Record Reviews
23 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | HATFIELD AND THE NORTH ~ HATFIELD AND THE NORTH (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2139 (Barcode: 5013929723924) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1974 Released: 2009
1st album by the legendary Canterbury group Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, probably the most iconic and unsurpassed masters of the genre. Comprising of keyboardist Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, with guests like reedman Geoff LeighFind albums by this artist (Henry CowFind albums by this artist), vocalist Robert WyattFind albums by this artist and others, they recorded what is considered to be the ultimate Canterbury masterpiece. The album represents everything that the genre stands for: brilliant melodies, strange harmonies, superb musicianship, quirk rhythmic patterns and a good dash of British humor. It is difficult to pinpoint why this album and its follow up turned out to be the genre´s icons, but the fact that they are the first thing that come to mind when Canterbury is mentioned speaks for itself. Whatever the reasons, this is an absolute classic album, which lost nothing of its intrinsic beauty and musical perfection over time. Absolutely essential!
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  | HATFIELD AND THE NORTH ~ THE ROTTERS` CLUB (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2140 (Barcode: 5013929724020) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2009
2nd album by the legendary Canterbury group Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, probably the most iconic and unsurpassed masters of the genre. Comprising of keyboardist Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, with guests like Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, Mont CampbellFind albums by this artist, Lindsay CooperFind albums by this artist and Tim HodgkinsonFind albums by this artist, they recorded what is considered to be the ultimate Canterbury masterpiece. The album represents everything that the genre stands for: brilliant melodies, strange harmonies, superb musicianship, quirk rhythmic patterns and a good dash of British humor. It is difficult to pinpoint why this album and its predecessor turned out to be the genre´s icons, but the fact that they are the first thing that come to mind when Canterbury is mentioned speaks for itself. Whatever the reasons, this is an absolute classic album, which lost nothing of its intrinsic beauty and musical perfection over time. Absolutely essential!
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  | HUGH HOPPER ~ NUMERO D`VOL
MOONJUNE 014 (Barcode: 692287901424) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007
Legendary ex-Soft MachineFind albums by this artist bassist Hugh HopperFind albums by this artist is definitely one of the most prolific and restless alumni of that band and his output over the year is nothing but extraordinary. Floating between Improvised Music / Free Jazz, modern Jazz and even Fusion, his dedication to move forward and explore uncharted territory is truly admirable. This new project takes Hopper into a completely new area, which combines Free Improvisation with ambient textures and steady upbeat, creating quite a fascinating and original musical experience. Although the music is completely improvised, it sounds as if pre-composed and more often than not even melodic. Hopper´s partners are saxophonist Simon PicardFind albums by this artist (member of the excellent Canterbury ensemble In CahootsFind albums by this artist led by guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist), keyboardist Steve FranklinFind albums by this artist and drummer Charles HaywardFind albums by this artist. Together they create some extraordinary musical vistas, full of imagination, beauty and inspiration, which yet again prove that music has no boundaries and new possibilities are still out there. Hopper´s many fans need no encouragement to try this out, but I´d recommend this stuff to every Canterbury / Jazz fan, as it definitely covers some uncharted music ground, which is accessible to most music lovers. Fascinating!
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  | ALEX MAGUIRE ~ BREWED IN BELGIUM
MOONJUNE 022 (Barcode: 692287902223) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008
British pianist / composer Alex MaguireFind albums by this artist has been associated with the Canterbury scene as the man behind the keyboards in several ensembles led by Canterbury heroes, such as Pip PyleFind albums by this artist and Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, as well as a member of the reformed Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist. Extensive touring all over Europe led Alex to meet many distinguished European musicians, among them the Belgian guitarist Michel DelvilleFind albums by this artist, with whom Maguire developed a special rapport. Several years later Maguire and Delville met again, forming a sextet comprised of leading Belgian musicians, captured performing live on this album. The music played by the sextet, composed mostly by Maguire, is similar in spirit to the Canterbury scene Jazzy excursions, spiced with Fusion, Free and other delicacies. Extensive soloing, superb interplay and an atmosphere of camaraderie can be easily sensed here, resulting in some truly uplifting music produced by these musicians. A must to all Canterbury fans!
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  | MATCHING MOLE ~ LITTLE RED RECORD (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2312 (Barcode: 5013929431249) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2012
This is the 2nd and last album by Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, the seminal Canterbury ensemble formed by drummer Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, after he left Soft MachineFind albums by this artist. Although Wyatt was determined to start a solo career following his split with Soft Machine, Matching Mole was born and kept going for about a year, recording two legendary studio albums. Live performances and BBC radio recordings gave birth, decades later, to three albums, which consist of material from these sources and now the expanded editions of the two studio albums give us another two new CDs of Matching Mole material, all together 7 CDs worth of superb Canterbury stuff at its best. The lineup, which recorded this music, consisted of Wyatt, keyboardist Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist. MacRae contributed or co-contributed most of the music on this album, with Wyatt taking charge of occasional vocal parts and lyrics. The music lost absolutely nothing of its freshness and the wonderful weirdness, which characterizes most of Canterbury output. Of course the genre would fully blossom only shortly after Matching Mole would be no more and its members would form such legendary groups like Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist and National HealthFind albums by this artist. This is music straight from heaven, for listeners inclined towards the more sophisticated end of the spectrum, combining complex improvisation and quirky rhythmic patterns, which have no parallel anywhere. Of course this kind of music should be kept alive at all costs and this new edition does the job just fine, with a crisp new remaster and plenty of previously unheard stuff to make every fan green from ear to ear. Essential stuff for body and soul!
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  | MATCHING MOLE ~ MATCHING MOLE (EXPANDED EDITION)
ESOTERIC 2311 (Barcode: 5013929431140) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1971 - 1972 Released: 2012
This is the eponymous debut album by British Canterbury / Prog / Jazz-Rock ensemble Matching MoleFind albums by this artist, formed in 1971 by drummer / vocalist Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, after being kicked out from Soft MachineFind albums by this artist due to "artistic differences" between him and the other Soft Machine members, mainly as to the shift of the group´s music towards Free Jazz / Improvised Music. In retrospect it turned out that fate was about to play a trick with Wyatt´s ideas, as Matching Mole was about to embark on an almost identical path as Soft Machine. Of course, again in retrospect, the listeners got to enjoy the music of two superb groups instead on one. The name Matching Mole was a pun on the French for of Soft Machine – "machine molle". Wyatt was joined by brilliant Canterbury keyboardist David SinclairFind albums by this artist, who about the same time left the legendary CaravanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist (ex-DeliveryFind albums by this artist) and bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist. The group jammed in Wyatt´s garage for a few weeks and by the end of 1971 was already recording this debut album. Ridden by technical problems the recording took much longer than expected and the album was finally released in April 1972. A second keyboards player, Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist, took part as a guest in the recording sessions, and by the time the album was released he formally replaced Sinclair, who decided to move on to other things. Wyatt wrote most of the music on this album, which also features his wonderfully eccentric vocals. Stylistically the music is all over the musical landscape of the time, with ambient, Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion elements dominating the proceedings, but Wyatt´s classic ballad "O Caroline" is also included. This wonderful extended version sheds a lot of light as to the album´s recording sessions with a plethora of previously unreleased outtakes, as well as a couple of BBC recordings made at the time. Of course this is absolutely classic stuff, which should be part of the eternal music legacy as well as an essential part of every serious music collection. An absolute must!
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  | MATCHING MOLE ~ ON THE RADIO
HUX 083 (Barcode: 682970000831) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2006
Although Matching MoleFind albums by this artist existed for barely a year, they are still considered one of the most important Canterbury scene bands and their musical legacy achieved legendary status over the years. Formed in late 1971 by Robert WyattFind albums by this artist, who left Soft MachineFind albums by this artist dissatisfied with the Free Jazz phase the band he founded was going through at the time, this new band was much closer stylistically to the Soft Machine Jazz-Rock period, which recorded ThirdFind albums with this title. The original lineup included (apart from Wyatt) the ex-CaravanFind albums by this artist keyboards wizard Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Bill MacCormickFind albums by this artist and guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist. Pianist Dave MacRaeFind albums by this artist joined later, playing alongside Sinclair and when Sinclair left he stayed on as the resident keyboards player. The band recorded two excellent albums: the self-titled debut Matching MoleFind albums with this title and Little Red RecordFind albums by this artist. Following the band’s split by the end of 1972, Wyatt started his solo career and Sinclair and Miller went on to form Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist and National HealthFind albums by this artist, the two most significant Canterbury bands ever. The CuneiformFind albums on this label label released two albums with live Matching Mole material in the 2000s (Smoke SignalsFind albums with this title and MarchFind albums with this title), but their BBC sessions reminded unreleased until now. This is the first time that the BBC sessions, recorded between January and April of 1972, can be heard by the numerous fans of the band, myself included. Both the quintet and the later quartet versions of the band can be heard. The music is of course phenomenal and needs no further recommendation, something any Canterbury fan around the globe will surely agree with.
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  | PHIL MILLER / FRED BAKER ~ DOUBLE UP
CRESCENT 01 (Barcode: 604388693825) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1992 Released: 1992
British guitarist / composer Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and his ensemble In CahootsFind albums by this artist are one of the most interesting groups on the Jazzy side of the Canterbury scene. Miller´s numerous recordings over the years have been consistently excellent and a great source of inspired and inspiring music. This album is a series of duets recorded with In Cahoots bassist Fred BakerFind albums by this artist, who is a great guitar player as well, as demonstrated here. They perform a series of duets, with Baker altering between bass and guitar, which works out wonderfully well. The music is mostly composed by Miller with Baker contributing a couple of his compositions. Both the interplay between the two musicians and the individual performances are superb and I probably don´t need to recommend this one much more, as Miller already enjoys a faithful following all over the years since many years, all of it well deserved indeed. A must to all Canterbury scene fans!
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  | PHIL MILLER / IN CAHOOTS ~ CONSPIRACY THEORIES
CRESCENT 08 (Barcode: 604388693726) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 2004 Released: 2004
Legendary guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and his In CahootsFind albums by this artist ensemble have been active on the Canterbury / Jazz scene since the 1980s, constantly changing lineups but always producing music of the highest quality. A vehicle for presenting Miller’s intricate and highly sophisticated compositions, the ensemble’s recorded legacy through the years – both studio and live – is a great example of European Jazz. This album was recorded by an extended version of the ensemble involving twelve players, where each track was recorded by a different lineup ranging from quintet to an eleven-piece band. The players include Miller – guitar and guitar synthesizer, Simon PicardFind albums by this artist – tenor saxophone, Didier MalherbeFind albums by this artist – soprano saxophone and flute, Annie WhiteheadFind albums by this artist – trombone, Simon FinchFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Peter LemerFind albums by this artist – keyboards, Doug BoyleFind albums by this artist – guitar, Fred BakerFind albums by this artist – bass, Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist – bass, Dave StewartFind albums by this artist - percussion and Mark FletcherFind albums by this artist – drums. Legendary vocalist Barbara GaskinFind albums by this artist sings on one tune. All the music, except one tune by Lemer and Baker each, was composed by Miller and is as usual exceptional. Highly recommended!
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  | PHIL MILLER / IN CAHOOTS ~ LIVE 86 - 89
CRESCENT 09 ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1986 - 1989 Released: 2008
Legendary guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and his In CahootsFind albums by this artist ensemble have been active on the Canterbury / Jazz scene since the 1980s, constantly changing lineups but always producing music of the highest quality. A vehicle for presenting Miller’s intricate and highly sophisticated compositions, the ensemble’s recorded legacy through the years – both studio and live – is a great example of European Jazz. This album presents a series of live recordings from the 1980s with a stellar lineup, which includes Miller – guitar and guitar synthesizer, Elton DeanFind albums by this artist – alto saxophone and saxello, Peter LemerFind albums by this artist and Steve FranklinFind albums by this artist – keyboards, Hugh HopperFind albums by this artist and Fred BakerFind albums by this artist – bass and Pip PyleFind albums by this artist – drums. Most of the music, except one tune by Hopper, Dean and Franklin each, was composed by Miller and is as usual exceptional, as are the performances. This is a reissue of the original edition of this album from 1989, which is now a rare collector´s item. Highly recommended!
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  | PHIL MILLER / IN CAHOOTS ~ LIVE IN JAPAN
CRESCENT 02 (Barcode: 5020522080224) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1991 Released: 1993
Guitarist / composer Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and his In CahootsFind albums by this artist ensemble have been a consistently excellent source of great music for many years. This particular lineup is a sextet and includes: Miller – guitar, Elton DeanFind albums by this artist – sax, Jim DvorakFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Peter LemerFind albums by this artist – keyboards, Fred BakerFind albums by this artist – bass and Pip PyleFind albums by this artist – drums. Recorded live during a Japanese tour, this album presents the group performing the wonderful Miller’s compositions in an extended form, with many outstanding solos by all the players. Much of the set is drawn from Phil´s solo album Digging InFind albums with this title and it is interesting to compare the carefully controlled studio versions with these loose, fiery, live ones. Miller always talks about himself first as a composer and only then as a guitarist, and rightly so since although he is an excellent player, he has very few equals as a song-weaver. Excellent stuff!
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  | PHIL MILLER / IN CAHOOTS ~ OUT OF THE BLUE
CRESCENT 05 (Barcode: 604388476626) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 2000 Released: 2000
Guitarist / composer Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and his In CahootsFind albums by this artist ensemble have been a consistently excellent source of great music for many years. This album is very special in their discography, as Phil wrote the music for this album during the period when his brother, pianist Steve MillerFind albums by this artist became ill with the cancer which eventually killed him in December of 1998. Phil had originally hoped that Steve would play on the recording but, as his illness progressed, that ceased to be a possibility. In a way this album is a tribute to Steve and is dedicated to his memory. This is a real return to roots for Phil, harking back to earlier days when he, Steve and Pip played together in DeliveryFind albums by this artist, a band which leaned heavily on the blues for its starting point and it coincides with CuneiformFind albums on this label Records re-release of the Delivery album Fools MeetingFind albums with this title. It represents something of a departure for Phil, being his first venture into the blues for 30 years. The writing is simpler and there is more of a groove in the rhythm section. The usual In Cahoots sextet line up of Phil Miller - guitar and guitar synthesizer, Fred BakerFind albums by this artist - fretless bass guitar, Elton DeanFind albums by this artist - alto sax and saxello, Peter LemerFind albums by this artist - keyboards, Jim DvorakFind albums by this artist - trumpet and Pip PyleFind albums by this artist - drums is augmented by Doug BoyleFind albums by this artist on guitar. Excellent music from start to finish, which of course is not surprising for a band that keeps delivering one great album after another.
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  | PHIL MILLER / IN CAHOOTS ~ SPLIT SECOND
CRESCENT 10 ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1988 Released: 2008
Legendary guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist and his In CahootsFind albums by this artist ensemble have been active on the Canterbury / Jazz scene since the 1980s, constantly changing lineups but always producing music of the highest quality. A vehicle for presenting Miller’s intricate and highly sophisticated compositions, the ensemble’s recorded legacy through the years – both studio and live – is a great example of European Jazz. This album presents a series of studio recordings from the 1980s with a stellar lineup, which includes Miller – guitar and guitar synthesizer, Elton DeanFind albums by this artist – alto saxophone and saxello, Steve FranklinFind albums by this artist – keyboards, Fred BakerFind albums by this artist – bass and Pip PyleFind albums by this artist – drums on four of the eight tracks and the other tracks are collaborations with Canterbury heroes Dave StewartFind albums by this artist – keyboards, Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist – vocals, Barbara GaskinFind albums by this artist – vocals and John MitchellFind albums by this artist – keyboards and percussion. Most of the music was composed or co-composed by Miller and is as usual exceptional, as are the performances. This is a reissue of the original edition of this album from 1988, which is now a rare collector´s item. Highly recommended!
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  | STEVE MILLER ~ MEETS ELTON DEAN
REEL RECORDINGS 007 (Barcode: 641444027729) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1976 - 1985 Released: 2008
British pianist Steve MillerFind albums by this artist (brother of guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist) started his way on the Canterbury scene when he played with legendary bands like DeliveryFind albums by this artist and CaravanFind albums by this artist, but by the late 1970s he reexamined his ambitions and musical approach and moved to play Free Jazz, as did many of his Canterbury cahoots. In the mid 1980s Steve led his own trio with Tony MooreFind albums by this artist on bass and Eddie PrevostFind albums by this artist on drums, performing a series of concerts with guest saxophone players, which included Lol CoxhillFind albums by this artist, Bobby WellinsFind albums by this artist, Harrison SmithFind albums by this artist and Elton DeanFind albums by this artist. The recording on this album present the concert with Dean and it is a remarkable document of the British Avant-Garde Jazz at the time. As a bonus an earlier encounter between Miller and Dean, featuring another Canterbury hero, the drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, is also included. Considering the fact that Miller died prematurely in 1998 and Dean is also already on the other side since 2006, this album is a splendid addition to their legacy and a delight to their many admirers. British Jazz enthusiasts will of course be especially delighted to hear this material. Recommended!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | STEVE MILLER / LOL COXHILL ~ MILLER/COXHILL COXHILL/MILLER / THE STORY SO FAR…OH REALLY?
CUNEIFORM 253/254 (Barcode: 045775025322) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1971 - 1974 Released: 2007
This extraordinary reissue project brings back to life the recording legacy the cooperation between of two of the legendary figures of the UK Avant-Garde scene: pianist Steve MillerFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Lol CoxhillFind albums by this artist. It spans the years 1971 to 1974 and includes the two albums they recorded together as well as additional live material by the duo, solo pieces by Miller and the group DeliveryFind albums by this artist of which they were both members. Except for the Delivery recordings, which was the prototype of the Canterbury scene to develop later into groups like CaravanFind albums by this artist, Soft MachineFind albums by this artist, Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist and many more, most of the material is very experimental and Avant-Garde, which would characterize the direction Coxhill was to pursue later on, when he became an integral collaborator to the UK Free Jazz scene. Additional musicians include such Canterbury scene icons as Steve’s brother Phil MillerFind albums by this artist (guitar), Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist (bass), Pip PyleFind albums by this artist (drums), Robert WyattFind albums by this artist (percussion) and others. This is by no means easy listening stuff, but those music lovers, who are ready to make the special effort and undertake the intellectual challenge to penetrate this complex mesh of creativity, are in for a treat. The wonderful balance between Steve’s structured chord sequences and Coxhill’s ventures into deep space creates a deeply rewarding listening experience. This reissue offers a wonderful glance at the most fascinating years of musical development of the UK scene and a historic document of high importance. Kudos to the CuneiformFind albums on this label label for their efforts to preserve this music for eternity. Grab it!
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | NATIONAL HEALTH ~ NATIONAL HEALTH
ESOTERIC 2129 (Barcode: 5013929722927) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1977 Released: 2009
1st album by the exquisite band National HealthFind albums by this artist, which was the last of the great original bands and the centerpiece crown jewel of the Canterbury scene, as it combined all the elements that made this musical excursion so unique and important, crystallizing a decade of development and constant search for new forms of musical expression. Formed by keyboardist / composer Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, who previously led such cornerstone Canterbury ensembles like EggFind albums by this artist and Hatfield And The NorthFind albums by this artist, combining musicians of the last and another sublime ensemble GilgameshFind albums by this artist, which also recently fell apart. After several personnel changes, the band stabilized as a quartet, including in addition to Stewart guitarist Phil MillerFind albums by this artist, bassist Neil MurrayFind albums by this artist and drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist, all veterans and immensely gifted players. The album also includes guest contributions of other Canterbury luminaries, like Alan GowenFind albums by this artist (keyboards), Amanda ParsonsFind albums by this artist (vocals), Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist (flute) and others. Overall National Health was an ideal tool to deliver the intricate melodic content of Stewart´s compositions, spiced with lengthy jazzy improvisations, which could go on for several minutes and allow ample opportunity for the players to stretch out, probably more that in any earlier Canterbury ensemble. There is never a dull moment here, with ideas chasing ideas at all times and the listener is drawn into the music completely. This album is a timeless masterpiece and an essential cornerstone of any serious record collection!
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