Record Reviews

ANTHONY BRAXTON ~ CREATIVE ORCHESTRA (KÖLN) 1978 HATOLOGY 644 (Barcode: 752156064428) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2009 This is a long overdue reissue of the legendary album by American musician / composer / bandleader Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures of the late 20th Century Free Jazz and Avant-Garde music scene and probably the most important Jazz pioneer in the post John ColtraneFind albums by this artist era. The album captures a live concert, recorded in Germany (Braxton was always an icon in Europe, and hardly ever taken seriously at home), with Braxton conducting a huge orchestra performing his compositions. The orchestra includes some of the most important and celebrated Free Jazz players, such as trumpeters Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist and Leo SmithFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Vinny GoliaFind albums by this artist and Marty EhrlichFind albums by this artist, trombonists Ray AndersonFind albums by this artist and George LewisFind albums by this artist, pianist Marilyn CrispellFind albums by this artist, bassist John LindbergFind albums by this artist and many others. The sound and overall effect of the orchestra performing this music is simply magnificent, and leaves the listener completely dazed. The music just rolls on all over one´s mind, constantly entering new territory both sonically and rhythmically. People familiar with Braxton´s music need no encouragement to plunge into this masterpiece, and those less familiar should definitely try this one in particular, as it might prove to be more accessible. Definitely a masterpiece!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ANTHONY BRAXTON ~ PERFORMANCE (QUARTET) 1979 HATOLOGY 610 (Barcode: 752156061021) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 Released: 2007 This is a long overdue reissue (actually 2nd reissue) of the legendary album by American musician / composer / bandleader Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures of the late 20th Century Free Jazz and Avant-Garde music scene and probably the most important Jazz pioneer in the post John ColtraneFind albums by this artist era. The album captures a live recording of the Braxton´s quartet at the Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland, with him playing saxophones and clarinet, accompanied by trombonist Ray AndersonFind albums by this artist, bassist John LindbergFind albums by this artist and percussionist Thurman BarkerFind albums by this artist. The music includes seven original compositions by Braxton, performed continuously in two extended parts. The level of virtuosity in interplay is simply astounding and this album surely deserves an honorable place in any serious Free Jazz collection. The intercontinental meeting of improvising forces and talents works beautifully, soaring to previously undiscovered heights. This is an absolutely essential example of Free Jazz, for those who are connoisseurs of the genre, which is not to be missed, especially for the third time around.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ANTHONY BRAXTON ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1012 (Barcode: 8052405140081) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 - 1994 Released: 2011 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary US reedman / composer Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Braxton needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that from the early days with AACMFind albums by this artist in Chicago he retained his position in the spearhead of modern music as one of its greatest pioneers, prophets and philosophers. His completely unique approach to playing and composing music has put his in a class of itself and his prolific recorded output is always a source of great musical joy. The musicians playing on these five albums include: drummer Max RoachFind albums by this artist, trombonist George LewisFind albums by this artist, bassist John LindbergFind albums by this artist, drummer Gerry HemingwayFind albums by this artist, bassist Mark DresserFind albums by this artist, pianist Mal WaldronFind albums by this artist and many others. 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: 05/05/2020Posted:

CD 8 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

DAVE DOUGLAS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1020 (Barcode: 8052405140630) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 - 1998 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American trumpeter / composer Dave DouglasFind 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 three albums he recorded as a leader, a live recording with the expanded version of the RovaFind albums by this artist quartet dedicated to John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s album "AscensionFind albums with this title", and two albums as a sideman: one with John LindbergFind albums by this artist and another with Mark DresserFind albums by this artist. Douglas is well known as a member of John ZornFind albums by this artist´s MassadaFind albums by this artist group, but he is also a most prolific recording artist on his own, with an impressive list of albums to his credit. These recordings present his output in the 1990s, and they are all excellent examples of his work, which combines Free Jazz, ethnic influences and Improvised Music, all based on a strong tradition of Modern Jazz. Douglas is perfectly comfortable playing melody and completely improvised passages, always preserving his perfect timing and absolutely beautiful tone. The list of the players present on these recordings reads like the Who´s Who of the American Avant-Garde scene and includes violinist Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Larry OchsFind albums by this artist, bassists Mark Dresser and John Lindberg, drummers Michael SarinFind albums by this artist and Ed ThigpenFind albums by this artist and many others. The music spans a wide range of different musical environments and approaches, all executed with flare and obvious talent. Most of this music should be accessible even to listeners with limited Avant-Garde experience of affiliation, but those who have already the appropriate background with enjoy this music to the max. Brilliant stuff! 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 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend