Record Reviews

MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1021 (Barcode: 8052405140647) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 - 1994 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American keyboardist / composer / conductor Muhal Richard AbramsFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. The set includes eight albums he recorded as a leader, heading a range of ensembles between a septet and a full scale orchestra, which was his preferred "weapon of choice" Abrams is best known as the founder of the original AACM in Chicago in 1965 and then the New York chapter of AACM after he moved there permanently in 1975. He was a prolific recording artist, with an impressive list of albums to his credit. The albums included here present his output between late 1970s and early 1990s, all of which is his original music. He plays piano, synthesizer and conducts the ensembles. These recordings are all excellent examples of his work, which is a completely unique combination of Free Jazz, Improvised Music and Contemporary Classical music techniques. Abrams often uses the human voice as an improvising instrument, as well as the electric guitar, which is quite unusual in such settings. His music is deeply influenced by the Blues as well as the compositional approach of Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist, who was his model. In retrospect his work could be seen as a continuation of Ellington´s legacy into the realm of Avant-Garde Jazz. The list of the players present on these recordings reads like the Who´s Who of the American Avant-Garde scene and includes trumpeter Jack WalrathFind albums by this artist, saxophonists John PurcellFind albums by this artist, Marty EhrlichFind albums by this artist, Charles DavisFind albums by this artist and Eugene GheeFind albums by this artist, cellist Abdul WadudFind albums by this artist, guitarists David FiuczynskiFind albums by this artist and Jean-Paul BourellyFind albums by this artist, vocalists Janette MoodyFind albums by this artist and Jay ClaytonFind albums by this artist and drummers Andrew CyrilleFind albums by this artist and Warren SmithFind albums by this artist and dozens of others. The music is absolutely brilliant and fascinating and connoisseurs of Free Jazz will find it obviously essential, but other less refined listeners might find it quite accessible, with just a minimal effort of attentive listening. This is definitely an important document of the American Free Jazz movement, which deserves to be preserved for posterity and which should serve as a source if inspiration to the young generation of contemporary Free Jazz artists. 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: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 8 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

HIROMI UEHARA ~ BEYOND STANDARD TELARC 83686 (Barcode: 089408368622) ~ JAPAN ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2008 Released: 2008 5th album by Japanese keyboardist / composer Hiromi UeharaFind albums by this artist, which continues her drift from classical Jazz recordings towards Jazz-Rock Fusion. As the title suggests, Hiromi performs here her stormy interpretations of Jazz standards (only one of her original compositions is included here) with her quartet, which includes David FiuczynskiFind albums by this artist on guitar, Tony GreyFind albums by this artist on bass and Martin ValihoraFind albums by this artist on drums. This album is definitely her most Fusion oriented recording so far, with Hiromi using the synthesizers to extreme and David’s electric guitar wilder than ever. Of course she plays lots of acoustic piano passages as well, but the entire atmosphere of the album is definitely Fusion oriented. The performances are absolutely brilliant, as expected, and most importantly Hiromi’s arrangements succeed in igniting new fire in some of the standards, that have been previously used to death by so many Jazz musicians. She has a brilliant pair of ears and her youthful spirit, combined with extraordinary virtuosity, place her right on top of the new Jazz generation. Of course Jazz purists often criticize the Fusion direction (still 40 years after Fusion was “invented”), accusing her of commercialism and other nonsense. Well, she just released an album of acoustic piano duets with Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, spitting in the face of her accusers. Anybody with a pair of clean ears and some musical sensitivity should be able to hear Hiromi’s genius, regardless of what she plays, I certainly do. This is a brilliant Fusion album, full of great music, superb performances and joie de vivre, which are so often missing from contemporary Jazz recordings. Brilliant stuff!

CD 1 Audiophile Recommend To A Friend

HIROMI UEHARA ~ HIROMI`S SONICBLOOM LIVE IN CONCERT TELARC 73699 (Barcode: 089408369995) ~ JAPAN ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2006 Released: 2009 Japanese piano / keyboards virtuoso Hiromi UeharaFind albums by this artist is by now known worldwide as one of the most talented Jazz musicians of the new generation. Her ability to play classic modern Jazz as well as Jazz-Rock Fusion, both with incredible technical dexterity and artistic flair is completely unique and breathtaking. But as good as her studio albums are (and they are truly excellent), nothing presents Hiromi in a truer light than watching her perform live, and this DVD is the closest thing to the live experience many of her fans will ever get. This DVD was recorded around the time Hiromi was promoting her album "Time ControlFind albums with this title", playing with her quartet, which included guitarist David FiuczynskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Tony GreyFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin ValihoraFind albums by this artist. There is honestly very little I need to add here, except the fact that this is probably some of the greatest music you will ever hear / watch being performed, so don´t even think twice!

DVD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HIROMI UEHARA ~ TIME CONTROL TELARC 83655 (Barcode: 089408365522) ~ JAPAN ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 4th album by Japanese keyboards player Hiromi UeharaFind albums by this artist firmly establishes her position as one of the brightest stars of contemporary jazz. Her amazing compositions and breathtaking virtuosity are constant factors present on all of hers albums so far, which of course makes it really easy to decide if one should get anything she puts her name to. Although deeply rooted in jazz, on this album Hiromi takes a step towards Fusion by expanding her regular trio into a quartet with the addition of superb guitarist David FiuczynskiFind albums by this artist. Being a strong soloist, Fiuczynski adds another dimension to the music and the fiery exchanges between his guitar and Hiromi’s keyboards bring back fond memories of similar exchanges between Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist and Al Di MeolaFind albums by this artist in Return To ForeverFind albums by this artist. But there is plenty of Hiromi playing the acoustic piano here to satisfy the more jazz oriented folks as well, so whichever way you look at this album it’s a gem. Anybody who already owns the previous Hiromi’s album will get this for sure but I urge people who are not familiar with her art to try her out – most of the people who listened to my (wholehearted) recommendations got hooked helplessly. Brilliant!

CD 1 Audiophile Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ VISIONS OF AN INNER MOUNTING APOCALYPSE MASCOT 7117 (Barcode: 8712725711728) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 This is the 2nd project in the series of Fusion tributes, conceived, produced and arranged by Jeff RichmanFind albums by this artist. An entire generation of contemporary fusion guitar players pays tribute to their divine master – John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist and his band Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist. This ambitious project works out like a dream (a wet dream for fusion fans for sure). Ten compositions by McLaughlin, written for and performed with Mahavishnu Orchestra, are given here a new treatment. Each of the tracks features a different guitarist and the list reads like a who’s who of fusion: Mike SternFind albums by this artist, Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, Frank GambaleFind albums by this artist, David FiuczynskiFind albums by this artist, etc. The accompanying rhythm section of Vinnie CalaiutaFind albums by this artist – drums, Kai EckhardtFind albums by this artist – bass and Mitchel FormanFind albums by this artist – keyboards is the backbone of the project and carries the load splendidly. Ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra violinist Jerry GoodmanFind albums by this artist adds his magic touch on several tracks, closing the full circle, so to speak. Definitely a must for all Mahavishnu Orchestra fans and basically for all fusion fans - whatever their fusion taste may be this is much too good to be ignored.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend