Record Reviews

DON ELLIS ~ SOARING MPS 4029759119777 (Barcode: 4029759119777) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the first of two albums for the MPSFind albums on this label label by American trumpeter / composer / bandleader Don EllisFind albums by this artist, recorded with a twenty-two musicians lineup, which was somewhere between a Big Band and an Orchestra, including a string quartet. The Bulgarian keyboards wizard Milcho LevievFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Sam FalzoneFind albums by this artist and drummer Ralph HumphreyFind albums by this artist are among the better known names among the Orchestra members. The album presents eight compositions, four of which are by Ellis, one each by Leviev and Falzone, another one by the great Czech composer Alexej FriedFind albums by this artist and finally the first recording of the now famous "Whiplash" by Hank LevyFind albums by this artist, who composed many of his innovative works especially for Ellis´ bands. The music is absolutely stunning and completely different form the American Big Band tradition, which often leads to calling Ellis the most European of all American musicians / composers. His aesthetic approach to Jazz and to the Big Band / Orchestra idiom was ground-breaking and daring, and included a wide use of odd meters, World Music elements, non-conventional arrangements and many elements which are still fascinating today. In retrospect it was probably the reason why his success in the US was rather limited. The band was one of the top Big Bands at the time, consisting of exceptional, mostly young players, with total dedication to the music and their leader, which produced a unique sound and feel like no other Big Band in the history of Jazz. This is definitely a milestone recording, which should be a part of every decent Jazz collection, especially as far as connoisseurs of Big Band / Orchestral Jazz are concerned. As usual for MPS standards, the sound quality is truly sublime, with every instrument in the band clearly audible, in spite of the difficulties in recording a highly dynamic music. This is of course timeless music, which lost absolutely nothing of its vitality and aesthetic value over time. Essential listening! Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 28/05/2018Posted: 25/02/2018

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