Record Reviews

PIERRE FAVRE ~ WINDOW STEPS ECM 1584 (Barcode: 731452934826) ~ SWITZERLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1995 Released: 1996 This is a wonderful album by Swiss Jazz drummer / composer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist recorded with an international team of Jazz stars: British (of Canadian origin) trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, Italian saxophonist Roberto OttavianoFind albums by this artist, American cellist David DarlingFind albums by this artist and bassist Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions: four by Favre, one by Darling and two co-composed by members of the band. The music was superbly recorded at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo and engineered by Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist. The music is beautifully melodic, contemplative and strangely Nordic in character, although no Scandinavian players are present. It borders on contemporary Chamber Music and includes some New Age accents, but is first and foremost elegantly European and completely artistically uncompromising. Both Darling and Swallow, who are American musicians, have played with European musicians throughout their extensive careers, and this influence can be felt here clearly. The instrumental performances are all stellar, as expected, and although most of the music in minimalist and subdued, there is enough space for formidable soloing, especially by Wheeler, who plays some outstanding notes on this album. Many Wheeler followers are not aware of his playing on this album and this is why I decided to add this review now, although the music was recorded two and a half decades earlier. But of course the rest of this splendid team also contributes generously and the album offers a continuous graceful musical joy ride, which used to characterize most of ECMFind albums on this label releases in the early days of the label´s activity. This album is wholeheartedly recommended to all European Jazz connoisseurs and absolute must to all lovers of Kenny Wheeler´s artistry.

Updated: 27/08/2020Posted: 27/08/2020

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JOHNNY GRIFFIN / HAL SINGER / LESZEK ZADLO / FERDINAND POVEL ~ SWISS RADIO DAYS TCB 02362 (Barcode: 725095023627) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1975 - 1980 Released: 2013 This is a live archival album, which combines four sessions recorded by the Swiss Radio with a local Swiss rhythm section comprising of German (resident in Switzerland) pianist Klaus KoenigFind albums by this artist, bassist Peter FreiFind albums by this artist and drummers Alberto CanonicoFind albums by this artist, Peter SchmidlinFind albums by this artist or Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist and guest musicians: American saxophonists Johnny GriffinFind albums by this artist from 1975, and Hal SingerFind albums by this artist from 1980, Polish Saxophonist Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist from 1979 and Dutch saxophonist Ferdinand PovelFind albums by this artist from 1978. The first three sessions present one track and the fourth session presents two tracks. Griffin, as expected, plays pretty straightforward mainstream Jazz, but the expanded playing time allows him to display his intensive improvisational abilities. Singer is mostly a Blues traditionalist, and his melodic performance is completely predictable. Zadlo, resident in Germany since 1975, is obviously the most interesting player on this album, pushing the boundaries of modern Jazz and Improvised Music, in the John Coltrane tradition. His fiery performance is convincing and jaw-dropping, and his presence on this album is the real reason why it is worth having a copy of it. Povel, who is an excellent player, very active on the European scene at the time, shows that his performances, although still rooted in Bebop, are way more advanced harmonically than anything originating from across the pond. Overall, due to the presence of Zadlo and Povel, this is a document of the European Jazz scene, especially important since the “Swiss Radio Days” series releases concentrated mostly on visiting American musicians, which seldom contributed interesting material.

Updated: 11/02/2025Posted: 11/02/2025

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MANGELSDORFF / HAMPEL / KUHN / FAVRE ~ SOLO NOW MPS 602517795099 (Barcode: 602517795099) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1976 Released: 2008 This is a reissue / remaster of the album recorded by four great European Jazz innovators, three Germans: trombonist / composer Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist / flautist / composer Gunter HampelFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, and Swiss drummer / composer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, seven of which are solos, two are duos and one is a quartet recording, all bar one are originals by the participating musicians and one is a standard. The album was produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist and the album’s booklet includes the original liner notes by Berendt (sadly in German only). 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 early peak by the mid-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: 08/04/2025

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF ~ TRIPLE ENTENTE MPS 602517602366 (Barcode: 602517602366) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1982 Released: 2008 This is a reissue / remaster of an album by German Jazz trombonist / composer / bandleader Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with a Swiss rhythm section comprising of bassist Leon FrancioliFind albums by this artist and drummer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, four of which are original compositions by Mangelsdorff and one is co-credited to all three musicians. This was the last album Mangelsdorff recorded for the legendary MPSFind albums on this label label, The music is the usual modern European Jazz, which is based on composed melody threads, but offers a lot of freedom and space to the musicians, and borders on Free Jazz / Improvised Music. Mangelsdorff’s virtuosity is at the epicenter of the album, although the rhythm section gets ample opportunity for soloing and the common creative spirit is at the helm. Mangelsdorff was undoubtedly one of the most important movers and shakers of the German / European Jazz / Avant-Garde scene for decades, and all his albums are still completely relevant today, as his innovative spirit was light-years ahead of whatever was happening in real time. He singlehandedly promoted the trombone as a soloing instrument to an unprecedented level and his compositions ware simply timeless. Overall, this is a perfect example of Mangelsdorff’s work and the European Jazz aesthetics at its best. Closely flirting with Free Jazz / Improvised music, but not completely Avant-Garde, this is timeless, fantastic Jazz, that sounds as fascinating as it was at the time it was recorded. 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: 11/06/2025Posted: 11/06/2025

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF ~ TRIPLICITY SKIP 9052 (Barcode: 4037688905224) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1979 Released: 2005 This is an archival live album by German trombonist / composer / band leader Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with Norwegian bassist Arild AndersenFind albums by this artist and Swiss drummer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, six by Mangelsdorff, two by Andersen and two co-composed by the trio members. The album offers a stunning sound quality. Although based on pre-composed themes, the music is an orgy of improvisation and startling virtuosity by the trio members. Mangelsdorff brought the trombone from the role of a rather limited backing instrument into the limelight of Jazz improvisation and his incredible technique enabled him to play sounds never previously intended to be played by that instrument, which is aptly proved herein. Anderson, who is an amazing bassist and one of my favorite Jazz musicians in the world, proves to be an ideal partner for Mangelsdorff, accompanying him amicably and telepathically, with a no less stunning virtuosity. Favre, a highly talented drummer and avid participant on the European Improvised Music scene, is also just the right person to add the rhythmic pulsations to this music, which he does with elegance and taste. Despite the fact that the music is largely improvised, it never loses its melodic touch and clear sense of direction. Obviously it is completely timeless and sounds as brilliant today as when it was recorded over four decades ago or released two decades ago. Overall, this is a stunning example of European Jazz / Improvised Music, which is elegant, wonderfully put together and completely timeless, exploding with creativity, virtuosity and vision. Mangelsdorff, who died in 2005, remains an icon of German / European Jazz and this, being the only recording by this particular trio, is a superb reminder of his genius. It is, of course, an absolute must, for trombone lovers.

Updated: 23/07/2024Posted: 23/07/2024

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF / FRANCOIS JEANNEAU ~ SWISS RADIO DAYS TCB 02222 (Barcode: 725095022224) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1972 - 1979 Released: 2010 This is a live archival album, which combines two sessions recorded by the Swiss Radio with a local Swiss rhythm section comprising of German (resident in Switzerland) pianist Klaus KoenigFind albums by this artist, bassist Peter FreiFind albums by this artist and drummers Peter SchmidlinFind albums by this artist or Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist and guest musicians: German trombonist / composer Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist from 1972 and French saxophonist / composer Francois JeanneauFind albums by this artist from 1979. Each session presents two tracks, both composed by the guest musician. The Mangelsdorff session is completely freely improvised and magnificently portrays his abilities at the peak of his artistic abilities, with the rhythm section playing along splendidly, despite the fact that this was not their usual modus operandi. Since every second of Mangelsdorff’s performance is an absolute must to every European Jazz enthusiast, these almost forty minutes are a Holy Grail for his many enthusiasts and collectors. The Jeanneau session is shorter and somewhat more tamed, but also shows his him as a magnificent improviser, and one of the finest French Jazz musicians active on the scene since the 1970. His recording legacy offers many magnificent albums, and this rare recording from the early days of his career is an important snapshot of his career. Overall, this is a superb document of the European Jazz scene, especially important since the “Swiss Radio Days” series releases concentrated mostly on visiting American musicians, which seldom contributed interesting material.

Updated: 26/01/2025Posted: 26/01/2025

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JIRI STIVIN & PIERRE FAVRE ~ VYLETY (EXCURSIONS) GALEN 19 145 (Barcode: 8594042901545) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1979 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the extraordinary debut album by the Improvised Music duo comprising of Czech flautist / saxophonist / composer Jiri StivinFind albums by this artist and Swiss drummer / composer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist. Released originally as a double LP set, it finds the two musicians improvising live using a plethora of instruments and producing over eighty minutes of music, based on pre-conceived themes, but mostly spontaneously created on the fly. Vocalist Pavel KuhnFind albums by this artist adds some occasional vocal parts. The music is collected into four suite-like pieces, each split into tracks (9 / 7 / 3 and 5 respectively), but which are basically musical continuums. It is credited partly collectively to the two musicians and partly to Stivin. This remastered edition on a 2CD album, available on CD for the first time, offers wonderful sound quality and clarity, which is crucial for these delicate sonic vistas. The booklet is bi-lingual this time! It retrospect it is quite astounding to find this kind of music being created and even more so released by a state owned label behind the Iron Curtain, which at the time (late 1970s) was still deeply under the stern censorship of the Socialist regime. Stivin obviously had a very special status on the local scene, but the capricious behavior of the overseers could never be predicted. A participation of a World Class partner obviously was a part of the equation. The performances portray the incredible abilities of both musicians as well as their telepathic cooperation. Fellow musicians often jokingly told that Stivin could produce a sound from anything that could be blown into and apparently the same can be told about Favre as far as beating on things is concerned. The sounds they are able to produce and combine are simply magical. Astonishingly the music is completely embracing and accessible and as far as Improvised Music is concerned it is not only pioneering but also incredibly contemporary, in spite of the fact that it is over four decades old. It lost absolutely nothing of its fascination and beauty over time and it´s great to have this gem back in circulation! Overall this is an important piece of the musical puzzle of East European Jazz and a significant historical document of the Czech scene, which is surely worth investigating. For Improvised Music connoisseurs and lovers of East European Jazz this album is an absolute must! Side Note The Czech publishing house and record label GalenFind albums on this label, run by Lubomir HoudekFind albums by this artist, is another player on the local scene, reissuing historical recordings from the deep vaults of the SupraphonFind albums on this label / PantonFind albums on this label labels, supported by the Czech Ministry of Culture. This commendable initiative is a wonderful example of the preservation of Cultural heritage. Hopefully the label's future releases will include information in English in the album's booklets, so that Jazz enthusiasts around the world might be allowed to share the knowledge. For more reissues of Czechoslovak Jazz (and Rock) see also the releases by Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label Records.

Updated: 05/06/2020Posted: 05/06/2020

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.22 POLSKIE RADIO 1874 (Barcode: 5907812248741) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 2015 This is the twenty-second installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The ten tracks collected here were recorded during the seventh Jazz Jamboree Festival, which took place between October 24 and 26 1964 in Warsaw. This is the third part of the Jazz Jamboree 1964 recordings. The music was performed by four different ensembles, which are: the Italian Flavio Ambrosetti All StarsFind albums by this artist (five tracks), led by saxophonist Flavio AmbrosettiFind albums by this artist with trumpeter Franco AmbrosettiFind albums by this artist, Swiss pianist George GruntzFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Tadeusz WojcikFind albums by this artist and Swiss drummer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist and three Polish Jazz ensembles, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist Quintet (one track) with trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, Polish Jazz QuartetFind albums by this artist (two tracks) led by saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist with pianist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Juliusz SandeckiFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist Quartet (two tracks) with pianist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz Wojcik and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. This is by far the most interesting of the three volumes of the Jazz Jamboree 1964 recordings, as it presents the modern Polish Jazz about to explode into modernism, which will shape its destiny for generations to come. Stanko, Urbaniak, Wroblewski, Bartkowski are still active on the Polish scene, fifty years latter, carrying the fire which was first sparkled around the time these recordings were made. The Ambrosetti set is also interesting, as it allows a glance at two legendary Jazz figures: Gruntz and Favre, at their early days. Most of the music performed on this album is original. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 08/07/2020Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend