Record Reviews
7 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | BRASS FEDERACJA ~ GO, GO, TO BE ON TIME!
REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2019/5 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019
This is the debut album by Polish Brass ensemble Brass FederacjaFind albums by this artist, led by sousaphone player / composer Piotr WrobelFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeters Maurycy IdzikowskiFind albums by this artist and Marcin MalarzFind albums by this artist, trombonists Andrzej RekasFind albums by this artist, Bartek LupinskiFind albums by this artist and Szymon WojdakFind albums by this artist and drummer Maciek WojcieszukFind albums by this artist. Six additional brass players guest on one of the tunes. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Wrobel, and one arrangement of a standard. There is also a humorous hidden bonus track!
Wrobel might be familiar to the Polish Jazz buffs as the sousaphone player of the fabulous Jazz Band Mlynarski - MaseckiFind albums by this artist, which also works without a bass player in its ranks.
The music is on the Funky side of the Brass ensemble music spectrum, offering straight forward melodic themes, which serve as vehicles for all the brass mania around, spiced by wonderful soloing by the ensemble members. The entire sound of the ensemble works wonderfully with the unique sousaphone / drums "rhythm section", which adds full bodied bottom range and swings wonderfully.
The music is somewhat similar to what the Brass Rock ensembles of the 1960s and 1970s were doing at the time, missing of course the guitar / keyboards / bass guitar Rocky side of things, but still being quite attractive to lovers of that idiom, which sadly disappeared from the face of the earth. The music displays an affinity to Traditional Jazz on some of the tracks, and an entire album of more Traditional Jazz oriented music might also work excellently – perhaps sometime in the future?
Overall this is an absolutely delightful piece of music, very different from everything else appearing on the Polish Jazz scene and showing the limitless extent of the genre. It is full of originality and passion and is of course wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 13/08/2019Posted: 13/08/2019 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | EDER ~ UND WAS IST MIT MIR?
WHYPLAYJAZZ 006 (Barcode: 4050486062128) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012
This is the debut album by the young German quartet EderFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Johannes MoritzFind albums by this artist, guitarist Felix FranzkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Hendrik KrauseFind albums by this artist and drummer Friedemann PrussFind albums by this artist. Two additional musicians also participate on selected tracks: DJ IllvibeFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Vincent von SchlippenbachFind albums by this artist, son of the legendary pianist Alexander von SchlippenbachFind albums by this artist) and saxophonist Niklas KraftFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, four by Franzke, three by Krause, one by Moritz and one credited to the entire quartet with DJ Illvibe.
The music of Eder is a strange mixture of Jazz improvisation, Rock rhythms, Hip Hop, ambient and many other less apparent elements. The overall atmosphere is rather dark and depressing, the sound muddy and muffled, in short this is more an alternative Rock album with some Jazz influences rather than a bona fide Jazz or even Jazz-Rock Fusion outing.
Although the album has its moments and is definitely non-trivial, it lacks focus and sounds largely as a continuous searching, rather than getting somewhere. Of course there is nothing wrong with experimenting and searching, but in this case they are somewhat tedious and non-engaging. The individual performances by the group members are also unimpressive and fragmented, so there is little to draw the listener´s attention. Of course this is just my personal impression and other listeners might have a different opinion. This is after all a debut album, so the band deserves a chance to be heard again in the future, hopefully with a more solid material and focused statement.
| | | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | MORTEN PEDERSEN ~ SAMMENSURIUM
BAREFOOT 051 (Barcode: 5707471049556) ~ DENMARK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music
Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017
This is the debut album by Danish pianist / composer Morten PedersenFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet which also includes Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, Italian saxophonist / clarinetist Francesco BigoniFind albums by this artist, Swedish bassist Johannes NastesjoFind albums by this artist and Norwegian drummer Hakon BerreFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Pedersen.
The music is a superb example of modern European Jazz, which is still based on composed themes but the improvisations venture often into Free Jazz. The compositions are very solid and the brief unisono introductions played by the saxophone and trumpet expand later into group improvisations. The music is interesting and diverse enough to keep the listener interested throughout. The movement out of the melodic theme and back again, several times during the same piece, is also fascinating. The overall level of composition is simply stunning and the characteristic lyricism and melancholy add a magical atmosphere, which is thrilling.
The individual performances are all top notch, with the participants creating ad-lib duets (trumpet / saxophone) and trios (trumpet / saxophone / piano) within the quintet framework, which emphasizes the level of cooperation and mutual respect between the musicians. The concept which allows the rhythm section not to be present at all times is very refreshing and in this case also extremely effective aesthetically. Not that the rhythm section is not performing well, God forbid, since it definitely is, but the minimalism of the duo / trio is an Art form in itself. Dabrowski is brilliant, as usual, with the incredible kaleidoscope of sounds he is able to produce on his trumpet. Bigoni sounds equally proficient on the saxophone and on the clarinet, the latter being my personal favorite. Pederson plays a round, deeply melodic piano parts, which in spite of their free form sound still very harmonious. The rhythm section, as already mentioned above, does a great job, but is present only partially, which is highly unusual and makes this album so unique.
This album is a classic example of contemporary European Jazz scene, where multinational ensembles are omnipresent and national borders are completely irrelevant any more. These young musicians are spiritually united by the European aesthetics and common cultural background, which goes back centuries. The Copenhagen scene is one of the most fruitful and fascinating Jazz centers at the moment, where young musician from all over Europe gather to study and create music together. The album was released on the wonderful Copenhagen based Barefoot Records label, which is a musicians´ cooperative creating an independent platform for them to release their own music, and which in the last decade managed to put out some of the most significant contemporary Jazz albums.
This is a stunning debut effort and a true treasure chest of contemporary European Jazz, which is a beacon of what Europe, has to offer! Chapeau!
| | Updated: 18/09/2017Posted: 18/09/2017 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | NINA PEDERSEN ~ EYES WIDE OPEN
LOSEN 184 (Barcode: 7090025831843) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017
This is the third album by Norwegian (resident in Rome) Jazz singer / songwriter Nina PedersenFind albums by this artist, accompanied by the excellent piano trio consisting of pianist Pierpaolo PrincipatoFind albums by this artist, bassist Marco LoddoFind albums by this artist and drummer Giampaolo ScatozzaFind albums by this artist. Trumpeter Aldo BassiFind albums by this artist plays on a couple of tunes and saxophonist Paolo InnarellaFind albums by this artist plays on another two tracks. The album presents eight songs, seven of which are originals (music and lyrics in English) by Pedersen and one is by the wonderful duo of John SurmanFind albums by this artist and Karin KrogFind albums by this artist.
The original songs are all beautifully woven by their author, with superb melodic themes and intelligent lyrics. They are all standard quality and the album flows smoothly from start to finish like a collection of well known tunes, which of course is a rare quality.
The piano trio and guests play fabulously, supporting the vocalist amicably and adding occasional solos, all perfectly suiting the music. Bassi is especially imaginative during his parts on the two songs and I wish he would have played for the entire duration of the album.
Pedersen has a wonderfully mature, dark and enticing voice, in some respects similar to that of Karin Krog herself, who wrote a short comment for the album´s liner notes, with which I agree completely.
This is one of those albums, which do not try to be spectacular even for a moment, but deliver exactly what is appropriate within its scope: wonderful songs and perfect execution, full of heartfelt emotion, honesty and great taste, creating a first class aesthetic experience. Very well done!
| | Updated: 06/11/2017Posted: 06/11/2017 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | FREDERIK VILLMOW ~ LIVE IN COPENHAGEN
AMP 052 (Barcode: 013415901510) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019
This is the debut album by the young German (resident in Norway) Jazz drummer Frederik VillmowFind albums by this artist recorded with his quartet which also includes German saxophonist Marc DoffeyFind albums by this artist, Danish pianist Carl WintherFind albums by this artist and Norwegian bassist Julian HauglandFind albums by this artist. The quartet is expanded into a quintet with the addition of the veteran Swedish saxophonist Tomas FranckFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live at the legendary Jazzhus Montmartre club in Copenhagen and presents seven tracks, five of which are original compositions (three by Villmow and two by Franck) and two are standards.
The music is typical European modern mainstream, mostly post Bebop oriented, based on solid melodic themes, which serve as basis for extended improvisations by the quintet members. The album does not venture into any experimental ground and stays on solid conventional Jazz path.
The focus of the album is on the fiery, scorching soloing by the saxophonists and the pianist, which offers an intense barrage of notes and superb highly energetic virtuosic display of Jazz energy, except for one intimate duo track (sax and bass). The rhythm section supports the soloists formidably and with an obvious display of youthful energy, which suits the music perfectly. The ensemble playing, especially considering the fact that this is a live recording, is excellent and all the musicians seem to be in high spirits obviously enjoying the opportunity to play together.
Overall this is a classic, highly energetic mainstream Jazz album, full of excellent music and heartfelt performances, which should satisfy any true Jazz lover around the globe. Warmly recommended!
| | Updated: 23/09/2019Posted: 23/09/2019 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | FREDERIK VILLMOW ~ MOMENTUM
LOSEN 278 (Barcode: 7090025832789) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023
This is the third album by German (resident in Norway) drummer / composer Frederik VillmowFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting, with Norwegian musicians: pianist Olga KonkovaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Gisle JohansenFind albums by this artist and Erlend Vangen KongtorpFind albums by this artist and bassist Julian HauglandFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are original compositions by the leader and the participating musicians. Two tracks are solo drums improvisations, one is a duo (drums / saxophone) improvisation and another two are trio (drums / piano / saxophone) improvisations, which leaves four fully composed ensemble pieces, including the title track, which are naturally the longest tracks on the album.
The music is excellent modern Jazz, melody based to some extent but with a lot of breathing space and freedom, which allows the participants to improvise extensively. The music flows coherently from one track to the next, offering an interesting aural journey, spiced with excellent soloing.
As it often happens with drummers’ albums, the level of composition is highly surprising, and this album follows the pattern. Although Villmow is an excellent drummer by all standards, his music goes far beyond just drumming skills, presenting a refined ensemble sound and complex flow of ideas. He is definitely in the center of the performances throughout, but his drumming is certainly not just a showoff of his abilities, but the driving force of the ensemble.
The album offers a nice balance between the composed pieces and the solo / duo / trio improvisations, which is easier for the listener to follow than albums dedicated completely to Improvised Music, which can be overbearing.
Overall, this is an excellent modern Jazz album, with great compositions and brilliant performances, full of excitement and intelligent exchange of ideas. It offers the European approach to Jazz at its best, and is not actually that much Nordic Jazz oriented, despite its origin. Most warmly recommended!
| | Updated: 13/05/2023Posted: 13/05/2023 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
|
