Record Reviews

DOM MINASI ~ THE VAMPIRE`S REVENGE CDM 1006 (Barcode: 616892693727) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006 This momentous masterpiece by US guitarist / composer Dom MinasiFind albums by this artist is one of the most ambitious large scale Avant-Garde recordings I’ve come across since the turn of this Century. Although large scale Avant-Garde projects flourished in European Jazz in the late 1960s / 1970 (Keith TippetFind albums by this artist and his CentipedeFind albums by this artist ensemble, Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist’s Orchestra and many others), the complexity, cost and logistics involved with such projects basically doomed the prospects for such recordings over time with the cultural climate and openness for such endeavors virtually disappearing. Therefore, before even examining the music as such, one must take one’s hat off to Minasi for pulling it all together. The album presents a concept Free Jazz suite, inspired by the writings of Ann RiceFind albums by this artist, to which Minasi was first exposed in the mid-1990s and since then was slowly building up his material for a large scale work on the subject of Vampires – one of the most mysterious and fascinating themes in our world of fantasy, legend and imagination. The last pieces of this complex work were completed just shortly before the recording actually took place. For the recording Minasi assembled a formidable gathering of his “regulars” - his trio members Ken FilianoFind albums by this artist on bass and Jackson KrallFind albums by this artist on drums, his DDTFind albums by this artist cellist Tomas UrlichFind albums by this artist, his singer wife Carol MennieFind albums by this artist, his quartet member saxophonist Mark WhitecageFind albums by this artist and his former quartet member saxophonist Blaise SiwulaFind albums by this artist. In addition he enlisted some of the most prominent names on the US Avant-Garde scene like Borah BergmanFind albums by this artist on piano, Perry RobinsonFind albums by this artist on clarinet and others. A total of 22 musicians participated in the recording sessions for this album, including the conductor Byron OlsonFind albums by this artist, who conducted the immensely complex big ensemble pieces. Describing the music is a task beyond any lingual skills – it is meant to be listened to rather that written about after all. I’ll only say that there is so much music here that it will take even the most experienced listener several listening sessions to start digesting this immense work. Moving between quiet contemplative moments and crescendos of expressionist power, the music tells a story, which each listener might interpret differently, but none can stay indifferent to. Even the most experienced Free Jazz and Avant-Garde listeners will find innovation and exploration of uncharted territory here, which in today’s music is such a rare commodity. It’s demanding, overwhelming, complex and intricate and at the same time communicative and deeply moving. A brilliant piece of modern music, which although known to few, constitutes a ray of hope in contemporary music, symbolizing the pursuit of new horizons by the few musicians, who still care about expanding them. Amazing stuff!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DOM MINASI ~ TIME WILL TELL CDM 1003 (Barcode: 616892564225) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 - 2002 Released: 2003 Listeners familiar with the two trio albums by US guitarist / composer Dom MinasiFind albums by this artist will find this, his 3rd release on his own label CDMFind albums on this label Records quite a surprise. It turns out that the uncompromising pioneer of Avant-Garde guitar has a romantic / lyrical alter ego, which is as refreshing and fascinating as his highly improvised output. In parallel to his regular trio, Minasi also leads a string trio called DDTFind albums by this artist, which includes his regular bass player Ken FilianoFind albums by this artist and the extraordinary cellist Tomas UlrichFind albums by this artist. For this album the trio was expanded to a quartet with the addition of drummer John BollingerFind albums by this artist and Minasi’s wife, singer Carol MennieFind albums by this artist, makes a guest appearance on one track. The music Minasi presents here is mostly contemplative with an emphasis on melody and chamber ambience. Although the album starts and closes with a standard, all the rest of the tracks are by Minasi, revealing his exceptional strength as a composer. These beautifully sad and melancholic tunes are moving and penetrate straight to one’s deeper emotions. I find a lot of Gypsy elements here, hidden traces of Django Reinhardt and his fusion of Gypsy music and Jazz. This album is in many respects a continuation of that tradition, brought up to date by Minasi’s vision. The performances are, as expected, brilliant all the way: Filiano’s bass and Ulrich’s cello sound great both as accompaniment and when soloing, Minasi’s modern approach to guitar playing makes this music fresh and Bollinger adds exactly the right amount of delicate rhythmic ornament this subtle music needs. If Minasi’s Avant-Garde recordings might be just a bit over the top to an average listener, this album should be accessible to every music lover on this planet, even to people who don’t listen to Jazz on a regular basis, as it presents music that is basically beyond any specific genre and completely universal. Don’t even think twice!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend