Record Reviews

BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH ~ BREMEN TO BRIDGWATER CUNEIFORM 182/183 (Barcode: 045775018225) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1975 Released: 2004 This albums collects three concerts recorded by the legendary British Jazz ensemble Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist. The first recording captures the ensemble in its early days (1971) whereas the other two come from four years later (1975), towards the end of the life cycle of the first edition of the band, which came to its end with the death of trumpeter Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist just a month after the last of these concerts was recorded. The collective lineup (which changed slightly over time) includes: Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, Marc CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi Feza – trumpet, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist, Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist and Radu MalfattiFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist, Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, Elton DeanFind albums by this artist, Bruce GrantFind albums by this artist and Gary WindoFind albums by this artist – saxophone, Chris McGregor – piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist and Keith BaileyFind albums by this artist– drums. It is interesting to compare the development of the ensemble over this relatively short time period and see how well integrated musically and spiritually the ensemble really was. Both the individual and collective improvisations are all breathtaking and the entire concert is an orgy of sound and musical creativity. A must to all British Jazz enthusiasts and definitely worth investigating for all open-minded music lovers.

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BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH ~ TRAVELLING SOMEWHERE CUNEIFORM 152 (Barcode: 045775015224) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2001 The saga of the British ensemble Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist and their leader pianist / composer Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist stretches back in time and space to South Africa in the early-1960s, where McGregor founded the first mixed-race Jazz group in the country, the Blue NotesFind albums by this artist. For the Apartheid regime mixed-race groups were hardly a welcome activity and the group suffered many hardships and found it difficult to perform for the white public. In 1964 the group got permission to travel to Europe and eventually arrived in London, where they decided to stay. The Blue Notes played around UK initially as a sextet (McGregor – piano, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist – alto sax, Nick MoyakeFind albums by this artist – tenor sax, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Johnny DyaniFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist – drums) and later as a quintet (after Moyake returned to SA). In spite of the fact that they were one of the most innovative and inspiring Jazz acts at the time, they never achieved proper recognition. The pioneering work of Jazz-World Fusion, with the emphasis on African music, which the group presented, was surely quite ahead of its time. By the early 1970s McGregor managed to form a large ensemble, combining the Blue Notes players with some of the most prominent British Jazz musicians of the time, which was called Brotherhood Of Breath. The resulting ensemble was surely one of the highlights of the British Jazz scene in the early to mid-1970s, offering an incredibly powerful stage act, which included a superb amalgam of modern Jazz, Free, Improvised Music and strong African music influence. The ensemble recorded but a few studio albums, but luckily many of their splendid concerts were recorded by radio stations and festivals, mostly around Europe, where they were always received warmly. This album documents a performance captured by the German Radio Bremen and is a superb example of what they were all about. The lineup (which changed slightly over time) includes: Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, Marc CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi Feza – trumpet, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist and Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, Dudu Pukwana and Gary WindoFind albums by this artist – saxophone, Chris McGregor – piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis Moholo – drums. Both the individual and collective improvisations are all breathtaking and the entire concert is an orgy of sound and musical creativity. A must to all British Jazz enthusiasts and definitely worth investigating for all open-minded music lovers.

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JOHNNY DYANI ~ REJOICE / TOGETHER CADILLAC 012/013 (Barcode: 5020675971325) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 - 1980 Released: 2014 This is an expanded 2CD reissue / remaster of two albums involving the great South African (and later British / European) bassist Johnny DyaniFind albums by this artist, both released on the legendary CadillacFind albums on this label label, founded by John JackFind albums by this artist. The first album “RejoiceFind albums with this title” was recorded by Dyani with trumpeter Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist and Turkish drummer / percussionist Okay TemizFind albums by this artist, collectively called XabaFind albums by this artist, in 1972, but released only in 1988, and is here expanded by a previously unreleased track, over twenty minutes in duration. The second album “TogetherFind albums with this title” was recorded by the ensemble called Witchdoctor`s SonFind albums by this artist, an octet that included Dyani on keyboards and vocals, saxophonist Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist and other musicians, recorded between 1979-1980, but released only in 1987. Both albums were recorded in Stockholm, Sweden. The album is a great tribute to South African expatriate community, which contributed greatly to the development of the British and European Jazz scene over the years, in many respects more profoundly than any other group among the many emigres that turned British Jazz into the most interesting and culturally fertile grounds ever. Of course Dyani, Feza and Pukwana are best known for their work as members of the legendary Blue NotesFind albums by this artist ensemble. Musically the two albums are quite different: The intimate trio recording spotlights the Free Jazz phenomenon with emphasis of Feza’s sensational trumpet virtuosity, Dyani’s superb bass pulsations and the extraordinary drumming fluency of Temiz, who was resident in Stockholm when the trio set was recorded. The trio recorded several albums together, all released at the time on Swedish labels. The octet recording is more about collective improvisation and ethnic influences, group dynamic and the joy of playing together. Overall, as all the Cadillac reissues, this is a brilliant document of the British Jazz scene, which should be an absolutely essential part of any serious British Jazz collection, thankfully now available on CD, with the original LPs being now very hard to find. Grab a copy as long as they last!

Updated: 08/08/2023Posted: 08/08/2023

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HARRY MILLER / ISIPINGO ~ FULL STEAM AHEAD REEL RECORDINGS 012 (Barcode: 676868177927) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1975 - 1977 Released: 2008 Harry MillerFind albums by this artist brought over from his native South Africa a whole universe of music, which he and several of his South African musical cohorts injected into the British Jazz scene at a time of its greatest glory, not only musically but also socially, when it opened its arms and embraced any worthy influence, be it from India, Middle East, Far East or any other part of the crumbling Empire. Harry was always one of the most revered Masters of the bass and the warm tone and full body of his instrument ornamented countless recordings made by British bandleaders in the 1970s. However, Harry´s heart was always warmest to the amalgam of Free Improvised Jazz based on South African roots. His performances with the Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist and with his own roots ensemble IsipingoFind albums by this artist are clear evidence of the fact. Sadly Isipingo recorded just one album and therefore this new release, which presents a set of wonderful (mostly studio) recordings, all previously unreleased, is a true delight to every one of the many Harry´s fans around the globe. Made in cooperation with the Miller family label OgunFind albums on this label Records, run by his wife Hazel, this album is a heaven on earth in every respect – the music is delightful, the sound quality excellent and the historical value immeasurable. The lineup of the sextet changes slightly on the tracks present here, including saxophonist Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Mark CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist, trombonists Nick EvansFind albums by this artist, Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist and Paul NeimanFind albums by this artist, pianists Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist, Keith TippettFind albums by this artist and Frank RobertsFind albums by this artist, Miller on bass and drummer Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist. The music, all composed by Miller, charges full steam ahead indeed, preserving absolutely all of its vitality and high spirited energy. This album deserves a well respected place in any serious British Jazz album collection and hopefully will be discovered by many new listeners, who missed this wonderful music when it was performed live, being one more testimony to the fact that Harry´s untimely death in 1983 was a tremendous loss for all music lovers.

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted:

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HARRY MILLER / ISIPINGO ~ WHICH WAY NOW CUNEIFORM 233 (Barcode: 045775023328) ~ UK ~ Jazz Released: 2006 Originally from South Africa, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist was one of the main forces on the UK jazz scene in the 1970s. He recorded and performed with all the major players during that period (John SurmanFind albums by this artist, CentipedeFind albums by this artist, Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist, Keith TippettFind albums by this artist, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, King CrimsonFind albums by this artist, Julie TippettsFind albums by this artist, Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist and Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist´s Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist) and his contributions were very significant in the development on that wonderfully diverse and prolific period. He and his wife founded the legendary OgunFind albums on this label label, which released many of that period’s essential recordings and documented the scene probably more efficiently than any other UK label at the time. Miller’s sextet IsipingoFind albums by this artist (Nick EvansFind albums by this artist - trombone, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist - trumpet, Harry Miller - double bass, Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist - drums, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist - alto sax and Keith TippettFind albums by this artist - piano) recorded only one studio album and therefore this high-quality recording from 1975 by Radio Bremen is an invaluable addition to both Miller’s discography and the overall documentation of this illustrious period in UK jazz. The music is somewhat similar to the output of Chris McGregor´s Brotherhood of Breath (as is the group’s lineup), which played a special kind of jazz strongly influenced by Africa music, called “kwela”. Isipingo is just a bit more on the jazzy side of things. For the many fans of 1970s UK jazz this is a must of course.

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KEITH TIPPETT / JULIE TIPPETS / LUIS MOHOLO / CANTO GENERAL ~ VIVA LA BLACK LIVE AT RUVO OGUN 020 (Barcode: 5020675572201) ~ UK ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2007 This is an album, which documents a live performance captured at the Ruvo Festival in Italy, which features the British Jazz couple: pianist / composer / conductor Keith TippettFind albums by this artist and vocalist Julie TippettsFind albums by this artist, and the drummer Luis MoholoFind albums by this artist, who arrived in UK from South Africa, accompanied by the Italian Jazz Orchestra Canto General, which includes also a vocal sextet. The album presents twelve tracks, seven of which are composed by Keith Tippett, two including lyrics by Julie Tippetts, one is a traditional tune and the remaining four are by other South-African expatriates, who were an integral part of the British Jazz scene: Harry MillerFind albums by this artist, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist and Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist, sadly no longer with us. The music is absolutely fascinating in every respect and the magic of the live performance is perfectly captured by this magnificent recording. The Orchestra features some top Italian Jazz players, like saxophonist Roberto OttavianoFind albums by this artist, who get a chance to solo throughout the proceedings, and Julie’s vocals are as captivating as always. The focal point of the album is a performance of Keith’s “Septober EnergyFind albums with this title” suite, which gets here a sublime reading by all the musicians involved. Although based on melodic themes, the music ventures into extensive improvisations by the instrumentalists, never actually losing any of the coherence, which Keith looks after as a conductor. The music offers some of the most intensive Jazz Orchestra moments ever captured on record, which lovers of that particular idiom should cherish. The album pays a great tribute both to the contribution by the South African Jazz musicians to the development of the modern British Jazz, as well as the sublime compositions by Keith Tippet, which sound absolutely divine in this orchestral form. Overall, this is a magnificent album, full of great music and wonderful performances, with extraordinary Orchestral Jazz rarely heard at such intensity. For Keith’s and Julie’s fans this is an absolute must of course, the same goes to all British Jazz lovers, but every true music lover on this planet should enjoy this beautiful album in full. Great thanks to Hazel MillerFind albums by this artist and her OgunFind albums on this label Records for releasing this music for everybody to enjoy!

Updated: 21/03/2023Posted: 21/03/2023

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ROBERT WYATT ~ RUTH IS STRANGER THAN RICHARD DOMINO 41 (Barcode: 5034202204121) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene Recorded: 1975 Released: 2008 3rd album by Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, which presented the Canterbury hero with an incredible challenge to follow up the masterpiece he created with "Rock BottomFind albums with this title". Rather than continuing the deeply personal self-exploration, Wyatt chose to present a collection of material, which is a mixture of earlier compositions, some even preceding the Soft MachineFind albums by this artist days, some pieces written by other colleague-musicians and the rest being new material written especially for this album, all performed by a stellar cast, which includes former Matching MoleFind albums by this artist cohort Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist on bass, saxophonist Gary WindoFind albums by this artist, Fred FrithFind albums by this artist on piano, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist on trumpet and a few other Avant-Garde musicians in his inner circle. Wyatt sings and plays piano, delivering his unique music with grace and the usual masterly mystique and heartbreaking emotional truth. Quite experimental and often bizarre, this album in retrospect reveals more of its incredible bold and futuristic vision than it did at the time of its release, once again proving that Wyatt was always decades ahead of time with his musical ideas. Brilliant stuff, which is worth both discovering and getting to know for the first time!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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