Record Reviews

JOHN COLTRANE ~ A LOVE SUPREME: LIVE IN SEATTLE IMPULSE! 602438499977 (Barcode: 602438499977) ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1965 Released: 2021 This is an archival album by iconic American Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader / visionary John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, captured live on October 2, 1965 at the Penthouse Jazz club in Seattle with his septet, which also includes saxophonists Pharoah SandersFind albums by this artist and Carlos WardFind albums by this artist, pianist McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist, bassists Jimmy GarrisonFind albums by this artist and Donald GarrettFind albums by this artist and drummer Elvin JonesFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, the four-part “A Love Supreme” suite and four interludes. The music was recorded informally by local Seattle saxophonist and educator Joe BrazilFind albums by this artist and the tapes were in his private collection for many years, until they were discovered in 2013 but released only eight years later. The recording is pretty rough and primitive, using just two microphones directly plugged into the tape recorder, resulting in a highly unbalanced sound mix with the drums dominating most of the music. Coltrane very rarely performed the suite live after it was recorded in the studio in December of 1964, and there was only one available live recording of it before these tapes were discovered. This is not really surprising considering Coltrane’s very special relation to the suite, which he considered highly spiritual. The decision to perform it on the last day of the Seattle club residence was most probably entirely spontaneous, but the musicians in Coltrane’s septet were obviously not taken aback by that decision and played along as if it was a completely natural one. The music is, despite the difficulty to be able to hear it properly, absolutely stunning, demonstrating and peak of Coltrane’s Free Jazz period, just before he entered the final “wall of sound” period. It is not difficult to distinguish between Coltrane’s and Sanders’ solos of course, as their approach was quite different. Tyner, whenever heard, plays Godly, as usual, with his staccato bombardment of the keyboard, and yet beautifully melodically at all times. The double bass lineup allows the rhythm section to expand its role and using the bow, as well as solo extensively during the Interludes and Jones is what he is, masterly keeping time and playing around the time all at once. Overall, this is a superb document of American Free Jazz at its absolute peak, as well as another “missing link” in the seemingly endless Coltrane discography, which is one of the most important one-man manifestations of American Jazz ever. The bad sound balance gets all forgotten when the music lashes at the listener’s ears, and every split second of the music is an incredible evidence of Genius incarnate.

Updated: 08/07/2024Posted: 28/02/2022

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JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ~ MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2022 EAR MUSIC 4029759204398 (Barcode: 4029759204398) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2025 This is a live album by British guitar virtuoso / composer / bandleader John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist and his band 4th DimensionFind albums by this artist, which includes Cameroonian bassist Etienne M`BappeFind albums by this artist, British keyboardist / drummer Gary HusbandFind albums by this artist, Cuban pianist Jany McPhersonFind albums by this artist and French drummer Nicolas ViccaroFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents twelve tracks, ten of which are original compositions by McLaughlin, one is by Pharoah SandersFind albums by this artist and finally one is by Italian cinematic composer Piero PiccioniFind albums by this artist (Both the composer’s name and the tune’s title are misquoted – what a shame). The music was recorded shortly after the release of McLaughlin’s last studio album “Liberation TimeFind albums with this title”, but includes only one track from that album. The BD disk includes the same material except for a short introduction and an outro. The music is as brilliant as one might expect from McLaughlin, who in his long career never lowered his standards of aspirations, and for lifetime followers of his music, it is a true blessing. It includes the usual amalgam of Jazz, Fusion and World Music elements, brilliantly executed by these wonderful musicians. In some respect, the music is perhaps a tad mellower and melody oriented that McLaughlin earlier explorations, but that does not mean anything as far as the excellence, which pours from the speakers continuously. McLaughlin’s skills are still perfectly in place, but the fiery solos are much more concise and the music features more vocal parts than any earlier recording. M`Bappe is, as always, precise and pulsating, both drummers carry the rhythms with power and vigor, and both keyboardist provide the melodic lines with taste and eloquence. There is simply nothing to criticize, except perhaps the lack of innovation or risk-taking, but McLaughlin has more than enough in his career of pioneering music making, so he does not need to prove anything anymore. Overall, this is a great live album, full of superb performances by all the participants, who are given plenty of space by the leader to spread their wings. These are some of the nicest and most rewarding ninety music for any music true lover the world over, including young people, who have no idea who McLaughlin is. I’ve had had the immense pleasure of listening to him for almost sixty years now, and he has never offered me anything but outmost bliss!

Updated: 08/12/2025Posted: 08/12/2025

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SLAWOMIR PEZDA ~ TRIBUTE TO TENOR LEGENDS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903819630053) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist – a formidable team indeed. As the album’s title suggests, it is a tribute to leading tenor saxophone Jazz players, seven Americans and one Pole: Joe HendersonFind albums by this artist, Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist, Sonny RollinsFind albums by this artist, Pharoah SandersFind albums by this artist, John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, David S. WareFind albums by this artist and Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, presenting one track each of their compositions. This highly ambitious undertaking of interpreting the entire modern American Jazz, from Bebop to Free / Avant-Garde, focusing on one instrument, might have proved to be a perilous task, a chutzpah of an unprecedented scale. I must confess that I placed the CD into the player with slightly trembling hands and heart, as I deeply respect the four musicians involved and would have hated to hear them ridiculing themselves. To my sheer amazement, this bold attempt not only works splendidly, but offers some of the best Jazz music I have come across in a long time. Obviously, the compositions by the eight Jazz Giants are a good starting point, but trying to impersonate the highly idiosyncratic expressionism of all eight performers, which in all cases continuously changed over time, is a momentous task. I must say that Pezda and his cohorts managed to capture the spirit not only of the compositions, but also of the eight Saxophone Colossi. The more experienced the listeners to this album are, the more they will be able to appreciate the depth of the perception Pezda and the quartet managed to achieve. But most importantly, this album manages to exemplify the process of Europeanization of this music, which is truly astounding. Whereas the American, original form of this music is full of fire and natural, raw, wild power of expression, the music on this album is transformed into elegant, precise, coherent and harmonic beauty, losing absolutely nothing of its strength of expression, depth or penetration. Of course this is not the first time such transformation of American music in the hands of European musicians happens, but this album is a perfect school example of the process, which should be taught in every Jazz institution. Of course it goes without saying that all these musicians are absolute wizards and already in this relatively early stage of their careers, offer a magnificent control of their relative instruments and superb level of knowledge and creativity. Overall, this is absolutely brilliant album from start to finish, a wonderful lesson in Jazz history and the fundamental differences between American and European Jazz idioms. Of course, as already stated above, the level of understanding of this music might relate to the level of knowledge of Jazz history and the musical worlds of the eight heroes, who are being paid a tribute herein. In any case, this extraordinary piece of music deserved an honorable place on the pedestal of the best Polish Jazz albums ever recorded. Respect!

Updated: 05/03/2023Posted: 05/03/2023

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