Record Reviews

DEXTER GORDON & SLIDE HAMPTON ~ A DAY IN COPENHAGEN MPS 4029759154815 (Barcode: 4029759154815) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1969 Released: 2021 This is a reissue / remaster of an album released on the legendary MPSFind albums on this label Records, recorded during a session set up in Copenhagen by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, which captures a bunch of American Jazz expatriates staying in Europe in the 1960s, headed by saxophonist Dexter GordonFind albums by this artist and trombonist Slide HamptonFind albums by this artist. Also present are pianist Kenny DrewFind albums by this artist and drummer Art TaylorFind albums by this artist, Jamaican trumpeter Dizzy ReeceFind albums by this artist, also living in Europe and the only local guy, brilliant Danish bassist Niels-Henning Orsted PedersenFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, three of which are original compositions by Hampton, who also arranged all the tunes, and the other three are standards. The album’s booklet includes the original liner notes by Berendt and new liner notes for the remastered edition. The music is pretty straightforward mainstream Jazz, perfectly performed by these great musicians away from home. The sound quality of the original album was excellent and this new remaster adds to the clarity and separation, making it a delightful listening experience for the many Dexter Gordon fans, who is captured here at the peak of his European career. He spent fourteen years of his life in Europe and returned to the US only in 1976. Overall, this is a great reminder of the American expatriate wave, which brought many Jazz musicians to Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, greatly contributing to the development of the local Jazz scene, although it was already developing a strong unique form of the genre at the time. Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 25/03/2024Posted: 25/03/2024

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

THELONIOUS MONK ~ LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES 1960 SAM 5051083118477 (Barcode: 5051083118477) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1959 Released: 2017 This is an extraordinary archival album by the iconic American pianist / composer / bandleader Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist, recorded in NY with his regular quartet, which included saxophonist Charlie RouseFind albums by this artist, bassist Sam JonesFind albums by this artist and drummer Art TaylorFind albums by this artist, expanded to a quintet with the addition of the French saxophonist Barney WilenFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded to serve as a soundtrack to the film by the French film director Roger VadimFind albums by this artist, entitled “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”. In complete contrast to the attitude American Jazz modernists, like Monk, suffered from at home, being constantly abused and subject to racial discrimination and ridiculous disapproval by narrow-minded music “critics”, in Europe and especially so in France, they enjoyed no less than a godly status, being absolutely revered by the local intellectual aristocracy and the general public alike. The revolutionary, brilliant French cinema of the late 1950s had an established liaison with Jazz, including the Miles Davis soundtrack for the 1957 film “Ascenseur pour l`échafaudFind albums with this title” by the director Louis MalleFind albums by this artist. There are numerous other examples of Jazz soundtracks in French cinema, but also in UK and even behind the Iron Curtain, especially so in Poland. This 2CD album offers ten tracks on CD1, all which were used within the film’s soundtracks, and six tracks on CD2, which were recorded during the same session, but were not included in the film. The sound quality is excellent, as is the music of course. All of which (except for one tune) was composed by Monk. The album is accompanied by a superb sixty-pages booklet with extensive background articles and wonderful photographs, a true labor of love. Although the album offers compositions, which were recorded many times by various Monk’s groups, they are all unique, since obviously Monk’s Genius was demonstrated, among other qualities, also by his ability to introduce subtle nuances each and every time he played one of his tunes. Overall, this is a major discovery and a true celebration of one of the greatest Jazz figures, which deserves to be hear by every Jazz fan. Of course Monk has many devoted fans, who should find this release absolute essential. Not to be missed!

Updated: 17/05/2023Posted: 17/05/2023

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend