Record Reviews
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  | BESTER QUARTET ~ KRAKOFF
FOR TUNE 0011 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013
Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes of the Holocaust, Jewish Culture in Poland, which flourished for almost a millennium before being abruptly and mercilessly eradicated from the face of the earth, enjoys today a tremendous renewed Renaissance. Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, Warsaw´s Singer Festival and the New Jewish Music Festival are only the main events celebrating the Jewish Culture, which should have disappeared into thin air like the smoke from the chimneys of the crematoriums. However, a cautious examination of this phenomenon reveals several fundamental differences between the pre-Holocaust Polish Jewish Culture and its renewed manifestation:
Firstly Jewish Culture was created by Jews for Jews, rarely, if at all, escaping the closed Jewish environment almost completely separated from their Polish neighbors. Jewish music was performed during Jewish celebrations and Holidays, in Jewish shtetls, where gentiles (goyim) were seldom present. Even in the major towns, like Warsaw itself, Jews had their own entertainment centers, again rarely frequented by gentiles. Since there is no sizeable Jewish population in Poland, today´s Jewish Culture is of course presented to the non-Jewish Poles, most of which were born after WWII, most of them with little or no knowledge whatsoever about Jews and their Culture. And yet for some inexplicable reason this Culture fascinates these audiences, a sort of nostalgia to something they know existed once but is no more.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly from the Artistic standpoint, the reborn Jewish Culture in Poland is in fact only slightly associated with the original Jewish Culture per se, often referring to the tradition as a source of inspiration rather that an attempt to revive it as it was. Even when the new culture uses the "old" terminology, like the idiom "Klezmer" for example, there is no direct similarity to what is considered or called Klezmer music today to what it was in the past. And yet a continuum was definitely achieved, which is wondrous indeed.
Bester QuartetFind albums by this artist is a classic example of the case at hand. Formed in 1997 by accordionist / composer Jaroslaw BesterFind albums by this artist, the ensemble was initially called The Cracow Klezmer BandFind albums by this artist and under that moniker released six albums on the highly respected TzadikFind albums on this label label owned by John ZornFind albums by this artist. The quartet played ambitious original music, brilliantly performed by its virtuosi members, but quite honestly calling this music Klezmer or even Jewish was definitely farfetched. At some stage Bester probably realized that dichotomy and by 2012 changed the name of the ensemble to Bester Quartet (and also changed the bass player) and since released two more albums on Tzadik, the latest of which, called "The Golden LandFind albums with this title" features music written entirely by Mordechai GebirtigFind albums by this artist and seems to be the closest to Jewish roots.
This, their ninth album, is a live recording at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, captures the band before "The Golden Land" album was released and features mostly music from their previous album "MetamorphosesFind albums by this artist", a couple of pieces from earlier albums and one sneak preview of a Gebirtig tune. The quartet includes Bester, violinist Jaroslaw TyralaFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Oleg DyyakFind albums by this artist and the new young bass player Mikolaj PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist. They all perform elegantly, spotlessly and obviously are highly spirited. Of course as a band they are perfectly together and they respect each other´s space, allowing for extended improvised passages.
The music, which is always superbly melodic, is unfortunately somewhat unfocused stylistically. Although the arrangements try to present a "unified" musical coherence, the musical influences run freely between Gypsy folklore, Argentinean tango, Eastern-European melodic lines, Balkan rhythmic patters, in short "around the world in 70 minutes". Jewish? Not really. But of course, since there is no "Klezmer" anywhere on the cover, I have no problem with this. Overall this is music which can be enjoyed by connoisseurs all over the world and people who like to hear diversity and sophistication in the music they enjoy.
The music is beautifully recorded with superb sound quality, especially so in the case of a live recording. The album comes bundled with a DVD of the same concert, which has no additional musical content, but is a nice document of the event. This is the first album by the quartet released on a Polish label and kudos to For Tune for finally putting the record straight, which they do repeatedly time after time.
| | | CD+DVD 2 Recommend To A Friend |
  | DAVE DOUGLAS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE
CAM JAZZ 1020 (Barcode: 8052405140630) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1993 - 1998 Released: 2012
This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American trumpeter / composer Dave DouglasFind 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 three albums he recorded as a leader, a live recording with the expanded version of the RovaFind albums by this artist quartet dedicated to John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s album "AscensionFind albums with this title", and two albums as a sideman: one with John LindbergFind albums by this artist and another with Mark DresserFind albums by this artist.
Douglas is well known as a member of John ZornFind albums by this artist´s MassadaFind albums by this artist group, but he is also a most prolific recording artist on his own, with an impressive list of albums to his credit. These recordings present his output in the 1990s, and they are all excellent examples of his work, which combines Free Jazz, ethnic influences and Improvised Music, all based on a strong tradition of Modern Jazz. Douglas is perfectly comfortable playing melody and completely improvised passages, always preserving his perfect timing and absolutely beautiful tone.
The list of the players present on these recordings reads like the Who´s Who of the American Avant-Garde scene and includes violinist Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Larry OchsFind albums by this artist, bassists Mark Dresser and John Lindberg, drummers Michael SarinFind albums by this artist and Ed ThigpenFind albums by this artist and many others. The music spans a wide range of different musical environments and approaches, all executed with flare and obvious talent. Most of this music should be accessible even to listeners with limited Avant-Garde experience of affiliation, but those who have already the appropriate background with enjoy this music to the max. Brilliant stuff!
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 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | GRZEGORZ ROGALA PROJECT ~ ENTHUZJAZZM
SOLITON 030 (Barcode: 5901549899306) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011
The incredible Renaissance of Jewish Culture, which erupted in recent years in Poland, the country which hosted Jews for centuries and then witnessed their extermination during the Holocaust, is truly wondrous and unprecedented. The renewed interest in Jewish Culture and Tradition has its musical sides of course, like Jewish Music Festivals and smaller, more intimate projects like this one - a Jazz quartet which brings together three Polish and one Israeli Jazz musicians: trombonist Grzegorz RogalaFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz BorowieckiFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and female saxophonist Sagit ZilbermanFind albums by this artist. An oud player and a rapper guest on one track each. Together they perform seven compositions, which combine Jazz with Jewish folklore (and Polish folklore as well) – not a new concept, but certainly one which is able to produce very interesting results. Of the seven compositions three are by Rogala, two by John ZornFind albums by this artist (the legendary pioneer of the Radical Jewish Jazz movement), one by Zilberman and one is a standard arranged by Zilberman. The overall sound and musical approach of the quartet is very original and unique, with the two soloists improvising on top of a very solid rhythmic background provided by the rhythm section. In fact the bass player holds the music together in a truly admirable way. The quartet is not trying to play another version of Klezmer / Hasidic Jazz mixture, which has already been explored by many other ensembles, but creates their own stylistic approach, which although not completely Free, has a lot of freedom and space, which allows individual expression. Overall the album sounds fresh, interesting and unique, which doesn´t happen too often these days. Definitely worth investigating!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | TALAT ~ THE GROWL
TZADIK 8113 (Barcode: 702397811329) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006
Klezmer / Hasidic music and Jazz have a lot in common, at times being almost undistinguishable. Although based on quite different musical foundations (Eastern European folk motifs vs. the blues), both these musical genres are mainly about improvisation, the most significant characteristic that sets them apart from most other types of music. The attempts to merge these two genres have been undertaken by many musicians active in both genres with various degrees of success. John ZornFind albums by this artist’s label TzadikFind albums on this label (which released this album) is the home label to some of these musicians, as is another Jewish owned NY label called Knitting FactoryFind albums on this label. Although I’m pretty familiar with most of this stuff, hearing this album really knocked me out completely. Never before have I heard such a harmonious and clever interchange of these two genres, almost painfully brilliant. TalatFind albums by this artist is a NY based quintet led by Israeli composer / pianist Alon NechushtanFind albums by this artist, who composed and arranged all the music on this album. His cahoots are four young players (Marc MommaasFind albums by this artist – saxophones, Matt ShulmanFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Matt PavolkaFind albums by this artist – bass and Jordan PersonFind albums by this artist – drums) with exceptional abilities and technique. The music cleverly moves between the Klezmer-like melodies and the jazz-like improvisations with such ease and elegance that the transition seems to be perfectly natural and smooth. The arrangements are devilishly clever and intricate, but easy on the ear, so this wonderful music should please even the less experienced listeners who had little experience with contemporary improvised music. Alon’s incredible gift to make complex music sound easy is one that many fellow musicians should envy, as it is rare and precious. This is a rare gem and an essential example of music transcending the limitations of what is considered humanly possible. A must!
| | | CD 1 Essential 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!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | 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!
| | | CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend |
  | JOHN ZORN ~ COBRA
HATOLOGY 580 (Barcode: 752156058021) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1985 - 1986 Released: 2002
This is a long overdue reissue of the legendary album by American musician / composer / bandleader John ZornFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures of the late 20th Century Avant-Garde and music experimentation scenes. "CobraFind albums with this title" is one of the earlier monumental works by Zorn, which established him as a member of the "major" league of contemporary composers, such as Morton FeldmanFind albums by this artist, Frederic RzewskiFind albums by this artist, Karlheinz StockhausenFind albums by this artist and other icons of the "new" serious contemporary music. Many of the compositional devices used by his contemporaries are present here, as the music is basically a freely improvised collage of sounds made by electronic, electric and acoustic instruments and human voices. In places it is similar to musique concrète, in others to an ambient soundtrack, and so on, changing constantly. However, what sets it apart from most Avant-Garde music is an intrinsic connection to Jazz and Rock, evident clearly at places, especially in phrases played by the electric guitars (played by Bill FrisellFind albums by this artist, Arto LindseyFind albums by this artist and Elliott SharpFind albums by this artist. This album includes two quite different versions of the music, the earlier one recorded live and the slightly later one recorded in the studio. It´s fascinating to compare the two, as they are truly revealing as to the process of music creation in an improvised environment. This is not an easy listening experience and it was never intended to be one – total open-mindedness is absolutely required, but the intellectual reward is exhilarating and elating. Come on you brave-hearted…
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | JOHN ZORN / GEORGE LEWIS / BILL FRISELL ~ MORE NEWS FOR LULU
HATOLOGY 655 (Barcode: 752156065524) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1989 Released: 2010
This is a long overdue reissue of the delightful album by a great trio comprising of saxophonist John ZornFind albums by this artist, trombonist George LewisFind albums by this artist and guitarist Bill FrisellFind albums by this artist, musicians who are usually associated with the Free Jazz / Avant-Garde US scene, but on this album reexamine their roots and play their brilliant interpretations of Bop Jazz, composed by four great musicians / composers, who were active in the 1950s and 1960s: trumpeter Kenny DorhamFind albums by this artist and pianists Hank MobleyFind albums by this artist, Freddie ReddFind albums by this artist and Sonny ClarkFind albums by this artist. This is a second album they recorded together, all of it captured live, as opposed to the first meeting, which was mostly recorded in the studio. Although truly unusual as far as instrumentation is concerned, this trio sounds just brilliantly and their redemption of these wonderful but mostly forgotten tunes composed decades earlier is remarkable and sounds fresh and innovative in every respect. Add to this the exceptional ability of the trio members and their phenomenal interplay and you get a brilliant album from start to finish. Listeners familiar with the work of these three iconic musicians will be delighted to hear them in this setting and people unfamiliar with them can hear this without fear of heavy intellectual struggle with the music, as it is accessible and melodic as much as it is brilliant!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | JOHN ZORN / GEORGE LEWIS / BILL FRISELL ~ NEWS FOR LULU
HATOLOGY 650 (Barcode: 752156065029) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1987 Released: 2008
This is a long overdue reissue of the delightful album by a great trio comprising of saxophonist John ZornFind albums by this artist, trombonist George LewisFind albums by this artist and guitarist Bill FrisellFind albums by this artist, musicians who are usually associated with the Free Jazz / Avant-Garde US scene, but on this album reexamine their roots and play their brilliant interpretations of Bop Jazz, composed by four great musicians / composers, who were active in the 1950s and 1960s: trumpeter Kenny DorhamFind albums by this artist and pianists Hank MobleyFind albums by this artist, Freddie ReddFind albums by this artist and Sonny ClarkFind albums by this artist. Although truly unusual as far as instrumentation is concerned, this trio sounds just brilliantly and their redemption of these wonderful but mostly forgotten tunes composed decades earlier is remarkable and sounds fresh and innovative in every respect. Add to this the exceptional ability of the trio members and their phenomenal interplay and you get a brilliant album from start to finish. Listeners familiar with the work of these three iconic musicians will be delighted to hear them in this setting and people unfamiliar with them can hear this without fear of heavy intellectual struggle with the music, as it is accessible and melodic as much as it is brilliant!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
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