Record Reviews

LEE KONITZ ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1011 (Barcode: 8052405140074) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1984 - 1992 Released: 2011 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary US saxophonist / composer Lee KonitzFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Konitz needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that from the early days with Lennie TristanoFind albums by this artist and than Miles DavisFind albums by this artist to this very day he never stopped developing and astounding his audiences. Being a very prolific musician and bandleader, Konitz recorded a vast number of albums over the years cooperating with the most distinguished Jazz musicians around the globe. His virtuosic sax playing and excellent compositions are always a source of great musical joy. The musicians playing on these five albums include: drummer Billy HartFind albums by this artist, pianist Kenny WernerFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron McClureFind albums by this artist, bassist Marc JohnsonFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist and many others. 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! Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice Lovely - led me to areas of Konitz´s work I did not know

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JOE SATRIANI ~ THE COMPLETE STUDIO RECORDINGS SONY 887254184225 (Barcode: 887254184225) ~ USA ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1986 - 2013 Released: 2014 This Box Set collects all the studio albums released on the EpicFind albums on this label label by prominent American Rock guitarist / composer Joe SatrianiFind albums by this artist, one of the most prolific and influential guitar heroes since mid 1980s. The Box Set includes fourteen newly remastered albums and a bonus CD collecting many tracks previously available only on special or Japanese editions of his albums. Satriani is considered a highly technical player and innovator of many typical Rock guitar licks heard by contemporary Rock guitarist all over the world. He plays almost exclusively his original material on his solo recordings but also collaborated with other musicians and played lead guitar in Rock groups like Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist for example. He also founded the G3Find albums by this artist trio, which featured many leading Rock guitarists as members of the trio over the years. Many famous contemporary Rock guitarists studied with Satriani over the years. Although Satriani´s teachers in his youth were Jazz musicians, including the legendary pianist Lennie TristanoFind albums by this artist and pioneering guitarist Billy BauerFind albums by this artist, his music has very little, if any Jazz influences and stays firmly within the American mainstream Rock idiom, which is somewhat limited and in retrospect repetitive. He does however improvise extensively during his solos, often being very imaginative and with obvious extraordinary skills. For lovers of guitar based instrumental Rock music this Box Set is a dream come true and an obvious source of joy. Others might enjoy parts of this extensive collection, absorbing it over time in limited doses. In any case this is a momentous piece of contemporary American Rock history.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 15 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend