Record Reviews

DANIEL HUMAIR ~ QUATRE FOIS TROIS (EXPANDED EDITION) LABEL BLEU 6619/20 (Barcode: 794881413027) ~ SWITZERLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1996 - 1997 Released: 1998 This is an album by Swiss drummer / composer / bandleader Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist, recorded with a group of musicians, which includes French bassists Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist and Bruno ChevillonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marc DucretFind albums by this artist, bass-clarinetist Michel PortalFind albums by this artist, German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, American saxophonists Dave LiebmanFind albums by this artist and George GarzoneFind albums by this artist and trombonist Hal CrookFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, these musicians form four different trios, all of which feature Humair and two of the musicians from the list above. The album presents eleven tracks, which are mostly original compositions by Humair or are co-composed by him and the participating musicians. This 2CD version of the album includes a second, bonus CD with seven tracks, which present additional material, like a short improvisation, alternate mixes and demos, all recorded during the recording sessions for this album. Considering the fact that these are some of the finest Jazz / Improvised Music players one can hardly be surprised by the high level of the music this album offers. The constantly changing lineups add spice and interest to the proceedings and for people interested in more adventurous musical explorations, this is a great find. The American players feel perfectly comfortable with the Europeans, which is of course also hardly surprising, both for the reason that they often performed together in the past and that the music knows no geographical limits, especially music of this kind. Overall, this is an excellent Euro-American example of Improvised Music, which is also quite accessible to conventional Jazz listeners with just a bit of patience and open-mindedness.

Updated: 02/11/2026Posted: 02/11/2026

CD 2 HDCD Recommend To A Friend

ANDERS JORMIN ~ SILVAE DRAGON 338 (Barcode: 7391953003389) ~ SWEDEN ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This is an album by the Swedish bassist / composer / bandleader Anders JorminFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with Norwegian trumpeter Arve HenriksenFind albums by this artist, Swedish clarinetist / saxophonist Fredrik LjungkvistFind albums by this artist, Finnish vibraphonist Severi PyysaloFind albums by this artist, French guitarist Marc DucretFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer / pianist (Anders’ brother) Christian JorminFind albums by this artist. The album presets ten tracks, all of which are original compositions by Anders Jormin. The music is based on composed themes, but is highly improvised, and quite complex. The Scandinavian mood and atmosphere prevail and Jormin’s virtuosic bass performances are the apex of the performances. Obviously the music requires open mindedness and patience, but the musical values are highly potent and reflect the incredible level of the European Jazz scene at the end of the last Century. Anders Jormin established a remarkable career both as a leader and sideman with such legendary Jazz musicians like Charles LloydFind albums by this artist, Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist or Bobo StensonFind albums by this artist among others, and has a long list of exceptional recordings to his credit since the mid-1980s. This album, recorded with some of the top European Jazz players is certainly up to par with the rest of his work. Overall, this is a breathtaking example of highly advanced European Jazz / Improvised Music, which lost nothing of its potent emotions and qualities since the time it was recorded a quartet of a Century ago. Highly recommended!

Updated: 24/06/2026Posted: 24/06/2026

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend