Record Reviews

LEE KONITZ ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1011 (Barcode: 8052405140074) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1984 - 1992 Released: 2011 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary US saxophonist / composer Lee KonitzFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Konitz needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that from the early days with Lennie TristanoFind albums by this artist and than Miles DavisFind albums by this artist to this very day he never stopped developing and astounding his audiences. Being a very prolific musician and bandleader, Konitz recorded a vast number of albums over the years cooperating with the most distinguished Jazz musicians around the globe. His virtuosic sax playing and excellent compositions are always a source of great musical joy. The musicians playing on these five albums include: drummer Billy HartFind albums by this artist, pianist Kenny WernerFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron McClureFind albums by this artist, bassist Marc JohnsonFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist and many 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! Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice Lovely - led me to areas of Konitz´s work I did not know

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

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

STEVE SWALLOW ~ DAMAGED IN TRANSIT XTRAWATT 11 (Barcode: 044006779225) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2003 This is a live album by American bassist / composer Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist, recorded in an all American trio setting with saxophonist Chris PotterFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all composed by Swallow. The music was recorded during the trio’s tour in France. The music is rather unusual for Swallow, as it offers mostly straightforward swinging Jazz, which presents plenty of opportunity for Swallow to perform lengthy solos on his bass guitar. But naturally the focus of the music is on Potter, who is in charge of the melodic contents, with Nussbaum keeping the music swinging vigorously. The nine tracks sound like one continuous piece, even though they were recorded at different dates and locations. The saxophone trio, which is usually a rather tough format for listeners, sounds very tight together and basically offers a sound of a full ensemble, able to perform a coherent continuity and not lacking anything more in order to sound whole. Most of the material is up-tempo, which is definitely a demanding challenge for the trio members, but they don’t seem to mind and pass the test with flying colors. Overall, this is an excellent album of vigorous post-Bebop Jazz, spectacularly performed by these excellent musicians. Although I usually prefer Swallows more complex and introvert compositions, this is a great document of his abilities as straight-ahead Jazz player. For the many fans and followers of Swallow’s artistry, this is definitely a must-have album.

Updated: 19/01/2025Posted: 19/01/2025

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MIROSLAV VITOUS ~ UNIVERSAL SYNCOPATIONS II ECM 2013 (Barcode: 602517183575) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2004 - 2005 Released: 2007 This album, subtitled "Music for ensemble, orchestra and choir", is the second project by Czech virtuoso bassist / composer Miroslav VitousFind albums by this artist recorded at the Universal Syncopation Studios in Italy, hence the title. However, the music is quite different from what the previous album offers, being much more contemporary Classical inclined, as well as using certain World Music elements, all pre-composed and arranged. The cast consists of nine musicians playing in defferent settings, with saxophonists Bob MintzerFind albums by this artist, Gary CampbellFind albums by this artist and Bob MalachFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Randy BreckerFind albums by this artist, bandoneón player Daniele Di BonaventuraFind albums by this artist, singer Vesna Vasko-CaceresFind albums by this artist, drummers Gerald CleaverFind albums by this artist and Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist and Vitous on bass. Serious music lovers will find this very interesting for sure, and I recommend some intense listening here, but all well rewarded. Warmly recommended!

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

MIKE WALKER ~ ROPES MADHOUSE 002 (Barcode: 5029385847661) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2019 This is the second album by British Jazz guitarist / composer Mike WalkerFind albums by this artist. It presents a suite for Jazz quintet and string orchestra, originally commissioned for the Manchester Jazz Festival and debuted there in 2008. The studio version, recorded several years later, features a core quintet which includes American drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist and British saxophonist Iain DixonFind albums by this artist, pianists Les ChisnallFind albums by this artist or Gwilym SimcockFind albums by this artist, bassists Steve WattsFind albums by this artist or Steve RodbyFind albums by this artist and several other musicians as well as the twenty two piece Psappha StringsFind albums by this artist orchestra. The album´s eight tracks include the three-part Ropes suite and five additional tracks, all composed and arranged by Walker, except for the closing track which was co-composed by him and Chisnall. The music is a beautifully lyrical Jazz-Classical Fusion, which goes way beyond the "Jazz with strings" idiom by amalgamating the string orchestra deep within the music´s concept, and making it an integral part of the entire essence of the project. The Jazz improvisations are all carefully kept within the melodic and harmonic outline of the pieces, often pretty minimalist and serene, but always exquisitely expressive. The participating instrumentalists are all Masters of their trade and their respective contributions are all elegant, tasteful and respectful, as appropriate for such a delicate and complex endeavor. Dixon, who is the main soloist, sounds absolutely delicious both on clarinet and soprano saxophone, Walker´s guitar parts are certainly up to par with his reputation and the pianists lay down an excellent harmonic foundation as well as tasteful soli. The string orchestra is excellently mixed with the Jazz ensemble, exactly prominent enough to be a part of the music but without dominating it. Considering the fact how rare Jazz and string music collaborations are these days, this is a superb reminder of the potential such projects have to offer, and how these can be carried out without crossing over into the terrible kitsch they sometimes turn into. Overall this is a splendid album from start to end, full of great music and excellent performances, which should satisfy all true music connoisseurs, who are open to atypical, but highly rewarding experimentation. This is British / European Jazz at its usual, highly aesthetic and challenging best, which is of course wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 17/04/2019Posted: 17/04/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

ZZ QUARTET ~ MIDNIGHT IN EUROPE IN+OUT 77145 (Barcode: 798747714525) ~ CROATIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is the third album by the European Jazz ensemble called ZZ QuartetFind albums by this artist, co-led by Croatian guitarist Ratko ZjacaFind albums by this artist and Italian accordionist Simone ZanchiniFind albums by this artist with Macedonian (resident in Germany) bassist Martin GjakonovskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live and the album presents nine original compositions, four by Zjaca and five by Zanchini. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Jazz and European Folkloristic themes, excellently put together and brilliantly performed by the quartet. Accordion is of course a very dominant instrument and Zanchini takes the center stage most of the time, which is perfectly fine as his virtuosic delivery is worth every minute of attention. He is full of the Italian lyricism and incredible feel of melody, which many Italian musicians are blessed with. The fourteen minutes long ballad “Frida Is Vanished” is alone worth the price of the album and epitomizes the soulful atmosphere of the music perfectly. Zjaca adds the Jazz element to the music, soloing skillfully and accompanying the accordion amicably in the background. His music is more Blues oriented, adding different accents to the album as a whole and making it more diverse. The rhythm section is also playing impressively, with veteran Nussbaum, who needs no introduction, adding the perfect accents but playing delicately and sparingly. Gjakonovski, one of the rising young European bass stars, delivers everything expected of him. Overall this is an excellent album, full of great music and exciting performances, with a unique sound and atmosphere, which consolidates Jazz with many European cultural elements, mostly of Mediterranean origin. A delightful listening experience!

Updated: 05/07/2021Posted: 05/07/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend