Record Reviews

MARKUS BURGER / JAN VON KLEWITZ ~ ACCIDENTAL TOURISTS CHALLENGE 73403 (Barcode: 608917340327) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 Released: 2015 This is an album by German pianist / composer Markus BurgerFind albums by this artist and saxophonist / composer Jan von KlewitzFind albums by this artist, which is a lovely tribute to the legendary British trumpeter / composer Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, who also takes part in this project, as does British vocalist Norma WinstoneFind albums by this artist, German trombonist Stefan LottermannFind albums by this artist, bassist Martin GjakonovskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Felix AstorFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live and remained unreleased for twenty two years, to be finally released following the lamented passing of Wheeler. The album presents eight original compositions, four each by Burger and von Klewitz, arranged as series of five movements and three codas. The music is quintessential modern European Jazz, which floats between Free Form and more organized / melodic moments, all beautifully performed by the German / British septet. Despite the rather busy setting the music is full of breathing space and offers some spectacular collective improvisations, which are wonderfully ornamented by Winstone´s stunning vocal parts. The album also presents some relaxed, melodic passages, with Winstone singing lyrics, (which she most probably wrote although the album´s liner notes don´t mention this explicitly). The entire eight part suite flows naturally and coherently and offers a fertile ground for the superb soloing by all participants, as well as collective contributions. Wheeler performs several stellar solos, which are pure mastership. Overall this is a highly exciting musical journey and a superb document of the talents of the two composers as much as the spectacular abilities of Wheeler and Winstone. Considering the fact that this music was being hidden in the vault for so long, it is a great pleasure to be able to listen to it, better late than never. The album suffers from imperfect sound quality at times, but this recording was never actually meant to be released commercially, and of course in view of the importance of this document, the sound quality issue becomes secondary. For the many Wheeler / Winstone enthusiasts, this is a must have of course, so spread the word and grab it as long as it is available. Highly recommended!

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: 27/06/2018

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NICOLAS SIMION ~ TRANSYLVANIAN JAZZ 7DREAMS ~ ROMANIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 As the title suggests, this is a Jazz-World Fusion album by Romanian saxophonist / composer Nicolas SimionFind albums by this artist, who revisits his musical roots combining them with his extensive experience of playing Jazz music. Simion´s discography includes several earlier Jazz-World titles, but this one seems to be the most profound attempt to present the music of the Balkans in a Jazz context, performed by a superb ensemble, which in fact includes more folklore instruments than traditional Jazz instruments. Even Simion himself plays the caval (a typical Balkan / Turkish end-blown flute producing an enchanting sound), in addition to the reeds he uses normally. The album includes twelve compositions, eleven of which were composed by Simion and one is an adaptation of the violin standard "Hora Staccato" by Romanian violin virtuoso / composer Grigoras DinicuFind albums by this artist. The ensemble performing the music is a septet and includes violinist Zoltan LantosFind albums by this artist, accordionist Martin LubenovFind albums by this artist, cymbalon (an East European version of hammer dulcimer) player Giani LincanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Sorin RomanescuFind albums by this artist, bassist Martin GjakonovskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Boris PetrovFind albums by this artist. The music is simply mind-blowing from start to finish. Simion´s captivating melodies are perfect vehicles for the improvised solos, with the Jazz and Folklore elements perfectly balanced, which is usually the biggest problem with other attempts to create such cross-genre music. The music is quite complex and sophisticated at times, but the overall atmosphere of the album manages to overcome all difficulties and makes the music sound groovy and extremely listenable / likeable. The individual performances are simply stellar, and the leader never stops to amaze, switching from one instrument to another with ease and elegance. This is definitely one of the best and most aesthetically pleasing attempts to organically combine Jazz and World Music elements that I have encountered and I wholeheartedly recommend it to every connoisseur of universally good music, regardless of where it comes from. Superb stuff!

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ZZ QUARTET ~ MIDNIGHT IN EUROPE IN+OUT 77145 (Barcode: 798747714525) ~ CROATIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is the third album by the European Jazz ensemble called ZZ QuartetFind albums by this artist, co-led by Croatian guitarist Ratko ZjacaFind albums by this artist and Italian accordionist Simone ZanchiniFind albums by this artist with Macedonian (resident in Germany) bassist Martin GjakonovskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live and the album presents nine original compositions, four by Zjaca and five by Zanchini. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Jazz and European Folkloristic themes, excellently put together and brilliantly performed by the quartet. Accordion is of course a very dominant instrument and Zanchini takes the center stage most of the time, which is perfectly fine as his virtuosic delivery is worth every minute of attention. He is full of the Italian lyricism and incredible feel of melody, which many Italian musicians are blessed with. The fourteen minutes long ballad “Frida Is Vanished” is alone worth the price of the album and epitomizes the soulful atmosphere of the music perfectly. Zjaca adds the Jazz element to the music, soloing skillfully and accompanying the accordion amicably in the background. His music is more Blues oriented, adding different accents to the album as a whole and making it more diverse. The rhythm section is also playing impressively, with veteran Nussbaum, who needs no introduction, adding the perfect accents but playing delicately and sparingly. Gjakonovski, one of the rising young European bass stars, delivers everything expected of him. Overall this is an excellent album, full of great music and exciting performances, with a unique sound and atmosphere, which consolidates Jazz with many European cultural elements, mostly of Mediterranean origin. A delightful listening experience!

Updated: 05/07/2021Posted: 05/07/2021

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