Record Reviews
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  | SÉRGIO BENCHIMOL ~ A DROP IN THE OCEAN - AN OCEAN IN A DROP
NOT ON LABEL ~ BRAZIL ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2004 Released: 2004
Once in a blue moon a completely anonymous album drops in my lap, leaving me completely awestruck. This is one of those rare and absolutely wonderful albums that renew my inspiration and my eternal quest for that kind of music. Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and composer Sérgio BenchimolFind albums by this artist (obviously Jewish with a Jarmulka on his head) presents here a suite of outrageous beauty, which mixes Prog, Jazz, World Music and Classical motifs, fascinating and uplifting from the first note played to the very last. The music is melodic and moves smoothly between one theme to another, with frequent rhythm changes and wonderful instrumental arrangements. Benchimol collected a great cast of musicians to play with him on the album, each and every one contributing their magic to the total result. Anything else I could say is in fact superfluous, as it will never come close to the experience of listening to this masterpiece. Any person with musical sensitivity should find this album a blessing. Absolutely essential!
| | | CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | SERGIO CASALE ~ SCIUSCIA
LOSEN 192 (Barcode: 7090025831928) ~ ITALY ~ Soundtracks
Recorded: 2013 Released: 2018
This is an album by veteran Italian flautist / saxophonist / composer Sergio CasaleFind albums by this artist dedicated to Italian cinematic music of the second half of the 20th Century. He is accompanied by clarinetist Antonio ArietanoFind albums by this artist and violist Sergio FanelliFind albums by this artist, and together they play eighteen compositions taken from soundtracks of cult Italian films by such illustrious directors like Pier Paolo PasoliniFind albums by this artist, Frederico FelliniFind albums by this artist, Michelangelo AntonioniFind albums by this artist, Vittorio De SicaFind albums by this artist and others. The music was composed by best Italian cinematic music creators, like Ennio MorriconeFind albums by this artist, Nino RotaFind albums by this artist, Alessandro CicogniniFind albums by this artist and others.
The music is of course familiar to every Cultural human being on this planet, and as such it takes a lot of courage to tackle it in new way, as the attempt presented here. The trio led by Casale transforms the music into chamber, almost completely Classical music environment, very minimalistic and "clean", where absolutely every note counts and is clearly audible. At the first moment the music sounds a bit estranged, but very soon the listener is spellbound into this enchanted universe and completely enthralled by it.
The familiar themes are transported into another dimension, which clearly points out how strong the original compositions are as far as harmonic structures and melodic perfection. This new chamber treatment, although pretty far removed from the original concept of the music, works beautifully on its own and is a delicious listening experience.
Overall this is a bold and unexpected piece of music, which takes something many people are familiar with and transforms it into a new aesthetics, managing to preserve the beauty and the spirit of the original music. Listening to this music is a wonderful way to escape the frantic, chaotic everyday existence and absorb some pure unadulterated musical essence.
| | Updated: 06/04/2018Posted: 06/04/2018 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | GIORGIO GASLINI ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON DISCHI DELLA QUERCIA
CAM JAZZ 5001 (Barcode: 8052405140708) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1976 - 1985 Released: 2013
This superb Box Set collects all the recordings by legendary Italian pianist / composer / bandleader Giorgio GasliniFind albums by this artist, released on his own Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label label. The set includes eleven albums featuring various Gaslini´s ensembles (quartet, quintet, sextet and octet) as well as his duos with American musicians like Roswell RuddFind albums by this artist, Eddie GomezFind albums by this artist and Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist.
Gaslini (who died in 2014) was one of the pillars of modern Italian Jazz, recorded dozens of albums and led countless ensembles during his career that spanned almost seven decades. In parallel to his Jazz activities he also composed music for cinema and contemporary Classical Music. He was one of the few Italian musicians known outside of his country and a tireless and prolific Jazz propagator in his country. In retrospect he is one of the Godfathers of European Jazz.
Gaslini played modern Jazz, which often stood on the verge of Free, always challenging the boundaries of the genre, as can be heard well on the albums included here. His ensembles were always a breeding ground for generations of young Italian musicians, like the ones found here: Gianni BedoriFind albums by this artist, Gianluigi TrovesiFind albums by this artist, Daniele Di GregorioFind albums by this artist and many others.
This music is an absolute must to all European Jazz enthusiasts, and the fact that it is available again is pure joy. Gaslini was a genius composer and pianist and his legacy must be preserved and studied by the new generation of Jazz musicians.
Remastered, mini-sleeved and with a great bargain price – this Box Set is 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 11 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | GDYNIA IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA ~ MILIONY SLONC
NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music
Recorded: 2024 Released: 2025
This is the 2nd album by Gdynia Improvisers OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. GIOFind albums by this artist), recorded live during the celebration of the sixth anniversary of the orchestra’s founding. The orchestra includes nineteen instrumentalists and vocalists (including Zofia EsdenFind albums by this artist) and is conducted by Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist, the founder and leader, who employs a non-conventional conducting technique using body gestures. The album presents four lengthy tracks, which are not credited.
Four years ago I published a review of the debut album recorded by GIO, called "Plastikowy JednorozecFind albums with this title", which was recorded live during the orchestra’s first public appearance. I must say that surprisingly, the main point of my review, which stated that there was almost no improvisation whatsoever in the music on that album, and which makes the usage of “improvised” rather misleading, is still somewhat valid on this album, but I am happy to say that there are many, and more importantly quite wonderful improvised music parts present this time, which makes the whole album way more interesting. But there are still extensive parts, which are obviously pre-composed and rehearsed, same as on the debut album.
Another characteristic, which connects this album to the debut, is the fact that most of the improvisations are performed by the vocalists, and those are unquestionably the most thrilling element of this album. Of course the concept of the large ensemble, which includes musicians from a cross-genre environment, is most welcome and the outcome is a fascinating musical experience, which offers a truly exciting listening adventure.
Overall, this is a much stronger effort by the orchestra, in comparison to the debut, which is of course great news. Although this music is obviously way more interesting when heard live, as is always the case with Improvised Music, this album is definitely a nice document of the event and offers a fascinating listening journey. Well done!
| | Updated: 26/09/2025Posted: 26/09/2025 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | SERGIO MENDES ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES
RHINO 081227975166 (Barcode: 081227975166) ~ BRAZIL ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 1964 - 1968 Released: 2011
This Box Set collects the five albums by Brazilian pianist / composer Sergio MendesFind albums by this artist, released by AtlanticFind albums on this label Records between 1964 and 1968. During that same period Mendes also released albums for A&MFind albums on this label Records, mostly with a vocal group, which were much more popular and commercially successful. The Atlantic albums are more Jazz oriented and are one of the earliest examples of Jazz-World Fusion.
Mendes gained popularity as one a several Brazilian artists, who swept the American music scene in the mid 1960s, popularizing the wonderful bossa nova movement. He combined his own composition with those of dozens of great bossa nova songwriters in Brazil, popularizing them in the USA. His various group included mostly Brazilian players, such as bassist Sebastiao NetoFind albums by this artist and drummers Chico BateraFind albums by this artist and Chico De SouzaFind albums by this artist, but he was often supported by top American Jazz players like trumpeter Art FarmerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Phil WoodsFind albums by this artist, flautist Hubert LawsFind albums by this artist and many others. Sometimes he also used extensive orchestral arrangements, which of course sounded pretty kitschy at times.
In retrospect Mendes and other Brazilian musicians / composers were responsible for opening up the American musical scene to new sonic and rhythmic vistas, which also invigorated the American Jazz scene immensely at the time. These albums include many of the classic bossa nova evergreens, and still are great fun to listen to, even if they sound somewhat outdated due to relatively simplistic production and problematic sound quality. For bossa nova fans these are absolute classics, others might like to take a trip down the nostalgia lane; whatever the reason, this music still has a lot of charm and zest. Recommended!
Side Note: The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label and the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label 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 have 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 as to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: | CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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