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  | PAUL BLEY ~ BALLADS
ECM 1010 (Barcode: 602567434788) ~ CANADA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music
Recorded: 1967 Released: 2019
This is a reissue of the iconic piano trio album by Canadian pianist / composer Paul BleyFind albums by this artist, recorded in March and July of 1967, with American drummer Barry AltschulFind albums by this artist and bassists Gary PeacockFind albums by this artist or Mark LevinsonFind albums by this artist. The album presents just three tracks, all composed by American vocalist / composer Annette PeacockFind albums by this artist, who was married first to Gary Peacock and later to Paul Bley, and who wrote much of his repertoire since 1964. Released originally in 1971, this was Bley’s second album for the then new ECMFind albums on this label Records label, and is often quoted as being one of the defining vectors of the “ECM sound”, which re-defined recorded Jazz in many aspects.
The music, created at the very peak of the American Free Jazz movement (the second session took place just a few days following John ColtraneFind albums by this artist’s death), following Bley’s involvement with the American Avant-Garde scene since its inception in the late 1950s, reflects perfectly his and his musicians state of mind. The title was of course mostly ironic / sarcastic, as the music was indeed based on a loosely concept of a ballad, the classic structure of which was completely fragmented, broken down, stretched and improvised on. The beautiful melody lines, which Annette Peacock masterly weaved, and which last for under a minute each, are expanded into twelve or seventeen minutes long improvisations. No wonder many listeners and music critics alike had a hard time to accept these innovative concepts as valid or worth listening to, which of course was completely ignored by the musicians and the ECM team at the time. This is a symbol of why the first 100 albums released on ECM between 1970 and 1977 changed the face of recorded music in every possible perception.
And yes, this is extremely difficult music to be enjoyed – it takes years of training one’s ears and of course one’s mind in order to relax the intellectual muscles trained by years of Swing and Bebop, in order to grasp what is really going on, why every note here is perfectly in its place and why this music will never be played in elevators. And no, not everybody has to love and enjoy this music. In fact, it would be a catastrophe if everybody did love it, as it would probably mean that the world has gone even crazier than it seems to be.
Overall, this is an absolute classic Free Jazz / Improvised Music recording, which lost nothing of its power over time, and is still intellectually challenging and satisfying almost sixty years after it was recorded. It is a great reminder of the role of ECM Records as a pioneer of European Culture, which managed to transfer everything that was worthy over to the right side of the pond.
| | Updated: 11/08/2024Posted: 09/08/2024 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | PAUL BLEY ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE
CAM JAZZ 1027 (Barcode: 8052405141064) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1983 - 1994 Released: 2013
This superb Box Set collects all the recordings by legendary American (Canadian by birth) pianist / composer Paul BleyFind albums by this artist released the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. The set includes ten albums (one not listed on the box´s packaging and subsequently explained as a bonus album) featuring various recordings by Bley as a leader or co-leader over a span of twelve years (1983–1994) made alongside the top Jazz players active in the 1980s and 1990s and is therefore a superb document of the era.
Bley (born 1932), one of my favorite musicians of all times, was one of the pioneers of Free Jazz in the late 1950s, and continues to be a most creative and innovative figure on the American Jazz scene, although he is less active lately, no doubt due to his age. His approach to piano was always extraordinarily unique and just a few notes are usually enough to recognize his playing. In his life he released over a hundred albums, which featured the crème de la crème of Jazz musician of the last seven decades.
Bley was always a very intimate musician and clearly preferred solo, duos or trios than bigger lineups. Of the ten albums included here, one is a solo album, four are duo albums, three are trio albums, and the last two are quartet albums. The participating musicians include drummers: George Cross McDonaldFind albums by this artist, Barry AltschulFind albums by this artist, Paul MotianFind albums by this artist and Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist, bassists: Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist, Gary PeacockFind albums by this artist, Red MitchellFind albums by this artist, Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist and Furio Di CastroFind albums by this artist, guitarists John ScofieldFind albums by this artist and John AbercrombieFind albums by this artist, and finally clarinetists / saxophonists Jimmy GuiffreFind albums by this artist and Keshavan MaslakFind albums by this artist.
This music is an absolute must to all Jazz enthusiasts, and the fact that it is available again is pure joy. Bley is a genius composer and instrumentalist and his legacy is well worth to be preserved and studied by the new generation of Jazz musicians.
Remastered, mini-sleeved and with a great bargain price – this Box Set is an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector.
Side Note
The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label.
The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented.
However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty.
These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!
| | Updated: 05/05/2020Posted: 26/12/2015 | CD 10 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | CIRCLE ~ PARIS-CONCERT
ECM 1018/19 (Barcode: 042284316323) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1971 Released: 1991
Circle was a short-lived quartet formed by US pianist / composer Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist at the high peak of his activity in the field of Free Jazz and improvised music with three other outstanding and legendary musicians also active in the same field: saxophonist Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist, British bassist Dave HollandFind albums by this artist and drummer Barry AltschulFind albums by this artist. This live recording is the only document of the quartet´s performances and it is a remarkable piece of music in every respect. The music played on this album is a mixture of standards and original compositions by all the four musicians involved and presents a unique glimpse at the Free Jazz scene at the peek of its development. The performances are absolutely stunning from start to finish and the player´s virtuosity obvious at all times. Telepathic conversations, solos, duos, trios and the entire quartet playing chase each other constantly, creating an atmosphere of intellectual tension and anticipation. This is absolutely brilliant stuff, which has been one of my favorite albums for forty years now. A must to all Free Jazz listeners!
| | | CD 2 Recommend To A Friend |
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