Record Reviews

RAN BLAKE ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1034 (Barcode: 8052405141811) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1981 - 1999 Released: 2015 This superb Box Set collects recordings by the American pianist / composer Ran BlakeFind albums by this artist on the Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label labels. It includes seven albums, two of which are solo piano recordings: "Duke DreamsFind albums with this title" and "EpistrophyFind albums with this title", four are duos: "ImprovisationsFind albums with this title" with pianist Jaki ByardFind albums by this artist, "Suffield GothicFind albums with this title" with saxophonist Houston PersonFind albums by this artist, "Unmarked VanFind albums with this title" with drummer / percussionist Tiziano TononiFind albums by this artist and "Indian WinterFind albums with this title" with guitarist David FabrisFind albums by this artist and finally one is a quartet recording: "Short Life Of Barbara MonkFind albums with this title" with saxophonist Ricky FordFind albums by this artist, bassist Ed FelsonFind albums by this artist and drummer Jon HazillaFind albums by this artist. The music includes a mixture of original compositions by Blake and his unique interpretations of Jazz standards. Blake is famous for his innovative and highly personal style, which combines influences form Blues, Gospel, Classical Music and Third Stream. His impressive recorded legacy spans six decades and includes over forty albums as a leader. Most of his work is in small intimate formats, like solo piano and duets and rarely includes also quartets. Blake is also an influential educator. The music is absolutely timeless, offering a good overview of his unique style and is a perfect introduction to his music for Jazz piano enthusiasts not familiar with his work. Blake is one of my favorite piano players, not only because of his superb technique but mostly because of his sensibility, individual touch and superb lyricism. This Box Set offers a wonderful collection of brilliant piano music. 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: 10/05/2020Posted: 10/05/2020

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