Record Reviews

EUROPEAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE ~ 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2006 KONNEX 5225 (Barcode: 4017867031876) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2009 The European Jazz EnsembleFind albums by this artist is a "cooperative" group of top European Jazz musicians, which tours and records together for the last 30 years. Over time, an incredible parade of talent passed through the ranks of this group, each of the musicians being a leader and acknowledged instrumentalist / composer of the highest statue. The list of the players on this album, for example, is truly scary for anyone familiar with European Jazz: Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist, Gerd DudekFind albums by this artist and Charlie MarianoFind albums by this artist (the only non-European by birth but very much so by spirit) on saxophone, Jiri StivinFind albums by this artist on flute, Manfred SchoofFind albums by this artist and Pino MinafraFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist on piano, Ali HaurandFind albums by this artist on bass, and Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist and Tony LevinFind albums by this artist on drums. These brilliant musicians perform a set of no less brilliant compositions, with predictably brilliant arrangements – what can I say, the album is just one nasty piece of superb music, kicking badly from start to finish. Although basically the performances are by a big band, in truth the individual soloist are given plenty of opportunity to stretch out, backed up only by the rhythm section, which makes this album likeable even for people, who have a slight adversity to big band albums (God only knows why). Regardless of ones specific likes and dislikes might be, this is a kind of recording that any true Jazz fan can not ignore. The subtle musical trickery, known only by the European Jazzers, is so obvious here, that I´d recommend this album to every American big band fan, to learn what really can be achieved with such potent "instrument". Brilliant! (Oh yes, I already said so…).

Updated: 18/07/2020Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

GIANLUIGI TROVESI ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1032 (Barcode: 8052405141378) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 - 2004 Released: 2014 This superb Box Set collects all the recordings by legendary Italian clarinetist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Gianluigi TrovesiFind albums by this artist released on the Black SaintFind albums on this label, Soul NoteFind albums on this label and Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label labels (the album´s title is a bit misleading in that respect). The set includes nine albums featuring various recordings by Trovesi as a leader and sideman over a span of twenty five years made alongside the top Italian Jazz players active in the 1980s and 1990s and is therefore a superb document of the era. Trovesi, who is today one of the pillars of modern Italian Jazz, started his career in early 1970s, playing first as a member of ensembles led by legendary Italian Jazz Godfathers like Franco CerriFind albums by this artist and Giorgio GasliniFind albums by this artist. From the mid 1970s he recorded dozens of albums as a leader, co-leader, guest and sidemen, becoming one the major forces of Italian and European Jazz. He often cooperates with other European musicians and his unique voice as an instrumentalist, as well as magnificent compositions, are classic examples of the scope and sophistication of European Jazz. Trovesi plays modern Jazz, which often stands on the verge of Free, always challenging the boundaries of the genre, often also including World Music and contemporary Classical influences, as reflected on the albums included here. His ensembles, the most notable of which was the octet featuring two bass players, always included the absolute crème de la crème of the Italian Jazz scene, such as trumpeters Pino MinafraFind albums by this artist, Paolo FresuFind albums by this artist and Enrico RavaFind albums by this artist, pianist Guido ManusardiFind albums by this artist, drummer Furio Di CastriFind albums by this artist and numerous others. This music is an absolute must to all European Jazz enthusiasts, and the fact that it is available again is pure joy. Trovesi is a genius composer and instrumentalist and his legacy is well worth to be preserved and studied by the new generation of Jazz musicians. Remastered, mini-sleeved and with a great bargain price – this Box Set is an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 05/05/2020Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend