MUSIC

This is the 3rd chapter in the Columbia’s epic series of Miles Davis Box Sets, which is a monumental reissue project of recordings by the most important Jazz musician of the 20th century. Recorded mostly live during 1963 & 1964, the music documents the so-called in transition period of Miles between his two legendary Quintets. Miles was, as always. In search of the next step he wanted to take musically and was searching for the right musicians who could accompany him in his journey. Therefore, although this set includes music performed by a constantly changing line-up, the crystallization of the second great Quintet is well documented here, with Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums), Herbie Hancock (piano) and finally Wayne Shorter (sax) gradually joined his group. All the other musicians playing with Miles here (George Coleman and Sam Rivers on sax, Victor Feldman on piano and Frank Butler on drums) were admirable of course, but somehow lacked the special chemistry Miles required from his players. The music contained here was originally released on the following albums: “Seven Steps To Heaven”, “In Europe”, “My Funny Valentine”, “Four & More”, “In Tokyo” and “In Berlin”. As usual, a plethora of previously unreleased tracks and tracks released on other albums and various compilations is also included, all present in full chronological order. All of the material is painstakingly remastered and sounds superbly. Of course all this stuff is heavenly and although the musical progress here is slow, every note played by Miles is absolutely right on. There is a lot of tension in the air as Miles tests the ground for the next leap, pushing his musicians to the limit. The youngster Williams re-defines the meaning of Jazz drumming here, with more freedom and space than ever heard before, even with the parallel Free Jazz drummers. Hancock’s highly evolved musicality and deep sense of melody is already quite evident and Carter’s powerful and precise bass cements the entire concept together. This stuff is as essential to any Jazz lover as air and water are to his physical existence. The box packaging is as lavish and extravagantly beautiful, as all the other items in this series, with extensive liner notes, detailed discography and many superb photographs.

The initial release of all the Miles Davis Box Sets in this reissue series is packaged in an exquisite metal-bound frame housed in a hard cardboard CD-sized slipcase. Once the initial release is sold out, the CDs are repackaged in a tall-box digipack book format. Naturally the tall-box issues have a much lower retail price tag. The original metal-bound issues become all priceless collectors’ items in time.

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Recorded live on April 21-22, 1961, this superb Box Set presents the Miles Davis Quintet performing at the San Francisco’s Blackhawk club. Miles has just lost John Coltrane as a member of his (so-called) first great Quintet, which lasted for almost five years. Coltrane’s replacement, saxophonist Hank Mobley, faced an almost impossible task of filling the shoes of the departed Giant, but as these recording prove beyond any doubt, he was up to the challenge and ready and with the brilliant rhythm section consisting of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums this particular Quintet turned out to be one of the most intense, hard-swinging and brilliant ensembles ever led by Miles. Although short-lived, it is documented on this momentous recording for posterity. When presented with great music the best thing a producer can do is to start the tape rolling and keep it rolling. This is exactly what this recording is all about – a complete record of the music as it happened during those two nights, no fiddling around, no editing, no splicing – 100 % proof great Jazz. The entire ensemble delivers an unbelievable explosion of attack and bravado, Miles plays some of his best solos ever, Mobley counter-attacks with ferocious, yet highly melodic improvisations of his own and the ever-so-elegant Kelly mixes his romantic harmonies and intense vamping behind the horns. Chambers and Cobb provide the rock solid, yet highly imaginative pulsation driving the entire ensemble like a chronometer and managing the intricate rhythm changes with precision and elegance. This is Jazz at its best – ass kicking and inspired. Thank God for the invention of the tape recorder – as I was 10 years old when this magnificent music was recorded, I would have solemnly missed this music if it was lost forever – now I can enjoy it as if it’s happening right now. In the 45 years since this music was recorded, it lost absolutely nothing of its aesthetic and intellectual value; en contraire it sounds so much better when compared to the endless oceans of musical boredom surrounding us in the form of (most) contemporary musical feeble-mindedness. Absolutely essential food for the mind and soul.

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This magnificent Box Set presents the Wynton Marsalis Septet recorded live at the most famous Jazz Mecca in the world, the NYC Village Vanguard club on Seventh Avenue in Greenwich Village – probably the oldest Jazz club in the world and a “holy ground”, where endless Jazz recordings have been made. The music was recorded between March 1990 and December 1994 and during those four and a half years the Septet was pretty stable, with just three musicians changing chairs: Eric Reed replaced Marcus Roberts on piano, Victor Goines replaced Todd Anderson on tenor and soprano saxophones / clarinet and finally Ben Wolfe replaced Reginald Veal on bass. The remaining four musicians are present on all recordings: Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Wessell Anderson on alto saxophone, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone and Herlin Riley on drums. Wynton Marsalis is of course the most respected and adored Jazz virtuoso since the 1980’s and many see him as the successor of Miles Davis in the mighty Jazz Olympus. Marsalis is the epitome of a Jazz master: well bred, well educated, extremely intelligent and outspoken, with parallel highly successful musical careers in Jazz and Classical music and a revered trumpet virtuoso. Very few musicians have such an illustrious calling card to their credit. But above all these advantages Marsalis has also an incredible understanding of the Jazz idiom – both as a scholar (on the intellectual plane) and a performer / composer (on the emotional plane). His interpretations of Jazz standards are always way beyond the primeval melody - expanded and embossed with multiple layers of additional musical threads and polyrhythmic complexity. His ensembles always include the best and most skilled (usually pretty young) players, who under his direction and leadership manage to create some of the most fascinating and well played Jazz music ever. The choice of the septet as a vehicle to create the music Marsalis wants to present here is truly masterly. Seven brilliant musicians are surely plenty to produce an endless variety of solo / duo / trio improvisations at any given moment, as well as produce almost a Big Band sound when playing in unison. Therefore an incredible range of volume and density is possible and the dynamics of the music is constantly changing. Marsalis freely spans the entire stylistic spectrum of Jazz, from New Orleans to Post Bee-Bop, with a dash of free, with the band feeling equally confident all the way through. The entire set includes over 10 hours of some of the most fascinating and moving Jazz music I personally ever encountered and my musical experience would have been so much poorer if I never listened to this marvelous set.

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Only album (recorded 1970) by this UK Prog group, which was the first group to feature the amazing talents of the Swiss keyboards wizard Patrick Moraz. A typical early Progressive work, with plenty of great instrumental moments. Moraz composed all the music for the group. Unfortunately the group split shortly after recording this album. Moraz would of course later join Yes in their high glory days (replacing Rick Wakeman) and record the classic “Relayer” album with them. Later on he joined The Moody Blues (replacing Mike Pinder). This album remained unreleased on CD for many years and is one of the most sought after Prog rarities in history.

Only album (recorded 1974) by this classic Prog group, which at the time was views as an attempt to revive the glorious days of The Nice as it featured two ex-Nice members (Lee Jackson and Brian Davison) and was fronted by a virtuoso keyboards player – Patrick Moraz. The album is a great showcase of Patrick’s abilities as a player and composer and includes two lengthy suites (17 and 18 minutes long) in the best tradition of Prog instrumental music. It is a real shame they managed to record only one album before disbanding. Moraz would of course later join Yes (and achieve international recognition) and then The Moody Blues. This album remained unavailable for many years on CD and is one of the most sought after Prog releases in history.

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This excellent album was recorded on December 1^st, 1981 during a performance of Pastorius with the Peter Graves orchestra, in which he played for many years before joining Weather Report (see the great Jaco Pastorius Big Band albums recorded by the same orchestra). It was a celebration of Jaco’s 30^th birthday and he returned to his native Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to play with his old buddies. The band was strengthened by soloist (Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer and Peter Erskine) and plays one hot streak of superb music like there is no tomorrow. This material was kept in the vaults for many years on was first released only in 1995. The sound quality is excellent for a live recording and of course the music is heavenly!

Superb document of Tull’s 1970 appearance at the Isle Of Wight festival intertwined with Ian Anderson’s commentary and recollections of the events filmed in 2004, which gives many wonderful and often humorous insights to the band’s history. This is not only a great piece of history but also probably the best live performance by JT captured on film ever. The early JT sound and repertoire is magical enough to leave anybody breathless – seeing it in action is truly amazing. Absolutely essential to all JT fans .The Collectors’ Edition includes additional audio material not available on the original DVD. DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, 80 minutes.

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2^nd album (recorded 1980). Pastorius was one of the most tragic stars on the jazz firmament – a musical genius, whose life was wasted by a combination of mental illness and drug abuse. I am talking about a man who single-handedly re-defined the statue and the technique of the bass in jazz, a brilliant performer and immensely gifted composer and arranger. Tragically Pastorius recorded only three albums as a leader in the decade and a half he was active (all other albums are live recordings, which were never meant to be released). Following his eponymous self titled debut from 1976, he devised this album as a showcase of modern Big Band with the bass as a lead instrument. The recording involved over 70 musicians (a list of which reads like the Encyclopedia Britannica of Jazz) and was done in several studios around the world. The result is an absolutely brilliant album, which sounds as fresh today as it was when I heard it for the first time 25 years ago. Most of the material in penned by Pastorius, with the exceptions being a Beatles tune (Blackbird – one of their best) and a classical theme by Bach. There is plenty of superb solos by the participating musicians, including Pastorius himself, but the aim of the recording is not to highlight individual players but to present the Big Band as an extended instrument in the hands of the composer / arranger (very much as other famous jazz orchestras have been earlier – Duke Ellington for example). Absolutely essential!

3^rd album (recorded 1983). Following the recording of his second album, Pastorius led a large ensemble during the early 1980’s, which was called “Word Of Mouth” (same as the title of his second album). This album presets a live recording of the ensemble during a Japanese tour, and is considered by many as the best Pastorius recording ever. The band swings and funks superbly, the soloist (Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Toots Thielemans and many others) play their hearts out and everybody seems to have a ball. This is obviously one of those “once in a lifetime” moments when everything just clicks together in a musical orgy of sounds. If there is anybody out there, who never heard this album and still considers himself a jazz fan, he is missing a large chunk of his musical education. Well I suppose it’s never too late. Absolutely essential!

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I can’t believe that nobody so far ordered the two Jaco Pastorius Big Band albums I posted a while back? Is it possible I’m the only one loving them?

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MUSIC

This one brings on waves of acute nostalgia! Filmed in late 1968 and intended for TV broadcast during Christmas of that year, the project was allegedly shelved and screened only years later. The entire concept looks pretty weird at first glance, but fits perfectly in the Psychedelic swinging London milieu of the time. A series of top UK rock acts perform in a circus tent, with typical circus acts filling the space between songs. It is all enormous fan and the rare opportunity to see live artists like Jethro Tull, The Who, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull and of course the Stones is something no one should miss. To make matters perfectly clear – although the entire show if full of silly little (typical British) jokes, there is more than plenty superb music here, especially the performance by The Who and the Lennon / Clapton group, as well as the Stones of course. This is a rare and exquisite document of the era and a must for all lovers of late 1960’s music. This version of the DVD includes bonus material never previously available. 5.1 Surround Sound, 63 minutes.

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ADAM’S GALLERY

Riding the waves of nostalgia, I have scanned some of my black & white photographs taken over the years and placed them on my site for everybody to enjoy. The gallery can be found here:

I have thousands of photographs in storage, but of course I have selected just a few for the gallery so far. In time (and gradually) I’ll add more of them I hope.

The photographs are almost exclusively of Jazz musicians, some very famous, some completely unknown to most people.

I hope you can all enjoy viewing these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them. Of course you are all welcome to react / comment.

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3^rd album (recorded 1968) in which the Moodies undertake the impossible task to follow up their previous album, which became an instant absolute classic. Very few rock groups managed to accomplish this, but they surely are one of those few. The group decided to relay on their own strength this time and did not involve an orchestra. Instead they initiated the use of the Mellotron, which proved to be an ample replacement in the hands of Mike Pinder. The melodies are as beautiful and eloquent as ever, with the group members using a wide array of instruments to enrich the sonic textures. There is of course a distinct psychedelic influence present, not surprising as the album was recorded at the peak of the psychedelic period, but the Moodies turn those influences into something uniquely their own. This new edition adds an entire CD of previously never heard material, both studio and live (BBC), which of course is a revelation, considering how long it was kept in the vault and how great it is. The new remasters are pristine and sound better than anything recorded these days. This is an absolute classic and a must in every record collection.

5^th album (recorded 1969) and perhaps their grandest “magnum opus” of all. With layers upon layers of overdubbed instruments and vocals the resulting sound is truly monumental. Superb songwriting, as usual, produced some of the most interesting compositions the group ever recorded. Although a great artistic success, this album was perhaps a bit “before its time” for many Moody Blues fans at the time of its release. The album was released on the Moodies own record label, called “Threshold”, which was created to enable them more artistic and economic freedom. This new edition adds an entire CD of previously never heard material, both studio and live (BBC), which of course is a revelation, considering how long it was kept in the vault and how great it is. The new remasters are pristine and sound better than anything recorded these days and the SACD 5.1 mix (based on the original 1972 Quadraphonic release) is stunning. This is an absolute classic and a must in every record collection.

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MUSIC

Following the brilliant “Roots And Branches”, which was the first JT project to incorporate ethnic and World Music elements, Ian Anderson and Co. return in 1999 with a more conventional / rock album very much in the tradition of their work in the last 30 years. Anderson’s compositions, singing and exquisite flute playing are as strong as ever and age seems to do little (if any) damage to his creative powers. The mixture of rock, jazz and folk which is so uniquely Jethro Tull remains intact, especially in view of the contributions by the veteran JT member Martin Barre on guitar. Upon its release this album was received coldly by the critics, but what do they know… It is every bit as good as many previous JT albums, which any JT fan will surely agree with. A splendid way to celebrate 30 years of superb music and close the century, with hope for many future musical wonders from one of the most musically consistent Masters.

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MUSIC

An entire generation of contemporary fusion guitar players pays tribute to their divine master – John McLaughlin and his band Mahavishnu Orchestra. This ambitious project, devised and produced by guitarist Jeff Richman, works out like a dream (a wet dream for fusion fans for sure). Ten compositions by McLaughlin, written for and performed with Mahavishnu Orchestra, are given here a new treatment. Each of the tracks features a different guitarist and the list reads like a who’s who of fusion: Mike Stern, Steve Morse, Frank Gambale, David Fiuczynski, etc. The accompanying rhythm section of Vinnie Calaiuta – drums, Kai Eckhardt – bass and Mitchel Forman – keyboards is the backbone of the project and carries the load splendidly. Ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra violinist Jerry Goodman adds his magic touch on several tracks, closing the full circle, so to speak. Definitely a must for all Mahavishnu Orchestra fans and basically for all fusion fans - whatever their fusion taste may be this is much too good to be ignored.

This is a second project of this kind by fusion guitarist Jeff Richman, this time paying tribute to the Big Boss himself, Miles Davis. Ten compositions by Miles Davis are given a modern fusion treatment, each featuring a different guitarist. The inspiration comes of course from the electric jazz period of Miles, around “Bitches Brew”, which of course featured John McLaughlin – the same man who was paid a tribute by Richman’s previous project. The rhythm section this time consists of Vinnie Calaiuta – drums, Alphonso Johnson – bass and Larry Goldings – organ. Ex- Miles Davis saxophonist Dave Liebman provides the link to the original music and the featured guitarists include Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, Bill Connors, Pat Martino, Bireli Lagrene, etc. “Conventional” lovers of Miles Davis might find this treatment a bit bold, but fusion fans will definitely enjoy every minute of this.

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2^nd album (recorded 1975) by one of the best UK female voices of the 1970’s. Recorded with her regular touring band this album is much tighter and focused than the debut and with the addition of one Jimmy Page (who happened to be in the studio when this albums was recorded) adding a few guitar solos, this is her best work ever. Being as versatile as she was, she felt at ease singing heartbreaking blues ballads and up tempo rocky numbers, all done with flair and absolute dedication. As a female vocalist she had no competition on the local UK scene at the time and easily compares to the best US rhythm & blues and soul vocalists (Janice Joplin, Aretha Franklin, etc.). This is a magnificent example of the female vocal rock of the era and is definitely worth being re-discovered.

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2^nd installment of the “Deep Purple DVD Archive Collection”, presenting the band headlining the famous California Jam Festival. By the time this footage was filmed the band already reached stardom status, seen here as they arrive for the gig on their private jet. This version of Deep purple (Lord, Blackmore, Paice, Coverdale & Hughes) delivered fiery hard rock with vengeance, with very few contenders to their abilities, and this performance proves that beyond any doubt. Blackmore’s ill famous bad temper is displayed here in flagrante delicto as he smashes his guitar into one of the TV cameras. The entire show is a non-stop high-voltage affair as known only in the hay days of Rock. The commentary (see the 1^st installment) is also available here. For fans of DP this is a must of course. Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround Sound and DTS, 119 minutes.

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6^th album (recorded 1970) by the magnificent Moodies. After delivering 4 sublime and intensely complex concept albums the group decided to come up this time with a selection of songs, which could provide an easier basis for their live performances, as the elaborate songs on their previous albums were difficult to reproduce live on stage. This approach led to the creation of a much rockier album than anything else they recorded previously, but being what they were it was as good as anything else they ever did. The use of the Mellotron is less dominant this time and the guitar is more prominently featured. All together another timeless classic (yes I know I repeat myself, but what else can I say in this case…). The new edition adds never previously heard bonus tracks and a crystal clear remastered sound, including the SACD 5.1 mix. Essential!

Finally, after so many years of waiting, the fans (myself included) can enjoy au vivo the spectacular and divine work of John McLaughlin and his Indian ensemble Shakti. The original Shakti was formed in 1975 with McLaughlin combining forces with several classical Indian Masters, including percussionist extraordinare Zakir Hussain. After releasing three superb albums McLaughlin disbanded the ensemble in 1977, only to reunite it again 22 years later, this time under the name Remember Shakti, which recorded another 3 albums. This great DVD includes over 3 hours of material, which covers performances of the original ensemble as well as the reunion, documentary material and interviews. McLaughlin visionary and pioneering approach to World-Jazz Fusion is of course just one of his many musical achievements, which deserve to be devoured at all possible avenues. This is a true Godsend!

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If there ever was an album that epitomizes the meaning of Progressive Rock this is it! This magnificent new edition of the timeless classic receives the proper treatment at last – almost 40 years after its creation. This is the 2^nd album by the Moodies, recorded in 1967. The group existed a few years before this album was recorded and even scored a huge hit with the song “Go Now” in 1964, which was the basis for their first album (“Go Now!” in US and “The Magnificent Moodies” in UK), but at that time the group was playing an entirely different kind of music, namely Rhythm And Blues – typical of scores of other UK groups at the time. The release of this epic work came as a huge surprise, considering the revolutionary (at that time) approach to making music – a marriage of Rock and Classical music, ergo the basis of Progressive Rock. (BTW a similar story applies to another Prog giant – Genesis – with their debut album (“From Genesis To Revelation”) foretelling very little as to their next eponymous album – “Trespass”). As mentioned before, this album has everything that defines Prog: it features a Classical Orchestra (The London Festival Orchestra) and a Rock group, it is a concept album, the songs are several minutes long, etc., etc. The sheer audacity of placing a Rock group and a Symphony Orchestra in the same recording studio was unthinkable earlier on and considering how well it works is a piece of musical magic. Of course the songs are majestic, with “Nights In White Satin” safely placed at the pantheon of all-time classics. This new edition adds an entire CD of previously never heard material, both studio and live (BBC), which of course is a revelation, considering how long it was kept in the vault and how great it is. The new remasters are pristine and sound better than anything recorded these days and the SACD 5.1 mix is stunning. This is an absolute classic and a must in every record collection.

4^th album (recorded 1969) and the first album the Moodies really had time to prepare for, as the recording of their previous album (“In Search Of The Lost Chord”) was squeezed between grueling touring schedules. Not willing to use an orchestra, they fully utilized (and in many respects invented) the (then) new instrument – the Mellotron – played by Mike Pinder. Pinder used the Mellotron for the first time on their previous album, but here he really got the grip of the full potential of the instrument, creating new sound vistas previously unimaginable. The original idea of the album was to present two different “sides” of the group, split between the two sides of the LP: on side A they placed a set of more “rocky “ songs and on side B the more complex, lyrical ones, which turned out to be their best to date. It seems the Moodies were unstoppable at creating one masterpiece after another at the time and the combination of great composers and excellent musicians worked as a magic formula. This magnificent new edition adds a set of fascinating bonus tracks, all previously unheard and a new pristine remastered sound, with the SACD 5.1 mix based on the original 1972 Quadraphonic release. Another timeless classic and a must.

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