Record Reviews

NEIL ARDLEY ~ MIKE TAYLOR REMEMBERED DUSK FIRE 103 (Barcode: 5065001032011) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2007 The short and tragic life of pianist / composer Mike TaylorFind albums by this artist, an eccentric genius fallen victim to mental illness / drug abuse, which proved self-destructive and led to his death at the age of 29, is surely worthy a script adaptation for a Martin ScorseseFind albums by this artist movie. Sometimes referred to as “the Syd BarrettFind albums by this artist of British Jazz”, Taylor had close ties with a relatively small group of musicians, like Graham BondFind albums by this artist and the members of his Graham Bond OrganizationFind albums by this artist, which included Jack BruceFind albums by this artist and Ginger BakerFind albums by this artist – soon to be founders of CreamFind albums by this artist. Many people will be surprised to learn that three songs co-written by Ginger and Mike appear on Cream’s Wheels Of FireFind albums with this title album (“Pressed Rat And Warthog”, “Those Were The Days” and “Passing The Time”). Another one of his superb songs – “Jumping Off The Sun” – was recorded by ColosseumFind albums by this artist and appears on several of their albums. Although known intimately by very few people at the time, the legend lives on and periodically the flame of interest is rekindled among the modern British Jazz fans, like in the case of reissue of his only two existing recordings: PendulumFind albums with this title and TrioFind albums with this title. Even fewer people are aware of the spectacular tribute album recorded by Taylor’s musician friends three years after his death. Recorded under the musical direction of another British Jazz legendary figure, composer / arranger / bandleader Neil ArdleyFind albums by this artist, who discovered Taylor’s genius immediately and scored some of his compositions for the New Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist when Taylor was still alive. Unfortunately the concert, which was to feature NJO and Mike’s trio never materialized, since Taylor (already very ill at the time) simply missed the gig. Nevertheless Ardley continued to use Taylor’s music as part of the regular NJO repertoire and suggested to Denis PrestonFind albums by this artist, owner of the legendary Lansdowne Studios in London, where most of the pivotal modern British Jazz was recorded, to produce a tribute album to Mike Taylor’s musical genius. Preston, who recorded the two Taylor albums, needed no persuasion and funded the complex and costly project with no hesitation, considering it a most appropriate gesture. Ardley assembled a group of 20 musicians to record this project, sharing the scoring of the music for a large ensemble with others, who were close to Taylor and new him well, like Howard RileyFind albums by this artist, Barbara ThompsonFind albums by this artist and Dave GellyFind albums by this artist. One of the tracks is based on a previously unreleased Taylor quartet recording, with the ensemble overdubbed on top of the original recording, which makes Taylor’s participation in this project almost “in person” as well as “in spirit”. The list of the participating musicians reads like the who’s who of modern British Jazz and includes among others: Ian CarrFind albums by this artist and Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Chris PyneFind albums by this artist and David HorlerFind albums by this artist on trombone, Ray WarleighFind albums by this artist and Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist on saxophone, Peter LemerFind albums by this artist and Alan BranscombeFind albums by this artist on piano, Chris LaurenceFind albums by this artist and Ron MathewsonFind albums by this artist on bass, Jon HisemanFind albums by this artist on drums and of course the divine Norma WinstoneFind albums by this artist on vocals. I can’t think of a more appropriate tribute than this one, full of love, dedication and music genius by all the people involved. Considering the fact that this album combines the genius of Taylor’s Jazz composition with the genius of Ardley’s Jazz scoring / arranging, we get (in mathematical terms) a genius squared result – a rare event indeed. Recommending this album would be somewhat similar to recommending someone to read some Joyce or see a van Gogh – completely superfluous. I’m sure you get the drift by now!

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

PINK FLOYD ~ THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) EMI 503919 (Barcode: 5099950391929) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2007 1st album by Pink Floyd and generally considered as the ultimate and pioneering psychedelic release, which basically defines the genre. Syd BarrettFind albums by this artist, Nick MasonFind albums by this artist, Richard WrightFind albums by this artist and Roger WatersFind albums by this artist collectively created some amazingly advanced music, although Barrett’s influence over the group’s output was decisively dominant as long as he was a part of it (his sad fate is generally well known and no need to go into it here). As there have been endless write-ups about this music I don’t need to expand on the subject, other that say that this fabulous new edition is a dream come true for all the numerous fans of the group (of all ages), as it contains not only the stereo and mono versions of the entire album (which are quite different sonically) but also a 3rd CD of bonus material with singles, studio outtakes and other rarities. Packaged in a hardcover book format, this labor of love is surely to become a most wanted collector’s item almost immediately. Absolutely Essential!

CD 3 Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

ROCKFOUR ~ MEMORIES OF THE NEVER HAPPENED ANOVA 002 (Barcode: 7290011799021) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2005 - 2006 Released: 2007 Israeli group RockfourFind albums by this artist has been the dominating force on the local scene since the early-1990s. Although basically an Alternative Rock outfit, they have changed styles and genres with every one of their albums released over the years, moving between Psychedelica, Prog, Classic Rock, Retro and even Avant-Garde. The sound of the group is completely unique and all their albums sound as if a British band recorded them in the late 1960s (nobody hearing their stuff would ever guess these are Israeli musicians recording in the 1990s or 2000s). Although the band performs and records predominantly their own music, they have often included in their shows (and sometimes recorded) their interpretations of classic 1960s material by their favorite groups like LoveFind albums by this artist, ZombiesFind albums by this artist and especially Pink FloydFind albums by this artist (see Side Note). This album presents the three core members of the band: Baruch Ben IzhakFind albums by this artist (lead vocals and guitars), Marc LazareFind albums by this artist (bass) and Issar TennenbaumFind albums by this artist (drums) with Yaki GaniFind albums by this artist (keyboards) and some guest musicians performing a set of new songs sung in English (they have been using English lyrics for several years now), recorded partly in the US and partly in Tel Aviv. The result is an outstanding album sounding like a lost treasure from the 1970s, full of beautiful songs and excellent instrumental work. It is quite certain that this album will achieve the same international acclaim as the last few Rockfour albums, which have been praised by top music critics like Ritchie Utenberger and others. Absolutely deserving wider recognition, I hope this album will open new gates all over the world for this great group. Side Note: Rockfour have always had a soft spot for early Pink Floyd and they recently won the Arnold Lane Contest organized by David GilmoreFind albums by this artist, in which bands from all over the world submitted their versions of the Syd BarrettFind albums by this artist’s song (see Gilmore’s web site for details).

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend