Record Reviews

MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1021 (Barcode: 8052405140647) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 - 1994 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American keyboardist / composer / conductor Muhal Richard AbramsFind 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 eight albums he recorded as a leader, heading a range of ensembles between a septet and a full scale orchestra, which was his preferred "weapon of choice" Abrams is best known as the founder of the original AACM in Chicago in 1965 and then the New York chapter of AACM after he moved there permanently in 1975. He was a prolific recording artist, with an impressive list of albums to his credit. The albums included here present his output between late 1970s and early 1990s, all of which is his original music. He plays piano, synthesizer and conducts the ensembles. These recordings are all excellent examples of his work, which is a completely unique combination of Free Jazz, Improvised Music and Contemporary Classical music techniques. Abrams often uses the human voice as an improvising instrument, as well as the electric guitar, which is quite unusual in such settings. His music is deeply influenced by the Blues as well as the compositional approach of Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist, who was his model. In retrospect his work could be seen as a continuation of Ellington´s legacy into the realm of Avant-Garde Jazz. The list of the players present on these recordings reads like the Who´s Who of the American Avant-Garde scene and includes trumpeter Jack WalrathFind albums by this artist, saxophonists John PurcellFind albums by this artist, Marty EhrlichFind albums by this artist, Charles DavisFind albums by this artist and Eugene GheeFind albums by this artist, cellist Abdul WadudFind albums by this artist, guitarists David FiuczynskiFind albums by this artist and Jean-Paul BourellyFind albums by this artist, vocalists Janette MoodyFind albums by this artist and Jay ClaytonFind albums by this artist and drummers Andrew CyrilleFind albums by this artist and Warren SmithFind albums by this artist and dozens of others. The music is absolutely brilliant and fascinating and connoisseurs of Free Jazz will find it obviously essential, but other less refined listeners might find it quite accessible, with just a minimal effort of attentive listening. This is definitely an important document of the American Free Jazz movement, which deserves to be preserved for posterity and which should serve as a source if inspiration to the young generation of contemporary Free Jazz artists. 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 8 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ADAM PIERONCZYK ~ I`LL COLOUR AROUND IT JAZZ SOUND 023 (Barcode: 606707941457) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2021 This is an alum by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist, recorded with an international quartet that includes American guitarist Jean-Paul BourellyFind albums by this artist, British (resident in US) bassist Orlando le FlemingFind albums by this artist and American drummer John B. ArnoldFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, seven composed by Pieronczyk and one co-composed by all four members of the quartet. Although recorded in 2016, the album was released only five years later. Pieronczyk is undoubtedly one of the most internationally recognized names among Polish Jazz musicians, who produced an impressive recording legacy with releases on many labels, both Polish and foreign. 2016 was surely a most fertile year of his career, as he managed to record no less than five albums (those already released and perhaps more available in his vaults) that year. The music on this album sounds more like a Jam Session rather than a carefully pre-planned recording session, with the musicians improvising on sketchy tunes and a relaxed atmosphere prevailing all around. Pieronczyk solos extensively with Bourelly mostly supporting him in the background, but also delivering occasionally his idiosyncratic soloing and vocal contributions, and the great rhythm section carries the music safely along the way. Overall, this is an interesting, mostly Free Form album, with highly impressive playing by all the participants, but somewhat less coherent and inviting than most earlier albums by Pieronczyk, which limits the listening audience to Improvised Music / Free Jazz enthusiasts. Personally I prefer the more “tamed” output by Pieronczyk, but of course his diversity is also one of his many virtues.

Updated: 09/12/2021Posted: 09/12/2021

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend