Record Reviews

BILL DIXON ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1009 (Barcode: 8024709115621) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 - 1998 Released: 2010 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American trumpeter / composer Bill DixonFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Dixon needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that his output until his death in 2010 epitomizes the idioms of Free Jazz / improvised Music and places him among the leaders of the genre. The music ranges in format from septet to duets with British drummer Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist. Other musicians playing on these nine albums include: trumpeters Arthur BrooksFind albums by this artist and Stephen HaynesFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Stephen HorensteinFind albums by this artist, bassists Alan SilvaFind albums by this artist, Mario PavoneFind albums by this artist, William ParkerFind albums by this artist and British bassist Barry GuyFind albums by this artist (Silva and Pavone / Guy and Parker play as double-bass section), drummers Laurence CookFind albums by this artist and Tony Oxley and others. Remastered, mini-sleeved, and with a great bargain price – this Box Set an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAMES BRANDON LEWIS ~ DIVINE TRAVELS OKEH 888837666428 (Barcode: 888837666428) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2014 This is the second album by young US saxophonist James Brandon LewisFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with two veteran Free Jazz / Improvised Music activists: bassist William ParkerFind albums by this artist and drummer Gerald CleaverFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original pieces, all credited the trio members. Two of the pieces include lyrics written by American poet Thomas Sayers EllisFind albums by this artist and recited by him. The music is a typical free form session with spontaneous improvisation being the focus of this date. It is difficult to guess how much of this music was preconceived or rehearsed in advance, but it seems as if not everything is left to spontaneity here. There are some short melody lines stated at the start of most of the pieces, but those are soon abandoned in favor of improvised sections, which don´t really have a clear purpose, sense of direction or emotional expression. Parker and Cleaver are of course recognized as some of the improvised scene leaders, but Lewis still has a long way to go. His improvisations are somewhat restricted in scope, tend to sound repetitious and display a very limited emotional range. As a result it is difficult for him to carry the weight of a whole album as the focal soloist. There is no "fire" and no "ice" in this music, just a lot of notes that manage to tingle the perception but fail to sink in. The attempt to create a Jazz & Poetry episode also remains rather unimposing, as it is only a "sidekick" and the music and words fails to create a bond that makes them something more that just word and notes uttered simultaneously. The only positive aspect of this album is the fact that it was released on the revitalized OkehFind albums on this label label, which is a subsidiary of SonyFind albums on this label Music. When I see a Free Jazz album released by a Major record label, this is a feast indeed. Hopefully Lewis will do better next time, as this is rather unimpressive.

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ROSCOE MITCHELL ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1036 (Barcode: 8052405141835) ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1977 - 1995 Released: 2015 This superb Box Set collects recordings by the legendary American saxophonist / composer Roscoe MitchellFind albums by this artist released on the Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label labels. It includes nine albums, two of which are duets: "Duets And SolosFind albums with this title" (*) with pianist Muhal Richard AbramsFind albums by this artist and "The Italian ConcertFind albums with this title" with pianist Borah BergmanFind albums by this artist. The album "Shadowgraph, 5 (Sextet)Find albums with this title" (*), released under the name of trombonist / composer George LewisFind albums by this artist and presenting music composed by him, features Mitchell playing on two tracks. The album "SpihumonestyFind albums with this title" (*) released under the name of keyboardist / composer Muhal Richard Abrams and presenting music composed by him, features Mitchell playing on all tracks. The remaining five albums: "3 x 4 EyeFind albums with this title", "The Sound And Space EnsemblesFind albums with this title", "The Flow Of ThingsFind albums with this title", "Live At Knitting FactoryFind albums with this title" and "This Dance Is For Steve McCallFind albums with this title" present various ensembles led by Mitchell, which include notable American improvisers of the period, including guitarist A. Spencer BarefieldFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Hugh RaginFind albums by this artist and Mike MossmanFind albums by this artist, bassist Jaribu ShahidFind albums by this artist, Malachi FavorsFind albums by this artist and William ParkerFind albums by this artist, drummers Tani TibalFind albums by this artist, Steve McCallFind albums by this artist and Vincent DavisFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Gerald OshitaFind albums by this artist, pianists Jodie ChristianFind albums by this artist and Matthew ShippFind albums by this artist and vocalist Tom BucknerFind albums by this artist. All the music (except one track) on these last five albums was composed by Mitchell. Mitchell is best known as one of the founders of the original AACMFind albums by this artist in Chicago in 1965 and then as the founder of The Art Ensemble Of ChicagoFind albums by this artist with Lester BowieFind albums by this artist, Favors, Joseph JarmanFind albums by this artist and later also Don MoyeFind albums by this artist. He was a prolific recording artist, with an impressive list of albums to his credit, both under his name and as a member of the AEOC. These recordings are all excellent examples of his work, which is a completely unique combination of Free Jazz and Improvised Music. His "wall of sound" saxophone technique is a direct continuation of the early American Avant-Garde legacy of Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist and John ColtraneFind albums by this artist. The music is absolutely brilliant and fascinating and connoisseurs of Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde will find it obviously essential. This is definitely an important document of the American Free Jazz movement, which deserves to be preserved for posterity and which should serve as a source if inspiration to the young generation of contemporary Free Jazz artists. The albums marked with (*) were also included in other Box Sets of this series. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 05/05/2020Posted: 25/04/2020

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ALON NECHUSHTAN ~ FOR THOSE WHO CROSS THE SEAS ESP 4084 (Barcode: 825481408424) ~ ISRAEL ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2006 Released: 2023 This is an archival album by Israeli Jazz pianist / composer Alon NechushtanFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with top American Improvising Music / Free Jazz musicians: flautist / trumpeter Roy CampbellFind albums by this artist, clarinetists / saxophonists Daniel CarterFind albums by this artist and Sabir MateenFind albums by this artist, bassist William ParkerFind albums by this artist and Italian (resident in US) drummer Federico UghiFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents a two-part suite, each part taking an entire length of a CD, not broken into individual tracks. All the music was composed by Nechushtan and was recorded live at the legendary Zebulon club in Brooklyn, seventeen years prior to its release. Following his move to the US, Nechushtan continued his musical studies and performed with many local musicians, establishing over time one of the grandest careers in Contemporary Music, writing an astonishing amount of works for orchestras, choirs and smaller ensembles, always including some basic Jazz / Improvised Music elements, and is today one of the most well-known and respected Israeli composers worldwide. The music on this album was recorded at the early days of his US career, but the list of participating musicians reflects the respect and recognition of the American Improvising Music scene he received already at that time. The album offers a typical Improvised Music / Free Jazz ambience, with constant development of individual and group improvisations, flowing slowly between reflective, almost ambient moments and intensive crescendos, supported steadily by the rhythm section. With never a dull moment, the over ninety minutes long performance is full of stunning soloing and collective mayhem, which is an exhilarating sonic experience for those who enjoy Improvised Music at its core. Overall, this is a nostalgic glance over the shoulder for Nechushtan, a brief moment in his early days, a snapshot of the Improvising Music NY scene, a memory of an iconic venue, which was closed and moved from NY to LA, and a solid evidence of the collective creativity, which ruled this music at the time. This is definitely worth investigating to all Improvised Music enthusiasts, as the music lost nothing of its charm over time!

Updated: 10/01/2024Posted: 10/01/2024

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

OKUDEN: MAT WALERIAN / MATTHEW SHIPP / WILLIAM PARKER / HAMID DRAKE ~ EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY BUT IT DOESN`T MATTER BECAUSE FAT CAT IS GETTING FATTER ESP 5037 (Barcode: 825481503723) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the fourth album by Polish (resident in NY) Jazz multi-instrumentalist / composer Mat WalerianFind albums by this artist, released by the reanimated legendary NY ESPFind albums on this label label. The lineup, under the OkudenFind albums by this artist moniker, is expanded to a quartet and includes all three musicians who took part in the three previous recordings: pianist Matthew ShippFind albums by this artist, bassist William ParkerFind albums by this artist and drummer Hamid DrakeFind albums by this artist – icons of the American Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene. The 2CD album presents six (one a three-part piece) original compositions, all by Walerian. The music, recorded during one session, is an archetypal example of a metaphysical conversation between experienced musicians, which moves freely from subject to subject, in perfect coherence and mutual respect. Although Walerian sets the tone and direction, ever so gently, moving between the saxophone, clarinets and flute, the rest of the quartet follows suit fluidly and the musicians add their input to the conversation with elegance and remarkable aptitude. Despite the “usual” aggressive atmosphere associated with Improvised Music, this recording offers a completely calm and orderly fashion of mutual exchange and development of ideas, relaxed cooperation and as strange as it might sound results in “pleasant” aural vistas, certainly not what one would expect from these musicians. Walerian proves to be not only an excellent catalyst, but also an anodyne. As a result, the music offers a remarkable calmness and ease, without any compromise whatsoever of the complexity and quality of the music. Overall this is definitely the strongest and most mature statement by Walerian so far and brings on a true satisfaction to see a Polish Jazz musician perform with esteemed American partners without any inferiority complex. It must be said that as far as Shipp, Parker and Drake are concerned, this is also some of the best work they recorded, and they all have an extensive recording legacy to their credit. In many respects this album is much better and more interesting than many Free Jazz / Improvising Music albums released in Poland lately, where this idiom seems to be lost wondering in the desert and devoid of clear musical / spiritual leadership, with many of the original Avant-Gardists being no longer with us. This album is warmly recommended to all listeners of Free Spirited Jazz music anywhere and definitely worth the effort of searching out a copy, which will be rewarded by a couple of hours of highly aesthetic and spiritual experience.

Updated: 07/03/2021Posted: 07/03/2021

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CECIL TAYLOR ~ MUSIC FROM TWO CONTINENTS FSR 2021/16 (Barcode: 5904441617009) ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1984 Released: 2021 This is archival album recorded live in 1984 at the annual Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw. It presents an international ensemble led by American pianist / composer Cecil TaylorFind albums by this artist and ten additional players, both Americans and Europeans (hence the title), which includes Polish trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Italian trumpeter Enrico RavaFind albums by this artist, German trombonist Conrad BauerFind albums by this artist, American saxophonists Jimmy LyonsFind albums by this artist and Frank Wright Jr.Find albums by this artist, Danish saxophonist John TchicaiFind albums by this artist, American bassoonist Karen LyonsFind albums by this artist, German bass clarinetist / vibraphonist Gunter HampelFind albums by this artist, American bassist William ParkerFind albums by this artist and drummer Henry MartinezFind albums by this artist. The album presents one continuous track lasting for almost sixty-two minutes. The music is spontaneously improvised by the eleven members of the ensemble, based on directions / ideas put forward by the leader. It has little variation in tempo and intensity and offers a brilliant example of group improvisation, which in this case is performed by some of the leaders of the genre, all assembled on one stage at the same time. There are many extensive solo fragments performed by individual musicians, supported in the background by the ensemble members, as well as solos played concurrently by several musicians, with Taylor and the rhythm section playing continuously. For listeners not familiar with Free Jazz / Improvised Music all this might of course sound like a complete chaos, which has no meaning whatsoever, but a trained ear is able to hear both the group dynamics and the individual contributions, which are often stellar. Improvised Music requires certain “brainwaves” activity, which only some humans are equipped with. The fact that this music was recorded in Warsaw and that Stanko was invited to take part in the concert speaks volumes about how highly Poland and Polish musicians were regarded at the time by the international scene, despite the fact that it was still deeply behind the Iron Curtain. Stanko of course proves that he is able to stand shoulder to shoulder both with the other Europeans and the Americans. Overall, this is an important document of the genre and the Polish Jazz scene at the time. The music was of course recorded by the Polish Radio, which recorded all Jazz Jamboree concerts, and the fact that it was dug out and released by the FSRFind albums on this label label, means that those radio archives are terribly neglected.

Updated: 31/01/2022Posted: 31/01/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CECIL TAYLOR ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1007 (Barcode: 8024709114129) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 - 1986 Released: 2010 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American pianist / composer Cecil TaylorFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Taylor needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that his prolific output epitomizes the idioms of Free Jazz / improvised Music far more than any of his contemporaries. The music ranges in format from orchestra to solo piano performances and includes the legendary duets with drummer Max RoachFind albums by this artist. Other musicians playing on these four albums (one double) include: trumpeters Enrico RavaFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Jimmy LyonsFind albums by this artist, John TchicaiFind albums by this artist and Gunter HampelFind albums by this artist, bassist William ParkerFind albums by this artist, drummer Steve McCallFind albums by this artist and others. Remastered, mini-sleeved, and with a great bargain price – this Box Set an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

TOXIC: MAT WALERIAN / MATTHEW SHIPP / WILLIAM PARKER ~ THIS IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE WE ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ESP 5011 (Barcode: 825481501125) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017 This is the third album by Polish (resident in NY) Jazz multi-instrumentalist / composer Mat WalerianFind albums by this artist, released by the reanimated legendary NY ESPFind albums on this label label. As on both previous recordings, he is in the great company of pianist / composer Matthew ShippFind albums by this artist and for the first time also the legendary Avant-Garde bassist William ParkerFind albums by this artist. The trio chose the ToxicFind albums by this artist moniker for this album, which presents five original compositions, two by Walerian, two co-composed by all three trio members and one co-composed by Walerian and Parker. Walerian seems to have found a niche on the NY Avant-Garde scene, where he is respected by fellow American musicians, who take part in his projects. His obvious talents and diverse musical facets, which Walerian presents while playing an array of instruments, allow him to create minimalistic introvert music, which is rich in its sound palette and emotional scale, like very few other contemporary Avant-Garde projects. Whether he plays flute, clarinets or saxophone, Walerian is always beautifully focused and intrinsically melodic, which enables him to develop a very tight interaction with his listeners, being completely nonaggressive and always profoundly focused. From the first notes on this album, which starts with a flute / shakuhachi (played by Parker) duet, the meditative nature of the music is set forward, and although later on it does become more expressive and emotional, it stays within the same frame of mind. The album features a constantly changing lineup of solo, duo and trio parts, which follow each other naturally as the music develops. Although the music does not follow concrete melody lines as such, the improvisations are full of melody fragments, spontaneously created on the fly. The level of interplay between the trio members is phenomenal and they often function like one body / one mind in spite of their individual personalities. All three musicians get plenty of opportunity to solo extensively, but it is the communal effort, which is truly the focus of this music. Walerian plays fluently, as always, with great technical skill on all the instruments, but more importantly he is able to create a constant musical plane, which is then stretched and supported by his cohorts. This is Improvised Music at its best, which can be listened to time and time again, every time with new discoveries at hand. I have actually listened to this music three times in a row, each time concentrating my attention on one player, and only later listened to it as a whole; quite a journey of discovery it was. It is great to have a Polish expatriate at the heart of the NY Avant-Garde scene and I hope more Polish musicians will follow in that direction, not only to learn, but perhaps even more importantly to teach other musicians what Avant-Garde really means. This is definitely another triumphant achievement by Walerian and his partners. Both Shipp and Parker have of course prolific careers of their own, but hopefully they will find time in the future to rejoin Walerian in another project. As usual, I am already waiting for more!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 30/05/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend