Record Reviews

DAVE DOUGLAS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1020 (Barcode: 8052405140630) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 - 1998 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American trumpeter / composer Dave DouglasFind 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 three albums he recorded as a leader, a live recording with the expanded version of the RovaFind albums by this artist quartet dedicated to John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s album "AscensionFind albums with this title", and two albums as a sideman: one with John LindbergFind albums by this artist and another with Mark DresserFind albums by this artist. Douglas is well known as a member of John ZornFind albums by this artist´s MassadaFind albums by this artist group, but he is also a most prolific recording artist on his own, with an impressive list of albums to his credit. These recordings present his output in the 1990s, and they are all excellent examples of his work, which combines Free Jazz, ethnic influences and Improvised Music, all based on a strong tradition of Modern Jazz. Douglas is perfectly comfortable playing melody and completely improvised passages, always preserving his perfect timing and absolutely beautiful tone. The list of the players present on these recordings reads like the Who´s Who of the American Avant-Garde scene and includes violinist Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Larry OchsFind albums by this artist, bassists Mark Dresser and John Lindberg, drummers Michael SarinFind albums by this artist and Ed ThigpenFind albums by this artist and many others. The music spans a wide range of different musical environments and approaches, all executed with flare and obvious talent. Most of this music should be accessible even to listeners with limited Avant-Garde experience of affiliation, but those who have already the appropriate background with enjoy this music to the max. Brilliant stuff! 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: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

RICHARD GALLIANO ~ NINO ROTA DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 028947646150 (Barcode: 028947646150) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is an album by French accordionist / composer Richard GallianoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with British saxophonist John SurmanFind albums by this artist, American trumpeter Dave DouglasFind albums by this artist, Russian (resident in US) bassist Boris KozlovFind albums by this artist and American drummer Clarence PennFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album is dedicated to the cinematic music by the great Italian composer Nino RotaFind albums by this artist. The album presents twenty tracks, all but one composed by Rota and one is an original composition by Galliano, dedicated to Rota. Rota’s music was one of the most distinctive soundtracks of the Italian / European and later on also Hollywood cinema. His cooperation with Italian directors like Frederico FelliniFind albums by this artist, Luchino ViscontiFind albums by this artist and Franco ZeffirelliFind albums by this artist and later Francis Ford CoppolaFind albums by this artist, made his brilliant film scores world famous and everlasting. Galliano and the quintet’s treatment of Rota’s music is wonderfully balanced between the original melody lines and their Jazz interpretations, full of superb musicianship and imagination. Sometimes hidden from the eye (ear), at other times easily recognizable, the epic melodies fly one after another like scenes from b/w movies, and those of us, who experienced these brilliant films at their first exposures, are swept on a carpet ride through a sentimental journey, full of memories and emotions. These were definitely better times… Overall, this is a sublime interpretation of the cinematic music by Nino Rota, played by great Jazz instrumentalist and arranged, adapted and orchestrated with great care and aesthetic respect by Galliano. This is a breath of fresh air in every respect, perhaps not a typical Jazz album, but certainly one that leaves the listener with a wide smile and a tear in the eye…

Updated: 30/10/2023Posted: 30/10/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MILO ENSEMBLE ~ D`EN DIA EN DIA MILO 306 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 Poland’s almost one thousand years of Jewish Culture, severed and annihilated by the Holocaust, enjoys a miraculous revival in the last two decades or so on the Polish Cultural scene, with music being just one of its many facets. Jewish Culture festivals and concerts of Jewish music are a pretty common phenomenon in Poland these days, but sadly all those reflect primarily just a part of the Jewish Cultural tradition, namely the Ashkenazi Jewry heritage. Its counterpart, the Sephardic Jewish Culture, is consistently absent on the Polish scene, sadly almost always intentionally. Polish Jews were of course predominantly Ashkenazi, and Sephardic Jews (like myself) were a tiny minority, with their Cultural heritage regarded as inferior and systematically ignored by the Polish Jewish establishment in the past, as well as today. Of course Sephardic music has its roots in the Mediterranean Cultures, which often sound strange to East European Ashkenazi ears, and therefore it is hardly surprising that it took someone like Milo KurtisFind albums by this artist, a Polish Greek, to undertake the ambitious project of presenting a collection of Sephardic songs by his Milo EnsembleFind albums by this artist, one of the most colorful music gatherings on the Polish scene. This album, which is a live recording, presents eight Sephardic Jewish songs, sung in the Ladino language, and two versions of an original composition, which open and close the performance. The ensemble consists of Kurtis, who plays clarinet and other instruments, vocalist Masha NatansonFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Misza KinsnerFind albums by this artist and Bartosz SmoragiewiczFind albums by this artist, oud player Mateusz SzemrajFind albums by this artist and percussionist Adeb ChamounFind albums by this artist, as well as guest artist, American trumpeter Dave DouglasFind albums by this artist. Several other guests take part on selected tracks, like vocalist KayahFind albums by this artist, electronics wizard Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist and others. The music follows the Jazz-World Fusion pattern, with each of the songs presented in its basic form and followed by extensive instrumental improvisations. The rhythmic background is predominantly close to Arabic / Greek patterns and the Sephardic originality is often stretched beyond recognition, but the concept holds water and offers an exciting glimpse of Jewish Music, which is rarely heard on the Polish stages. Listeners, who enjoy virtuosic instrumental improvisations and exotic atmosphere, full of Middle Eastern spirit, should enjoy this wonderful music to the max. Overall, this is an ambitious, original and exciting musical adventure, which adds some new color to the Jewish Culture and its presence in the Polish soil. Kurtis stays, as always, true to his roots and his capacity as a leader, who knows what he wants, is what keeps him afloat for all these years on this ever-changing seesaw ride of playing ambitious music. Thank you, my fellow Mediterranean soul Brother, for being what you are.

Updated: 23/11/2022Posted: 23/11/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

BARTLOMIEJ OLES / TOMASZ DABROWSKI ~ CHAPTERS FENOMMEDIA 012 (Barcode: 5907604327128) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 Trumpet / drums duo recordings are a very special chapter in Jazz history and they include some fascinating interplays recorded over time by American Jazz musicians, such as the legendary Don CherryFind albums by this artist / Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist or Max RoachFind albums by this artist / Dizzy GillespieFind albums by this artist recordings. Some American / European trumpet / drums duos are also worth mentioning, such as the Leo SmithFind albums by this artist / Gunter SommerFind albums by this artist, Dave DouglasFind albums by this artist / Han BenninkFind albums by this artist or Bill DixonFind albums by this artist / Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist, documented on their respective recordings. On the contemporary Polish Jazz scene this relatively rare pairing of instruments seems to be quite favorable, with such excellent examples like Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist / Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist, Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist / Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist and others. Trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist already has one trumpet / drums album under his arm, recorded with the American drummer Tyshawn SoreyFind albums by this artist and now he joins the brilliant drummer / composer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist in a new trumpet / drums duo, captured on this album. Bartlomiej Oles is of course known to all Polish Jazz connoisseurs as half of the Oles Brothers rhythm section, which in time achieved a legendary status as one of the best modern Jazz rhythm sections around, but this album focuses on his work as composer. Of the ten pieces presented on this album, Oles composed eight, and co-composed one with Dabrowski, with the remaining piece, which closes the set, being a Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist composition. In comparison to the trumpet / drums albums listed in the opening paragraph, this recording is definitely the most lyrical and deeply melodic of them all. Oles demonstrated his lyricism and love of melody over the years in the numerous compositions he contributed to the vast Oles Brothers recorded legacy. Additionally, his treatment of the drums as a melodic instrument has always been his particular trademark, as he almost never simply sets a rhythm but rather plays the drums in par with his musical partners in various ensembles. The intimacy of just two instruments is an ideal opportunity to place these compositional and performance qualities at the center of the listener´s attention. Dabrowski, whose meteoric rise to fame is fully justified, seems to be an ideal partner aiding Oles to achieve his goals. His virtuosic attack, combined with the intrinsic lyricism, turn his trumpet into a seemingly unlimited tool able to express an enormously diverse set of emotions, from whisper to shout, anger to joy, despair to mellow melancholy. Playing side by side with Oles, who is of course more experienced and mature, pushed Dabrowski really hard to reach and than cross his limits, which resulted in the best performance of his life so far. Oles managed to catalyze and crystallize Dabrowski´s unique style and mannerism, molding them into a perfect musical entity. There is so much music on this album that a true comprehension and appreciation of it requires several listening sessions even for the most experienced music lovers. Peeling off the layers of aesthetic and emotional essence captured herein by these two Masters is a delightful and rewarding experience. There is no doubt that this is a monumental achievement in every sense and a model of lofty, almost spiritual communication between an Artist and his audience. Personally I have a deep satisfaction from the fact that I have always considered these two musicians as representatives of what is best about Polish Culture in general and Polish Jazz in particular: honesty, consistency and a proper usage of a God given talent. Thank you both for such a wonderful gift!

Updated: 02/01/2017Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend