of every sensitive person and I am enchanted, delighted and deeply moved by this music every time I listen to it. Essential!

1^st album (recorded 1995) by Hungarian Prog band You And I, which features a female lead singer (singing in English and Hungarian). They are obviously influenced by classic Prog bands, especially Yes, but also many other musical influences are evident, including Hungarian folk and classical music. Several of the tunes on the album are instrumentals. It is a very strong and promising debut, which was followed later (after some personnel changes) by other impressive releases. Considering the high quality of Hungarian Prog in general, this is a worthy addition to the local Prog scene and definitely worth investigating.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing worth mentioning

HAVE FUN!

MUSIC

2^nd album (recorded 1997-98) by the Chilean Prog band Tryo, which is considered as one of the most interesting South American groups. Tryo are in fact two distinct entities in one – an electric trio (guitar / bass / drums) and an acoustic trio (acoustic guitar / cello / percussion), playing two quite distant types of music. The electric version plays superb complex music fairly similar to late King Crimson or the Swedish band Anekdoten. Heavy, somewhat distorted guitar and odd rhythm patters are the main characteristics. In complete contrast the acoustic version plays serene, delicate music, complex as well but melancholic and subdued, somewhat similar to Oregon or another Swedish band Isildurs Bane. On this album the electric trio is documented performing live, while the acoustic trio provides a set of studio recorded tracks, which constitute the second part of the album. This is music of the highest caliber, not easy listening but a highly rewarding musical experience. Highly recommended.

3^rd album (recorded 1998-99) by this superb Chilean Prog band. As usual, it includes both the electric and the acoustic version of the band, performing the highly complex music, which is their forte. The music sound is somewhat similar to the output of several modern RIO groups, but always distinctly theirs. This album presents the electric and acoustic tracks intertwined, with no clear separation between them. The overall effect is quite stunning and presents an excellent example of how challenging and fulfilling Prog can be, when played by the best representatives of the genre. A must for any serious Prog-head.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing worth mentioning

HAVE FUN!

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Today Rody & I celebrate our 31^st Wedding Anniversary today. Now that is a log time together, in fact we have been married now more years than not married. The last year was obviously the most trying for us, with Rody’s illness and the long treatment. It seems to have strengthened our bond even more (if that is possible). I hope we’ll be able to enjoy our life together for many years to come, God willing.

MUSIC

1^st album (recorded 1997) by the Brazilian Prog band Tempus Fugit took the Prog wold by surprise, as it was a superbly written and executed worthy of a veteran band and not a newcomer. Heavily influenced by classic Italian bands (PFM and others) as well as British Prog (Marillion, Yes, etc.) this is a beautifully lyrical album, full of outstanding melodies and long epic themes. The guitar and keyboards provide rich and colorful sonic textures and the vocals (in English), although sparse, are also well suited to the entire musical fabric. Fans of Symphonic Prog will be delighted by this masterpiece from start to finish!

2^nd album (recorded 1998-99) by this Brazilian Prog band, which was eagerly expected by Prog fans considering the strength and excellence of their debut. The album stands up to all the expectations with flying colors, being as strong and as perfect as the debut in every way. They manage again to come up with a set of wonderfully crafted melodies and perform them with flare and perfection. This is classic Symphonic Prog, with all the elements one expects from it, so lovers of the genre should have a field day with this one.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing worth mentioning

HAVE FUN!

MUSIC

Excellent album by Brazilian trio Percussonica, which plays a very special brand of fusion, based on the South American rhythms and using a plethora of percussion instruments from the region. The music was recorded live at two concerts in 1998 and 2002 with superb sound quality. The trio (Ze Eduardo Nazario – drums & percussion, Lelo Nazario – keyboards and Felipe Avila – guitar) play with passion and outstanding musicianship, soaring through complex polyrhythmic and highly energetic composition with ease and elegance. For listeners familiar with the work of Airto Moreira and Hermeto Pascoal – Brazilian Masters who introduced the wonders of Brazilian jazz music to the Western world – this is an excellent opportunity to get exposed to the younger generation of Brazilian musicians. I truly enjoyed every minute of this album.

Debut album (recorded 1979) by the most important Prog band from Venezuela. Like most other South American Prog bands of that period, they play a highly melodic Symphonic Prog, modeled after the Italian bands like PFM and Banco, with plenty of keyboards and melancholy. Relatively sparse vocals (in Spanish) with plenty of long instrumental passages make this a most pleasurable listen. The quality of the album of truly amazing, especially as a debut, and to this day this is considered as one of the best Prog albums from South America. This edition is a reissue of the debut album (unfortunately done from a vinyl copy, as the original masters were lost – surface cracks included) with additional bonus material recorded for especially for the reissue in 1998. Tempano released several albums through the 1980’s and 1990’s, but those were fairly commercial and not considered Prog. With the reissue of this album, they returned to their Prog origins and released since new excellent Prog albums. A Prog classic!

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing worth mentioning

HAVE FUN!

MUSIC

This 1966 recording presents Hans Koller in a trio setting, but that is completely misleading, as the album has a “big” sound achieved by Koller overdubbing on 3 or four different saxophones and the bass player overdubbing on piano on some tunes, all this creating the effect of a jazz sextet or even septet. This revolutionary (at that time) approach, possible due to the arrival of multi-track recording machines, is used here with masterly taste and ingenuity. I don’t know if this was the first jazz recording using overdubs, but surely one of the first. The music is modern, post be-bop jazz at its best, with compositions mostly by Koller and the bass player. This is the last recording on which Koller plays “conventional” jazz, but the tendency towards more complex improvisations and musical freedom is evident clearly here. The performances are as brilliant, as always with Koller and the album is a jazz buff’s delight from start to finish.

This previously unreleased recording from 1978 presents Koller’s suite dedicated to the Swiss visionary architect Le Corbusier (Charles Edouard Jeanneret). Since Koller was himself a devoted painter, he dedicated many of his compositions to modern Art Masters like Picasso and others. The highly developed aesthetics and understanding of modern Art is of course one of Koller’s great qualities. Koller assembled a superb quintet for this recording, which includes the German trumpeter Herbert Joos. The music is a perfect example of European free jazz, with complex textures and intricate interplay between the quintet members. The technical quality of the players is staggering and the overall result is a first class jazz experience.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing worth mentioning

HAVE FUN!

MUSIC

Debut album on the MPS label by Austrian saxophonist, composer and bandleader Hans Koller and one of the most sought after collector items of European jazz for many years. It includes two separate sessions: the 1959 quartet recording for the German Radio (with American bassist Oscar Pettiford, Hungarian guitarist Attila Zoller and Jimmy Pratt on drums) and the 1963 nonet recording in the MPS studio in Villingen. The album summarizes perfectly the first period of Koller’s jazz career, when he played “conventional” jazz, similar to what was happening in the US at the time. The music moves stylistically between cool, be-bop and swing, all executed with elegance and technical perfection. Most of the compositions are originals by Koller and other band members (two by Pettiford), sublimely melodic and yet complex at the same time. The nonet session, which includes a six-piece sax section, is especially interesting, with superb brass arrangements with multi-layered harmonies and intricate interplay. In short this is a perfect example of how “conventional” jazz can be taken beyond the trivial and injected with added values, which elevate it to the level of perfection. Nothing but pure musical joy!

Absolutely astounding jazz suite / concerto for Big Band composed by Austrian composer / saxophonist Koller and recorded in 1968 (but released only in 1979). The recording was done during a visit in Germany by the brilliant Czech jazz orchestra led by Gustav Brom (members of the orchestra were all top Czech jazz players, including the phenomenal bassist Jiri Mraz – who would soon after emigrate to the US and become George Mraz). The orchestra was “strengthened” for the recording by adding some of the top German jazz players at the time (Emil Mangelsdorff, Joki Freund and others) and the resulting lineup is simply phenomenal. Koller’s music is also outstanding - very modern, with some free elements and devilishly clever polyrhythmic structures. The entire suite has enough drama and substance to amaze even the most sophisticated listener and is years ahead of anything else in that musical domain. It is a prime example of the emergence of European jazz, which points in a new direction, continuing but also significantly altering the American jazz tradition. For any serious jazz aficionado this is a “must have” album essential for comprehension of the development of modern jazz.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing is happening. I suspect people just don’t understand what great music is?

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MUSIC

Austrian saxophonist, composer and bandleader Hans Koller was one of the most important European jazz musicians and one of the forefathers of the European modern jazz movement. This is his most legendary album (recorded 1974) and for years an impossible to find rarity among collectors. The quintet includes some of the most important European jazz players: German pianist Wolfgang Dauner (who is also one of the European jazz giants), Polish violin virtuoso Zbigniew Seifert (whose untimely death at a very young age prevented him from achieving the status of the greatest jazz violinist ever), superb Polish drummer Janusz Stefanski and Austrian bass genius Adelhard Roidinger. Together they play some of the best European jazz ever recorded, which can be described as free melodic sketches and structures. The music was composed by the quintet members (as each of them is also a gifted composer in addition to being an exceptional instrumentalist) and is full of passion, lofty inspiration and pleasurable sophistication. The German MPS label, which was active in the 1960’s and 1970’s, was the first and most important independent European jazz label (before ECM, Enja, Steeplechase and scores of others), setting incredible high standards both for the musical contents and the revolutionary audiophile sound-recording quality. This album is essential to every jazz enthusiast on earth!

Hans Koller was the most internationally famous Austrian jazz musician. Born in 1921, he was active on the European scene since the mid-1940’s, playing mostly jazz modeled on then contemporary American jazz. However by the mid-1950’s Koller already established a new European jazz vocabulary, like some of his pioneering European peers: Lars Gullin in Sweden, Krzysztof Komeda in Poland, Martial Solal in France and many others. By the end of 1950’s Koller almost completely removed himself from the musical scene, devoting his life to painting, which was his alter-ego vocation. Only a decade later, when the free jazz movement started to spread in Europe, he returned to active performing and recording, finding this new style challenging enough for him to contribute his input. This album, recorded 1972, marks his return to full-time jazz duties and is a pivotal step not only in his personal career, but also in the entire European free jazz movement. Koller clearly defines the basic difference in approach to free jazz between the American “school”, which is highly emotional, wild and often purposely excessively chaotic and extremist, and the European “school”, which is more subdued, elegant, delicate and firmly connected to melodic structures. The entire quartet – sax / piano / bass / drums - (with three musicians much younger that the leader) performs music composed mostly by Koller and bassist Roidinger, which retains enough melodic contents to be coherent, but adds incredible intensity and tension. A true must for serious jazz connoisseurs.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Very few orders, but I don’t care any more. I just have fun with adding some incredible new items with the best music there is – if nobody wants to buy them, it’s their detriment.

HAVE FUN!

HOLOCAUST

I have not touched upon the subject of Holocaust earlier on these pages, but there is no way I can avoid it for long, so here it comes, as painful as it might be (for me or anybody else reading this). I must warn you this is but the first of my attempts to express my thoughts on this subject here, others might (and probably will) follow.

The immediate prompt to start dealing with it was watching (during the last few weeks) the BBC series “Auschwitz: The Nazis & the 'Final Solution'”:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/12_december/03/auschwitz.shtml

I watched it now for the second time already, as I watched the entire series at the time of its original release just over a year ago (January 2005). It was released by the BBC to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp (January 1945) and in time for the first UK Holocaust Memorial Day (January 27, 2005), which in the meantime was proclaimed by the UN as the International Holocaust Memorial Day.

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/ihrd/

Of course Israel has its Holocaust Memorial Day (called Yom HaShoah) since the establishment of the State, which is held one week before the Israeli Independence Day (the date varies, as it is set according to the Jewish calendar) and commemorates the date of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

Since I was born in 1951, I did not experience the Holocaust personally (or rather directly, in-the-flesh), but in fact my entire life I felt like I did. The “Holocaust experience” is so deeply embedded in my personality that I’m probably never “free” of it entirely and subconsciously it surely affects most of my cognitive processes. This thing is often referred to as “Second Generation Holocaust Syndrome” and refers to people, like myself, whose parents are Holocaust survivors. I am not saying that I think about the Holocaust every day or have nightmares about it (although some people do), but in retrospect I’m convinced that the essence of my entire existence is inevitably soaked with Holocaust undertones.

All this is hardly surprising considering that I have been exposed to the Holocaust from day one. Post WW2 Poland (were I was born) was drenched with the Holocaust experience. My earliest memories include watching the horrific photographs of the Nazi atrocities plastered on the streets (the new Socialist regime was using the Holocaust as a political tool already), the radio broadcasting endless lists of people looking for lost relatives and of course the people who came to visit our home and talking about their experiences for hours on end. It was an endless stream of people, as my Father would bring home every wandering Jew he came across, feeding him first and then siting till the small hours of the night drinking tea and exchanging Holocaust memories with him. I knew the words: ghetto, concentration camp, crematorium, transport, selection, gas chamber and so on much earlier then I knew the names of the animals or the plants.

One might wander why my parents decided to expose me (their only child) to all that, without any attempt to hide or even filter the most gruesome details. We have never discussed that issue (I should talk to my Mother about that) and I suppose they never considered it. The reason they chose to deal with the Holocaust by confronting it directly must also be quite complex. I expect that talking about it and to some extend reliving it was a kind of therapy (as absurd as it might seem) and the only way to stay sane. As Holocaust was (and probably will always be) absolutely incomprehensible on the rational plane, dealing with it as a reality was a way to avoid the non-existent rationale. The obsessive determination to remember every little detail was probably an insurance policy against forgetfulness? The “never again” issue must have burned in their mind with a hellish ferocity.

I visited the sites of the concentration camps (Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek and others) before they were turned into museums (and “prettied up”). The stench of death, decay and burned flesh was still very much in the air. The Poles (at that time) were not so keen on turning all those places into memorials and I remember my Father fighting with all his might to create at least some monuments to mark and remember the gigantic “virtual” graveyards (as there were few actual graves as such with most people cremated in the factories of death).

I have never tried to understand the Holocaust. I learned everything I could about it, collecting facts and emotions. Any attempt to try and analyze it is simply beyond me. I have seen endless documentaries (some better than others) and the facts, events, methods, numbers and statistics all make perfect sense, but the entire thing they so accurately describe remains an absurd. So we know exactly how many people were murdered, where and when, how they got there and how it was done. But do we know why? I don’t. I am not naive; 50 plus years on this planet provided me with plenty of opportunities to witness hatred, bestiality, mass murder and even genocide committed all over our world. Are any or all of these helpful to comprehend the Holocaust? Is the Holocaust just a question of scale? Is it just the fact of turning death and extermination into an industry? I honestly don’t know. The fact remains that for me the Holocaust is the singular most important event in human history, or should I say inhuman history. Apocalypse incarnate, Hell on Earth or the God’s last warning sign to our species?

I wander what I could tell the Iranian President, who denies the very existence of the Holocaust? Is this world fucked up or what?

HAVE FUN!

MUSIC

There are very few things in this world that you can bet your life on, but for me (continually over the years) King Crimson is definitely one of them. Although the group underwent more personal, stylistic and musical changes than any other of its peers, KC managed to emerge not only as the best of them all but also the most consistent one. This double DVD set is yet another proof of that (not that any proof is needed). It captures the latest (so far) KC configuration as a quartet, with Fripp, Belew, Gunn and Mastelotto – three (very different) guitar players and a drummer. Filmed almost 3 years apart from each other, the first DVD documents a London concert from July 2000 and the second a Tokyo concert from April 2003. Obviously the performances are quite different, as is the material. The earlier DVD includes mostly the legacy of the double trio, whereas the later includes mostly material from the “The Power To Believe” album, which the group was promoting at the time. There is no need to boast how good this stuff is – anybody who is a KC fan already knows it. For a KC addict like myself, this is of course a must. Any opportunity to see (and hear) a live performance by KC is an eye (and ear) opener any way you look at it. Devilishly clever music performed by masterly players – never a dull moment!

The trio of Michael Giles, Jamie Muir (both Ex-King Crimson) and David Cunningham (UK guitarist and pioneer of experimental and ambient music) created this music in 1983 as a soundtrack for the Ken McMullen experimental and daring documentary film “Ghost Dance”, which explored the collision between ethnic cultures and Western cities (great stuff!). As expected, the music is highly experimental as well, based mostly on various percussive rhythms (played by the two drummers), that represent the ethnic cultures and ornamented with guitar and electronic loops, which stand for the Western cities. This is definitely no “easy listening” stuff, but for people who like ambient stuff and are prepared to make an effort and expand their musical horizons, this can be a very interesting experience. Hats off to people who take risks and shun any non-artistic factors when dealing with Art.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Still fiddling with the new design. It will take a while until everything is the way I want it, but the main work is already done. Not that this will mean any more sales, but my aesthetics are in much better shape now ;)

HAVE FUN!

MUSIC

This very interesting musical project took seven years to complete (1998-2005), but it was definitely worth waiting for. The Fellowship is an international group of musicians, who undertook a very challenging task of creating music based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Their approach is completely different from many other musicians, who created music inspired by Tolkien’s works (like Bo Hansson a.m.o.) – they conducted a thorough research of both Tolkien’s many writings of prose and poetry and also early European literature from the Middle Ages (13^th & 14^th century), all this to create the “authentic” music of the legendary “Middle Earth”. Of course the authenticity is a matter of opinion, as Tolkien himself did compose any music to accompany his writings, but as far as your humble servant here is concerned this sounds pretty “authentic” to me. The music is similar to early European Mediaeval music, with a touch of modernism, performed entirely on acoustic instruments (some ancient). The vocals (mostly by Yes front man Anderson) suit this music perfectly, and honestly to me this is better than are many other of his other projects. People who like early music fill have a feast with this album, but Yes fans and folkies should not stay far behind. I loved it!

As most of Bruford’s recorded work in the last years comes in the form of his Earthworks quartet it is delightful to hear the Master drummer in a small Big Band setting (a nonet to be precise). Recorded live at the New York Iridium Club in 2004, the group comprises of Bruford and his fellow Earthworks saxophonist Garland with a wonderful gathering of excellent American jazzmen. The material includes new arrangements of music previously recorded by different Earthworks line-ups. There is a lot of energy and superb musicianship present, with extended solos and heated interplays. Obviously they had a gas playing together, which is an essential ingredient in the process of music making. The sound quality is very good, with proper balance between the horns and they rhythm section. Definitely recommended to the many Bruford fans and anyone who enjoys good jazz. Individually numbered Limited Edition (of 3000) including a bonus CD.

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

With the help of my daughter Danit (and a couple of sleepless nights later) I gave my site a complete facelift to change the “look”, which was designed almost five years ago (and served everybody well). The work is not yet completely finished, but the new “look” is there already for everybody to enjoy (I love it, but I am not objective!). I’d love to hear your comments about it – please don’t be shy and let me know what you all think.

HAVE FUN!

INTRO

This time almost 2 weeks went by without any chance for me to write even a few words – absolutely hectic times… Of course I keep listening to music, so obviously the pile of albums I have not mentioned here yet keeps growing… the story of my life – buried under piles of albums ;)

MUSIC

Before I write about the first album for today, let me plunge into nostalgia and tell you about my memories of the “BBC Sessions” phenomenon (see the Led Zeppelin album below).

BBC SESSIONS

I’ve spent some of the nicest musical moments of my life around various BBC studios around London, listening to my favorite music (be it rock or jazz) being made before my eyes (or ears). These are truly fond memories.

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) was (and still is) a vast organization and probably the oldest media corporation in the world. It has (radio and TV) studios in every major city in the UK, with several locations in London, apart from the ostentatious building in the heart of the city. Throughout decades, before any kind of “independent” (and competitive) broadcasting existed in the UK, the BBC single-handedly controlled everything that was broadcasted to the UK public (and also around the world by the BBC World Service). Therefore it is bluntly obvious that BBC held the music industry “by the curlies” so to speak and it was in its power to “make or brake” any artist it chose to do so with.

As ugly as it all might look, the truth was that the BBC did in fact more good than evil over the years. Especially so, when one considers the vast contribution it had in bringing music (of every kind) to the listeners, and not only released (by record companies) music, but especially music recorded by the BBC and broadcasted later in a wide variety of programs dedicated to current musical developments in every genre – pop, rock, jazz, etc. Programs like “Top Of The Pops”, John Peel’s “Top Gear”, “Jazz Hour” and many, many more presented contemporary music on a regular basis and the collected recorded archives of these programs constitute probably the largest world library of recorded contemporary music – which is now being released commercially much to my delight.

Other aspects are also worth considering:

The BBC producers were fairly liberal and open minded in their choice of material and recorded not only established and well know artists, but also (and to a large extent) unknown, unpopular, and even controversial artists, who played difficult and unconventional music. For many of those this was the only outlet for their music and the only opportunity to get it out to a public.

The BBC paid the musicians quite well (yes!) for those sessions (including expenses), which for many of them was almost the sole source of income at the time. It also meant that royalties (publishing) were due when the recordings were eventually broadcasted (and broadcasts repeated). In other words the BBC was a very meaningful sponsor for the always-struggling music community. It is no wander that musicians always eagerly awaited the call from a BBC producer who invited them to do a recording session.

The music was recorded at the BBC recording studios – several of those were around London and in other major cities around the UK. My personal favorite was the old Maida Vale studio (so called as it was located at that part of London), where I had the pleasure to participate in many recording sessions (as a spectator of course).

The BBC studio facilities were a wold to themselves – completely separated from the “real” world out there. Usually located in pretty old (pre 2^nd WW) buildings, with huge recording rooms capable of hosting a symphonic orchestra and chorus. The technicians wore standard issue gray robes and were considered second to God only. All other people entering this world had to leave their “usual” personalities outside the studio doors – there was no VIP treatment for anybody, even the most notorious celebrities were pussy cats in there. It was pretty weird to record rock groups in those vast halls – the musicians would be usually placed in one corner and the guests (only a handful BTW) would sit in the same room and were told to hold their traps.

The recording equipment looked (to me) ancient – the cables, the tube amplifiers, the mikes and even the stands all looked like taken from the silent movies era, but by God they worked – and they worked wonderfully! Those technicians / wizards managed to achieve some of the best recording sound I have ever heard, in most cases vastly superior to the sound of the commercial recording studios at the time (as evident on records). Of course all this was in the 1970’s mind you – it’s a bit different now, with digital equipment, etc… But the charm is gone forever.

The most important place in any recording studio was of course the canteen (not the control room!). The BBC stuff worked strictly according to a fixed timetable, with the (oh so British) regular tea breaks and meal breaks. It did not matter one iota who was playing at the moment – come tea break everything would be left instantaneously in limbo and the entire staff would gather in the canteen (musicians and the guests naturally following) to have their “cup of tea”. The tea (and some nice food as well) was served by ageless ladies who always reminded me of my grandmother. “Have a nice cup of tea, Dear” they would say to Jimmy Hendrix or Mick Jagger, completely oblivious to the fact who the served person was. And so I’d find myself sipping my tea (priced 1 pence – for non-stuff) at a table with say Jimmy Page, John Surman, John McLaughlin or whoever happened to be recording that day. Tea break over we’d all stride back to the recording room and go on. Considering all this the producer usually planned the session around the tea breaks if he wanted the recording to be finished as planned. In most cases it was one take only! For posterity…

The session over, everybody would naturally pace “across the road” to the “local” (pub of course) to have a well deserved pint or two (or more). Those were the days…

Led Zeppelin fans and admirers had to wait for 28 years (till 1997) for these sessions to see the light of day on a formal release. This is a great pity, as Zed Zeppelin’s recorded legacy had very little to offer as far as live performances are concerned. Except for the double LP soundtrack album to their pseudo-documentary movie “The Song Remains The Same” (recorded at the Madison Square Garden in July 1973 and released in 1976), which is considered both by the band and the fans as a rather unfortunate representation of their otherwise superb on-stage performances, no other live recordings were released. The only live Led Zeppelin tracks were available on a myriad of bootleg recordings, often of dubious quality, including various versions of the BBC sessions included here. This exceptional album collects the entire material recorded by Led Zeppelin for the BBC. The first CD includes three sessions recorded in March and June 1969, after the release of their landmark debut album and before the release of the second album. The second CD includes an entire concert performance from April 1971, before the release of their fourth album. Although the BBC sessions are not really “live” recordings as such, these performances provide an excellent record of what Led Zeppelin did on stage, as opposed to their perfectionist studio work. It is obvious that live Led Zeppelin were first and foremost an improvisational band (much like Cream before them), and therefore every performance of a song varied considerably from other interpretations of the same song, be it in tempo, length, order of solos and so on (listen to three different takes of “Communication Breakdown” present here). This is also a great document of the creative process the band went through when preparing material for their albums – the first sessions include early versions of songs later released on the second album and the last session does the same with songs later released on the fourth album. In addition, these sessions contain several songs not included on any of the studio albums. The performances are of course stellar, from the very first note played to the very last and both the musical and historic importance of these sessions is beyond dispute. The usual BBC “mark of quality” sound is crystal clear and allows the listener to enjoy this heavenly music even at dangerously high volume (recommended). I can’t imagine anybody, who considers himself a music lover, not to own this album?

Although originating from Canterbury, Spirogyra is not considered as part of the Canterbury Scene gang. They were a folk / rock or rather an acid / folk group, influenced as much by the British folk music as by the Psychedelic movement of the late 1960’s. Fronted by Martin Cockerham, who also wrote all of their material, and including the wonderful singer Barbara Gaskin, they recorded only three albums: “St. Radigunds” (1971), “Old Boot Wine” (1972) and “Bells, Boots And Shambles” (1973), all included here with additional, previously unreleased material. In retrospect it is quite clear that Spirogyra were one of the most accomplished representatives of the genre, sadly little known in comparison to other similar outfits like Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention or The Incredible String Band (to which they were the closest in style). The quality of the material, as well as the truly excellent instrumental work (by additional band members changing from album to album) is amply documented here for us to enjoy. The albums stand the test of time with ease, being as moving and exciting today as they were when originally recorded. For fans of the genre this is an absolute must!

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

Nothing exceptional – some sales but always less than I’d like them to be.

HAVE FUN!

INTRO

Another week went by without any chance for me to write even a few words – I don’t remember being that busy since quite a long time.

MUSIC

I did manage to listen to quite a lot of music (driving mostly), but it will take quite a while to write about it all, so here is some of it:

This is a perfect marriage of two of my favorite worlds: Jazz and Prog. The piano trio was always my jazz vehicle of choice, as it is ideal to provide both the improvisational and rhythmic jazz qualities. The music of the legendary Prog band King Crimson was always right on top of my preferred music. The Crimson Jazz Trio combines both of these preferences perfectly. Jody Nardone (piano), Tim Landers (bass) and ex-KC Ian Wallace (drums) take the music of KC places, which were unimaginable so far – far into the land of swing (I wander if anybody could have imagined the music of KC in that setting before). The players shine and sweat from the onset to the very last note, full of imagination, brilliant technique and intelligent interplay. The sound is perfect as well, with clear definition of sound, which enables the entire range of the piano to sound balanced and the drum kit (from bass drum to hi-hat) to be perfectly audible. I can only join Robert Fripp in his reaction to this masterpiece: “Can’t wait for Vol.2”!

4th and last album (recorded 1971) by one of the most interesting UK rock groups. The band did not mean to record this album and it was recorded only to fulfill the contractual obligation (as happened in very many cases). It was in fact recorded in parallel to the next venture, for which they were headed (lead by Jeff Lynne) – the Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO). Intended or not, this was in many respects the best and most complex album thy created. Lacking any chart hits, the album concentrates on subtle compositions and as usual a lot of the typical zany humor they always used as a tool to emphasize the message. The music includes elements of Psychedelica, jazz, and rock, all intermixed wonderfully. This remains an essential album for all Move fans and fans of the later work by Roy Wood.

Polish pianist and composer Leszek Kulakowski is the author of this ambitious work for voice, jazz quintet and chamber orchestra. The quintet consists of top Polish jazz players, including my dear friend Leszek Zadlo (who sent me this CD). The music is pretty difficult, as all contemporary classical stuff, but if one is able to penetrate the layers of sound and follow the melodies, it is also very beautiful. The marriage of jazz and classical music has been attempted many times before, with varying results. This one is one of the better ones. The players are all top notch of course and this is yet again a great example of what the European jazz is all about.

Another superb example of European jazz, this time from Austria, which is nor very well known for its jazz activities, but has quite a lively scene (especially in Vienna) and a lot of great players (and remember Joe Zawinul is from there!). This superb album presents the music of Thelonious Monk player by an Austrian trio, led by bass clarinet player Urlich Drechsler. The bass clarinet is rarely featured as a solo instrument (Eric Dolphy did play it), as it has obviously a limited scale range, but in the hands (and mouth) of Drechsler it sounds truly magnificent. Trumpet player Lorenz Raab, who adds another dimension to the music, upgrades the trio to a quartet on some of the tunes. The interpretation of Monk’s melodies is very clever and often surprising and the whole album is a true delight.

Austrian guitarist extraordinare wrote all the music and the lyrics on this excellent album, which is stylistically impossible to classify – it mixes elements of jazz / alternative rock / contemporary classical in ways never before imagined. Eisler plays all the guitars and a cast of other musicians provides the accompaniment for five different singers, who deliver the vocals (in English). The instrumental and vocal performances are superb and this is one really surprising (for the good!) album, one of the nicest I have heard in a while. The only “criticism” I might have about this album is (again) that it is probably too good to be successful :(

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

February started even slower that the dreadful January – things really look dismal.

HAVE FUN!