Record Reviews

KETIL BJORNSTAD ~ GRACE EMARCY 044001362224 (Barcode: 044001362224) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2000 Released: 2001 This is a beautiful Jazz & Poetry album by Norwegian pianist / composer Ketil BjornstadFind albums by this artist, recorded with a splendid team, which includes vocalist Anneli DreckerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / vocalist Bendik HofsethFind albums by this artist, guitarist Eivind AarsetFind albums by this artist, electronics manipulator Jan BangFind albums by this artist, bassist Arild AndersenFind albums by this artist and Indian percussionist Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist. The album presents fifteen tracks, all composed by Bjornstad, with lyrics based on writings by the English poet / writer John DonneFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live with overdubs added at the Rainbow Studio and edited / mixed by the great Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist. The music is all beautifully melancholic and delicate, with echoes of late English Renaissance and typical Nordic accents. Although not a strictly Jazz album as such, it has many Jazz influences, not surprisingly in view of the lineup. The music develops gently and requires patience and attention, but is highly rewarding and accessible to a wide range of artistically inclined audiences. Overall, this is a beautiful Jazz & Poetry project as well as a nice example of the Norwegian Jazz scene, which has so many surprising sides, all worth being discovered. It is a quartet of a Century old, but lost none of its beauty and charm over time!

Updated: 16/02/2025Posted: 16/02/2025

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ~ MOLOM: A LEGEND OF MONGOLIA (SOUNDTRACK) VERVE 731452903426 (Barcode: 731452903426) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1994 Released: 1995 This is an album by British Jazz guitarist / composer John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist, which collects the music he recorded for the soundtrack to the movie of the same title. The album presents twenty-two short tracks, fifteen of which are original compositions by McLaughlin, which he performs on acoustic and electric guitar, with synthesizer background. Indian percussionist Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist plays on selected tracks. The remaining seven tracks are traditional Mongolian songs, performed by various local artists. The music is absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful melodic / lyrical themes, quite unusual in McLaughlin’s repertoire, brilliantly performed, as expected. Other tracks offer the more familiar Jazz-World Fusion stylistic, performed with the usual virtuosity and skill. Overall, this is an almost completely and criminally ignored album in McLaughlin’s recorded legacy. McLaughlin’s numerous fans will find here some of the most beautiful music he ever wrote, as well as blood-curdling performances, which make this album a must in every serious collection of his recordings. Probably not easy to find, but definitely worth the effort to close a gap in one’s collection!

Updated: 09/07/2024Posted: 09/07/2024

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JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ~ QUE ALEGRIA VERVE 837280 (Barcode: 042283728028) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1991 Released: 2003 A beautiful album by the John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist Trio, with percussionist extraordinare Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist and bass player Dominique Di PiazzaFind albums by this artist (Kai BeckhardFind albums by this artist plays bass on two of the nine tracks). McLaughlin switches masterfully between the acoustic guitar and guitar synthesizer according to the desired mood and his partners play along with virtuosity and elegance. The music covers a wide range of genres, from blues to strong world music influences. McLaughlin wrote most of the music on the album, with Gurtu and Di Piazza contributing one track each. This is a true showcase of sophisticated and invigorating music creation, which is timeless and precious. A case of “less is more”, where the silence is as important as the sound. Beautifully recorded in the famous Ludwigsburg Studio (in South Germany), where also many ECM albums were recorded. Brilliant!

Updated: 09/07/2024Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MARK NAUSEEF ~ PERSONAL NOTE CHICKADISC 003 (Barcode: 5901549197792) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1981 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the debut album by the American drummer Mark NauseefFind albums by this artist, originally released on the legendary German CMPFind albums on this label label. It features an incredible team of musicians, which includes the German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, Indian percussionist Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist, German keyboardist George KochbeckFind albums by this artist and guest stars: Dutch guitarist Jan AkkermanFind albums by this artist, German bassist Detlev BeierFind albums by this artist and British vocalist / bassist Phil LynottFind albums by this artist of Thin LizzyFind albums by this artist fame. The album presents six original compositions, most of which were composed or co-composed by Kuhn, except one percussion duet which is credited to Nauseef and Gurtu. The music presents a wide variety of styles, from Rock, via Jazz-Rock Fusion, Jazz-World Fusion and up to Improvised Music, which is completely unpredictable but always fascinating. There are definitely composed parts, but most of the music is improvised, using a plethora of instruments, both acoustic and electronic, producing a sound which was way ahead of its time. In retrospect this music sounds as innovative today as it was at the time of its recording, completely free of any stylistic constrains and instrumental conceptions. The strong rhythmic layer of drums / percussion adds a feeling of vitality and urgency and the piano / saxophone parts by Kuhn are absolutely stunning, catching him at his very best. Overall this is a blast from the past, which is most welcome to be back in circulation after a very long period of absence. For true Fusion connoisseurs this album is a Holy Grail which should be a part of any serious music collection. As usual the remastered music and excellent liner notes make this reissue a must have. The ChickadiscFind albums on this label label is a subsidiary of the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records, which by now is a trademark of quality.

Updated: 06/02/2018Posted: 06/02/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MICHEL PORTAL ~ ANY WAY LABEL BLEU 6544 (Barcode: 3149025057877) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1991 - 1992 Released: 1993 This is an album by legendary French bass clarinetist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Michel PortalFind albums by this artist, recorded with a large gathering of international Jazz musicians, which includes French violinist Didier LockwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist, percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist and guitarist Nguyen LeFind albums by this artist, British trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, American keyboardist Gil GoldsteinFind albums by this artist and bassist Victor BaileyFind albums by this artist, Indian percussionist Trilok GurtuFind albums by this artist, Swiss drummer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents six lengthy tracks, five of which are original compositions by Portal and one is by Cinelu. The music is based on beautiful composed themes, on which the participants improvise with obvious skill and imagination. There are strong World Music influences and excellent group improvisations. The leader plays mostly the bass clarinet, and his fame as one of the greatest virtuosi of that instrument is of course fully justified. The solo by Wheeler on the last racks is alone worth having this album in one’s collection. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect and great fun, and the musicians are obviously jamming and enjoying themselves, which is felt in the resulting music, mixing the Jazz elements with Funk and Ethnic drumming, which is very effective. Overall, this is a very unusual album, which creates an amalgam of European Jazz and Ethnic / World percussive elements, and offers some extraordinary improvised parts by some of the best musicians on this planet. A true joy!

Updated: 04/02/2025Posted: 04/02/2025

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