Record Reviews

AMALGAM ~ PLAY BLACKWELL & HIGGINS FMR 146 (Barcode: 649849982353) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 - 1973 Released: 2004 2nd album by the superb British Jazz / Improvised Music ensemble AmalgamFind albums by this artist, one of the precursors of British / European Free Jazz scene in the late 1960s and 1970s, founded by saxophonist Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist. On this album the lineup is a trio, including the legendary drummer John StevensFind albums by this artist and bassists Ron HermanFind albums by this artist and Jeff ClyneFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, Amalgam play tribute to two almost anonymous heroes of the American Jazz revolution, drummers Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist and Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist, both of which played on the pioneering recordings by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist and contributed their share in expanding the Jazz horizons. The music is recorded live and both extended compositions included here are by Stevens. This album was originally released on the tiny independent AFind albums on this label label, owned by Watts, and was unavailable for many years, which is now rectified by this CD issue. The performances are inspired and fiery, proving how advanced the British scene was at the time. Watts´ saxophone work summarizes the development of the instrument in the hand of geniuses like Coleman, Albert AylerFind albums by this artist and John ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Overall this is yet another example of the wonderful forces at work during a most illustrious period in British Jazz. A true classic of the genre and a must for any Free Jazz / Improvised Music buff!

CD-R 1 Recommend To A Friend

ORNETTE COLEMAN ~ BEAUTY IS A RARE THING: THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS RHINO 71410 (Barcode: 081227141028) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1959 - 1961 Released: 1993 This magnificent Box Set includes some of the most revolutionary music ever recorded on this planet. Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist’s music dropped on the jazz scene with the force of an atom bomb by the end of the 1950s. Although other great jazz pioneers, especially John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, were already slowly approaching the free / Avant-Garde jazz idiom, Coleman’s bold and fearless attack on the conventional jazz form was completely radical and innovative, splitting the jazz community immediately into the pro and contra camps, with discussions as heated as they can get. Coleman was ridiculed and called bad names by critics and listeners alike, who failed to comprehend his prophetic statement, and it took many years before this music was widely accepted into the jazz canon and treated with the proper esteem. Recorded between May 1959 and March 1961 (less than 2 years!) this music includes all 9 Coleman’s albums released on Atlantic (The Shape Of Jazz To ComeFind albums with this title, Change Of The CenturyFind albums with this title, This Is Our MusicFind albums with this title, Free JazzFind albums with this title, Ornette!Find albums with this title, Ornette On TenorFind albums with this title, The Art Of The ImprovisersFind albums with this title, TwinsFind albums with this title and To Whom Who Keeps A RecordFind albums with this title), as well as previously unreleased material and selections from Gunther SchullerFind albums by this artist’s Jazz AbstractionsFind albums with this title featuring Coleman. As usual in such Box Sets, the music is presented in chronological recording order. As to the musicians, most of the music was recorded in quartet setting, with Coleman and trumpeter Don CherryFind albums by this artist as the permanent core of the group and various bass / drums rhythm sections, which included Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist, Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist and Jimmy GarrisonFind albums by this artist on bass and Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist and Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist on drums. The legendary “Free Jazz” session features a double quartet and includes Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist on bass clarinet and Freddie HubbardFind albums by this artist on trumpet. There is hardly any need to go into the description of the music itself - whole books have been written on the subject and the music is indescribable anyway. What is important however, is the fact that any respectable jazz collection could never be considered comprehensive if it didn’t include this music. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 6 Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

CHARLIE HADEN ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1001 (Barcode: 8024709111227) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1977 - 1990 Released: 2010 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary US bassist / composer Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Haden needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that from the early days with Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist in the late 1950s, his bass playing would definitely establish "The Shape Of Jazz To Come", paraphrasing on the title of Haden´s first recording with Coleman. Later on he was a member of the legendary Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist US quartet and later cooperated with the most distinguished Jazz musicians around the globe. His virtuosic bass playing and excellent compositions are always a source of great musical joy. The musicians playing on these five albums include: drummer Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist, pianist Enrico PieranunziFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Chet BakerFind albums by this artist, drummer Paul MotianFind albums by this artist, pianist Geri AllenFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Don CherryFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Dewey RedmanFind albums by this artist and drummer Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist. Remastered, mini-sleeved, and with a great bargain price – this Box Set 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: 10/04/2020Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JOE HENDERSON ~ MIRROR MIRROR MPS 4029759113478 (Barcode: 4029759113478) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 Released: 2016 This is a reissue of an album by American saxophonist / composer Joe HendersonFind albums by this artist, which was his only album for MPSFind albums on this label and which was produced by the legendary Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist. Henderson is supported by a wonderful team of top American Jazz musicians: pianist Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron CarterFind albums by this artist and drummer Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist. The quartet performs six tunes, five of which are original compositions: two each by Corea (including the title tune) and Carter and one by Henderson and the remaining one is a standard. The music is a perfect document of Henderson at his artistic peak, playing his heart out with his usual virtuosity. Although basically a mainstream Bebop album, there are many moments on this album where the quartet moves into less restrained area, with Henderson´s expanded solos being among his strongest in his career. Corea fans will find him playing acoustic piano brilliantly, as usual in his case, also exploring the Free territory occasionally, as he so often did during his career. Carter and Higgins play amicably all the way through and of course their vast experience and talent are felt very strongly. Overall this is a neglected gem, which Jazz lovers simply should have in their collections. Perfect execution, superb sound quality and a piece of Jazz history; one simply can´t ask for anything more than this. This album is little known to American Jazz fans since it was released only in Germany and this reissue is a great opportunity to close a gap in a record collection! 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: 28/05/2018Posted: 19/12/2016

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JOE HENDERSON ~ MIRROR, MIRROR MPS 4029759097341 (Barcode: 4029759097341) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 Released: 2014 This is the only album recorded for the German MPSFind albums on this label label by American saxophone Giant Joe HendersonFind albums by this artist, with an acoustic quartet with pianist Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron CarterFind albums by this artist and drummer Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist. This recording was organized by MPS house producer Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, who knew all these musicians in person and managed to persuade them to record an album which will be released in Europe. The quartet performs six tunes, five of which are original compositions: two each by Corea (including the title tune) and Carter and one by Henderson and the remaining one is a standard. This album is little known to American Jazz fans since it was released only in Germany and this reissue is a great opportunity to close a gap. The music is a perfect document of Henderson at his artistic peak, playing his heart out with his usual virtuosity. Although basically a mainstream Bebop album, there are many moments on this album where the quartet moves into Free, with Henderson´s expanded solos being among his strongest in his career. Corea fans will find him playing acoustic piano brilliantly, as he always does, also exploring Free territory occasionally, as he so often did during the early days of his career. Carter and Higgins play amicably all the way through and of course their being among the top American players is felt very strongly. Overall this is a neglected gem, which Jazz lovers simply should have in their collections. Perfect execution, superb sound quality and a piece of Jazz history; one simply can´t ask for anything more! 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: 27/05/2018Posted: 04/02/2016

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CHARLES LLOYD ~ VOICE IN THE NIGHT ECM 1674 (Barcode: 731455944525) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 Legendary US saxophonist / composer Charles LloydFind albums by this artist continues his quest, now in the fifth decade of his activity, building up a legendary status as one of the most talented and original Jazz Masters. His accumulative legacy as a recording artist is truly immense, ranging from Bebop to Free, but his unique voicing and extraordinary sensitivity, both as a player and a composer, set him aside from most. Lloyd resumed his recording activity in the late 1980s on the ECMFind albums on this label label, where he released a series of wonderful albums, this one being a prime example of his abilities. The quartet consists of US guitarist John AbercrombieFind albums by this artist, British bassist Dave HollandFind albums by this artist and US drummer Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six original compositions by Lloyd and two standards, all of which are truly moving. There is little need to encourage anybody to try this out, as people, who understand Jazz, already are more that convinced. Brilliant stuff! Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice Very interesting interplay between Lloyd and Abercrombie, so that the guitarist merges more than usual with the other lead, and does not stick always to the trade mark Abercrombie style, sounding sometimes like Wes Montgomery and occasionally almost like Mark Knopfler!

Updated: 01/06/2018Posted:

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

SONNY ROLLINS ~ COMPLETE LIVE AT THE VILLAGE GATE 1962 FINGERPOPPIN` 117022 (Barcode: 8436563184284) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 Released: 2022 This is an archival Box Set, which presents the complete recordings made during the four-days residence of the Sonny RollinsFind albums by this artist quartet at the NY Village Gate club in July 27-30, 1962. The pianoless quartet included also trumpeter Don CherryFind albums by this artist, bassist Bob CranshawFind albums by this artist and drummer Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist. The 6CD Box Set presents twenty-one tracks (totaling in over six hours), only three of which were previously released (one in edited / shortened version) on the “Our Man In Jazz” album originally released in December 1962. Most of the music was composed by Rollins or co-composed by Rollins and Cherry, but a few standards are also present. The sound quality of the live recording is brilliant. The excellent twenty-page booklet explains in detail the background of the music in the Box Set. The music was recorded following a self-imposed three-year long music exile by Rollins, which he dedicated to crystalizing his musical identity and perfecting his technique. It was also the first ever meeting between Rollins and Cherry. It offers a radical change in his Jazz aesthetics, leaving Bebop behind and moving towards Free Form highly improvised and extensive compositions. Three of the tracks in this Box Set are over 30 minutes in duration and six are between twenty and thirty minutes in duration. All this an obvious and immediate of the exploding Free Jazz revolution spearheaded by Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist, which flourished at the time. In retrospect this Box Set definitely documents some of Rollins´ most Free Form oriented playing in his entire career. The quartet is an absolute jewel of Jazz collaboration, with Cherry at his best, completely different from all trumpet players around him and the brilliant rhythm section playing along splendidly when the music shifts the gear from steady rhythmic patterns to Free exploration, doing so with ease and elegance. Rollins’ performances perfectly support his “Saxophone Colossus” status, even when his playing explores new musical spheres. Overall, this is a sublime document of the era as much as the career of one of the greatest American Jazz personalities, presenting a little known aspect of his flirt with Free Form Jazz at the early 1960s. The fact that these recordings remained dormant for so long a travesty, as they an immensely important document of the last days of the primacy of American Jazz.

Updated: 04/04/2025Posted: 04/04/2025

CD 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend