Record Reviews

KLAUS KONIG ORCHESTRA ~ AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE ENJA 6078 (Barcode: 063757607823) ~ GERMANY ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 1990 Released: 1991 This is the third album by German composer / conductor Klaus KonigFind albums by this artist, recorded live at the Berlin JazzFest with a large Orchestra comprising of many top European and some American Jazz musicians, including British Jazz trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, Russian (resident in Germany) pianist Simon NabatovFind albums by this artist, French clarinetist Louis SclavisFind albums by this artist, American saxophonist Jane Ira BloomFind albums by this artist and many more. The album presents eight tracks, all composed by Konig, which are parts of a suite, which as the title suggests, is dedicated to the British Sci-Fi writer Douglas AdamsFind albums by this artist. Wheeler took part also in a recording of the fifth album by Konig, entitled “Time FragmentsFind albums with this title”. Since this is a large orchestral recording, Wheeler’s soloing is perhaps less prominent than on his small group recordings, but is especially important here, in view of Kenny’s love of large ensembles. Both albums seem to be available without much ado. This is one of Wheeler’s recordings, which remains almost completely obscure and does not appear in most of his discographies. I was very lucky to get it from Kenny’s private collection. The music is an absolutely fascinating European Orchestral Jazz, which offers some melodic themes but the performance is full of very open / Free Form improvisations, which altogether offers a challenging, but highly rewarding listening experience and a great example of the European approach to Big Band music, which is diametrically opposed to the American Tradition. Konig certainly manages to combine the basic elements of the Jazz tradition with contemporary / almost Avant-Garde facets of the genre and the result is simply astounding. His work as a composer is certainly highly unconventional and deserves to be followed, as his recording legacy certainly proves. Overall, this is an excellent modern Big Band / Orchestral Jazz album, performed by first class musicians, which is absolutely worth digging for, not only for the great contributions by Kenny Wheeler, but no less importantly for the splendid music and superb performances by the entire team.

Updated: 04/04/2023Posted: 02/04/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

OLES BROTHERS / CHRIS SPEED / SIMON NABATOV ~ WALK SONGS FENOMMEDIA 004 (Barcode: 5907604327043) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006 This is a great album recorded by Polish Jazz musicians: bassist Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist, collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist, with the American saxophonist Chris SpeedFind albums by this artist and Russian (living in Germany) pianist Simon NabatovFind albums by this artist. Together, as a quartet, they perform nine original compositions, seven of which were composed by Marcin Oles (who is the formal leader of this session) and two by Bartlomiej Oles. The music is firmly based in the Jazz tradition, seemingly quite "conventional" melody based modern Jazz, but upon careful listening the complexity and intrinsic Freedom become more and more apparent as the album progresses from one tune into another. Both Speed and Nabatov play some excellent solos and contribute to the general quartet sound, which is glued together by the rhythm section. The overall atmosphere is reminiscent of the work by mid-period John ColtraneFind albums by this artist quartet, which of course is the best model any Jazz musician could strive to achieve. The tunes use often the specific "walking" bass outline, which is perhaps what Marcin Oles had in mind when he devised this project. But regardless of any intensions, the resulting music is simply some of the finest European Jazz created since the turn of the 21st Century. All four of the quartet members combine their individual power of musical expressions to create a result that is greater than the sum of its ingredients, which is always a wonderful experience. This kind of music shows clearly that music can be sophisticated and complex and be accessible to a diverse group of Jazz connoisseurs. Like all the other albums by the Oles Brothers, this album emphasizes their talents as composers, in addition to their abilities as players. The ambitious decision to play and record their original music almost exclusively is one of their trademarks and as a result we can all enjoy the wonderful music they are able to weave in their minds. All we can do is raise our hats in a "thank you" gesture.

Updated: 02/01/2017Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend