Record Reviews

JANE IRA BLOOM ~ THE NEARNESS ARABESQUE 120 (Barcode: 026724012020) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1995 Released: 1996 This is an album by American Jazz saxophonist / composer Jane Ira BloomFind albums by this artist, recorded with British Jazz trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist and American musicians: trombonist Julian PriesterFind albums by this artist, pianist Fred HerschFind albums by this artist, bassist Rufus ReidFind albums by this artist and drummer Bobby PreviteFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, eight of which are original compositions by the leader and five are standards. As far as I know this is the second recording by Bloom with Wheeler, following the “Art And AviationFind albums with this title” album from 1992, and since it was released almost thirty years ago it is not very easy to find. This is one of Wheeler’s recordings, which remains almost completely obscure and does not appear in most of his discographies. I was very lucky to get it from Kenny’s private collection. Bloom is one of my favorite American Jazz musicians / composers since she appeared on the scene in the 1980s. She is daring and original and is also one of the pioneers of incorporating electronics in her music. Her music sounds more like European Jazz rather than American, which is quite refreshing. This album has especially somewhat ECMish sound and atmosphere, which must have been influenced by Wheeler’s presence. For the many Wheeler followers, he can be heard playing some marvelous trumpet parts here, easily comparable to his best work on more renowned albums. Overall, this is an excellent modern Jazz album, performed by first class musicians and is absolutely worth digging for, not only for the great contributions by Kenny Wheeler, but no less importantly for the splendid music and superb performances by the entire team.

Updated: 29/05/2023Posted: 29/05/2023

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HERSCH / WINSTONE / WHEELER / CLARVIS ~ 4 IN PERSPECTIVE VILLAGE LIFE 00909 (Barcode: 5037013009091) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 2000 This is a beautiful and criminally little know album recorded by the quartet comprising of American pianist / composer Fred HerschFind albums by this artist and three British Jazz musicians: vocalist Diva Norma WinstoneFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Giant Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist and highly respected drummer Paul ClarvisFind albums by this artist. It documents a live performance by the quartet recorded at St Barnabas Church in Oxford. The album presents nine tracks, four of which are original compositions by Hersch (one featuring lyrics by Winstone), one is an improvised piece credited to all four participants, one is a Wheeler composition with lyrics by Winstone and three are standards. The music is of course brilliant from start to finish. Hersch, despite his American ancestry (nobody´s perfect), was always spiritually way closer to European music than most American musicians, and as a result his music can be considered a part of the European Jazz tradition. Of course he played with Winstone and Wheeler many times before this occasion, and the mutual amity is obvious. The music ranges from straightforward classics to improvised pieces, which for me are the highlight of the proceedings. The personal performances are all superb, as expected. Winstone uses her theatrical lyrics delivery masterfully and her vocalese parts are priceless as always. Wheeler ornaments the proceeding with excellent trumpet parts. Hersch plays wonderfully and his piano parts are full of the romantic notions he is renowned for, displaying his obvious virtuosity. Clarvis, who has the toughest job here, uses his percussion instruments with grace and intelligence managing not to spoil the acoustic ambience and still be clearly heard. Overall this is a brilliant piece of music and a must in any serious British Jazz collection, especially for the many Winstone and Wheeler connoisseurs. Not easy to get hold of but definitely worth the effort. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 06/04/2019Posted: 06/04/2019

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