Record Reviews

JOACHIM KUHN ~ BIRTHDAY EDITION ACT 6017 (Barcode: 614427601728) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1987 - 1995 Released: 2014 This album celebrates the 70th Birthday of the German Jazz pianist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist. The first album of this 2CD set presents recordings by the Kuhn trio with French bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist and Swiss drummer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist, recorded live at the Jazzfest Berlin in 1987 and 1995. The second album is a re-edition of the brilliant Jazz symphony "EuropeanaFind albums with this title", composed by the renowned British composer Michael GibbsFind albums by this artist and performed by a dream team of European Jazz musicians, including Kuhn´s trio with Jenny-Clark and Norwegian drummer Jon ChristensenFind albums by this artist and many soloists like German trombonist Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, French accordionist Richard GallianoFind albums by this artist and others, with the NDR Philharmonic Orchestra. This album was originally recorded in 1994 and released in 1995. Kuhn, who left East Germany in 1966 to join his older brother Rolf KuhnFind albums by this artist, who was already living in West Germany, became in time one of the most prolific and influential German and European Jazz musicians. Kuhn, who started as an avant-gardist and Free Jazz enthusiast went through a Jazz-Rock Fusion phase during the 1970s, being one of the pioneers of that genre at the time, returned to advanced Jazz explorations later on, and is to this day considered as one of the top European Jazz artists. The piano trio album is a superb example of the modern approach to this seemingly simple setting, which treats the instruments on an absolutely equal level, giving them the same opportunity to express their ideas. Of course every trio is only as good as the cooperation between its members, and this particular trio has very few competitors in that department. Of the six pieces the trio plays, four are originals by Kuhn, one is a Humair / Kuhn collaboration and one was composed by the great French Jazz clarinetist Michel PortalFind albums by this artist. It is fascinating to see how the music, which was recorded eight years apart, appears to be as if recorded during the same concert. Such level of perfect integration and telepathic interplay is only achieved by the very best musicians out there and it´s great that ACTFind albums on this label released these live recordings as they are simply too good to be forgotten. The Jazz symphony is of course as different form the trio recordings as the Jazz idiom permits; from an intimate trio into a symphonic grandeur. It is no secret that I have been a loyal follower of the works by Michael Gibbs ever since he appeared on the British scene, and in retrospect his orchestral works have been some of my fondest experiences not only as Jazz pieces, but as examples of grand music in general. The concept of this extraordinary work is to take a musical tour of Western Europe, from the northern Scandinavian countries, via central Europe and then south west to Spain. The symphony is divided into thirteen separate fragments, each one featuring different soloists, which are loosely connected to specific European countries but overall present the diversity of the Continent´s Cultural heritage and aesthetic values as expressed by music. Although these two albums have seemingly almost nothing in common on the surface, they do represent simply a different facets of the same Cultural attitude, based on tradition and grooming as many new ideas as possible, ignoring incompatibilities and obstacles. Gibbs proves again that his exquisite melodies are perfect vehicles for Jazz improvisations, and the superb team gathered to perform this music stands up to the challenge with flying colors. Overall this is a great tribute to the life and music of Joachim Kuhn, but includes also many other aspects of the music we love so much. Even if one already has a copy of "Europeana", it´s still worth to get a copy of this set just for the trio album, which will probably lead to another listening of the Gibbs work as well. Great stuff!

Updated: 13/08/2016Posted: 05/04/2016

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JOACHIM KUHN ~ UNIVERSAL TIME UNIVERSAL 044001667121 (Barcode: 044001667121) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2002 This is an album by German pianist / composer / bandleader Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with American bassist Scott ColleyFind albums by this artist and Cuban drummer Horacio HernandezFind albums by this artist. French saxophonist / bass clarinetist Michel PortalFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist Chris PotterFind albums by this artist guest on selected tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, nine composed by Kuhn and two by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist. Kuhn plays piano on nine tracks and saxophone on two tracks. The music is a brilliant example of modern European Jazz with a large degree of Freedom and Improvisation, but based on strictly and brilliantly composed themes. The lineup shifts between trio, quartet and quintet settings, and allows wonderful interplay between these exceptional musicians. Kuhn is undoubtedly one of the most unique and innovative European Jazz musicians, and this album, as in fact all of his recordings, clearly show why. Kuhn dominates the proceedings with his virtuosic piano parts, mostly played at a hyper-fast tempo, but all the musicians get a chance to solo and show their chops, and the excellent rhythm section manages to keep standard time most of the time. For me, Kuhn is one of the greatest and most talented weavers of wonderful melodies, and this album is full of these. Overall, this is a superb album and sadly one of the lesser known in the extensive recorded legacy by Kuhn, which is absolutely worth being discovered, although it is not easy to be found these days. The hair-raising virtuosity of Kuhn has but a few equals in modern Jazz and he never recorded an album, which is not worthy of an honorable place in a serious modern Jazz record collection.

Updated: 12/08/2024Posted: 12/08/2024

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MUMPS ~ A MATTER OF TASTE MPS 602517795822 (Barcode: 602517795822) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1977 Released: 2008 This is a reissue / remaster of the only album recorded together by four great European Jazz innovators, one German: trombonist / composer Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, two Americans: drummer / composer Stu MartinFind albums by this artist and bassist / composer Barre PhillipsFind albums by this artist, and British saxophonist / composer John SurmanFind albums by this artist, collectively known as MUMPSFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, all originals co-composed by the quartet members. The album was produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist. Martin, Phillips and Surman, known collectively as simply The TrioFind albums by this artist, recorded together often since early 1970s, and have a brilliant recorded legacy together, as a trio and with other European Jazz greats, like French saxophonist / clarinetist Michel PortalFind albums by this artist and others. This session with Mangelsdorff is probably their greatest recording together, as far as I am considered. Despite the fact that all four musicians are known as groundbreaking improvisers, the music on this album sounds way more melodic than one might expect, which does not mean that there is less improvisation, but the incredible interplay between them and the obvious comradeship obviously adds to the incredible atmosphere this album captures. The music is of course as brilliant as one might expect, with all musicians demonstrating their incredible abilities, both as solo performers and collective players. The music is composed, but offers a large degree of Freedom, with improvisation as the focal point. In many respects the album reflects the spirit of European Jazz at its peak by the late-1970s, where national borders were completely meaningless and the only thing that really mattered was the spirit of Jazz and its creativity. Berendt was always a maverick in creating connections between musicians and his role as Artistic Director of several key European Jazz festivals as well as a sought-after record producer enabled him a free hand in selecting the musicians he wanted to record, as in this case. Overall, this is brilliant example of European Jazz at the time, with the creative input of Berendt behind the music and the unparalleled sovereignty he enjoyed to take his creativity wherever he wanted. I had the incredible luck to be around there and then, including this particular recording session, and of course the experience is deeply implanted in my memory. Of course, knowing all these incredible musicians personally was also a most educational experience. The album is a must in any serious European Jazz collection. 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: 11/04/2025Posted: 10/04/2025

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

MICHEL PORTAL ~ ANY WAY LABEL BLEU 6544 (Barcode: 3149025057877) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1991 - 1992 Released: 1993 This is an album by legendary French bass clarinetist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Michel PortalFind albums by this artist, recorded with a large gathering of international Jazz musicians, which includes French violinist Didier LockwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist, percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist and guitarist Nguyen LeFind albums by this artist, British trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, American keyboardist Gil GoldsteinFind albums by this artist and bassist Victor BaileyFind albums by this artist, Indian percussionist Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist, Swiss drummer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents six lengthy tracks, five of which are original compositions by Portal and one is by Cinelu. The music is based on beautiful composed themes, on which the participants improvise with obvious skill and imagination. There are strong World Music influences and excellent group improvisations. The leader plays mostly the bass clarinet, and his fame as one of the greatest virtuosi of that instrument is of course fully justified. The solo by Wheeler on the last racks is alone worth having this album in one’s collection. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect and great fun, and the musicians are obviously jamming and enjoying themselves, which is felt in the resulting music, mixing the Jazz elements with Funk and Ethnic drumming, which is very effective. Overall, this is a very unusual album, which creates an amalgam of European Jazz and Ethnic / World percussive elements, and offers some extraordinary improvised parts by some of the best musicians on this planet. A true joy!

Updated: 04/02/2025Posted: 04/02/2025

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VIENNA ART ORCHESTRA ~ ALL THAT STRAUSS TCB 20052 (Barcode: 725095200523) ~ AUSTRIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2000 Released: 2000 This is the first album recorded in the 21st Century! Recorded live on January 1st 2000 by the wonderful Vienna Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist under the leadership of Mathias RüeggFind albums by this artist, this album presents the music of the Strauss Family, spectacularly arranged for the Jazz environment by Rüegg and superbly executed by the orchestra, which of course was the best of its kind at the time. Among the orchestra members on this album were such great musicians like saxophonist Harry SokalFind albums by this artist or Russian French horn player Arkady ShilkloperFind albums by this artist A few guest musicians also participate, like French clarinetist Michel PortalFind albums by this artist and Austrian saxophonist Wolfgang PuschnigFind albums by this artist. The music of the Strauss Family epitomizes the Viennese Culture much more than the music of the "serious" Classical composers that lived in the city. The citizens of Vienna always preferred a good dance ball and the waltz was the favorite of the 19th Century dances, and rightly so. Rüegg treats the music by Strauss Family members with respect, but also with a typical tongue in cheek attitude, which turns this album into a true delight. But fun aside, the album presents many spectacular solos by the orchestra members and guests and the ensemble work of the orchestra is breathtaking. Vienna Art Orchestra was always a superb example of the differences between European Big Bands / Jazz Orchestras and their American counterparts and this album is just one of the chapters in such study. European Jazz does not get much more European than what can be heard here. Everything that European Jazz is made of is represented herein: the references to the Classical Music tradition, the sophistication and finesse, the intellectual aspect of Jazz, in short everything that makes it what it is. As such this is a must in any serous collection of European Orchestral Jazz. What a pity that Vienna Art Orchestra had to be dissolved by 2010 for financial reasons. Governments are wasting enormous sums of money on totally stupid and often damaging endeavors and the European Union or the Austrian Government could not afford to support one of Europe´s most important cultural symbols. Shame!

Updated: 13/08/2016Posted: 13/08/2016

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MIROSLAV VITOUS ~ REMEMBERING WEATHER REPORT ECM 2073 (Barcode: 602517881372) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 - 2007 Released: 2009 Czech bassist / composer Miroslav VitousFind albums by this artist was a founding member of the seminal group Weather ReportFind albums by this artist and played on their first 3 studio albums and the live album recorded in Japan. The idea of Weather Report was to search for a new direction in the rapidly changing Jazz scene at the time, which was initiated by the revolutionary artistry of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. However, as we know in retrospect, Weather Report took a different turn than what Vitous had in mind when he co-founded the group, turning gradually more and more into the leading Fusion and Funk group of the 1970s / 1980s, rather than exploring the realms of free improvisation and spontaneity. Thirty years later Vitous takes a somewhat nostalgic trip back to his Weather Report days, proposing a "what if…" scenario, i.e. presenting music, which might have been played by the band if he stayed on. Played by his quartet with veteran Swiss trumpeter Franco AmbrosettiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Gary CampbellFind albums by this artist and drummer Gerald CleaverFind albums by this artist, Vitous also adds the veteran French Master – Michel PortalFind albums by this artist, who plays bass clarinet. Together they perform some superb music, mostly written by Vitous except for one piece by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist, which is pretty open and free but retains enough rhythmic and melodic backbone to be enjoyable even to less ear-trained listeners. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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