Record Reviews
11 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH ~ BREMEN TO BRIDGWATER
CUNEIFORM 182/183 (Barcode: 045775018225) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1971 - 1975 Released: 2004
This albums collects three concerts recorded by the legendary British Jazz ensemble Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist. The first recording captures the ensemble in its early days (1971) whereas the other two come from four years later (1975), towards the end of the life cycle of the first edition of the band, which came to its end with the death of trumpeter Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist just a month after the last of these concerts was recorded. The collective lineup (which changed slightly over time) includes: Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, Marc CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi Feza – trumpet, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist, Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist and Radu MalfattiFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist, Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, Elton DeanFind albums by this artist, Bruce GrantFind albums by this artist and Gary WindoFind albums by this artist – saxophone, Chris McGregor – piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist and Keith BaileyFind albums by this artist– drums. It is interesting to compare the development of the ensemble over this relatively short time period and see how well integrated musically and spiritually the ensemble really was. Both the individual and collective improvisations are all breathtaking and the entire concert is an orgy of sound and musical creativity. A must to all British Jazz enthusiasts and definitely worth investigating for all open-minded music lovers.
| | | CD 2 Recommend To A Friend |
  | BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH ~ ECLIPSE AT DAWN
CUNEIFORM 262 (Barcode: 045775026220) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1971 Released: 2008
This splendid recording by the legendary British Jazz ensemble Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist, captures the band at the Berliner Jazztage festival and presents the initial phase in their development as one of the most original and influential bands of the era. The lineup (which kept changing slightly over time) includes: Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist and Marc CharigFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist and Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist, Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist and Gary WindoFind albums by this artist – saxophone, Chris McGregor – piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist – drums. The combination of Jazz, Free Improvisation and African music intermixed in a unique way creates a vibrant and challenging musical experience, which had no equal at the time. McGregor’s clever compositions are ideal vehicles for the individual and collective improvisations and the energy and fire this band has to offer transcends time and space, making it accessible to every connoisseur of good music on this planet. The music remains as valid and brilliant as it was at the time of the recording and its great to have it commercially released at last. Warmly recommended!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH ~ TRAVELLING SOMEWHERE
CUNEIFORM 152 (Barcode: 045775015224) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1973 Released: 2001
The saga of the British ensemble Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist and their leader pianist / composer Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist stretches back in time and space to South Africa in the early-1960s, where McGregor founded the first mixed-race Jazz group in the country, the Blue NotesFind albums by this artist. For the Apartheid regime mixed-race groups were hardly a welcome activity and the group suffered many hardships and found it difficult to perform for the white public. In 1964 the group got permission to travel to Europe and eventually arrived in London, where they decided to stay. The Blue Notes played around UK initially as a sextet (McGregor – piano, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist – alto sax, Nick MoyakeFind albums by this artist – tenor sax, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Johnny DyaniFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist – drums) and later as a quintet (after Moyake returned to SA). In spite of the fact that they were one of the most innovative and inspiring Jazz acts at the time, they never achieved proper recognition. The pioneering work of Jazz-World Fusion, with the emphasis on African music, which the group presented, was surely quite ahead of its time. By the early 1970s McGregor managed to form a large ensemble, combining the Blue Notes players with some of the most prominent British Jazz musicians of the time, which was called Brotherhood Of Breath. The resulting ensemble was surely one of the highlights of the British Jazz scene in the early to mid-1970s, offering an incredibly powerful stage act, which included a superb amalgam of modern Jazz, Free, Improvised Music and strong African music influence. The ensemble recorded but a few studio albums, but luckily many of their splendid concerts were recorded by radio stations and festivals, mostly around Europe, where they were always received warmly. This album documents a performance captured by the German Radio Bremen and is a superb example of what they were all about. The lineup (which changed slightly over time) includes: Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, Marc CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi Feza – trumpet, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist and Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, Dudu Pukwana and Gary WindoFind albums by this artist – saxophone, Chris McGregor – piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis Moholo – drums. Both the individual and collective improvisations are all breathtaking and the entire concert is an orgy of sound and musical creativity. A must to all British Jazz enthusiasts and definitely worth investigating for all open-minded music lovers.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | COMMAND ALL STARS ~ CURIOSITIES 1972
REEL RECORDINGS 010 (Barcode: 676868178023) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2008
This album is a great example of what the Canadian Reel RecordingsFind albums on this label label is all about: unearthing recorded documents of the British Jazz / Avant-Garde scene dating back to the 1960s, which have been so far completely lost and (sadly) often forgotten. Considering the fact that the Golden Decade (1965-1975) was Britain´s most illustrious contribution to music, any recorded document from that period has an immense historical value and therefore the work done by this label is truly a quest worth following. The music contained herein was recorded with the intention to be released as a double album, presenting the Art of spontaneous improvisation, performed by a collective of young (at the time) but experienced British players, who spearheaded the local Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene and certainly deserved the "stardom" status in spite of the oxymoron such epithet might imply: pianist Keith TippettFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Elton DeanFind albums by this artist, trombonist Nick EvansFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Mark CharigFind albums by this artist, bassists Harry MillerFind albums by this artist and Johnny DyaniFind albums by this artist and drummer Keith BaileyFind albums by this artist. These musicians often played with each other in various ensembles, of which they were members, but never collectively as one group, hence the one-time opportunity to hear them improvise collectively is so attractive. Unfortunately, as it often happened at the time, even with Jazz labels as the one for which these recordings were made, the label found this music to be "too much to swallow" and the project was discarded, including whipping out the original master tapes (a crime, without a doubt). Fortunately two copies of the original four reels were recently discovered by Evans and here we are being able to finally listen to this music. The music itself needs little elucidation to people familiar with the recorded output of the protagonists – it is what they always did best, play whatever their hearts dictated at the moment, carefully listening to each other and together creating a whole, which is much bigger than its parts. The album also includes two tracks recorded later the same year (for the BBC? as the recording premises might suggest) by a sextet including Dean, Evans and Charig with guitarist Jeff GreenFind albums by this artist, bassist Neville WhiteheadFind albums by this artist and drummer Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist. This is a true "blast from the past" and an absolute must for any British Jazz / Avant-Garde fan, wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | ELTON DEAN ~ THE VORTEX TAPES
SLAM 203 (Barcode: 5028386020325) ~ UK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music
Recorded: 1990 Released: 1992
This is a live album by British Jazz saxophonist / composer Elton DeanFind albums by this artist, recorded at the legendary London’s Vortex club during the five days of the last week of September 1990, each night with a different lineup, four of which are quartets and one is a sextet. The list of the participating musicians reads like the Who’s Who of the British Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene at the time and includes pianists Keith TippettFind albums by this artist and Howard RileyFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist, Jerry UnderwoodFind albums by this artist and Simon PicardFind albums by this artist, trombonists Nick EvansFind albums by this artist and Paul RutherfordFind albums by this artist, bassists Marcio MattosFind albums by this artist and Paul RogersFind albums by this artist, drummers Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist, Mark SandersFind albums by this artist, Nigel MorrisFind albums by this artist and Tony LevinFind albums by this artist. The fact that Dean managed to invite all these great musicians to play with him during one week speak volumes about his position on the scene and the respect he earned over the years. The album presents five tracks, three of which are over ten minutes in duration. All the music was composed by Dean.
The music is absolutely in sync with what one might have expected from such esteemed players, Free Jazz oriented, full of passion and incredible dialogues between these musicians, who often played with each other in various settings. The incredible intensity of the music still allows for excellent individual contributions to be clearly heard. The sextet (four saxophones) track is a wonderful example of group improvisation, where the mutual respect is fully observed and the saxophone quartet is featured as an organic micro-orchestral unit, later joined by the rhythm section.
There is so much superb music on this album, that writing about it is actually pretty redundant, and should simply encourage to grab a copy of this gem, before it completely disappears from the market. British Jazz enthusiasts and even listeners who are aware of Elton Dean only through his association with Soft MachineFind albums by this artist, should make to bold step forward and embrace this facet of Dean’s incredible talent.
Overall, this is a monumental document of the British Free Jazz scene by the end of the 1990s, when it was at its absolute peak. The tornado swirl on the album’s cover reflects the power and spirit of the music perfectly and fans of this kind of music should find this album indispensable. Lucky for us this music was captured on tape and released, staying with us for posterity. A true force of Nature!
| | Updated: 24/06/2023Posted: 24/06/2023 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MADE IN CHINA ~ TRANSMISSIONS
FOR TUNE 0098 (Barcode: 5902768701975) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016
This is an album by the Jazz trio called Made In ChinaFind albums by this artist, which consists of Canadian (resident in NY) saxophonist Michael BlakeFind albums by this artist, Swiss trombonist Samuel BlaserFind albums by this artist and American drummer Michael SarinFind albums by this artist. The trio´s name, as explained in the liner notes, originates from the fact that it was put together in order to play concerts in China. The album presents eight compositions, four of which are originals by Blake, two are originals by Blaser, one is by the legendary South African drummer Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist and the remaining one is Jamaican ska tune.
The music is based on exchanges of improvised passages between Blake and Blaser, with Sarin laying some rhythmic patterns behind them. It has its Bebop roots, like most American Jazz, but it is not unchained enough to be considered as fully blown Improvised Music and not restrained enough to be considered mainstream.
Personally this kind of playing leaves me completely cold and I don´t see where it is going at all. It contains no emotional statement nor does it impress with its virtuosity or cleverness. In short it is completely unimpressive.
I wonder why the For TuneFind albums on this label label, having at its disposal endless stream of superb original Polish Jazz, would invest in completely secondary American efforts, which look incredibly pale in the catalogue standing side by side with the Polish releases. But of course it´s only my point of view.
| | Updated: 11/08/2016Posted: 11/08/2016 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | HARRY MILLER / ISIPINGO ~ FULL STEAM AHEAD
REEL RECORDINGS 012 (Barcode: 676868177927) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1975 - 1977 Released: 2008
Harry MillerFind albums by this artist brought over from his native South Africa a whole universe of music, which he and several of his South African musical cohorts injected into the British Jazz scene at a time of its greatest glory, not only musically but also socially, when it opened its arms and embraced any worthy influence, be it from India, Middle East, Far East or any other part of the crumbling Empire. Harry was always one of the most revered Masters of the bass and the warm tone and full body of his instrument ornamented countless recordings made by British bandleaders in the 1970s. However, Harry´s heart was always warmest to the amalgam of Free Improvised Jazz based on South African roots. His performances with the Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist and with his own roots ensemble IsipingoFind albums by this artist are clear evidence of the fact. Sadly Isipingo recorded just one album and therefore this new release, which presents a set of wonderful (mostly studio) recordings, all previously unreleased, is a true delight to every one of the many Harry´s fans around the globe. Made in cooperation with the Miller family label OgunFind albums on this label Records, run by his wife Hazel, this album is a heaven on earth in every respect – the music is delightful, the sound quality excellent and the historical value immeasurable. The lineup of the sextet changes slightly on the tracks present here, including saxophonist Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Mark CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist, trombonists Nick EvansFind albums by this artist, Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist and Paul NeimanFind albums by this artist, pianists Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist, Keith TippettFind albums by this artist and Frank RobertsFind albums by this artist, Miller on bass and drummer Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist. The music, all composed by Miller, charges full steam ahead indeed, preserving absolutely all of its vitality and high spirited energy. This album deserves a well respected place in any serious British Jazz album collection and hopefully will be discovered by many new listeners, who missed this wonderful music when it was performed live, being one more testimony to the fact that Harry´s untimely death in 1983 was a tremendous loss for all music lovers.
| | Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | HARRY MILLER / ISIPINGO ~ WHICH WAY NOW
CUNEIFORM 233 (Barcode: 045775023328) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Released: 2006
Originally from South Africa, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist was one of the main forces on the UK jazz scene in the 1970s. He recorded and performed with all the major players during that period (John SurmanFind albums by this artist, CentipedeFind albums by this artist, Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist, Keith TippettFind albums by this artist, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, King CrimsonFind albums by this artist, Julie TippettsFind albums by this artist, Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist and Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist´s Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist) and his contributions were very significant in the development on that wonderfully diverse and prolific period. He and his wife founded the legendary OgunFind albums on this label label, which released many of that period’s essential recordings and documented the scene probably more efficiently than any other UK label at the time. Miller’s sextet IsipingoFind albums by this artist (Nick EvansFind albums by this artist - trombone, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist - trumpet, Harry Miller - double bass, Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist - drums, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist - alto sax and Keith TippettFind albums by this artist - piano) recorded only one studio album and therefore this high-quality recording from 1975 by Radio Bremen is an invaluable addition to both Miller’s discography and the overall documentation of this illustrious period in UK jazz. The music is somewhat similar to the output of Chris McGregor´s Brotherhood of Breath (as is the group’s lineup), which played a special kind of jazz strongly influenced by Africa music, called “kwela”. Isipingo is just a bit more on the jazzy side of things. For the many fans of 1970s UK jazz this is a must of course.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MIKE OSBORNE ~ OUTBACK
FMR 007 (Barcode: 649849981349) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1970 Released: 1994
British saxophonist / composer Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist was an integral part of the modern Jazz scene in the late 1960s / 1970s, recording numerous albums as member of the most important ensembles at the time, led by Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist, Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, John SurmanFind albums by this artist and Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist (Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist). He was also the founding member of the momentous saxophone trio SOSFind albums by this artist with John Surman and Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist. A brilliant improviser, he was an absolute master of the alto saxophone with very few contenders. Stylistically Osborne tendencies were always oriented towards Free Jazz and he was one of the great pioneers of the genre in UK. Unfortunately his personal life was deeply disturbed by mental illness, which resulted in time spent on and off in mental institutions. By early 1980s the illness became so severe that he had to be institutionalized for life and never again played music. He died in 2007.
Although Osborne recorded quite a few albums as a sideman, his output as leader is very limited. This was his debut session as a leader, which took a lot of persuasion to materialize, as Osborne hated to be in the limelight. Released on the legendary TurtleFind albums on this label label (the first album to be recorded for the label, which was actually started to release this album), the album was a rare collector’s item for many years and the reissue is a blessing. The music consists of just two long tracks (which used to be the LP sides), performed by a quintet with Osborne on alto saxophone, Harry Beckett on trumpet, Chris McGregor on piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist on bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist on drums (the rhythm section of Brotherhood Of Breath).
On both tracks the quintet states the theme and then ventures into extended free improvisation passages, with splendid long solos by Osborne and Beckett. The album is a classic example of European Free Jazz, capturing the atmosphere of the era, when music was created because musicians had something to say. Not easy music, but essential to all enthusiasts of the genre and a most important historical document.
Visitors' Comments
Christopher Brice
Odd that the CD cover itself credits "Mike Osbourne" so I had trouble looking up the recording date here (Wikipedia redirects Mike Osbourne to Mike Osborne)
| | Updated: 20/05/2016Posted: | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | MIKE OSBORNE ~ SHAPES
FMR 010 (Barcode: 786497263820) ~ UK ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1972 Released: 1995
British saxophonist / composer Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist was one of the greatest representatives of the burgeoning scene in the late 1960s / 1970s and one of the most prominent pioneers of Free Jazz and Improvised Music. His unique alto saxophone sound, exceptional improvisational skill and power and total involvement with the music were unparalleled by any of his contemporaries. Unfortunately his career was severely disrupted by mental illness, which eventually caused his early retirement from active performing. Although Osborne did record often in the 1970s as a sideman with the most prominent ensembles at the time, his output as a leader is sadly limited. Therefore the release of this fabulous album, 23 years after it was recorded and remained forgotten, was a major event not only for his many admirers, but also for the entire British Jazz scene. Especially so when one realizes that this album is in fact the first recording of the fabulous SOSFind albums by this artist saxophone trio, supported by a rhythm section. Here they are: John SurmanFind albums by this artist, Mike Osborne and Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, three British saxophone giants, with two bass players Harry MillerFind albums by this artist and Earl FreemanFind albums by this artist and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist on drums. The music is quite overwhelming, mostly free improvised with the three saxophonists playing simultaneously and separately and the rhythm section providing a solid basis cementing the overall result into a beautiful synergy of sounds. This kind of collective improvisation, based on phenomenal and almost telepathic rapport between the musicians is extremely rare and deserves to be heard time and time again. This is an immensely important document of European Jazz and a must for British Jazz enthusiasts.
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