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It’s time to add some new Israeli releases, the usual mixture of Prog and Jazz created here lately, which is a document of a healthy scene:

1^st album by Israeli saxophonist Tal Gur with his quartet, which includes guitarist Ido Bukelman, bassist Ehud Ettun and drummer Ariel Armoni. Gur also composed all the music recorded on the album. The quartet performs excellently, considering the relatively tender age of the participants and the compositions are interesting and well developed. Buckelman is doing an excellent job by constructing payers of harmonics behind the leader, using electronic effects on his guitar, but avoiding any Fusion excursions. This is all straight-ahead contemporary Jazz, well executed and inspiring, although very much inside the established plateau and with no intentions to revolutionize anything. It is interesting to note that Gur plays the “straight” alto saxophone, an unusual version of the alto, which looks like the soprano. The instrument does have a unique sound, which adds to the album’s originality. Altogether an excellent debut and another promise for the future of Israeli Jazz, which is enjoying quite a renaissance since the turn of the Century. Definitely worth investigating!

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It’s time to add some new Israeli releases, the usual mixture of Prog and Jazz created here lately, which is a document of a healthy scene:

1^st album by Israeli Prog band Maqama, formed by siblings Noa Lewit (keyboards and vocals) and Ido Lewit (bass) with guitarist Udi Glaser and drummer David Baruch. The quartet performs original music, both vocal and instrumental, composed primarily by Noa, who also wrote most of the lyrics. The music is quite intricate and delicate, well based on the Israeli Prog “tradition”, building up on the heritage of the 1970s. The lyrics are in Hebrew, but language barriers are long gone in Prog, so this shouldn’t be a problem for international listeners. The music is carefully arranged and the musicians perform beyond reproach, creating a unique atmosphere, somewhat similar to another Israeli Prog group Double Space, but with less complex texts. Altogether a most impressive debut a most welcome addition to the burgeoning Israeli Prog scene, which seems no borders since the beginning of the 21^st Century. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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It’s time to add some new Israeli releases, the usual mixture of Prog and Jazz created here lately, which is a document of a healthy scene:

2^nd album by Israeli Prog band Lemmus Lemmus, which is a direct continuation of the surprising approach, they demonstrated on their debut album four years earlier. The group’s lineup was expanded from the original trio that founded the group – Joel Ron (guitars and vocals), Noam Rapaport (keyboards) and lead singer Eddie Ron – adding nine guest musicians on various instruments and vocals, creating a full-fledged group sound. The musical principle of creating retro Prog / Psychedelic music in the vein of early Pink Floyd remains their trademark, and as some notable music critics have already observed, when reviewing the debut album, their output could be easily mistaken as an undiscovered Pink Floyd recording. This album is even more so, with the mellotron (the very same instrument that was used by Pink Floyd originally) and spacey guitar setting the overall tone. Loops and various other studio effects, eerie sounds and scrambled vocals, are all in here, which take us back some 40 years back, to the wonderful times of Psychedelics at their prime. Early Pink Floyd fans and enthusiasts of Psychedelic delights will hopefully be all over this albums, like files on sherbet. Definitely worth investigating!

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It’s time to add some new Israeli releases, the usual mixture of Prog and Jazz created here lately, which is a document of a healthy scene:

Following the phenomenal success of Asaf Avidan’s debut album “The Reckoning”, he re-released his first recording made a year earlier, an EP with six songs he wrote (music and lyrics) and performed, which is now enjoying a great success as well, although overlooked at the time of the release. The music is very similar to the material included on the debut album and of the same excellent quality. The recording is a bit raw, but has a charm of freshness and youthful energy about it, which is overall quite nice. Asaf’s great talent as a writer and absolutely unique voice are unparalleled by almost nothing on the current music scene worldwide, and therefore this release is most welcome, enabling us to enjoy more of his extraordinary creations. Asaf should have been born 40 years ago and by now he’d have been a great Rock star, but alas in this cold and musically barren post-modern world he is still able to touch and excite some listeners, which hopefully is a sign that not everything is lost yet. This stuff was a classic even before it was placed on a piece of plastic, which now you can get to share his vision!

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Here is a new album by an old friend of mine, Polish bass player Bronislaw Suchanek with a Polish piano prodigy Dominik Wania:

This beautiful bass / piano duo album presents a meeting between two generations of great Polish Jazz players. Veteran bassist Bronislaw Suchanek was one of the most prominent players on the Polish modern Jazz scene, playing with top names, like Tomasz Stanko (see the groundbreaking legendary “Music For K” album). He left Poland during the turbulent years of Socialist regime, first to Sweden and later to USA, where he lives now. He played with other Polish expatriates (Leszek Zadlo, Wladyslaw Sendecki and Janusz Stefanski) in the Polski Jazz Ensemble, which also visited Israel by my invitation. Dominik Wania is a Polish pianist, with an impressive list of musical achievements in spite of his young age. Wania traveled to Boston, to get his Masters degree in music and there he met Suchanek. This album is a result of their musical cooperation. Both players are virtuoso performers on their respective instruments and their cooperation is in perfect sync, creating great exchange of ideas and interplay. Both musicians contribute equally to the compositional content, each of them by writing four compositions and one composition being co-authored. There are some superb melodies here and of course great performances from start to finish, full of sensitivity and intelligence, typical European Jazz at its best. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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A new release by one of my favorite saxophonists is always a treat:

3^rd album by British saxophonist / composer Alan Skidmore and his African Music ensemble Ubizo, which combines European Jazz musicians with African ethnic players. The album’s title celebrates Skidmore’s 50 years as a Jazz musician, one of the most illustrious careers on the British Jazz scene. The music is a beautiful amalgam of modern Jazz and ethnic elements, which Skidmore and his group have been exploring for the last few years. This version of Ubizo includes such gifted players as Ingolf Burkhardt (trumpet), Steve Melling and Colin Towns (keyboards) and Neville Malcolm (bass), alongside the African players, who play a plethora of folklore instruments. This album is slightly more oriented towards the ethnic elements, with relatively short tracks, but the scope and the beauty of the music is breathtaking. The Jazz elements are of course still strongly manifested, especially in view of the two John Coltrane compositions included, with spectacular solos by Skidmore. Overall this is another masterpiece of Jazz-World Fusion, with great music from start to finish, proving that music does not have to be somber and gloomy to be intelligent and rewarding. I had a great fun listening to this album and I’m sure many listeners will feel the same. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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The tiny Italian Night Wings reissue label released some excellent Prog titles, which I’ll introduce next:

Only album, previously unreleased, by the obscure British group Five Day Rain, led by guitarist / singer Rick Sharpe and including keyboardist Graham Maitland. The short-lived group managed to record quite an excellent album, which unfortunately was never released, seeing the light of the day only 36 years later. Their music was a great mixture of Psychedelic Rock and Prog, somewhat similar to the early Deep Purple albums. Great tunes, splendid vocal harmonies and one 11+ minutes long instrumental track, which alone is worth the price of the album. As bonus material four unfinished tracks, recorded at the time the album was recorded, were completed by Sharpe in 2005. Definitely a lost gem, worth reviving and listening to after all these years.

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The tiny Italian Night Wings reissue label released some excellent Prog titles, which I’ll introduce next:

This album collects various recordings by the British Prog group Fuchsia, all previously unreleased, and made after the debut and only album they ever released. Fuchsia’s leader, Tony Durant, continued to lead various ensembles, including the Mahagonny project (a theatrical performance for which Durant wrote the music), which was a reincarnation of Fuchsia. All these recording are demos, and as such not fully produced recordings, but they do reveal the talents of the participants and include some very interesting music. This is a great document of the British Prog scene in the 1970s, proving that even the most obscure material recorded at the time includes hidden gems. Fuchsia’s fans will find this a must, but it is worth investigating for all Prog fans.

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The tiny Italian Night Wings reissue label released some excellent Prog titles, which I’ll introduce next:

Singer / composer Tim Hollier was one of the greatest troubadours of the British Isles, sadly undiscovered and forgotten. He recorded three splendid albums between 1968 and 1971 (“Message To A Harlequin”, “Tim Hollier” and “Skysail”), which are absolutely marvelous examples of the late 1960s Folk-Rock, with beautifully poetic lyrics and exquisite melodies. What makes these albums especially interesting is the fact that the fist and last were arranged by the brilliant John Cameron, whose intelligent orchestral arrangements are superb examples of his mastery. Not surprisingly the flute of Harold McNair (Cameron’s frequent collaborator) can also be heard. This album collects 23 songs, collected from the a.m. three albums, creating a great portrait of Hollier’s work. The only pity is that this is not a double album, collecting those three albums in their entirety. People not familiar with Hollier’s work should definitely investigate this album, as well as all British Folk-Rock enthusiasts.

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The tiny Italian Night Wings reissue label released some excellent Prog titles, which I’ll introduce next:

Only album by obscure British Prog band Fuchsia is one of the most unusual and precious gems of the genre. The band, led by guitarist / singer Tony Durant, who also wrote most of the band’s material, was a sextet (all of them were students at Exeter University), which included bassist Michael Day and drummer Michael Gregory. The other three members were female string players (two violins and cello), who also provided backing vocals. This highly unusual and unique lineup created a completely original sound and musical approach, mixing elements of Prog, Folk-Rock and Classical Music in a highly adventurous and unheard-off (at the time) manner. They recorded their eponymous album, which was released on the Pegasus label, but failed (not surprisingly) to get anywhere beyond a few positive reviews. They failed to get a record deal for their next album and eventually disbanded. Durant continued his musical career for many years and Gregory became on of Britain’s most well known Folk-Rock drummers. In retrospect, this lovely piece of music still sounds highly unusual today, and lost nothing of its charm and beauty. Highly recommended!

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The tiny Italian Night Wings reissue label released some excellent Prog titles, which I’ll introduce next:

4^th and last, never previously released, album by the British Prog band Jonesy, which is quite a surprise. The band’s three previous albums (“No Alternative”, “Keeping Up” and “Growing”) recorded between 1971 and 1974 and originally released on the Dawn label, are great examples of the Prog scene at the time, with strong King Crimson influences and interesting contributions from the horn player Alan Bown (on the 2^nd and 3^rd album). Following the release of the 3^rd album the band simply split up, as happened to most bands at that time, due to tensions between the band members, leaving brothers John Evan-Jones (guitars, keyboards and vocals) and Gypsy Jones (bass, keyboards, violin and vocals) as the remaining core of the band. Together with three studio musicians: Ken Elliott – keyboards, Bernard Hagley – electric saxophones and David Potts – drums and percussion, they recorded their swan song, which was their most ambitious and elaborate project their ever attempted. Unfortunately due to contractual problems the album was not released on time and to make things worse the original master tapes were stolen from the studio, leaving the band with nothing, which led to the inevitable dead end. The only remaining testimony of the last album was a cassette copy, which is the source of this release. Remastered and cleaned up, it actually sounds pretty decently, and considering the great music it contains, the sonic quality is of secondary importance. This is a concept album, as fashionable at the time, presenting a psychic journey of a man experiencing a mental breakdown and his way to recovery. The music is complex and dense, with layers of sound overlapping and elaborate studio wizardry. The musical themes and the performances are first rate and overall it’s quite a gem, which now, 30 years after its recording, can be finally discovered and enjoyed by Prog fans everywhere. Definitely worth investigating.

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The 50^th Bossa Nova Anniversary got to me as well and I decided to add a classic Bossa Nova / Jazz box set, which includes the fabulous Stan Getz pioneering work in that area:

The Brazilian musical gift to the world – the Bossa Nova – is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary, so it’s only natural to take a look at some classic recordings, which popularized the genre outside of its birthplace, namely the legendary Stan Getz recordings, which created a Bossa Nova craze in the US. Saxophonist Stan Getz was already an established Jazz player at the time these timeless albums were recorded, but his pioneering work with Brazilian musicians was a bold step, very unusual for the conservative US Jazz community. Although accused of commercialism and “selling out” by many of his peers and music critics, the fact that this music became so immensely popular with Jazz fans and even many non-Jazz listeners, has everything to do with the quality of the music, rather than the its accessibility. After all the Bossa Nova’s inherent beauty and mesmerizing rhythm are addictive and quite irresistible and the way Getz immersed himself totally in the music, creating a perfect amalgam of Jazz and the Brazilian music (a superb early example of Jazz-World Fusion) was phenomenal. Add to this the incredible tone of his saxophone, lush and clear, sweet as honey and yet highly intelligent and often innovative musically, and you get some classic music, which sounds forever fresh and moving, even if you heard some if it countless times before. This beautiful box set includes the five Bossa Nova albums Getz recorded for Verve in 1962 and 1963: “Jazz Samba”, “Big Band Bossa Nova”, “Jazz Samba Encore!”, “Getz / Gilberto” and “Getz / Almeida”. Of these five albums, four are small combo recordings, where Getz plays opposite a guitarist: Charlie Byrd, Luiz Bonfa, Joao Gilberto and Laurindo Almeida, respectively. The big band album features a large orchestra (with some of the best Jazz players of the time), conducted by Gary McFarland, who also arranged the music. The legendary producer Creed Taylor produced all the albums. A few vocal tracks appear here, including the everlasting Astrud Gilberto‘s “The Girl From Ipanema”. In the 45 years that passed since these sessions were recorded, the music lost absolutely nothing of its charm and beauty and I still very much a source of great musical pleasure. Don’t get fooled by people, who label this music commercial or “sentimental”, this is essential stuff, which will outlast its critics.

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It’s great to see the legendary MPS albums being reissued and in this case compiled into a box set. George Duke has always been one of my favorite keyboards players and here are is his complete (well almost) MPS output:

US keyboardist George Duke is one of the most colorful and versatile figures on the Jazz-Rock Fusion scene. His career stretches ways back to the mid-1960s and lasts to this very day. Starting as a classic Jazz pianist, Duke gradually moved from straightforward Jazz into Jazz-Rock Fusion, abandoning the acoustic piano in favor of the electric one and later adding a myriad of synthesizers to his workshop. His stints with Jean-Luc Ponty, Frank Zappa (twice) and Cannonball Adderley (where he replaced Joe Zawinul) in his formative years influenced his musical path tremendously and it was Zappa who pushed him towards using synthesizers and exploring new musical vistas. Duke’s development and gradual change of style and musical vocabulary was brilliantly captured on his recordings for the legendary German MPS label. His connection with MPS was quite accidental and recording for a small European label was quite unusual for US Artists at the time, but in retrospect Duke couldn’t have made a better decision, as the label allowed him total artistic freedom, which was almost impossible to achieve on the US scene. He recorded a total of nine albums for MPS, seven of which are collected in this superb box set. His first recording for MPS dating from 1966 was still very much a classic Jazz affair, which stylistically does not belong to his Fusion period, was not included here (perhaps a correct decision as far as the title goes, but as it is still unavailable on CD, it would be nice to have it reissued as well). The last recording for MPS, a solo keyboards project, is also omitted, for contractual bullshit reasons, as it caused a big legal dispute at the time, with Duke changing labels from MPS to Epic. That album was reissued as “The 1976 Solo Keyboard Album” on the Wounded Bird label (the original MPS title was “The Dream”). However, the remaining seven albums (“Solus” and “The Inner Source”, which were released together as a double LP, “Faces In Reflection”, “Feel”, “I Love The Blues, She Heard Me Cry”, “The Aura Will Prevail” and “Liberated Fantasies”) recorded between April 1971 and January 1976 are included in their entirety, beautifully remastered. These four CDs include such an immense amount of music, which is so versatile stylistically and conceptually, that it constitutes a tremendous and essential document of the era. As far as Duke’s playing and even more importantly his compositional skills, this is a beautiful portrait of an Artist, which every fan and music lover will cherish. The players on the sessions present here constitute a long list of some of the best Jazz and Fusion musicians active at the time, too long to be included here. For the inquisitive listeners let me just mention that even Frank Zappa is present (albeit incognito) on two tracks, as are many members of his Mothers Of Invention. There is something for everyone here and overall this box set is one unadulterated, intense plateful of fun and musical ingenuity. Absolutely essential!

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The footage included on the DVD below is the only material in existence left by the first ever “super-group”, Blind Faith:

Captured live in front of 100,000 (or more) people gathered in London’s Hyde Park, here is the world’s first “super group”, Blind Faith, playing their debut gig on June 7^th, 1969. Surely a momentous occasion and a premiere piece of Rock’s history, this footage is seen here for the first time in its entirety. The group existed for just a very brief period of time and left as its legacy just one eponymous album, but its historical importance stretches way beyond that. Blind Faith was a proof that greatly talented musicians can work together, in spite of their different backgrounds and experiences, creating momentous music. The “super group” phenomenon would become ever so popular in the 1970s, but the pioneering effort that was Blind Faith would forever stay in our collective memory as one of Rock’s giant steps. The collective talents of guitarist Eric Clapton, vocalist / keyboardist Steve Winwood, bassist Rick Grech and drummer Ginger Baker represented the formative years and experiences of British Rock in the 1960s. They played in some of the most important bands of the 1960s: Spencer Davis Group, Graham Bond Organization, Cream, Traffic and Family – all icons and remarkable Rock achievers. The music they created together in Blind Faith is (especially in retrospect) quite surprising and different that anything done before. Anticlimactic and relaxed, it allowed them to take a much-deserved break from the emotional (and physical) extremities they all experienced with their former groups. The change is most evident and personalized by Clapton, who left behind the high-volume, heavy, fuzz saturated guitar style he used with Cream and dramatically changed it into a subdued, relaxed and laid-back guitar playing, which was to be his new “thing”, as evident on his recordings from that moment on. He was still one of the best players around, but simply not trying to prove it any more. Winwood’s vocals, dramatic and soulful as always, were of course the group’s trademark and here he reached maturity (in spite of his young age) for the first time. Baker’s drumming is inventive, as always, but again the relaxed atmosphere allows for his incredibly melodic playing to he really heard. Grech is solid and supportive all the way, with his elegance and sensibility at their best. But of course not everything is perfect here – the gig was played in the midst of the recordings for the album and the material is obviously still being in the “working” phase, with charming imperfection and numerous glitches. Nevertheless it does work charmingly and listening to this stuff almost 40 years later still gives me the shivers. What a teat! Dolby Digital Stereo Sound, 73 minutes.

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For some strange reason I missed this classic Free album earlier, and since I laid my hands accidentally on a copy, here it is for everybody to enjoy:

5^th album by Free, Britain’s best ever Blues-Rock band, and their first live release. The united powers of vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser and drummer Simon Kirke created an unprecedented and explosive power, which was never to be matched by any of their contemporaries. Free’s rapid rise to stardom eventually brought the group down to its knees, with internal frictions, drug abuse and grueling touring combined. By the time these live recordings were made in 1970, Free were at the very last days of their first stretch and at the end of the tour the group just felt apart. Island Records rushed the release of the live material, riding on the publicity created by the group’s split. Although they would re-group a year later and record one more album together, these recordings are truly the group at their peak and their end all at once. In retrospect it might be all for the best, as Free were always best live, as many “posthumous” recording would prove. Their simplicity was their real power and it worked best on stage. This album is a phenomenal document as to what Blues-Rock is all about. Rodgers, with his completely unique husky voice and expressionist genius has no equals (not then and not since), carrying the tunes as if there’s no tomorrow, aiming straight at the listeners heart. Kossoff’s elegant and reserved guitar style ranks amongst the best Blues guitar work there is, and although he avoids flashy long solos, everything he states in just a few bars is just right on the money. Fraser’s bass lines keep the group together and drive the music steadily, providing as if by the way, some of the most remarkable bass riffs ever. Kirke’s drumming is always right on, again avoiding flashy solos but tasteful and extremely musical. Together they just soar and mesmerize, even when the music is not more complex than basic twelve-bar blues. The expanded edition doubles the original duration with previously unreleased live material from the same gigs and one studio alternate take of the studio track that closes the original album. This is definitely an essential document of the group’s heritage, but of the entire era when music was honest, extraordinary and heartbreaking. A must!

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A new Israeli Prog release is always a time for celebration, so here it is:

Israeli Prog group Teliof was formed in 2006 by Yuval Aviguy (guitars), Lior Arinos (drums) and Avsha Elan (guitars & bass), three young musicians / composers sharing a mutual vision and willing to create music, which is innovative, bold and unconventional. Later on two additional musicians: Roei Remez (keyboards) and Kristine Sykes-Arinos (vocals & flute) were added, to expand the musical range and create a full-fledged group and stage act. This, their debut album, was recorded over a period of two years with twelve additional musicians (in addition to the band members) contributing instrumental (horns, flutes, cellos, violins, drums) parts and ten singers adding vocal parts – a complex and ambitious undertaking indeed. Of the 14 tracks on the album, only 3 include lyrics, the rest being instrumentals (but including vocalese). Overall the album is a striking, multi-dimensional and uplifting musical experience, mixing classic Prog elements with Jazzy undercurrents, alternative rock and a lot of humorous tidbits. Constantly changing, both melodically and rhythmically, the music flows swiftly from one unforeseen movement to the next, leaving the listener with a strong desire for more, when the album reaches its final moments. The use of vocal harmonies, treated as an additional instrument, is particularly impressive. The album is beautifully packaged in a mini-sleeve LP replica. Considering how stagnant the worldwide Prog scene has become lately, this is truly a most welcome breeze of fresh air. The Israeli Prog scene might be a latecomer on the worldwide scale, but obviously it has the advantage of learning from the past and extracting the best influences, putting them into practice. Teliof’s album is a continuation of the trend set off by some superb Israeli Prog releases created here in the last few years and a great document of the (relatively of course) burgeoning local scene. I can hardly imagine any Prog fan not wanting to have this album in their collection.

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Back to the rest of the fabulous releases on the British Provocateur label, which is a great source of contemporary British (and not only) Jazz:

The Northern Lights ensemble is a collaboration between the legendary British trombonist / composer Annie Whitehead and concertina player / composer Alistair Anderson. Together with Chris Stout (violin), Ian Maidman (guitar) and Liam Genockey (drums), the quintet performs some great music composed and co-composed by Whitehead and Anderson, which is a lovely tribute to the Celtic folk, spiced and ornamented with Jazz rhythms and improvisations. This delicate acoustic music flows gently like a country stream, glimmering with joy and crying with melancholy. The music is truly beautiful, moving between the folksy and the Jazzy parts with ease and elegance. All players display obvious virtuosity on their respective instruments, and the overall effect is simply charming. This is a splendid example of Jazz-World Fusion, with neither of the respective genres suffering from the effects of being joined together. Definitely worth investigating.

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Back to the rest of the fabulous releases on the British Provocateur label, which is a great source of contemporary British (and not only) Jazz:

British trombonist / composer Annie Whitehead earned her legendary status working on the local scene since the late 1970s in an incredible variety of settings, spanning everything from Pop & Rock and up to Free Jazz. Her amazing versatility and technical proficiency made her a most appreciated session musician and a reliable band member. Over the years she played practically with countless British Jazz players, both the older and newer generation. She started to lead her own ensembles since the mid-1980s. Her reputation spreads worldwide beyond the British Isles and she also played with many internationally renowned Jazz musicians. This album, her debut for the prestigious Provocateur label, finds her leading her own quintet, which includes the gifted keyboardist Steve Lodder and veteran drummer Liam Genockey. On one of the tracks the legendary Robert Wyatt adds his vocal and instrumental contributions. The music, mostly composed by Annie, covers a wide variety of styles, from Funk, World Music influences and contemporary Jazz. Performed with her usual fire and grace, and always technically brilliant, the album is a lovely portrait of Annie’s charm and abilities. Lovers of trombone will of course see this as a must, but any Jazz fan should find some aspects of this album to be both interesting and pleasurable. Worth investigating.

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Back to the rest of the fabulous releases on the British Provocateur label, which is a great source of contemporary British (and not only) Jazz:

British saxophonist / composer Julian Argüelles is considered as one of the most prominent representatives of the second generation of British Jazz musicians. A brilliant player and gifted composer, he first came to prominence as a member of the legendary Loose Tubes ensemble. He recorded albums since the 1990s and toured widely with his own groups as well as with other prominent British (including the Colin Towns Mask Orchestra), European and American Jazz artists. This album, his second on the prestigious Provocateur label (and 6^th as a leader), was recorded with a splendid octet, which includes both young British Jazz players and seasoned veterans, including Stan Sulzmann (sax) and Henry Lowther (trumpet), and a 20-piece string ensemble. The music is a beautiful synthesis of Jazz and contemporary Classical Music that is surely Julian’s most ambitious and far-reaching work as a composer. The tranquil and contemplative themes are splendidly orchestrated and the octet performs in perfect harmony with the string ensemble. Deeply moving and uplifting, this music combines formal musical structures and improvisation in a most elegant way. Serious Jazz connoisseurs as well as those who love Classical Music are both for a treat. This is worthy addition to any serious Jazz album collection and wholeheartedly recommended.

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Back to the rest of the fabulous releases on the British Provocateur label, which is a great source of contemporary British (and not only) Jazz:

British saxophonist / composer Julian Argüelles is considered as one of the most prominent representatives of the second generation of British Jazz musicians. A brilliant player and gifted composer, he first came to prominence as a member of the legendary Loose Tubes ensemble. He recorded albums since the 1990s and toured widely with his own groups as well as with other prominent British (including the Colin Towns Mask Orchestra), European and American Jazz artists. This album, his first on the prestigious Provocateur label was recorded with a splendid octet, which includes some of the best young British Jazz players, including Django Bates (tenor horn) – Julian’s old friend and frequent collaborator since their common days in Loose Tubes. The music is a great example of contemporary Jazz, with a strong melodic basis, but with plenty of fascinating twists and turns and diverse enough to keep the listener interested at all times. The level of the performances and improvisations is everything one might expect from a musician of his statue, and should more than satisfy every Jazz connoisseur. This is worthy addition to any serious Jazz album collection and wholeheartedly recommended.

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Back to the rest of the fabulous releases on the British Provocateur label, which is a great source of contemporary British (and not only) Jazz:

British trumpeter / composer Guy Barker is considered as one of the most prominent representatives of the second generation of British Jazz musicians. A brilliant player and gifted composer, he recorded albums since the 1990s and toured widely with his own groups as well as with other prominent British (including the Colin Towns Mask Orchestra), European and American Jazz artists. This album, his first on the prestigious Provocateur label, continues Barker’s fascination with cinema, as the title suggests. The central piece of the album is an epic suite entitled “Sounds in Black and White” and is homage to classic movies. Performed by a septet consisting of excellent European musicians, the music is a great example of contemporary Jazz, with a strong melodic basis, but with plenty of fascinating twists and turns and diverse enough to keep the listener interested at all times. The level of the performances and improvisations is everything one might expect from a musician of Barker’s statue, and should more than satisfy every Jazz connoisseur. This is worthy addition to any serious Jazz album collection and wholeheartedly recommended.

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Back to the rest of the fabulous releases on the British Provocateur label, which is a great source of contemporary British (and not only) Jazz:

Argentinean percussionist / composer Marcio Doctor earned a lot of respect as the resident percussionist with one of worlds most renowned Jazz orchestras – the NDR Big Band. His desire to learn and expand his musical horizons brought him from his country of birth to Europe, where he eventually settled in Germany. His ambition to study with one of the world’s greatest percussionists Mark Nauseef (also resident in Germany) was eventually fulfilled. This album, his debut as leader and composer, presents an ambitious and complex musical suite, which is subtitled: “Music for Woodwind Instruments and Percussion”. The album was recorded by an ensemble comprising of several other NDR Big Band members, including the phenomenal saxophonist Christof Lauer and trumpeter Ingolf Burkhardt. Famous German musician / composer / producer and sound engineer Walter Quintus guests on electronics, adding some of his magic to the already widely unusual sound of the album, which he also engineered. The music is a dense, complex and strangely beautiful piece of contemporary Jazz, which could easily be also considered as contemporary Classical Music. The suite’s five movements are composed, but leave plenty of space for extended individual as well as collective improvisations. The virtuosity of the musicians is obvious every step of the way and their rapport phenomenal. This is one of those albums, which might sound intimidating at first, but grow on you with repeated listening. By no means an easy journey, but one full of intellectual rewards. Warmly recommended!

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