Record Reviews

AMALGAM ~ INNOVATION FMR 119 (Barcode: 649849981592) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 Released: 2003 3rd album by the superb British Jazz / Improvised Music ensemble AmalgamFind albums by this artist, one of the precursors of British / European Free Jazz scene in the late 1960s and 1970s, founded by saxophonist Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist. On this album the lineup includes the legendary drummer John StevensFind albums by this artist, pianist Keith TippettFind albums by this artist, bassists Kent CarterFind albums by this artist and Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist and conga player Terri QuayeFind albums by this artist. The music includes four compositions by Stevens and one by Watts, all of which are excellent vehicles for the extended improvisations. This album was originally released on the tiny independent TangentFind albums on this label label, and was unavailable for many years, which is now rectified by this CD issue. In many respects this album is quite different from most of the ensemble´s output, as it includes a piano, which was not usually included in the lineup, mellowing the overall sound. Tippett plays wonderfully of course and his contribution is most valuable. Overall this is yet another example of the wonderful forces at work during a most illustrious period in British Jazz. A classic of the genre and a must for any Free Jazz / Improvised Music buff!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HATFIELD AND THE NORTH ~ THE ROTTERS` CLUB (EXPANDED EDITION) ESOTERIC 2140 (Barcode: 5013929724020) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene Recorded: 1975 Released: 2009 2nd album by the legendary Canterbury group Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, probably the most iconic and unsurpassed masters of the genre. Comprising of keyboardist Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, with guests like Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, Mont CampbellFind albums by this artist, Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist and Tim HodgkinsonFind albums by this artist, they recorded what is considered to be the ultimate Canterbury masterpiece. The album represents everything that the genre stands for: brilliant melodies, strange harmonies, superb musicianship, quirk rhythmic patterns and a good dash of British humor. It is difficult to pinpoint why this album and its predecessor turned out to be the genre´s icons, but the fact that they are the first thing that come to mind when Canterbury is mentioned speaks for itself. Whatever the reasons, this is an absolute classic album, which lost nothing of its intrinsic beauty and musical perfection over time. Absolutely essential!

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

STEVE HILLAGE ~ FISH RISING (EXPANDED EDITION) VIRGIN 373415 (Barcode: 094637341520) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene Recorded: 1974 - 1975 Released: 2007 1st album recorded while Steve HillageFind albums by this artist was still a member of GongFind albums by this artist. After recording with Gong the entire “Radio Gnome Invisible” trilogy, Hillage decided it was time to start a solo career, where his music would be featured more prominently, with this album being the first step in that direction. In Gong Hillage met his life-long partner Miquette GiraudyFind albums by this artist, who would become his musical collaborator and they both composed all the music and the entire concept of this album. Most of his Gong cohorts participate, but Hillage added the great Dave StewartFind albums by this artist on keyboards and Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist (from Henry CowFind albums by this artist) on bassoon, to create a much more sophisticated sound and instrumentation. The material consists mostly of 3 long (2 over 14 minutes) suites and a few shorter pieces. The overall sound and style of the album is still very much Gong related / influenced and can be considered as another Gong off-shot project (which many Gong fans do), but Hillage’s individuality is certainly already present and it will come to full fruition starting with the next album. In retrospect this album manages to keep at its extraordinary qualities well and is still fresh and exciting, adding another Canterbury classic album to the list.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KEN HYDER / TALISKER ~ DREAMING OF GLENISLA REEL RECORDINGS 004 (Barcode: 641444015429) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1975 - 1976 Released: 2007 Scottish drummer / composer Ken HyderFind albums by this artist and his TaliskerFind albums by this artist ensemble were one of the most interesting groups on the UK Free Jazz scene in the mid-1970s. I recall hearing their performances several times at London’s typical jazz venues and those were always most enjoyable. As Hyder states in the liner notes for this reissue, he decided to go back to his Scottish / Celtic roots after playing for years American influenced music, while overlooking their own traditional music. This amalgam of Scottish roots and melodies with the powers of Jazz improvisation creates something completely new and quite surprising. The attempt to find the unifying elements of all music, regardless of its tradition or source is exemplified here beautifully. The band, an unusual quintet, with two horns and two bass players, includes Hyder on drums with Davie WebsterFind albums by this artist on alto sax, John RangecroftFind albums by this artist on tenor sax and clarinet, Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist and Marc MeggidoFind albums by this artist on bass. The music is mostly composed by Hyder or arranged by him based on traditional motifs. This album captures a really unusual and often sadly forgotten moment of the splendid UK Jazz scene at that time and it’s really great to have it back. Most wholeheartedly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ SARAJEVO (SUITE) HARMONIA MUNDI 13039 (Barcode: 3366750130396) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 1993 Released: 1994 This is a brilliant and completely obscure European Jazz & Poetry album, which features a large group of creative Artists, dedicated to the commemorative effort of the bombing and destruction of the Bosnian city of Sarajevo during the Yugoslav Wars. The original music accompanies texts by Bosnian poet Abdulah SidranFind albums by this artist. The participating musicians include British Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist, Phil MintonFind albums by this artist, Kate WestbrookFind albums by this artist, Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist, Chris BiscoeFind albums by this artist, French Henri TexierFind albums by this artist and Louis SclavisFind albums by this artist, German Wolfgang PushingFind albums by this artist, Dutch Willem BreukerFind albums by this artist and many others. The music is absolutely sensational and combined with the deeply penetrating texts offers a shocking protest against war, political extremism, cruelty, intolerance and injustice. Musically it presents mostly contemporary Jazz themes sprinkled with Balkan folkloristic accents, but also some orchestral, Avant-Garde and Classical pieces, all creating a collage of music and words, which is impossible to stay indifferent to. Sadly, this is a rare example of protest in contemporary music, in contrast to what was happening in music in the 1960s, when the social / political protest was deeply intertwined in the music mainstream. Humanity is slowly becoming indifferent and therefore a project like this one is especially important and worth being remembered. Overall, this is an absolutely marvelous piece of music and poetry, which is also an example of Artists unified by a political issue, which needs to tackled. Performed by some of the best European musicians, actors, producers and other creative contributors, this album is as important for its aesthetics as for its moral significance. Sadly, it is extremely difficult to find a copy if this album today, but every effort to do so will be richly rewarded. A true gem of European Culture!

Updated: 25/06/2023Posted: 25/06/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MIKE WESTBROOK ~ THE CORTEGE ENJA 9587 (Barcode: 063757958727) ~ UK ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 1982 Released: 2011 This is a reissue of the monumental work by British pianist / composer / bandleader Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist and his 17-piece Orchestra, recorded in 1982, which features some of the most important British Jazz musicians active at the time, many of them Westbrook´s cohorts many years before and after the recording of this masterpiece. This of course includes his lifetime partner vocalist Kate WestbrookFind albums by this artist, and among others guitarist Brian GoddingFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Phil MintonFind albums by this artist, trombonist Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Chris HunterFind albums by this artist and Chris BiscoeFind albums by this artist and bassoonist Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist; in short a dream team by all respects. Originally released as a 3 LPs set it was remastered and released here as a double CD. "The CortegeFind albums with this title" is a concept album, related to the funeral procession and all it symbolizes, in this case a procession accompanied by music, like the customary New Orleans Jazz funeral which goes back to the cradle of the Jazz idiom, but not stopping there of course, neither conceptually not musically. The lyrics, which are incorporated into the concept, which are poems written by celebrated European poets: Arthur RimbaudFind albums by this artist, Hermann HesseFind albums by this artist, Frederico Garcia LorcaFind albums by this artist, Giuseppe Gioachino BelliFind albums by this artist, John ClareFind albums by this artist and Pentii SaarikoskiFind albums by this artist (included in the album´s booklet both in their original language and in English translations, when appropriate), present an additional layer to the conceptual approach, which presents a three part cycle of life / death / after(life), with all the philosophical, aesthetic and even theological aspects involved. Of course listeners interested only the musical layer of this complex work, are perfectly free to enjoy it as such in the fullest. Mike´s and Kate´s musical universe was always an amalgam of music and poetry in one way or another, and their approach to music as simply one facet of what we call Culture, being inseparable from its other manifestations, has been very consistent. Their familiarity with the literary world in many different languages and originating from all across Europe is truly phenomenal, and as an avid connoisseur of European Culture myself, I have always admired the Westbrooks for what they were doing. Since the Jazz & Poetry idiom, which this work and many other works by the Westbrooks belong to, is my specialty (bordering on obsession some may say) it is plainly obvious that I absolutely admire this album since I first heard it and unwaveringly continue to do so. In Westbrook´s prolific recorded legacy this album serves as a turning point in many respects; although some of the albums recorded before "The Cortege" already included literary references, like those dedicated to the work of William BlakeFind albums by this artist ("Tyger (A Celebration of William Blake)Find albums with this title" from 1971 and "The Westbrook Blake (Bright As Fire)Find albums with this title" from 1980), the inclusion of literary contents from this point forward was about to become almost a modus operandi, both for the large scale orchestral and more intimate projects. Blake, of course, is not missing from this album and a rendition of his eternal "Jerusalem" is included herein. It is fascinating to make a comparison of the orchestral arrangements present on this album with Westbrook´s early orchestral works from the late 1960s and early 1970s, which clearly depicts his ever developing palette as a composer / arranger as well as his shift towards less dominant orchestral sound, which is rarely used in its full might on this album with subtlety and allusion playing a much more significant role. In many respects "The Cortege" embodies the spirit of European Jazz; it includes a grain of the Jazz tradition, but expands the idiom dramatically, incorporating contemporary European Classical Music elements, Folklore, Rock, Cabaret, and a myriad of other musical and non-musical ingredients. This transformation could be described by a mathematical analogy of expanding a singularity (a point) into a multi-dimensional space. In retrospect this album is one of the most important European Jazz (and beyond) recordings, which to this day has very few, if any, equivalents and which serves (or rather should serve) as a model of human ingenuity in the world of Art, which is sadly extremely rarely followed by anybody these days. I can hardly imagine any serious European Jazz connoisseurs who miss this epic album in their collections. In case anybody does miss it, this can be easily rectified, as this remastered edition of the album is still available. Don´t dare to think twice about it!

Updated: 28/03/2016Posted: 28/03/2016

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

MIKE WESTBROOK ~ WESTBROOK-ROSSINI HATOLOGY 661 (Barcode: 752156066125) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1986 Released: 2008 British pianist / composer / arranger / bandleader Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist has been a most prominent figure on the European Jazz and Avant-Garde scene since the 1960s and his enormous contribution to music is immeasurable. His numerous recordings, varying in scale from solo piano to large orchestras have always been a source of inspiration and full of deeply aesthetic statements, often combining music with European literary legacy. This recording, which is somewhat unusual for Westbrook, finds him interpreting classical music, namely excerpts from operas by Italian composer Gioachino RossiniFind albums by this artist ("William Tell", "The Barber Of Seville", "Otello"), completely rearranging and altering the source and shaping it into a new mold, mixed with some additions of his own. The music is performed by a septet, which includes Westbrook on piano and tuba, his wife and faithful musical companion Kate WestbrookFind albums by this artist on vocals, piccolo and tenor horn, Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist on soprano saxophone, Peter WhymanFind albums by this artist on alto saxophone, Paul NiemanFind albums by this artist on trombone, Andy GrappyFind albums by this artist on tuba and Peter FaircloughFind albums by this artist on drums. The overall effect is absolutely stunning, full of brilliant ideas, breathtaking performances and a dash of humor, which often characterizes Westbrook´s work. Stylistically the music covers everything from New Orleans marching bands to a New York loft Avant-Garde performance, with a truly remarkable fluidity and brilliance. This is a treat for true connoisseurs of madcap but genius music, intellectually challenging and culturally transcending the borders of time and space. A true masterpiece! The original release of this album was unfortunately unavailable for ages and the new edition is a godsend for music lovers.

Updated: 23/07/2019Posted:

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend