Record Reviews

GEORGE ADAMS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1018 (Barcode: 8052405140616) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 - 1983 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American flautist / saxophonist / composer George AdamsFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. The set includes five albums, three of which were recorded with the quartet he co-led with pianist Don PullenFind albums by this artist and which also included bassist Cameron BrownFind albums by this artist and drummer Dannie RichmondFind albums by this artist, and the other two were recorded with a quintet co-led with drummer Dannie Richmond and which also included trombonist Jimmy KnepperFind albums by this artist, pianist Hugh LawsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Mike RichmondFind albums by this artist. Adams is best known as a member of the Charles MingusFind albums by this artist ensembles or bands led by Gil EvansFind albums by this artist and Roy HaynesFind albums by this artist and later as a co-leader of the quartet with pianist Don Pullen. His musical interests covered a very wide range of sub-genres, from Rhythm And Blues to Free Jazz and he felt quite comfortable playing in any of them, often on the same album. His passionate performances and his occasional vocal escapades made him one of the most colorful and loved Jazz performers in the 1980s. His premature death at the age of 52 robbed the American Jazz scene of one of its most original personalities. In the late 1980s Adams was a member of the short-lived quartet called PhalanxFind albums by this artist, which also included guitarist James Blood UlmerFind albums by this artist, one of the most adventurous ensembles of that period. 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: 08/05/2023Posted:

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

KRZYSZTOF POPEK ~ FRESH AIR PROJECT POWER BROS 00197 (Barcode: 5906295856610) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 - 2016 Released: 2016 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz flautist / composer Krzysztof PopekFind albums by this artist, which breaks his seven years long period of silence. It was recorded in a sextet setting with Polish trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, Romanian saxophonist Nicolas SimionFind albums by this artist and an American rhythm section: pianist George CablesFind albums by this artist, bassist Cameron BrownFind albums by this artist and drummer Victor LewisFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven pieces, of which just one is an original by Popek and another is a short outro by Cables and the remaining five are standards. As the lineup suggests, the music is typical mainstream Jazz, which has almost nothing to do with Polish or European Jazz, and is soaked in American tradition with a very predictable results. Although these are excellent musicians, the music they perform offers no intellectual challenge whatsoever to the listener. There are plenty of great instrumental passages, especially Simion´s bass clarinet parts, but again nothing outstanding, which does not appear on almost every CD recorded in the US. Popek´s flute still sounds beautifully romantic, but the instrumental performances alone are simply not enough to make this album exceptional. I still hold fond memories of Popek´s work as the leader of the legendary Young PowerFind albums by this artist, which I´d rather listen to than to this album. Overall this is a highly professional post Bebop mainstream album, well recorded and pleasurable, but not different from thousands of other similar albums of this type.

Updated: 28/02/2017Posted: 28/02/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ARCHIE SHEPP ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1035 (Barcode: 8052405141828) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1975 - 1985 Released: 2015 This superb Box Set collects recordings by the legendary American saxophonist / composer Archie SheppFind albums by this artist on the Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label labels. It includes four albums, in various settings between a quintet and a septet, each with a different lineup. "A Sea Of FacesFind albums with this title" features trombonist Charles GreenleeFind albums by this artist, pianist Dave BurrellFind albums by this artist, bassist Cameron BrownFind albums by this artist, drummer Beaver HarrisFind albums by this artist and vocalists Bunny FoyFind albums by this artist and Rafi TahaFind albums by this artist. "Down Home New YorkFind albums with this title" features trumpeter Charles E. McGheeFind albums by this artist, pianist Ken WernerFind albums by this artist, bassist Saheb SarbibFind albums by this artist, drummer Marvin SmithFind albums by this artist and vocalist Bazzi Bartholomew GrayFind albums by this artist. "Little Red MoonFind albums with this title" features Italian trumpeter Enrico RavaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Siegfried KesslerFind albums by this artist, bassist Wilbur LittleFind albums by this artist and drummer Clifford JarvisFind albums by this artist. Finally "California MeetingFind albums with this title" features pianist George CablesFind albums by this artist, bassist Herbie LewisFind albums by this artist, drummer Eddie MarshallFind albums by this artist and vocalist Royal BlueFind albums by this artist (on one track only). The music includes a few compositions by Shepp and John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and the rest are mostly standards. Shepp is best known from his association with John Coltrane during his late Avant-Garde period and other recordings in the same idiom. The recordings included in this Box Set, made a decade and two decades later, find Shepp in a much more conventional musical environment, which also includes his vocal performances as well as contributions by other vocalists and early Rappers. Of course he is still a formidable instrumentalist and his soloing is exceptional. The album with Rava is an absolute blast and offers some of Rava´s best playing ever, much different from his usual recordings with Italian / European musicians. The music is still absolutely relevant and offers a glimpse of Shepp´s later career, when he returned to traditional Jazz forms but kept exploring new territories, often playing with European musicians and recording for European record labels. This is definitely an important document of the American post Free Jazz movement. 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: 05/05/2020

CD 4 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend