Record Reviews

CHICK COREA / STEFANO BOLLANI ~ ORVIETO ECM 2222 (Barcode: 602527796925) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 Pianist / composer Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist is obviously very fond of the great Art of piano duets; over the years he pioneered this highly demanding and difficult performing act with such piano luminaries like Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist, Friedrich GuldaFind albums by this artist, Nicolas EconomouFind albums by this artist, Gonzalo RubalcabaFind albums by this artist and recently Hiromi UeharaFind albums by this artist. This live recording of the duet with the great Italian pianist / composer Stefano BollaniFind albums by this artist is the latest chapter in this long saga. They perform twelve pieces, which include three co-composed improvisations, one original tune each and the rest are standards. The performance is stellar, from start to finish, as expected. Both players are obvious virtuosi and their mutual respect and understanding turn the two pianos into one instrument, which is grander that the sum of its parts. This album marks the return of Corea to the legendary ECMFind albums on this label label after many years – a most welcome event. There is no real need to add much more here; those familiar with Corea´s previous duo recordings will be surely delighted again, those unfamiliar with this great musical Art form should try it out – the sooner the better. Delightful stuff!

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

FRIEDRICH GULDA ~ DONAU SO BLUE MPS 4029759097327 (Barcode: 4029759097327) ~ AUSTRIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1970 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of a little known and quite bizarre album by Austrian pianist / composer Friedrich GuldaFind albums by this artist, best known as famous Classical Music pianist, who also flirted with the Jazz idiom. This album was recorded in a classic piano trio with an Austrian rhythm section: bassist Johann Anton RettenbacherFind albums by this artist and drummer Manfred JoselFind albums by this artist. Gulda also performs weird vocals, which move between recitation and singing, under the pseudonym Albert GolowinFind albums by this artist. The trio performs six pieces, five of which are original composition by Gulda and one is little know composition by Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist, who of course was also Austrian. Overall the album is only marginally Jazz oriented, and it includes vaudeville, humor and folklore elements, but also some stretches of straightforward Jazz. Gulda was of course a brilliant pianist, but never really grasped the Jazz idiom properly. Nevertheless this album is a great example of the open-mindedness of the record label and of Gulda´s unpredictability and weirdness, for which he was famous. Overall this a piece of nostalgia, which collectors of the releases on the legendary MPS Records will find very attractive and rewarding due to its scarcity today. 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: 11/10/2016

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend