Record Reviews
22 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | GORDON BECK ~ SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN
ART OF LIFE 1018 (Barcode: 804640101826) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005
Pianist / composer Gordon BeckFind albums by this artist continues to perform and record as if time stands still for him and his music. At the age of 70 his piano playing is as energetic and flawless as it has been throughout his glorious career. This live recording at a Parisian Jazz club, captures Beck with his regular “French” trio (Bruno RousseletFind albums by this artist on bass and Philippe SoiratFind albums by this artist on drums), expanded ad hoc to a quartet with the addition of saxophonist Pierrick PedronFind albums by this artist. They soar through a set of standards, as appropriate for a club date and a first meeting with a new member, which BTW is not evident at all, since they sound as if they had time to rehearse together – a result of obvious skill and professionalism. There is nothing groundbreaking presented here, just some first class modern jazz, done extremely well by four superb musicians. Of course Beck’s playing is never ordinary and his exceptional skills can be enjoyed to the fullest. This album should be enjoyable to a wide range of Jazz listeners, with its highly spirited performances and familiar material. Beck’s followers will of course love this stuff.
| | | CD 1 Oversampling Recommend To A Friend |
  | ANTHONY BRAXTON ~ SEVEN COMPOSITIONS (TRIO) 1989
HATOLOGY 658 (Barcode: 752156065821) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1989 Released: 2009
This is a long overdue reissue of the legendary album by American musician / composer / bandleader Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures of the late 20th Century Free Jazz and Avant-Garde music scene and probably the most important Jazz pioneer in the post John ColtraneFind albums by this artist era. The album captures a recording of a trio, one of Braxton´s favorite settings, with him playing saxophones, clarinet and flute, accompanied by German bassist Adelhard RoidingerFind albums by this artist and legendary British drummer Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist. The music includes five original compositions by Braxton, one by Oxley and one standard. The level of virtuosity in interplay is simply astounding and this album surely deserves an honorable place in any serious Free Jazz collection. The intercontinental meeting of improvising forces and talents works beautifully, soaring to previously undiscovered heights. This is an absolutely essential example of Free Jazz, for those who are connoisseurs of the genre, which is not to be missed, especially for the second time around.
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | TONY CROMBIE ~ SEVEN CLASSIC ALBUMS PLUS BONUS EP
REAL GONE JAZZ 430 (Barcode: 5036408156525) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1954 - 1961 Released: 2013
This is a reissue of early recordings by the legendary drummer / composer / bandleader Tony CrombieFind albums by this artist, undoubtedly one of the greatest British Jazz drummers of the first post-WWII generation. Crombie played with the best Swing and Bebop players, including Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist and John DankworthFind albums by this artist, served as member of the resident house band at Ronnie Scott´s Jazz Club in London and moved on when the British Jazz changed its character, playing with such modernists as Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist. He also had ties with Rock And Roll and Pop, playing among others with the great vocalist Georgie FameFind albums by this artist. He accompanied many American Jazz vocalists upon their visits in the UK. Crombie´s compositions were very popular among Jazz musicians and even Miles DavisFind albums by this artist recorded one of his tunes on his "Seven Steps To HeavenFind albums with this title" album.
The seven albums included here are: "At The Royal Festival HallFind albums with this title" (with Ronnie Scott) from 1956, "Annie By The CandlelightFind albums with this title" (with vocalist Annie RossFind albums by this artist) from 1956, "Man From The InterpolFind albums with this title" (a TV Series Soundtrack) from 1959, "Sweet Wide And BlueFind albums by this artist" from 1960, "Drums! Drums! Drums!Find albums with this title" from 1960, "Whole Lotta TonyFind albums with this title" from 1961 and finally "Twelve Favorite Film ThemesFind albums with this title" from 1961. In addition an EP from 1954 featuring his orchestra is also included.
Overall this is a fascinating collection of great mainstream Jazz music played by the best British musicians at the time, and which has additionally also an enormous historical value. I can’t imagine any true British Jazz fan missing this set!
Side Note
The Real Gone JazzFind albums on this label label releases hundreds of album collections, which include usually between three to eight original albums in a two to four CDs sets. Most of these albums were recorded and released in the 1950s and early 1960s. These collections provide the track lists and lineups of the original albums, but no recording information, liner notes and any background information whatsoever. The label takes advantage of the copyright law in UK, which limited the length of the copyright protection of recorded works to 50 years, after which recorded works become public domain. In 2013 UK implemented a correction of the copyright law extending the protection of recorded works to 70 years (like the rest of Europe), but the correction does not apply retroactively, which means that recordings which entered the 50 years rule prior to January 1, 2013 (i.e. recorded before January 1, 1963) remain public domain.
There are two great advantages to these releases: they are really inexpensive and they bring back to life many albums not reissued previously on CD, which means it would cost a collector an arm and a leg to get a copy of them. Many of these albums are absolute gems and essential pieces of Jazz history.
The disadvantages are: the lack of proper information, original cover art, combining tracks of several original albums on one CD and the sound quality, which depends on where the label gets the source material. From my experience most of the releases have quite excellent sound quality but I have not listened to all of them and some people have complained about it.
| | Updated: 01/06/2018Posted: 01/06/2016 | CD 4 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | ISTVAN CZIGLAN ~ SEVEN GATES OF ALHAMBRA
PERIFERIC 044 (Barcode: 5998272703000) ~ HUNGARY ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1997 Released: 2001
SolarisFind albums by this artist guitarist Istvan CziglanFind albums by this artist worked on this solo album for some time, but unfortunately it was not released at the time of his tragic death. Released posthumously with the cooperation of other Solaris members, this is a beautiful album, full of great tunes and of course excellent guitar playing. Something that deserves to be played over and over, and never gets boring.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | MILES DAVIS ~ SEVEN STEPS: THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA RECORDINGS OF MILES DAVIS 1963-1964
COLUMBIA 90840 ~ USA ~ Jazz
This is the 3rd chapter in the ColumbiaFind albums on this label’s epic series of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist Box Sets, which is a monumental reissue project of recordings by the most important Jazz musician of the 20th century. Recorded mostly live during 1963 & 1964, the music documents the so-called in transition period of Miles between his two legendary Quintets. Miles was, as always. In search of the next step he wanted to take musically and was searching for the right musicians who could accompany him in his journey. Therefore, although this set includes music performed by a constantly changing line-up, the crystallization of the second great Quintet is well documented here, with Ron CarterFind albums by this artist (bass), Tony WilliamsFind albums by this artist (drums), Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist (piano) and finally Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist (sax) gradually joined his group. All the other musicians playing with Miles here (George ColemanFind albums by this artist and Sam RiversFind albums by this artist on sax, Victor FeldmanFind albums by this artist on piano and Frank ButlerFind albums by this artist on drums) were admirable of course, but somehow lacked the special chemistry Miles required from his players.
The music contained here was originally released on the following albums: “Seven Steps To HeavenFind albums with this title”, “In EuropeFind albums with this title”, “My Funny ValentineFind albums with this title”, “Four & MoreFind albums with this title”, “In TokyoFind albums with this title” and “In BerlinFind albums with this title”. As usual, a plethora of previously unreleased tracks and tracks released on other albums and various compilations is also included, all present in full chronological order.
All of the material is painstakingly remastered and sounds superbly. Of course all this stuff is heavenly and although the musical progress here is slow, every note played by Miles is absolutely right on. There is a lot of tension in the air as Miles tests the ground for the next leap, pushing his musicians to the limit. The youngster Williams re-defines the meaning of Jazz drumming here, with more freedom and space than ever heard before, even with the parallel Free Jazz drummers. Hancock’s highly evolved musicality and deep sense of melody is already quite evident and Carter’s powerful and precise bass cements the entire concept together.
This stuff is as essential to any Jazz lover as air and water are to his physical existence. The box packaging is as lavish and extravagantly beautiful, as all the other items in this series, with extensive liner notes, detailed discography and many superb photographs.
A special note to collectors:
The initial release of all the Miles Davis Box Sets in this reissue series is packaged in an exquisite metal-bound (except chapter 5 which is cardboard-bound) frame housed in a hard cardboard CD-sized slipcase (except for chapters 1 & 8 which have a metal slipcase). Once the initial release is sold out, the CDs are repackaged in a tall-box digipak book format. Naturally the tall-box issues have a much lower retail price tag. All the initial release CD-sized issues become priceless collectors’ items in time.
| | Updated: 11/01/2024Posted: | CD 7 Box Set Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | GEORGIE FAME ~ SEVENTH SON / GOING HOME
BGO 700 (Barcode: 5017261207005) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1969 - 1971 Released: 2008
Contrary to what most people know about singer / songwriter / keyboards player Georgie FameFind albums by this artist, his true aspiration was always to sing Jazz. Although he arrived on the British scene in the mid-1960s as a Pop singer, with several singles charting over the years, pretty soon he decided that a Pop idol was the last thing he wanted to be and moved away from the Pop image as fast as he could. By the end of the 1960s Fame was already singing in front of Jazz bands and his self-penned material had a distinctive Jazzy feel.
This album includes two of Fame’s LPs recorded in 1969 and 1971 respectively, both great examples of his great sensitivity and musicality. On Seventh SonFind albums with this title he is supported by a dreamy Jazz band, which includes such illustrious players as Art ThemenFind albums by this artist, Stan SultzmannFind albums by this artist (saxophone), Derek WatkinsFind albums by this artist (trumpet), Chris PyneFind albums by this artist (trombone), Brian OdgersFind albums by this artist (bass) and John MarshallFind albums by this artist (drums), who play some outstanding solos. The album was produce by Fame’s friend Alan PriceFind albums by this artist, another Pop star with Jazz inspirations.
On Going HomeFind albums with this title the supporting band is the Keith MansfieldFind albums by this artist orchestra, another quite jazzy outfit, which played for example behind Maynard FergusonFind albums by this artist, when he lived and recorded in Britain at the same period. Although perhaps only marginally Jazz, these two albums are a great example of the openness the music industry was willing to extend towards the artists, who wanted to do “their own thing”, something that lasted for a very brief period of time.
Fame’s worm tone and great feel for the music are definitely worth a recollection and this album is a great trip down the memory lane. Probably for people in the autumn years, like myself, but still great fun.
| | Updated: 10/04/2020Posted: | CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | ELI HASSON ~ SEVEN SEAS
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 9506289436147) ~ ISRAEL ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music
Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023
This is the debut album by Israeli Jazz trumpeter / composer Eli HassonFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with guitarist Yeonathan ShacharFind albums by this artist and drummer Yovel ShayFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Hasson and one is an arrangement of a traditional song.
Hasson, aged 60, a “late bloomer” as he jokingly describes his musical background, is classically trained, but was involved in the “fringe” Israeli Jazz scene for some years, including stints with Harold RubinFind albums by this artist and Albert BegerFind albums by this artist, but only recently started to develop his compositional ambitions, encouraged by Israel pianist Anat FortFind albums by this artist. His partners on this album are young Israeli Jazz musicians / improvisers.
The music, although definitely melody based, incorporates a lot of Freedom in the interpretation, with a beautiful balance between sound and silence. The intimate and highly unusual trio format also sets a decisive tone to the music, which is very contemplative, reflective and even hypnotic to some extent.
Hasson’s trumpet playing, obviously classically influenced, is precise and offers a beautiful tone, which is expressive and relaxed. The guitarist offers layers of harmony and some electronic effects, staying mostly in the role of accompanist, creating the background for the trumpet soloing. The drummer almost never plays any steady rhythmic patterns, supplying instead another layer of accompaniment. Together the trio offers highly aesthetic and deeply emotional vistas, characteristic of European / Nordic stylistics.
Overall, this is a highly unusual Jazz / Improvised Music album, rather atypical to the local Israeli Jazz scene, which is mostly mainstream or ethnically oriented, which of course is very refreshing. The melodic continuity should make this music much more accessible to wider audiences than the usual Improvised Music fringe, and allow this music to reach many Jazz lovers, which it truly deserves. Hopefully the next album will arrive sooner than this debut effort.
| | Updated: 24/06/2023Posted: 24/06/2023 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | TUBBY HAYES ~ SEVEN CLASSIC ALBUMS
REAL GONE JAZZ 402 (Barcode: 5036408151322) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1958 - 1962 Released: 2013
This is the first part of a reissue of early recordings by the legendary British Jazz saxophonist / vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Tubby HayesFind albums by this artist, undoubtedly the greatest herald of British Jazz in the early post WWII period. This set collects recordings made between 1958 and 1962, which present Hayes playing Swing and Bebop with many of the best British musicians at the time. His spectacular abilities and virtuosic performances earned him a worldwide acclaim. Hayes died in 1973 at the ridiculous young age of thirty eight and one can only speculate how his music might have sounded when British Jazz fully developed its own voice and identity later on.
The seven albums included here are: "In ConcertFind albums with this title" by The Jazz CouriersFind albums by this artist, a combo co-led by Hayes and Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist, from 1958, "The Couriers Of JazzFind albums with this title" also by The Jazz Couriers, from 1959, "Tubby`s GroveFind albums with this title" from 1959, "TubbsFind albums with this title" from 1961, "Tubbs In NYFind albums with this title" from 1961, "All Night LongFind albums with this title" from 1961 and "Return VisitFind albums with this title" from 1962. A couple of tracks from the 1962 album "Equation In RhythmFind albums with this title" recorded with the American drummer Jack CostanzoFind albums by this artist are included as bonus tracks.
Overall this is a fascinating collection of great mainstream Jazz music played by the best British musicians at the time, and which has additionally also an enormous historical value. I can’t imagine any true British Jazz fan missing this set!
Side Note
The Real Gone JazzFind albums on this label label releases hundreds of album collections, which include usually between three to eight original albums in a two to four CDs sets. Most of these albums were recorded and released in the 1950s and early 1960s. These collections provide the track lists and lineups of the original albums, but no recording information, liner notes and any background information whatsoever. The label takes advantage of the copyright law in UK, which limited the length of the copyright protection of recorded works to 50 years, after which recorded works become public domain. In 2013 UK implemented a correction of the copyright law extending the protection of recorded works to 70 years (like the rest of Europe), but the correction does not apply retroactively, which means that recordings which entered the 50 years rule prior to January 1, 2013 (i.e. recorded before January 1, 1963) remain public domain.
There are two great advantages to these releases: they are really inexpensive and they bring back to life many albums not reissued previously on CD, which means it would cost a collector an arm and a leg to get a copy of them. Many of these albums are absolute gems and essential pieces of Jazz history.
The disadvantages are: the lack of proper information, original cover art, combining tracks of several original albums on one CD and the sound quality, which depends on where the label gets the source material. From my experience most of the releases have quite excellent sound quality but I have not listened to all of them and some people have complained about it.
| | Updated: 27/05/2018Posted: 28/09/2016 | CD 4 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | HERA / HAMID DRAKE ~ SEVEN LINES
MULTIKULTI 030 (Barcode: 5907796319512) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013
This is the third album by Polish Ethno-Jazz ensemble HeraFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist. The album contains a live concert recording by the ensemble, with featured as special guest the American drummer Hamid DrakeFind albums by this artist. The participating ensemble members are: saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Maciek CierlinskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Raphael RoginskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The music consists of five pieces, four of which are over fifteen minutes in duration, all of which are based on World Music ethnic riffs and melodies, partly composed or arranged by Zimpel and in one case including a melody contributed by Drake. Except for Drake´s chanting his own melody, the rest of the music is instrumental and mostly improvised.
It is much easier to say what this music isn´t than to say what it actually is, but that is hardly relevant as music is basically created in order to be listened to and not to be written about. Nevertheless one can try one´s best. So this is definitely not Jazz as most people conceive it, not even Jazz-World Fusion, as it goes well beyond the usual boundaries of that sub genre. Yes it is mostly improvised, but so is much of Ethnic music, which after all begot Jazz in the first place.
The closest definition that I can come up with is Spiritual Music, a kind of collective trance induced by repeated rhythmic patterns and a feeling of sharing and togetherness, which inspires the musicians involved. However, the problem with such music is that is works absolutely divinely live, but translates less efficiently into albums. Of course in this case the actual music is strong enough to carry on a potent impression, but probably much is also lost in the process. This music is also definitely not for everybody. Conventional Jazz listeners will find it not Jazzy enough; others might find the strong Ethnic influences outlandish and unfamiliar. Only listeners with a highly developed open-mindedness and readiness to accept what is different will discover the true delight of this music.
The individual performances are of course blissful as always in Hera´s case. Zimpel and Postaremczak weave some beautiful snaky improvisations; Roginski rocks things up with a great guitar solo and the expanded rhythm section transports the music into a different universe. Overall it is quite a musical experience, which should not be missed. People familiar with the two earlier albums by Hera are of course already hooked for good.
I always wonder where Zimpel will take the ensemble next. I guess we´ll all have to wait until the next album appears before us. Until then, may the spirits of music be with you all.
| | | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | IQ ~ SEVEN STORIES INTO NINETY EIGHT
GEP 0002 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
IQ`s 1st album (`Seven Stories Into Eight`) from 1982 was originally released on cassette only and was out of print for many years, untill the group decided to reissue it in 1998. For that occasion they also decided to re-record the entire album again in a new version. This release includes both the original and the new version - 16 years apart. Not only does the debut album sound great today, but the expanded new recording shows the fascinating development the group went through. For the many IQ fans this is a major treat!
| | | CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | LAMBERT, HENDRICKS & ROSS ~ SEVEN CLASSIC ALBUMS
REAL GONE JAZZ 415 (Barcode: 5036408153128) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1957 - 1962 Released: 2013
This is a reissue of all the recordings by the legendary American vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & RossFind albums by this artist, which consisted of Dave LambertFind albums by this artist, Jon HendricksFind albums by this artist and the British born Annie RossFind albums by this artist. This set collects recordings made between 1957 and 1962, which present the trio shaping the future of Jazz vocals for generations to come.
The seven albums included here are: "Sing A Song Of BasieFind albums with this title" from 1957, "Sing Along With BasieFind albums with this title", from 1958, "The SwingersFind albums with this title" from 1958, "Lambert, Hendricks & RossFind albums with this title" from 1960, "Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing EllingtonFind albums with this title" from 1960, "The Real AmbassadorsFind albums with this title", a soundtrack of a Jazz musical which also features Dave BrubeckFind albums by this artist and Louis ArmstrongFind albums by this artist, from 1962 and the final album they recorded "High Flying With Lambert, Hendricks & RossFind albums with this title" from 1962.
The trio´s usage of vocalese (i.e. wordless singing) advanced the idiom of Jazz vocals considerably, contributing to the voice being recognized as having instrumental abilities equal to those of traditional instruments used in Jazz. Although they were undoubtedly pioneers, they were almost immediately overshadowed by the French vocal group Les Double SixFind albums by this artist, which pushed the innovative vocal concepts to the next level and beyond, later followed by The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist and many other vocal ensembles.
Overall this is a fascinating collection of great vocal Jazz music performed by the best vocalists at the time, and which has additionally also an enormous historical value. I can’t imagine any true vocal Jazz fan missing this set!
Side Note
The Real Gone JazzFind albums on this label label releases hundreds of album collections, which include usually between three to eight original albums in a two to four CDs sets. Most of these albums were recorded and released in the 1950s and early 1960s. These collections provide the track lists and lineups of the original albums, but no recording information, liner notes and any background information whatsoever. The label takes advantage of the copyright law in UK, which limited the length of the copyright protection of recorded works to 50 years, after which recorded works become public domain. In 2013 UK implemented a correction of the copyright law extending the protection of recorded works to 70 years (like the rest of Europe), but the correction does not apply retroactively, which means that recordings which entered the 50 years rule prior to January 1, 2013 (i.e. recorded before January 1, 1963) remain public domain.
There are two great advantages to these releases: they are really inexpensive and they bring back to life many albums not reissued previously on CD, which means it would cost a collector an arm and a leg to get a copy of them. Many of these albums are absolute gems and essential pieces of Jazz history.
The disadvantages are: the lack of proper information, original cover art, combining tracks of several original albums on one CD and the sound quality, which depends on where the label gets the source material. From my experience most of the releases have quite excellent sound quality but I have not listened to all of them and some people have complained about it.
| | Updated: 27/05/2018Posted: 29/09/2016 | CD 4 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | LEGEND OF KAZIMIERZ ~ SEVEN WONDERS
NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013
This is the debut album by young Polish Klezmer Jazz sextet Legend Of KazimierzFind albums by this artist, which hails from Krakow, as do many other similar ensembles, and comprises of bassist Mateusz FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist, accordionist Pawel IwanFind albums by this artist, violinist Tomasz PawlakFind albums by this artist, clarinetist / flautist Mateusz ChmielFind albums by this artist, percussionist Tomasz CzaderskiFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jacek DlugoszFind albums by this artist. A few other musicians participate as guests. The album presents eight tunes, three of which are originals composed by Frankiewicz and Chmiel, two are traditional Jewish melodies, and another two are traditional Bulgarian melodies and finally the last one is by Jerry BockFind albums by this artist (the composer of the "Fiddler On The Roof" score).
To be perfectly clear the ensemble´s music has very little, if anything at all, to do with Klezmer music. The fact that they use the name of the old Jewish quarter of Krakow (Kazimierz) as part of their name is definitely misleading. However, they show some influence of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish music, but also a lot of Balkan and Middle Eastern influences. So the whole Jewish / Klezmer "shpiel" is somewhat stretched, but entirely forgiven in view of the fact that they do play some excellent music. In fact they are one of the best Jazz-World Music Fusion bands active in Poland judging by the strength of this album.
All the tunes are splendidly arranged and the ensemble very skillfully utilizes the entire palette of instruments played by its members. The overall atmosphere of the music is "oriental", with mystical Middle Eastern reverberations of the flute and violin swinging like enchanted cobras, archetypal darbuka rolls and layers of accordion, which wrap the entire bazaar of sounds like round pita bread holding falafel balls. This music not only sounds oriental, but almost "smells" oriental, and would be perfect as a soundtrack of a movie which takes place in a Mediterranean port.
Of course these lads can play and the level of the performance is nothing short of amazing. But as ensembles go, it´s not the individual stars that make the firmament and this ensemble sure knows how to put their collective skills together, to create a whole which is much stronger than the sum of its parts.
In short this is one ass-kicking Jazz-World Music Fusion album, which deserves to be heard by as many listeners around the globe as possible. I can hardly imagine anybody not liking this music, as it is as enchanting as a Gypsy queen, or a Flamenco dancer, or a belly dancer, or a snake charmer… pick one or all… Fans of World Music should not miss this one under no circumstances – you have been warned I say!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | MOODY BLUES ~ SEVENTH SOJOURN (EXPANDED EDITION)
THRESHOLD 9845507 (Barcode: 602498455074) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1972 - 1973 Released: 2007
8th album by Moody BluesFind albums by this artist and their 7th opus (as suggested by the title). By the time this album was recorded the band had behind it five years of grueling schedule of non-stop touring and recording, which basically created a complete burnout of everybody’s energies. Nevertheless they still managed to produce yet another masterpiece this time, but it will take 6 years to make the next Moody Blues album (OctaveFind albums with this title – the last album as a quintet) and their glory days were definitely over. Of course the public was unaware at the time of the situation and the group’s (temporary) disintegration came as total surprise. The album includes all the essential Moody Blues ingredients to make it a classic: a great mixture of fabulous songs, some romantic ballads and other up-tempo rockers and rich instrumentation with layers upon layers of sound. Justin HaywardFind albums by this artist, Mike PinderFind albums by this artist, Ray ThomasFind albums by this artist, John LodgeFind albums by this artist and Graeme EdgeFind albums by this artist will stay forever in our minds as creators of cutting-edge music and the seven classic albums constitute one of the mightiest musical achievements of the era. The new edition adds never previously heard bonus tracks (among them the only track recorded in 1973 as part of the failed effort to start the next album) and a crystal clear remastered sound, including the SACD 5.1 mix. Essential!
| | | CD 1 Digipak SACD Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | AZIZA MUSTAFA ZADEH ~ SEVENTH TRUTH
COLUMBIA 484238 ~ AZERBAIJAN ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1996
4th album by the wonderful pianist / singer from Baku / Azerbaijan. Aziza Mustafa ZadehFind albums by this artist returns to a more intimate setting on this one - accompanied only by the Indian percussion player Ramesh ShotamFind albums by this artist - she spinns and twists her intricate eastern-influenced melodies playing her heart out. The performances are full of passion and fire, as well as mystical sadness and melancholy. The cover picture created a lot of stirr, especially in her native country. A treasure!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | GEORGE RUSSELL ~ SEVEN CLASSIC ALBUMS
REAL GONE JAZZ 353 (Barcode: 5036408140425) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1959 - 1962 Released: 2012
This is a reissue of the early recordings by the legendary American pianist / composer / arranger / music theorist George RussellFind albums by this artist This set collects recordings made between 1959 and 1962, which present Russell playing with small orchestral ensembles and small combos, introducing elements of his Lydian Chromatic Concept and later Modal Jazz.
The six albums included here are: "New York, N.Y.Find albums with this title" from 1959, "Jazz In The Space AgeFind albums with this title" from 1960, "StratusphunkFind albums with this title" from 1960, "George Russell Sextet In K.C.Find albums with this title" from 1961, "Ezz-TheticsFind albums with this title" from 1961, "The Stratus SeekersFind albums with this title" from 1962 and "The Outer ViewFind albums with this title" from 1962.
The musicians participating in these recordings include some of the most important American Jazz players at the time, like saxophonists John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist, pianists like Bill EvansFind albums by this artist and Paul BleyFind albums by this artist, bassists Chuck IsraelsFind albums by this artist and Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist and drummers Joe HuntFind albums by this artist and Pete La RocaFind albums by this artist, to mention just a few.
Overall this is a fascinating collection of great Jazz music performed by some of the best players at the time, and which has additionally also an enormous historical value. I can’t imagine any true Jazz fan missing this set!
Side Note
The Real Gone JazzFind albums on this label label releases hundreds of album collections, which include usually between three to eight original albums in a two to four CDs sets. Most of these albums were recorded and released in the 1950s and early 1960s. These collections provide the track lists and lineups of the original albums, but no recording information, liner notes and any background information whatsoever. The label takes advantage of the copyright law in UK, which limited the length of the copyright protection of recorded works to 50 years, after which recorded works become public domain. In 2013 UK implemented a correction of the copyright law extending the protection of recorded works to 70 years (like the rest of Europe), but the correction does not apply retroactively, which means that recordings which entered the 50 years rule prior to January 1, 2013 (i.e. recorded before January 1, 1963) remain public domain.
There are two great advantages to these releases: they are really inexpensive and they bring back to life many albums not reissued previously on CD, which means it would cost a collector an arm and a leg to get a copy of them. Many of these albums are absolute gems and essential pieces of Jazz history.
The disadvantages are: the lack of proper information, original cover art, combining tracks of several original albums on one CD and the sound quality, which depends on where the label gets the source material. From my experience most of the releases have quite excellent sound quality but I have not listened to all of them and some people have complained about it.
| | Updated: 27/05/2018Posted: 02/10/2016 | CD 4 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | SOFT MACHINE ~ SEVEN
COLUMBIA 473004 ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
7th album (recorded 1973) and the last of the strongly improvisational jazzy oriented albums by SM, which would turn into a fusion band in the next few releases. Ratledge, Marshall, Babbington and Jenkins take a different approach this time and produce 12 much shorter pieces, rather than just a few very long ones, which of course is a lot of fun, as the album keeps changing melodies and tempos quite rapidly. Sadly under-appreciated, this is (in retrospect) a superb piece of music.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | SOFT MACHINE ~ SEVEN (REMASTERED)
SONY BMG 768729 (Barcode: 828768729229) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1973 Released: 2007
7th album, which was the last recording Soft MachineFind albums by this artist did for CBSFind albums on this label. Following the release of SixFind albums with this title veteran SM member Hugh HopperFind albums by this artist announced his departure from the group. Hopper was not happy with the direction the group was taking, namely the less adventurous and jazz oriented Jazz-Rock, which dominated Six. Being a bold innovator and restless explorer, Hopper’s idea of well-organized and structurally sound music was unacceptable, and he decided to leave. For the third time in a row the band enlisted to their ranks a replacement from the band NucleusFind albums by this artist, this time the bass player Roy BabbingtonFind albums by this artist (who already participated on FourthFind albums with this title and FifthFind albums with this title). He switched from his acoustic bass to a six-string bass guitar and his integration into the band was completely smooth and natural, as he was already familiar with John MarshallFind albums by this artist and Karl JenkinsFind albums by this artist. The music, written mostly by Jenkins and Mike RatledgeFind albums by this artist, is more Jazz-Rock than ever, with rather shorter, but extremely well structured and perfectly executed pieces. The keyboards duets and quirky rhythm patterns are the familiar Jazz-Rock devices used, similar to other groups which played similar music at the time. Contrary to the general opinion, which states that this album is not as strong as the previous SM releases, I personally completely disagree and consider this to be as essential as all the other CBS recordings with some of the best and most memorable SM tunes on it. After this album SM switched to the Harvest label, recording several Jazz-Rock albums featuring guitar players Allan HoldsworthFind albums by this artist and later John EtheridgeFind albums by this artist, all of which are still waiting for proper remaster. Essential!
| | | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | PASCAL VON WROBLEWSKY ~ SEVENTIES SONGBOOK
DUNEFISH 693723125121 (Barcode: 693723125121) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Soul Fusion
Recorded: 2009 - 2011 Released: 2012
This is an album by German vocalist Pascal von WroblewskyFind albums by this artist, which finds her revisiting the music of her youth and singing ten new arrangements of classic 1970s Pop / Rock / Blues material. The album was recorded in an intimate setting with guitarist / keyboardist Jurgen HeckelFind albums by this artist, who was also in charge of all the arrangements, bassist Pepe BernsFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter MichailowFind albums by this artist.
I first heard von Wroblewsky when she recorded her debut album "Swinging PoolFind albums with this title" released on the East German AmigaFind albums on this label label thirty years ago, when Europe was still divided by the Iron Curtain. Her warm, soulful voice and wonderful sense of melody were already present on that album and they stayed intact over the years, as this album duly proves. Although von Wroblewsky is not a native English speaker, her pronunciation and accent are almost perfect and the ever so slight "foreign" feel is simply charming rather that disturbing.
The choice of the material is perfect and suits perfectly the vocalist´s range and sensibilities, moving easily between Blues, Soul and Rhythm And Blues, always elegant, highly expressive and beautifully aesthetic. The instrumental arrangements are exquisite, delicate and display nothing but good taste. They are soaked in Blues and Jazz feel and suit the vocalist´s performances ideally. Heckel plays stunning guitar parts, well audible and yet not overshadowing the vocals. The acoustic bass adds a lot to the intimacy and Jazzy feel of the album and the delicate and elegant drum parts are also right on the money.
Overall this is heartwarming to see that von Wroblewsky manages to stay relevant in a reality where quality music is no longer the name of the game. Although full of nostalgic feeling for better times, this album is by no way dated, as classic tunes obviously live forever and when treated as gracefully and stylishly like here, absolutely nothing can go wrong.
For people my age this album is a wonderful trip down the memory lane, but for younger listeners this is a lesson on how to treat songs respectfully and carry them into future without annihilating them on the way. Very well done Milady!
| | Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 16/07/2016 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MAREK WALAROWSKI ~ SEVEN STAIRS TO HELL
DUX 1209 (Barcode: 5902547012094) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015
This is an album by Polish pianist / composer Marek WalarowskiFind albums by this artist, which presents a project he recorded with a classic piano trio with acoustic bass guitarist Jedrzej LaciakFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal DziewinskiFind albums by this artist. It consists of eight original compositions, all by Walarowski. The tongue in cheek reference in the project´s title to the seminal Miles DavisFind albums by this artist album hints about the musical point of reference this music is related to, deep within the Jazz tradition.
Although seemingly a straight-ahead mainstream Jazz piano trio album, this album offers a whole musical concept, which mixes the traditional Jazz idiom with unique approach to improvisation, where the instruments rather than soloing in turn, improvise continuously constantly exchanging phrases between themselves, similar to what happens in group improvisation in Free Jazz, but within the standard melodic / harmonic mainstream Jazz. If this is not clear enough, the best idea is to listen to the music and hear this approach in real time.
Of course in order to apply this approach, Walarowski had to find the right partners, which is definitely not a trivial matter. The stunning work done by the acoustic bass guitarist is a proof that such partners do exists. Laciak plays along with the piano notes with an amazing virtuosity, and manages to combine the traditional role of the bass in a piano trio with a continuous barrage of notes, which improvise and perform a dialogue with the piano. Dziewinski is obviously less involved in the actual improvisation, except for his solo spots, but he accompaniments the piano / bass lines with great elegance and sensitivity.
Of course the great performances are based first and foremost on the compositions, which serve as vehicles for the improvisational layer. Walarowski´s beautifully melodic and lyrical themes are perfect for the job and are a real pleasure to listen to. He is also a great pianist of course, but his idiosyncratic style might sound a bit strange to purist Jazz listeners, revealing some Classical mannerisms, which are difficult to hide.
Overall this is a wonderful piano trio album, which should make all connoisseurs of that particular Jazz variety extremely happy, although it might require a few listening sessions in order to appreciate this music in full. I suppose this is a multi-layered album in a sense that some listeners will enjoy the melodic, swinging parts, which are very easy to like while others will make an effort to dig deeper and listen beneath the surface to discover the hidden treasures. Whichever way, this is a highly recommended piece of music, worth discovering and investigating.
| | Updated: 10/05/2016Posted: 10/05/2016 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
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