Record Reviews
16 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | CHARLIE DANIELS BAND ~ MILLION MILE REFLECTIONS
FRIDAY MUSIC 1098 (Barcode: 829421109822) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1979 Released: 2009
American guitarist and fiddler Charlie DanielsFind albums by this artist and his band were champions of the early Southern Rock all through the 1970s and recorded a long series of excellent albums. Much of their work is parallel to the Allman Brothers BandFind albums by this artist Band, but is less influenced by the Blues and incorporates more Country elements. By the late 1970s, when this album was recorded, the group was looking to expand their musical background into other musical grounds, like Prog and Art Rock. The fans and critics hated it of course and the album was received coldly, but in retrospect it is a great piece of Classic Rock. One track from the album, called "The Devil Went Down To Georgia", scored a major international hit for the band, but other that that the albums passed into obscurity, leaving a sour taste. Fortunately this reissue enables us to reexamine the album from a new perspective and perhaps even grow to like it. Definitely worth exploring!
| | Updated: 18/01/2016Posted: | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | FASOLI / GOODRICK / DANIELSSON / OXLEY ~ BODIES
AZZURRA 1327 (Barcode: 8028980739323) ~ ITALY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz
Recorded: 1989 - 1990 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of an album by an international Jazz quartet led by Italian saxophonist / composer Claudio FasoliFind albums by this artist, with American guitarist Mick GoodrickFind albums by this artist, Swedish bassist Palle DanielssonFind albums by this artist and British drummer Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original compositions by Fasoli.
The music is a wonderful example of modern European Jazz, based on wonderful melodic themes and performed with a lot of Freedom and space for individual expression within the quartet setting. All four members of the quartet are true Masters of their instruments and have gained a lot of experience playing with top Jazz musicians for many years. Although Goodrick comes from the US, his approach to Jazz has always been closer to European Jazz that most of his compatriots, and his rapport with the three Europeans is completely natural and open-minded.
The presence of Oxley is especially interesting here, both in the role of a “traditional” drummer and as a great innovator, playing avant-garde oriented parts, which by the time this album was recorded was his main area of interest. Any way one approaches his contributions here, those are absolutely stellar of course.
Goodrick uses the guitar synthesizer in addition to electric guitar, which adds to the unique sound of the quartet. Danielsson is the absolute anchor for the music here and his brilliant pulsation keep the music afloat. Fasoli is excellent, as always, but his ability to weave the exquisite melodic themes is especially important herein to give the album a coherent direction.
Overall, this is a little known gem, which deserves to be discovered, offering brilliant musicianship and highly advanced approach to the Jazz ensemble as a cooperative unit, able to make music that makes sense even when the traditional framework is almost completely abandoned. This is a great addition to any serious European Jazz record collection.
| | Updated: 24/06/2023Posted: 24/06/2023 | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | KBB ~ PROOF OF CONCEPT
POSEIDON 043 (Barcode: 3426300047229) ~ JAPAN ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007
4th album by the phenomenal Japanese Fusion band KBBFind albums by this artist and their long awaited follow up studio recording. Fronted by the virtuoso violinist Akihisa TsuboyFind albums by this artist (with Toshimitsu TakahashiFind albums by this artist – keyboards, DaniFind albums by this artist – bass and Shirou SuganoFind albums by this artist – drums) the Fusion quartet presents a brilliant set of new compositions (all except one by Tsuboy, with Dani’s first offering as a composer being the exception). The music is very melodic with traces of classical influences, but remains well inside the Fusion genre. The playing is brilliant as ever, virtuosity par excellence all the way. The entire concept is slightly more laid-back than the earlier efforts, with more accent on the melodic and lyrical, but there’s still plenty of Fusion fire to excite even the most skeptical listeners. The tracks are long enough to allow for dramatic melodic development and plenty of space for extended improvisations. All together a splendid album, well worth waiting for and sure not to disappoint the many fans of the band worldwide. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | JOACHIM KUHN / DANIEL HUMAIR / JEAN-FRANCOIS JENNY-CLARK ~ USUAL CONFUSION
LABEL BLEU 6560 (Barcode: 3149025061249) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music
Recorded: 1993 Released: 1993
This is an album by the brilliant European Jazz trio comprising of German pianist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, Swiss drummer / composer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist and French bassist / composer Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, four composed by Kuhn, one composed by Humair, one a standard and finally one by American saxophonist / composer Jerry BergonziFind albums by this artist.
The music is absolutely stunning, from start to end and this is definitely one the finest European piano trios in all time. All three players are virtuosi and with decades of experience behind them, they are flying high in the stratosphere of Jazz improvisation, with every note perfectly in the right place and astonishing level of interplay between them.
Despite the fact that the music is often intensely improvised, and Kuhn’s arpeggios chase each other head after tail, the result is remarkably melodic and often even serene, which is quite unusual for Kuhn’s recordings. Jenny-Clark and Humair are a perfect, impeccable rhythm section, able to stay within the harmonious flow and tempi, when needed, and support Free improvisation with the same ease and elegance, and listening to the trio is a constant gratification of the highest class.
Listening to this album is a true schoolbook example of the perfect balance between melody and improvisation in Jazz, which astoundingly enables this music to be enjoyed in full both by Free Jazz lovers and relatively conventional mainstream Jazz listeners, which perhaps proves that beauty conquers all. This is one of my favorite Joachim Kuhn albums and European piano trio albums.
Overall, this is a perfect example of European Jazz, which transforms classic the piano trio platform into a Freely Improvised environment, staying close enough for comfort for mainstream Jazz lovers – a truly brilliant Artistic achievement and a must in any serious Jazz collection.
| | Updated: 15/04/2025Posted: 15/04/2025 | CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL POPIALKIEWICZ ~ NADA
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903111492106) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017
This is the third album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Daniel PopialkiewiczFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with a stellar lineup consisting of keyboardist Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Popialkiewicz (although not explicitly stated so the album´s artwork).
The music is an exquisite, highly melodic Fusion, full of well crafted melodies, quirky rhythms and unpredictable harmonic charges, which keeps the listener on edge during the entire duration of the album, never quite sure of what to expect next. There is a constant feeling of agility and vitality, which drives the music relentlessly straight into the listener´s sub-consciousness, before he is able to analyze what exactly is going on. It takes several listening session in order to comprehend this music in a more relaxed ambiance and start detecting the myriad of interplays, ornamentations and fast arpeggios that happen as if on a separate plane. In short this is Fusion with a high level of sophistication, which basically happens very rarely within the idiom.
Not surprisingly the performances are nothing short of stellar. Popialkiewicz, obviously unfamiliar to Fusion / guitar freaks outside of his country, is such a surprising virtuoso, that most of his fellow Fusion guitar cohorts the world over would be simply left speechless and jaw dropped if they ever listened to this album. He uses a plethora of sounds, techniques, effects and other tricks of the trade, as a result of which he never sounds alike for more than a short while during the entire duration of this album. The only way to understand what I mean is to listen to this music, as words are inadequate to convey it.
But Popialkiewicz gets a tremendous support from his colleagues. Tomaszewski is one of the most talented Polish keyboardists, whose progress in the last few years is nothing short of stellar. He feels perfectly natural in mainstream Jazz and in the Fusion environments and his contributions on this album are absolutely stunning. Kubiszyn is probably the most sensitive electric bass player on the Polish scene, and no wonder that he is highly sought after session player with the top Polish Jazz musicians. His fretless bass playing on this album is a worthy of the status of the greatest mavericks of the instrument in Fusion history. Dobrowolski is an incredibly sensitive drummer, with impeccable technique and atomic clock precision, and his playing, which is way beyond just keeping time, in an integral part of this album´s identity and musical significance.
In short if I had to pick up just one Fusion album released in 2017, this one beats all others easily, leaving only a cloud of dust behind. Fusion and guitar freaks will be fainting to the sound of this album and even a hard-ass critic like yours truly had a hard time to control his emotions. Fusion heaven is here!
| | Updated: 01/02/2018Posted: 01/02/2018 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL SARID ~ PEARLS OF PERIL
EARSAY 021 (Barcode: 7293627102124) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2000 Released: 2001
Pianist Daniel SaridFind albums by this artist is one of the most important representatives of the Israeli Free Jazz scene, which developed significantly since the 1980’s, when musicians like the renowned pianist and composer Vyacheslav GanelinFind albums by this artist immigrated to Israel and started performing and teaching music here. The ensembles led by clarinetist Harold RubinFind albums by this artist were also an excellent breeding ground for many young Israeli musicians, including Daniel Sarid, who played and recorded with Rubin.
This album is Daniel’s first recording as a leader. It includes 15 relatively short composed pieces, performed by Sarid and drummer Hagai FershtmanFind albums by this artist. On five pieces saxophonist Ori KaplanFind albums by this artist joins the duo. This intimate setting is an ideal platform for the musician to express their abilities and the phenomenal interplay between them. Highly recommended ear-opener to connoisseurs of the genre.
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  | AKI TAKASE / DANIEL ERDMAN ~ ISN`T IT ROMANTIC?
BMC 301 (Barcode: 5998309303012) ~ JAPAN ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021
This is an album by the duo comprising of Japanese Jazz pianist / composer Aki TakaseFind albums by this artist and German saxophonist / composer Daniel ErdmannFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, six each composed by Takase and Erdmann and one standard.
The music is an exquisite example of the “Art of the Duo” idiom, crafted and executed by highly experienced Jazz musicians. Takase, who has lived in Berlin since 1988, has become an integral part of the European Jazz scene and her numerous recordings make her one of the most important modern Jazz figures on the contemporary scene. Erdmann, who is twenty-five years younger, has also already established a name for himself on the European Jazz scene. Both seem feel a strong affinity towards duo recordings.
As the title suggests, the music, although completely modern, has a certain romantic tinge to it, which is expressed in the highly melodic motifs, which underlay the duo performances. As a result, the complex improvisations and intricate dialog between the two musicians stays somewhat within Jazz tradition and only partially spills over into Avant-Garde, creating a wonderfully balanced amalgam of the two, which is accessible to a large audience of Jazz listeners.
Both musicians emerge as excellent songweavers, in addition to their superb performing skills, which are pure joy to listen to. The music flows wonderfully from one composition to the next, creating a coherent continuity and manages to keep the listener on his toes, always anticipating the next move. The entire album is a masterpiece of inventiveness and superb telepathic conversation between the two musicians, which truly exemplifies the Jazz duo concept at its best.
I have closely followed Takase’s career since the very early days and she definitely is an artist that never disappoints, consistently producing superb music. The long list of her albums recorded over the years is a Jazz treasure chest.
Overall, this is an excellent duo album, which although can be demanding at times, manages beautifully to create a romantic feeling, as expressed by modern Jazz at its best. It is full of great performances and unexpected musical vistas, which are truly unique.
| | Updated: 15/03/2022Posted: 15/03/2022 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL TOLEDO ~ ATRIUM
FOR TUNE 0121 (Barcode: 5906395808175) ~ ECUADOR ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017
In times where separatism, nationalism and xenophobia seem to be taking over the world we live in, it often seems to me that Art in general and our beloved Jazz Music in particular is more often that not the last frontier where values like tolerance, cooperation and unison are still flourishing with truly amazing results. Take this album as an example: Polish pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1990), Ecuadorian bassist Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist (born 1991) and Swedish drummer Paul SvanbergFind albums by this artist (born 1984) get together to form a classic Jazz piano trio, which is a very intimate musical partnership requiring total cooperation, in order to achieve its goal of creating music together. The fact that these musicians come from different and distant countries and cultural backgrounds not only does not stand in the way of them becoming one body and mind when playing this music, but actually reinforces their ability to create music on a higher Artistic and Intellectual planes.
This is the second album by Daniel Toledo, again recorded in the piano trio setting, which consistently continues the path and the direction set by the debut. The focus is again split between two layers: the compositions, all originals by Toledo, and the performance, which strives towards finesse, elegance and flair. Toledo, the composer, emerges as a masterful weaver of beautiful melodies, stretched over a complex rhythmic framework, which are versatile, both harmonically and rhythmically and constitute a mature and solid body of first-rate music. Toledo, the bassist, proves his ability to lead the trio safely over the troubled waters of this challenging music, emerging victorious again.
Of course the fact that both his partners are dreamy musicians of the highest rank has a tremendous influence on the end result. Orzechowski, one of the absolute top pianists of the new generation of Polish Jazz, who feels equally confident playing Classical Music and Jazz, keeps amazing with his inventive touches of the keyboard, floating on the complex harmonic structures with seemingly effortless panache. Svanberg nails it all down with his assertive, but wonderfully sensitive drumming, playing forcefully but not overpoweringly, creating a rhythmic layer which is stylistically atypical for a Jazz recording.
Nothing short of brilliant, this album proves that melodic modern Jazz can still be rewarding and fascinating, when executed sincerely and passionately. Listen and learn!
Side Note
The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork.
I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years.
The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.
| | Updated: 19/09/2018Posted: 10/04/2017 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL TOLEDO ~ ELAPSE
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 889211081240) ~ ECUADOR ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014
This is the debut album by Ecuadorian bassist / composer Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with excellent Polish Jazz pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist and British drummer Joshua WheatleyFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original compositions by Toledo and one standard composed by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist.
Orzechowski is of course one of the top young Jazz pianist in his country and in the last few years his activities have been documented mainly in the role of a solo piano player, therefore this recording should be of great interest to all Polish Jazz fans.
Toledo emerges on this debut recording as an excellent bassist of a highly personal style, which is characterized by groovy pulsations, which are usually produced by electric bass guitar rather than by the upright bass, and a danceable attitude, which most probably has its roots in his South American roots. But he is definitely also a highly talented composer and his tunes serve as ideal vehicles for the trio to explore and develop the basic melody lines into lengthy improvisations.
Naturally the pianist draws most of the listener´s attention, as he is the main soloist here. Toledo made a wise choice combining forces with Orzechowski, as there are very few such versatile and skillful pianists as him. It´s a pleasure to hear Orzechowski keep the groove and funky feel of this album alive, even on the slow pieces, which display a more lyrical approach.
Wheatley fits the bill perfectly, supporting the bass with his steady rhythmic patterns, keeping time and at the same time allowing for a lot of rhythmic fluidity, which makes the music much more interesting. This approach is strongly felt on the trio´s interpretation of the Miles Davis composition, which is given a highly unusual treatment.
Overall this is definitely a superb debut effort, as well as one of the most personal / unique albums that I happened to listen to in 2014. Hopefully this trio will produce more of such gems in the future. I can´t wait to see where it will all lead to. Nice work Gentlemen!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL TOLEDO ~ FLETCH
AUDIO CAVE 2020/002 (Barcode: 5908298549018) ~ ECUADOR ~ Avant-Garde Jazz
Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020
This is the third album by Ecuadorian bassist / composer Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with all Polish team consisting of saxophonist Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all composed by Toledo. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist.
Toledo´s steady output of albums, starting in 2014 and offering a new recording every couple of years (I had the pleasure of writing the liner notes for his second album "AtriumFind albums with this title"), as well as his cooperation with Orzechowski, follow a steady course of development as a composer and player. The music on this album significantly departs from the earlier melody based conventional modern Jazz into a way more spacey, free spirited ventures and complex odd meters based rhythmic background. The metamorphosis is quite dramatic and presents Toledo in a completely new perception.
Orzechowski, who plays both acoustic and electric piano, and who is the focal soloist, takes upon himself a major role in voicing this new approach, playing of course as brilliantly as always, but again quite differently from his usual environment, and listeners familiar with his impressive output as instrumentalist will have an opportunity to hear him from a different point of view. Wiecek steps in boldly and this music seems to suit his stylistic preferences ideally. Although his statements are relatively limited they are all right on the money. Miskiewicz, one of Poland´s most versatile and experienced drummers, handles the difficult rhythmic challenges without a hitch, as expected. Toledo´s solid bass parts are of course the spinal chord which connects all the ingredients together.
Overall this is a difficult, serious piece of music, which although demanding, can be a source of great musical enjoyment, as long as the listener allows it the required attention and time needed to penetrate the external crust. Full of great ideas and superb performances, this is definitely something worthy of serious investigation.
| | Updated: 19/03/2020Posted: 19/03/2020 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL ZAMIR ~ AMEN
TAV 8 (Barcode: 7290010781539) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006
This is the 4th album by brilliant Israeli saxophonist / composer Daniel ZamirFind albums by this artist, one of most renowned Israeli Jazz musicians born in the country, who also managed to establish an international career. Zamir was born to a secular family, but during his stay in the US re-discovered Jewish religion and became an orthodox Jew. Zamir lived in the US since 2000 and returned to Israel in 2006, where he now lives, writes music, performs and records. During his stay in US he was "discovered" by John ZornFind albums by this artist and eventually recorded four (so far) albums for Zorn´s TzadikFind albums on this label label. This is his first album recorded and released in Israel. His music is a wonderful mixture of Klezmer, Jewish music, Eastern European and of course Jazz, which is completely unique. His technical fluency and unlimited expressionist powers place his among the world´s saxophone virtuosi. He now plays the soprano saxophone exclusively and his sound is often reminiscent of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s. This album includes music composed entirely written by him and he´s accompanied by some of the best Israeli Jazz players: Omri MorFind albums by this artist – piano, Omer AvitalFind albums by this artist – bass and Daniel FriedmanFind albums by this artist – drums. Israeli trumpeter Avishai CohenFind albums by this artist guests on several tracks. The album is a beautiful listening experience to every sensitive music lover, with everybody being able to discover the many different facets of this great music. Wholeheartedly recommended!
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  | DANIEL ZAMIR ~ MISSING HERE
TAV 8 (Barcode: 7290013087850) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010
This is the 7th album by brilliant Israeli saxophonist / composer Daniel ZamirFind albums by this artist, one of most renowned Israeli Jazz musicians born in the country, who also managed to establish an international career. Zamir was born to a secular family, but during his stay in the US re-discovered Jewish religion and became an orthodox Jew. Zamir lived in the US since 2000 and returned to Israel in 2006, where he now lives, writes music, performs and records. During his stay in US he was "discovered" by John ZornFind albums by this artist and eventually recorded four (so far) albums for Zorn´s TzadikFind albums on this label label. This is his third album recorded and released in Israel. His music is a wonderful mixture of Klezmer, Jewish music, Eastern European and of course Jazz, which is completely unique. His technical fluency and unlimited expressionist powers place his among the world´s saxophone virtuosi. He now plays the soprano saxophone exclusively and his sound is often reminiscent of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s. This album includes music composed entirely written by him and he´s accompanied by some of the best Israeli Jazz players: Omer KleinFind albums by this artist – piano, Omer AvitalFind albums by this artist – bass and Aviv CohenFind albums by this artist – drums. Guest players include trumpeter Itamar BorochovFind albums by this artist and trombonist Avi LeibovitchFind albums by this artist. Israeli singer / pianist Eviatar BanaiFind albums by this artist guests on the title track. The album is a beautiful listening experience to every sensitive music lover, with everybody being able to discover the many different facets of this great music. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | DANIEL ZAMIR ~ ONE
TAV 8 (Barcode: 7290012387197) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009
This is the sixth album by brilliant Israeli saxophonist / composer Daniel ZamirFind albums by this artist, one of most renowned Israeli Jazz musicians born in the country, who also managed to establish an international career. Zamir was born to a secular family, but during his stay in the US re-discovered Jewish religion and became an orthodox Jew. Zamir lived in the US since 2000 and returned to Israel in 2006, where he now lives, writes music, performs and records.
During his stay in US he was "discovered" by John ZornFind albums by this artist and eventually recorded four (so far) albums for Zorn´s TzadikFind albums on this label label. This is his second album recorded and released in Israel. His music is a wonderful mixture of Klezmer, Jewish music, Eastern European and of course Jazz, which is completely unique. His technical fluency and unlimited expressionist powers place his among the world´s saxophone virtuosi. He now plays the soprano saxophone exclusively and his sound is often reminiscent of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s.
This album includes music composed entirely written by him and he´s accompanied by some of the best Israeli Jazz players: Nitai HershkovitsFind albums by this artist – piano, Jonathan AlbalekFind albums by this artist– guitar, Noam VisenbergFind albums by this artist – bass and Daniel DorFind albums by this artist – drums. A string quartet is also present on the four-part suite dedicated to Noam Shalit. The album is a beautiful listening experience to every sensitive music lover, with everybody being able to discover the many different facets of this great music. Wholeheartedly recommended!
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