Record Reviews

DON ELLIS ~ HAIKU PROMISING MUSIC 44113 (Barcode: 602527326337) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1973 Released: 2010 The trumpeter / composer / bandleader Don EllisFind albums by this artist was probably the most "progressive" and open-minded American Jazz musician of his time. He experimented with odd meters, World Music / Folklore themes and hired European musicians as members of his ensembles and Big Band. His contacts with Europe were excellent and his friendship with legendary producer Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist and the German MPSFind albums on this label label led to the release of two of his albums on MPS, when his US label ColumbiaFind albums on this label refused to record his novel ideas. These were sadly among his latest recordings prior to his untimely death just a few years later. This album was a second of the two MPS recordings and contains a beautiful suite for trumpet, Jazz group and orchestra, with ten themes based on ten short Japanese Haiku poems. Ellis plays wonderfully on this album, as do his colleagues: Bulgarian keyboardist Milcho LevievFind albums by this artist, legendary bassist Ray BrownFind albums by this artist, drummer John GuerinFind albums by this artist and guitarists Larry CarltonFind albums by this artist, David CohenFind albums by this artist and Tommy TedescoFind albums by this artist. The music is also wonderful, mostly melodic and gentle, but with the great orchestral arrangements and trumpet solos on top the overall effect is truly gorgeous. In many respects this is "the other side" of Ellis, compared to his highly energetic Big Band albums on Columbia. Brilliant stuff!

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