Record Reviews

ANDRZEJ JOZEFOW ~ THREEISM SYNTACTICA 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Andrzej JozefowFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and Chilean drummer Luis Mora MatusFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, seven of which are originals by Jozefow, one is co-composed by all three trio members, one is a standard and one is a Classical piece by the French composer of Polish / Jewish origin Alexandre TansmanFind albums by this artist. From the very onset of this album it becomes apparent that this is not the "usual" guitar trio album, usually created to show the guitarist´s skills and neck breaking speed. This one is a much more serious and deep affair, dark and introvert, which presents a musical concept and ensemble approach rather rarely found in such projects. Jozefow´s music, which is the core of this album, is very melancholic, ascetic and slowly developing, a set of characteristics usually typical of Classical Music, but it is also inevitably Jazz in the best sense of the idiom. There is a lot of space and freedom in this music, which allows the musicians to spread their wings and soar high above the basic melodic and harmonic structure of the tunes, which keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. The execution is also quite extraordinary; Jozefow plays gently, delicately strumming the guitar and sparingly uttering his notes, being a complete antidote of the usual guitar madness. His notes are like delicate strokes of paint on canvas, slowly but consistently exposing the idea. Zuchowski is a wonderful partner in this creating, playing with the bow almost as much as plucking his bass, adding another layer of color to the musical canvas and always being right there when he is needed. Matus also keeps his drums in check, faithfully supporting the subtle musical structures with his tasteful touches, keeping the rhythm on time only when absolutely needed and playing around the rhythms when appropriate. The overall interplay between these three musicians is nothing short of astonishing. This is definitely a most impressive debut album, which surely promises many great things to come. I had the pleasure of meeting Jozefow in person during my recent visit in Gdansk, and he certainly makes an impression of treating his Art and career highly professionally. Therefore I can only wish him the best of luck, which he truly deserves.

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA ~ LE DEJEUNER SUR L`HERBE DUSK FIRE 110 (Barcode: 5065001032981) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1968 Released: 2014 This is the second and also the last formal album by the seminal British Jazz Orchestra called New Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist or NJOFind albums by this artist for short. Directed by the legendary composer / arranger / bandleader Neil ArdleyFind albums by this artist the NJO was probably the most important singular British Jazz ensemble, which shaped the way British and European Jazz developed in the late 1960s. Despite the fact that the number of people, who are familiar with this epic recording, will hardly fill up an average British pub, it is still one of the best and more importantly revolutionary Jazz albums of all times, certainly as far as British Jazz is concerned. The fact that the album, which was released on LP in 1969 and almost immediately after disappeared from the shelves, had to wait for 45 years for its debut CD reissue confirms its anonymity and obscurity. And yet for the handful of British Jazz enthusiasts it always was the magnum opus of the British Jazz resurgence, when the music emerged for the first time as a truly new Art form, related to but fully independent from the American Jazz tradition. Why "new"? The origin of the name is not entirely clear but NJO was new indeed; it included a new generation of British Jazz musicians, which arrived on the scene mostly in the 1960s and had very little in common with the older "swing" generation, which completely dominated the British scene up to that period, and which was entirely immersed in the American tradition, strengthened by the presence of American bands in Britain during the WWII period. Several Jazz Big Bands and orchestras were active on the British scene since the 1920s and well into the 1960s, some quite excellent and even extraordinary, but those limited the artistic scope to imitating the trends originating across the big pond. The list of British composers / bandleaders includes Ted HeathFind albums by this artist, Syd LawrenceFind albums by this artist, John DankworthFind albums by this artist and numerous others. By the time this album was recorded the NJO was about five years old. In 1965 it recorded its debut album called "Western Reunion London 1965Find albums with this title", which beautifully sums up the first phase of its activity, when the orchestra performed mostly new arrangements of American standards, but the overall sound of the band was already quite unique and stunning. This album was recorded by the second incarnation of the NJO, which included Jack BruceFind albums by this artist on bass (who was already a member of CreamFind albums by this artist at the time), with the regular bassist Tony ReevesFind albums by this artist taking the position of the album´s producer. The rest of the band included: trumpeters Derek WatkinsFind albums by this artist, Harry LowtherFind albums by this artist, Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist and Ian CarrFind albums by this artist, trombonists John MumfordFind albums by this artist, Michael GibbsFind albums by this artist, Derek WadsworthFind albums by this artist and Tony RussellFind albums by this artist, tuba player George SmithFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Barbara ThompsonFind albums by this artist, Dave GellyFind albums by this artist, Jim PhilipFind albums by this artist and Dick Heckstall-SmithFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Frank RicottiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jon HisemanFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight compositions, five of which are originals composed by NJO members or other British Jazz musicians / composers of the new generation; those are Neil Ardley, Howard RileyFind albums by this artist, Mike TaylorFind albums by this artist, Michael GarrickFind albums by this artist and Michael Gibbs. Two modern American Jazz standards, one by John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and another one by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist are also present, but their arrangements are stunningly removed from the original versions known to most Jazz listeners. The remaining composition is by the French composer of Polish / Jewish origin Alexandre TansmanFind albums by this artist, whose composition receives another highly unusual treatment. The album emerges triumphantly as a masterpiece of composition, arrangement, performance and intelligent music making, all those on top of its being a first of its kind and a beacon for generations to come. Many other superb Big Band / Orchestral British Jazz recordings will follow (Michael Gibbs, Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist and others), but as great as they were, none of them achieved the same primordial perfection, which marked the birth of British Jazz as documented herein. If anybody wanders about the album´s title (and the title of the opening track) and its humorous sleeve design, Google it up, oh ye ignoramuses, or preferably visit the Musée d´Orsay in Paris and look for the original ;) With the recent parting of Jack Bruce, whom I was honored and lucky to know in person, the reissue of this album is a small solace in his memory and in memory of a generation almost gone…

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend