Record Reviews

PETER LEMER QUINTET ~ SON OF LOCAL COLOUR ESP 5031 (Barcode: 825481503129) ~ UK ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an album by British Jazz pianist / composer Peter LemerFind albums by this artist and his quintet, which features saxophonists John SurmanFind albums by this artist and Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, bassist Tony ReevesFind albums by this artist and drummer Jon HisemanFind albums by this artist – all iconic figures of the British Jazz scene. The album presents eight tracks, five by Lemer, one by Surman, one by Carla BleyFind albums by this artist and finally one by John Coltrane. The album was recorded live at the Pizza Express in London, on February 20th, 2018. But the story behind this album goes back fifty years into the past, when the almost identical lineup of the quintet (with George KhanFind albums by this artist in place of Skidmore) released the album “Local ColourFind albums with this title”, which was recorded a couple of years earlier, on the pioneering independent record label ESPFind albums on this label Disk, founded in 1963 and run by a Jewish NY lawyer and Avant-Garde Music protagonist Bernard StollmanFind albums by this artist, and which yours truly proudly stored in his collection ever since. That album was the first modern / Avant-Garde British Jazz album to be released in the US, together with several other modern European Jazz albums, including even recordings originating from behind the Iron Curtain. At that time most Americans were completely unaware of the existence of modern Jazz outside of the US. It was also the first recording, which features Surman. Five of the compositions on that album are also present on the album, approached in a completely new and different way. Despite the fact that the musicians are five decades older this time, they seem not to have lost any of the vigor and passion, and with the added experience of a lifetime the music obviously gained an unprecedented level of depth and finesse. The new album also offers a closure of sorts, as it was the last recording by Hiseman, before his tragic death just four months after this album was recorded. Overall, this is a fine Avant-Garde Jazz album, beautifully executed by these superb players, which will certainly be a cherished addition to every serious British Jazz collection, and the unusual circumstances surrounding it add to its historic value, serving as a half-Century time bridge between the early days of modern British Jazz and now. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 24/02/2022Posted: 24/02/2022

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

UPPERCUT: MATHEW SHIPP / MAT WALERIAN DUO ~ LIVE AT OKUDEN ESP 5007 (Barcode: 825481500722) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2015 This wonderful album presents a live recording by a duo comprising of American pianist / composer Matthew ShippFind albums by this artist, one of the most important contemporary American Avant-Garde activists, with multi-instrumentalist / composer Mat WalerianFind albums by this artist, a Polish musician resident in the US, who plays saxophone, clarinet and flute. The album was released on the legendary NY label ESPFind albums on this label, one of the most important independent record labels in the history of Avant-Garde Jazz and Rock, founded in 1963 by a Jewish lawyer Bernard StollmanFind albums by this artist (who sadly died just three weeks ago) and its catalogue included some of the most important music recorded in America (and also sporadically in Europe) in the 1960s. The label stopped its activity in 1975 and was dormant for thirty years, resuming activity in 2005 and since releasing many new recordings, such as this one. This album presents ten compositions, six of which were composed by Walerian and four co-composed by Shipp and Walerian. The music is incredibly fresh and inviting, and although it is definitely free spirited and highly improvised, it also offers a strong melodic content, which makes it accessible to a much wider audiences than the usual Avant-Garde recordings, which can be self-centered and sound cold to listeners. This album is a rare and beautiful example of Avant-Garde music, which transfers well to record, retaining its spirit and intimacy, which is often present live but gets lost when turned into a record. There is a rare and almost telepathic dialogue between the two musicians, exchanging phrases, notes and rhythmic gestures between them, as if those were rehearsed or preconceived, which is pretty rare. Both musicians play gently and cooperatively, avoiding any power struggles which often characterize duo recordings. This music is fully harmonious and inspirational, a true example of the "Art of the Duo" idea. The musical qualities of Shipp are of course no secret to the follower of his outstanding career, but Walerian emerges triumphantly as a virtuoso performer, with original ideas and a complete command of his instruments. His playing on this album immediately earns him respect and admiration from connoisseurs of the genre and of course anticipation for his new projects. Overall this is one of the best Avant-Garde albums I listened to lately, which deserves all the praise it can get and hopefully will reach as many open minded listeners as possible. An absolute delight!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ ETEENPAIN! – COMPLETE 1966-1970 SVART 075 (Barcode: 6430050669331) ~ FINLAND ~ Special Products Recorded: 1966 - 1970 Released: 2016 This fabulous Box Set presents a reissue of the complete output by the independent / underground Finnish record label Eteenpain!Find albums on this label (Eng. Forward!), founded in 1966 by musicologist / author Pekka GronowFind albums by this artist and singer / songwriter M. A. NumminenFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mauri Antero NumminenFind albums by this artist) in order to present mainly the eclectic and prolific recordings by Numminen, but also many other recordings. In addition to all the releases this collection was expanded to include also unreleased material from the label´s vaults. Eteenpain! was one of the first independent European record labels and its releasing policy was definitely most eclectic and plainly "wild" in every respect. As a result the music including in this Box Set includes a completely nutty mixture styles and genres, including Folk, Pop, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Avant-Garde Rock, comedy, parody and even songs in Esperanto language. Such wonderful diversity and openness characterized of course the 1960s and could have happened only then, with complete disregard of public opinion or commercial considerations. By the end of the 1960s the label slowly run out of steam as a result in the changes in the local music industry and social structure / cultural climate. By 1970 the label owners called it quits and the recording archives were passed to the other legendary Finnish record label LoveFind albums on this label Records (also founded in 1966), which occasionally used some of it in their releases. Following Love Records bankruptcy in 1979 the archives returned back to Numminen. This Box Set is a wonderful document of an era long gone, where Avant-Garde / underground Culture was flourishing and was able to find dedicated support, which enabled its creative output to be published, which today is of course implausible. There are certain parallels between Eteenpain! and the New York ESPFind albums on this label record label founded in 1963 by Bernard StollmanFind albums by this artist, however as much as Stollman´s openness and vision were of course extraordinary, especially in America, his label was relatively more "conservative" in the choice of material in comparison to the wonderful weirdness that characterized what Gronow and Numminen were doing. Overall this Box Set is a superb document, not only of the music but more importantly of the Cultural climate of the late 1960s in Finland and beyond. Kudos are due to SvartFind albums on this label Records for undertaking this mammoth project and their dedication to preserve Culture.

Updated: 25/08/2020Posted: 25/08/2020

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