Record Reviews

ORNETTE COLEMAN ~ BEAUTY IS A RARE THING: THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS RHINO 71410 (Barcode: 081227141028) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1959 - 1961 Released: 1993 This magnificent Box Set includes some of the most revolutionary music ever recorded on this planet. Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist’s music dropped on the jazz scene with the force of an atom bomb by the end of the 1950s. Although other great jazz pioneers, especially John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, were already slowly approaching the free / Avant-Garde jazz idiom, Coleman’s bold and fearless attack on the conventional jazz form was completely radical and innovative, splitting the jazz community immediately into the pro and contra camps, with discussions as heated as they can get. Coleman was ridiculed and called bad names by critics and listeners alike, who failed to comprehend his prophetic statement, and it took many years before this music was widely accepted into the jazz canon and treated with the proper esteem. Recorded between May 1959 and March 1961 (less than 2 years!) this music includes all 9 Coleman’s albums released on Atlantic (The Shape Of Jazz To ComeFind albums with this title, Change Of The CenturyFind albums with this title, This Is Our MusicFind albums with this title, Free JazzFind albums with this title, Ornette!Find albums with this title, Ornette On TenorFind albums with this title, The Art Of The ImprovisersFind albums with this title, TwinsFind albums with this title and To Whom Who Keeps A RecordFind albums with this title), as well as previously unreleased material and selections from Gunther SchullerFind albums by this artist’s Jazz AbstractionsFind albums with this title featuring Coleman. As usual in such Box Sets, the music is presented in chronological recording order. As to the musicians, most of the music was recorded in quartet setting, with Coleman and trumpeter Don CherryFind albums by this artist as the permanent core of the group and various bass / drums rhythm sections, which included Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist, Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist and Jimmy GarrisonFind albums by this artist on bass and Billy HigginsFind albums by this artist and Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist on drums. The legendary “Free Jazz” session features a double quartet and includes Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist on bass clarinet and Freddie HubbardFind albums by this artist on trumpet. There is hardly any need to go into the description of the music itself - whole books have been written on the subject and the music is indescribable anyway. What is important however, is the fact that any respectable jazz collection could never be considered comprehensive if it didn’t include this music. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 6 Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

WOLFGANG DAUNER ~ DREAM TALK L+R 710627 (Barcode: 4003099710627) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 2008 This is a reissue of the debut album by legendary German pianist / composer Wolfgang DaunerFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with no less legendary bassist Eberhard WeberFind albums by this artist and American, living in Germany, Master drummer Fred BracefulFind albums by this artist. This album, which also marks a recording debut for both Weber and Braceful, presents eight tunes, five of which are original compositions by Dauner, one is by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist, another one is by Mal WaldronFind albums by this artist (another US compatriot living in Germany) and the remaining one is a standard. Originally recorded in 1964, this is one of the earliest German and European Jazz recordings, which symbolize the rebirth of Jazz in Europe, taking a radical step forward from the American Jazz tradition. The great Horst LippmannFind albums by this artist, my friend and founder of the L+RFind albums on this label label (named after the concert agency he managed for many years with his friend Fritz RauFind albums by this artist), makes an interesting and quite prophetic observation on the album´s original liner notes, which compares this piano trio with the legendary Bill EvansFind albums by this artist trio with bassist Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist; he states that Evans and LaFaro revolutionized the role of the bass in a piano trio, bringing the bass to an equal level with the piano, and Dauner made the same giant step with revolutionizing the role of the drums, bringing them in turn to an equal level with the piano and the bass, something Evans never managed to do in his trio. Of course there is so much more to this album than just the change of the status of the drums – it revolutionizes the piano trio mostly by inserting the huge amount of freedom and space, while maintaining a perfect order and logic, not to mention elegance and sophistication. As Lippmann says in his liner notes to the vinyl reissue from 1980, this album was light years ahead of its time and was fully understood and appreciated by just a very small group of Jazz connoisseurs, open minded enough to grasp its significance at the time. Even today this music sounds not only completely up to date, but also absolutely stunning, although over five decades passed since it was first recorded. In retrospect this is one of the most pivotal European Jazz recordings, taking the Jazz idiom a giant step forward into the unknown (at the time), without compromising the tradition and at the same time bravely and unwaveringly crossing over into the European aesthetic, which was erupting at the time on the Continent, strong enough to penetrate even beyond the Iron Curtain. This is an absolutely essential piece of European Jazz history, which should find a highly respected place in every meaningful Jazz record collection anywhere in the world. Thank God this music is still available for us to enjoy and not buried away and forgotten as so many of its parallels. The remastered edition offers a spectacular sound quality. An absolute must have!

Updated: 25/03/2016Posted: 24/03/2016

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

BILL EVANS ~ ALBUM (EXPANDED EDITION) COLUMBIA 64963 (Barcode: 5099706496328) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 Released: 1996 The history of jazz is crowned by a small pantheon of stellar figures, which are (more or less) unequivocally accepted as the most prominent contributors to the development of the genre. Miles DavisFind albums by this artist and John ColtraneFind albums by this artist are members of that exclusive club and so is Bill EvansFind albums by this artist, the most influential jazz pianist ever. Since Evans’ biography is available from many sources, I won’t go into it here, so here are just a few personal comments: Although Evens played in a variety of settings, he surely deserves the title of inventor of the piano trio, a format in which most of his exceptional work was done. Over the years Evans led a series of legendary trios with the most eloquent bass and drums players, primarily noticeable for the phenomenal and telepathic level of interplay between the trio members. His (fortunately) numerable trio recordings are not only a document of his exceptional sensibility and lyricism as a player and composer, but also cornerstones of musical collaboration. Starting from the first trio (1959) with Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist and Paul MotianFind albums by this artist and up to the last moments of his life (1980) with Marc JohnsonFind albums by this artist and Joe LaBarberaFind albums by this artist, the trio recording have always been the safest bets on musical delight one might ever take when buying a jazz album. This particular album, recorded with legends Eddie GomezFind albums by this artist on bass and Marty MorellFind albums by this artist on drums, is very important in Evans’ history. It includes his first contributions on the electric piano (a custom-made version of the Fender Rhodes), which he will explore more extensively later in his career. It also includes exclusively his own compositions, as opposed to his treatments of jazz standards, which were earlier the bulk of his recording material. This was the first of the only two albums Evans recorded for ColumbiaFind albums on this label – the other (“Living Time”) still awaiting a proper reissue. I can’t imagine anybody who loves jazz (or in fact anybody who loves music) ignoring this album, so if you still don’t have it – now is your chance. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 01/03/2024Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

STEPHANE KERECKI / JOHN TAYLOR ~ PATIENCE ZIG-ZAG 110402 (Barcode: 3760009292468) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This is a criminally little known duo album by French bassist Stephane KereckiFind albums by this artist and British pianist John TaylorFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve pieces, eight composed by Kerecki, three improvised by both musicians and one standard by Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist, and offers exceptional sound quality. The music is quite complex and open, at part based on well defined melodic themes but also incorporating a much less rigorous structures, not completely Free but definitely not constrained by strict melody lines. This approach enables both musicians to stretch out and venture into extensive soloing, with the bass being featured somewhat more prominently than the piano. The intimate duo setting is of course extremely demanding, but for these two veterans it is more of an opportunity than a challenge. They manage to work out a wonderful rapport and the album joins the "Art of the Duo" pedestal with flying colors. Korecki plays some excellent arco parts and his sensitive handling of the bass is a tribute to the many great Jazz bassists in the genre´s history. Taylor seems to feel excellently in his company and the music is a reflection of this idyllic relationship. Tragically it was during a performance with Kerecki´s quartet that Taylor suffered the fatal heart attack some five years after this album was recorded; a sad final note about this musical friendship. This album remains as a beautiful document of their common legacy.

Updated: 01/10/2020Posted: 01/10/2020

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

FRANTISEK UHLIR ~ BASS DEVOTION / BASSSAGA MULTISONIC 310808 (Barcode: 741941080828) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1984 - 2010 Released: 2010 This 2CD set presents two quite different recordings by Czech bassist / composer Frantisek UhlirFind albums by this artist, one of the veterans of the local scene with a splendid career behind him. From his early days as a member of the legendary SHQFind albums by this artist ensemble, led by the Godfather of Czech Jazz vibraphonist Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist, and consistently over the years, Uhlir established his position as the perfect bass player suitable to support any ensemble, take part in any recording, as well as lead his own groups. His incredible technique, superb feel for melody, perfect timing and beautiful tone place him among the world’s top Jazz bassists, stylistically comparable to Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist and Eddie GomezFind albums by this artist. Needless to say he has been one of my favorite bass players ever since I heard him first in the 1970s and I followed his career as much as I could. Uhlir performed with the best players on the local scene, such as pianists Emil ViklickyFind albums by this artist and Karel RuzickaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Laco DecziFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rudolf DasekFind albums by this artist and many others. He also accompanied many visiting Jazz luminaries at their Prague concerts as well as toured abroad. The first album in this set presents is a live recording of Uhlir with his recent ensemble, called Frantisek Uhlir TeamFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist David VrobelFind albums by this artist, guitarist Adam TvrdyFind albums by this artist and veteran drummer Jaromir HelesicFind albums by this artist. They perform seven compositions, five of which are Uhlir’s originals and two are standards. The performances are excellent and highly spirited, with the leader soloing frequently, sometimes also playing arco (using the bow), which is rarely heard today. Uhlir’s compositions are great vehicles for the players to show their skills and are examples of great modern Jazz, which is not trying to be over pretentious. The second album is a most welcome reissue of Uhlir’s debut album as a leader, recorded in 1984, which presents seven of his original compositions performed by an all-star lineup with vibraphonist Karel Velebny, pianist Emil Viklicky, drummer Tony NaharFind albums by this artist, guitarist Zdenek DvorakFind albums by this artist, percussionist Josef VejvodaFind albums by this artist and a string quartet. Beautifully arranged and exquisitely performed, this is a dream of an album, which every bass lover on this planet should listen to, given the opportunity. It’s delightful to have this music finally available on CD. Overall this set is a sizeable portion of superb modern mainstream Jazz with virtuosic bass performances, which are exciting, elegant and highly intelligent. Charming stuff!

Updated: 16/03/2022Posted:

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

EMIL VIKLICKY ~ BALLADS AND MORE ARTA 10161 (Barcode: 8595017416125) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 The piano trio is the perfect Jazz format; it has everything that Jazz is all about: melody, harmony, rhythm, interplay, individual and collective improvisation, in short the essence of Jazz. To make it work as a perfect format, one needs three great musicians to play together in a piano trio setting, and this one is as close to perfect as one dares to hope for, sending that delightful thrill down the listener´s spine, when listening to a Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist or Bill EvansFind albums by this artist piano trio recording. This trio comprises of three Czech Jazz veterans: leader / pianist / composer Emil ViklickyFind albums by this artist, extraordinary bassist Frantisek UhlirFind albums by this artist and drummer Laco TroppFind albums by this artist. All three have been active on the local, as well as international scene for decades. Both Viklicky and Uhlir are recognized worldwide as top performers on their respective instruments and have been my personal favorites since hearing them for the first time ages ago. For this album Viklicky decided to perform a set of Jazz standards rather than playing his own music, which is what he usually does. Only one of the thirteen tracks is his original composition by Viklicky and another one by Uhlir. The rest of the music is composed by well known Jazz artists as diverse as Keith Jarrett and Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist or standards. For a pianist with such a rich songbook, as the one composed by Viklicky, playing compositions by other composers is a matter of choice and of course a great challenge, considering of course the need to present an interpretation worthy of a masterful musician, such as Viklicky indisputably is. Of course the result is exactly as expected: intelligent, delicate, touching, elegant and simply brilliant. Viklicky´s interplays with Uhlir are nothing short of the legendary Bill Evans / Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist magic and his solos are masterly and aesthetically perfect. Tropp plays mostly very subtly and distinctly low level, which is exactly right for this kind of music. Altogether this is a beautiful and deeply touching piano trio album, one of those you never get tired of, never!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

AGA ZARYAN ~ PICKING UP THE PIECES BLUE NOTE 5099909494329 (Barcode: 5099909494329) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2010 This is the 2nd album by the undeniable present-day diva of Polish Jazz, vocalist Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist. Recorded almost five years after the debut album, which is an agonizingly long break especially in the initial stage of her career, the album is both a conceptual continuation of the debut and a giant step in her artistic development. The eleven tracks are again predominantly standards with just two originals: one by guitarist Larry KoonseFind albums by this artist with lyrics by Zaryan and the other by bassist Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. Koonse and Oleszkiewicz are the main accompanying musicians with percussionist Munyungo JacksonFind albums by this artist and cornet player Nolan ShaheedFind albums by this artist contributing on some tracks. Musically the album is much more challenging than the debut, especially in view of the fact that Zaryan gives up the security of the usual piano-led quartet as her support group and presents mostly a series of intimate duets with the bassist or the guitarist or trios with both of them present. As already mentioned, only a few tracks are further ornamented with percussion or cornet sounds. Her rapport and affinity with her cohorts is absolutely stunning and deeply moving, being examples of the rare intimacy and telepathic musical cooperation like that of pianist Bill EvansFind albums by this artist and bassist Scott LaFaroFind albums by this artist. The overall relaxed and intimate atmosphere hides of course a multitude of exquisite instants of sheer musical joy and there are absolutely no dull moments here from start to finish. One can hardly decide what to savor first: the beauty of the music, the sophistication of simplicity, the twists and idiosyncrasies, the elegance or the charm. Whichever way one looks at this music, it is utterly fascinating without a trace of being a cliché or a déjà vu. In retrospect this is definitely a milestone recording in the history of contemporary Polish Jazz music and Aga Zaryan´s illustrious career so far. It remains a timeless beauty and a favorite album, which I intend to revisit time and again. Extraordinary! Side Note: This album was originally recorded in Los Angeles in 2006 and released the same year on an independent label. This version of the album is released on Blue NoteFind albums on this label in 2010, after the legendary Jazz label signed Aga Zaryan as the first Polish Jazz artist in its roster. The sound quality is simply marvelous!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend