Record Reviews

FOR ALL THE SAINTS / THE SOLID STRINGS ~ BUBBLING UNDER VILLAGE LIFE 98116 (Barcode: 5037013981168) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1998 Released: 1998 This is an album by British Jazz trio called For All The SaintsFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Tony HymasFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist and drummer Paul ClarvisFind albums by this artist, recorded with the Solid StringsFind albums by this artist string quartet led by violinist Sonia SlanyFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, one each composed by Sultzmann and Hymas, two by Slany and the last piece being partly traditional and partly composed by Sultzmann. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Jazz and Classical Music elements, but also many other less obvious influences, like World Music and Folklore. The septet sounds like a fully organic musical unit and the Jazz and Classical elements complement each perfectly, creating a brilliant chamber atmosphere of delicate beauty and depth. The pieces are all perfectly structured, most lasting close to or over the ten minutes’ mark, and the string arrangements, despite the fact of being quite complex, are highly melodic and rhythmically suitable for the Jazz improvisations by the trio, creating together a highly aesthetic musical treat. The album was released on the Village Life label, owned by Clarvis, and is sadly pretty obscure among the British Jazz enthusiasts, like most of the excellent releases on that label, all of which deserve a much wider recognition. My friendly advice is to grab anything still available on that label, before they are all sold out. Overall, this is a brilliant Jazz-Classical Fusion offering of the highest class, which offers wonderful compositions, arrangements and performances, which make this music ageless and completely resistant to passing time. Everything recorded by Sultzmann deserves of course special attention to the British Jazz community, as he is still grossly underrated, despite his contribution lasting decades. This is a true gem!

Updated: 30/06/2023Posted: 30/06/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

SOLID GOLD CADILLAC ~ SOLID GOLD CADILLAC / BRAIN DAMAGE BGO 0471 (Barcode: 5017261204714) ~ UK ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 - 1973 Released: 1999 This is a reissue of the only two albums released in the early 1970s by the short lived British Jazz-Rock ensemble Solid Gold CadillacFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist. The list of participating musicians reads like the Who´s Who of British Jazz / Jazz-Rock at the time: lead vocalist / trumpeter Phil MintonFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist George KhanFind albums by this artist, trombonist Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Dick MorecombeFind albums by this artist, Westbrook on electric piano and additional vocals, pianist Fiachra TrenchFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy BabbingtonFind albums by this artist and drummer Alan JacksonFind albums by this artist. Guitarist Chris SpeddingFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks on the eponymous debut album. Brian GoddingFind albums by this artist plays guitar and Butch PotterFind albums by this artist plays bass on the second album and Trench does not take part in it. The debut album offers eleven tracks and the second album offers ten tracks, almost all of which were composed by Westbrook. The music is a zany, eclectic collection of absolutely stupendous music, light years ahead of its time at the time of the recording. It moves between Pop, Rock, Jazz-Rock, Jazz and typical Westbrook cabaret / vaudeville creations, all superbly performed by this elite team of musicians. My recent review of Kate WestbrookFind albums by this artist´s album "GraniteFind albums with this title" struck a "memory" chord and made me to come back to these two albums, which admittedly I have not listened to in decades. It is absolutely amazing how good this music sounds today, losing nothing of its freshness and ingenuity. The sense of humor and irony are already there, playing a major role in the overall scheme of things, going hand in hand with wonderful musicality and astounding versatility. Although Solid Gold Cadillac was only a small "sidestep" in Westbrook´s decades long career, in retrospect it proves again that he definitely is a man of the "golden touch", as far as music is concerned, and everything he created over time is able to defend its values over time. Although this reissue is long time out of print, it is definitely worth seeking out, not only for the Westbrook devotees, but for all British Jazz / Jazz-Rock collectors, who missed this jewel so far. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 16/08/2018Posted: 16/08/2018

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MICHAL URBANIAK ~ LIVE IN HOLY CITY SPV POLAND 00332 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1995 Released: 1996 This is a live album by Polish Jazz violinist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, recorded with the Czestochowa Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Jerzy KosekFind albums by this artist, and a rhythm section comprising of pianist Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcin PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist. American rapper / poet SolidFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks. The album presents nine tracks, eight of which are original compositions by Urbaniak and one is by Pospieszalski. Both Urbaniak and Pospieszalski were in charge of the orchestrations. The album was reissued in 2018 under the title “UrbSymphonyFind albums with this title”. Holy City means the Polish town of Czestochowa, which has a profound meaning to Poles, and accidentally is also the birthplace of my Father. The music features compositions that appeared on earlier albums by Urbaniak, but these new arrangements with the Symphony orchestra, as well as the Rap parts are unique in his career and sound quite refreshing. In view of Michal’s recent passing, it’s worth to revisit his recorded legacy, which offers a wide and fascinating collection of his adventures in many musical genres. Overall, this is an interesting and relatively little known recording by Urbaniak, which remains a stimulating chapter in his extensive recording legacy, showing his openness to multi-genre adventures. For listeners open to such adventures this is a great treat and for all Polish Jazz lovers anything by Urbaniak is absolutely worth being a part of their record collection.

Updated: 21/01/2026Posted: 21/01/2026

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend