Record Reviews

HARRY BECKETT ~ MAXINE ITM 920010 (Barcode: 4250079750108) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1987 - 1995 Released: 2011 This is an album by British Jazz trumpeter / composer Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, released shortly after his death. It presents a compilation of seven tracks, recorded between 1987 and 1995 with five different lineups, ranging between a quintet and a duo. In fact, it is a reissue of the 1993 album “Les Jardins Du CasinoFind albums with this title” with two tracks form the 1996 album “Compared 2 What?Find albums with this title”. Two tracks were recorded by a quintet with trombonist Annie WhiteheadFind albums by this artist, flautist / saxophonist John BurgesFind albums by this artist, bassist Marco CastronariFind albums by this artist and drummer Winston CliffordFind albums by this artist. Another two tracks were recorded by a trio with German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist and French bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist. One track was recorded by a duo with pianist Django BatesFind albums by this artist, another one by a duo with pianist Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist and finally one track by a quintet with saxophonist Courtney PineFind albums by this artist, McGregor, bassist Fred Thelonious BakerFind albums by this artist and drummer Clifford JarvisFind albums by this artist. The music in incredibly diverse stylistically, from mainstream balladry to intense modern Jazz improvisation, but the focus is on Beckett’s superb trumpet / flugelhorn performances, which are consistently breathtaking, despite the changing lineups and stylistic variations. Personally, my favorite tracks are those with Joachim Kuhn, but all the music is truly delightful and should make every Jazz enthusiast happy. It would be a crime to leave these tracks unreleased, so it’s great to see them available, for us to enjoy and cherish. Warmly recommended.

Updated: 05/08/2023Posted: 05/08/2023

CD 1 Slipcase 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