Record Reviews

JAKOB BRO / JOE LOVANO ~ ONCE AROUND THE ROOM: A TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN ECM 2747 (Barcode: 602445994908) ~ DENMARK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by Danish guitarist Jakob BroFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist Joe LovanoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a highly unusual septet setting with three bassists: American Larry GrenadierFind albums by this artist and Thomas MorganFind albums by this artist and Danish Anders ChristensenFind albums by this artist, and two drummers: American Joey BaronFind albums by this artist and Spanish Jorge RossyFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, two each by Bro and Lovano, one by American drummer / composer Paul MotianFind albums by this artist, to whom the album is dedicated, and finally one co-credited to all seven participating musicians. The music is completely free spirited, mostly improvised with very little melodic continuity. It is mostly about atmosphere and despite the fact that it is performed by obviously highly talented musicians, sounds to me quite estranged and cold. It sadly represents the many ECMFind albums on this label albums, that despite the high potential completely fail to deliver anything worth mentioning. Overall, for me this album says very little, and is one of those records that I continued to listen to until it was finished only from the respect I feel towards the musicians, never to return to it again.

Updated: 14/01/2025Posted: 14/01/2025

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STEVE KUHN ~ MOSTLY COLTRANE ECM 2099 (Barcode: 602527011141) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 Excellent album by US pianist / composer Steve KuhnFind albums by this artist with his trio comprising of bassist David FinckFind albums by this artist and drummer Joey BaronFind albums by this artist and guest saxophonist Joe LovanoFind albums by this artist. Kuhn, who is one of the most impressive American pianists / composers on the Jazz scene since the 1960s, started to record for the ECMFind albums on this label label in 1974 and his numerous albums on the label are all truly outstanding. On this album Kuhn re-examines the John ColtraneFind albums by this artist legacy as a composer, performing nine of his compositions. The other four selections include two compositions by Kuhn and two standards, which Coltrane performed often during the early stage of his career. Although obviously a tribute to the greatest Genius of Jazz, the album can be also viewed as an attempt to personalize Coltrane´s legacy and influence, adapting it to contemporary approach, half a Century after Coltrane composed and performed this music. Regardless of how one wants to analyze this music, it works perfectly and produces an aesthetic experience of the highest degree. Superb stuff! Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice This wonderful disc manages to bring a rich smoothness to the pieces without falling into the trap of "smooth jazz" (ie, not remotely MoR). Joey Baron adds brilliant highlights and I have made a mental not to hear more of Finck´s bass.

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PAUL MOTIAN ~ PAUL MOTIAN ECM 2260/65 (Barcode: 602537223466) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 - 1984 Released: 2013 This superb Box Set contains the first six albums by the legendary American drummer / composer Paul MotianFind albums by this artist, released on the ECMFind albums on this label label, which are: "Conception VesselFind albums with this title" (ECM 1028) recorded 1972, "TributeFind albums with this title" (ECM 1048) recorded 1974, "DanceFind albums with this title" (ECM 1108) recorded 1977, "Le VoyageFind albums with this title" (ECM 1138) recorded 1979, "PsalmFind albums with this title" (ECM 1222) recorded 1981 and finally "It Should`ve Happened A Long Time AgoFind albums with this title" (ECM 1283) recorded 1984. Except for just two cases all the music is composed by Motian and performed by various ensembles: three are by a trio, two by quintet and one by sextet. The musicians include pianist Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist, guitarists Sam BrownFind albums by this artist and Bill FrisellFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Carlos WardFind albums by this artist, Charles BrackeenFind albums by this artist and Joe LovanoFind albums by this artist, bassists Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist, David IzenzonFind albums by this artist, Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist and Ed SchullerFind albums by this artist and several others These albums are all superb examples of Motian´s talent as a composer, who is able to weave beautifully melodic tunes, which nevertheless are open enough to serve as vehicles for extensive improvisations. Except for the first album in this Box Set all other ensembles led by Motian are pianoless and relay mostly on guitar as the harmonic instrument, expressing Motian´s deep affection for this instrument. Of course Motian´s most important contribution to the Jazz idiom was his revolutionary approach to drumming, which in his case almost completely transformed the instrument´s role form time keeping tool to an instrument performing alongside the other instruments in the ensemble. Motian´s intimate and complex music may be somewhat difficult for a mainstream Jazz fan, but it truly deserves an open-minded effort to be penetrated and then enjoyed in full. This music is after all an important chapter in American Jazz, which is ambitious and highly aesthetic, and which manages to break from the stale traditionalism into new vistas. Side Note: These albums are not available on CD individually, so this is the only way to obtain them in CD form.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

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PAUL MOTIAN ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1008 (Barcode: 8024709114228) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1983 - 1992 Released: 2010 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American drummer / composer Paul MotianFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Motian needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that his prolific output and an outstanding career stretching over five decades until his death in 2011 are a testimony of a modern Jazz Giant. The music ranges in format from a quintet with saxophonists Jim PepperFind albums by this artist and Joe LovanoFind albums by this artist, guitarist Bill FrisellFind albums by this artist and bassist Ed SchullerFind albums by this artist, trio with Lovano and Frisell and duos with pianists Paul BleyFind albums by this artist and Enrico PieranunziFind albums by this artist. 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! Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice Fabulous - some really good wild early Frisell!

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

PAUL MOTIAN ~ TIME AND TIME AGAIN ECM 1992 (Barcode: 602517011373) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 This is a brilliant album by the trio led by drummer / composer Paul MotianFind albums by this artist with guitarist Bill FrisellFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Joe LovanoFind albums by this artist. Recently deceased Motian was one of the most prominent American Jazz musicians, always pushing the boundaries of the music and looking for new aesthetic challenges. His numerous recordings from 1950s onwards are an endless source of excellent Jazz music, and this one is no exception. A perfect marriage between the Free Form and melody, which Motian was always balancing, comes here to its perfect fruition, executed by three Master musicians in their absolute prime. Of the ten compositions on this album Motian composed seven, Lovano one and the remaining two are standards. Listening to this album is like watching abstract paintings in a Museum of Modern Art; depending on your mood and state of mind you´ll hear different things each time, but always at the end you´ll be left wishing for more. Brilliant stuff, which should not be missed by any serious Jazz lover!

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MARCIN WASILEWSKI TRIO / JOE LOVANO ~ ARCTIC RIFF ECM 2678 (Barcode: 602508359835) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the fifth album by Polish Jazz trio led by pianist / composer Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. It is only the second time in the trio´s recording career, which stretches back some twenty-five years, when it is expanded to a quartet with the addition of a saxophonist, this time the American Joe LovanoFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, four composed by Wasilewski, one by Lovano and two versions of a Carla BleyFind albums by this artist tune. The remaining four tracks are collective improvisations, credited to all four participants. The music moves between the composed and improvised realms, and remains very intimate, at times minimalist, with Wasilewski sticking to his wonderful lyricism, whenever allowed to do so. The rhythm section is as perfect and complying as humanly possible, with brilliant, albeit usually very short, bass mini-solos by Kurkiewicz and supportive and yet subtle drumming by Miskiewicz. In short everything seems to be perfect as long as the trio is left alone. However, the unholy alliance with Lovano comes immediately into the picture from the first notes he utters. There is an obvious clash of Cultures, aesthetics and sensibilities here, which is sadly unbreachable. There are very few American Jazz musicians that are able to connect to the European Jazz sensitivities, especially those of Eastern Europe, and Lovano is certainly not one of them. He is a veteran player with vast experience, impressive recording legacy and obvious skills, but he never managed to cross the boundaries of the American Jazz tradition and his playing is completely predictable. As a result he is basically holding the trio back rather than playing along or ideally pushing them forward. Even, or perhaps especially, in the improvised pieces he really has very little inspirational input to offer. Overall, the album certainly has its moments, the trio is absolutely superb and the original music by Wasilewski is as brilliant as usual, but for me the quartet does not work out that well, and the result is crippled. I am looking forward to the next trio album or hearing them play live, which is always heavenly experience. And yes I have read dozens of "reviews" hailing this album as a Holy Grail…oh well I am pretty much used to be in the opposition and I still trust my ears.

Updated: 30/10/2020Posted: 30/10/2020

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