Record Reviews

STEFAN SCHULTZE LARGE ENSEMBLE ~ ERRATIC WISH MACHINE WHYPLAYJAZZ 017 (Barcode: 4050486926864) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is a very ambitious project by German pianist / composer Stefan SchultzeFind albums by this artist, which occupied his mind for five years that passed since the release of the previous album with Large EnsembleFind albums by this artist, before it was finally recorded. Schultze, whose love of the big form Jazz is well documented, composed this seven-part suite for his Large Ensemble, which comprises of eighteen musicians and features a special guest, the Chinese sheng (mouth organ) player Wu WeiFind albums by this artist, who is the principal soloist. The music is a diverse collection of cross-genre compositions, which float between contemporary Classical, Romanticism, Avant-Garde and Fusion, but somehow manage to present a coherent musical entity, which is both intricate and beautifully melodic. The wonderful orchestrations and the sound of the Large Ensemble are especially impressive and bring fond memories of such superb ensembles like the NDR Big BandFind albums by this artist, which of course is a great model to follow. Although Wu Wei is an important contributor to this album, the music does not reflect many World Music elements per se. Nevertheless the Chinese instrument sounds perfectly at home with the Western instruments played by the ensemble and adds a valuable sound variety. This music is definitely quite different from what is being released as orchestral Jazz music today and deserves special attention just for being an attempt to search for new forms of expressions. The album is very well recorded and each of the instruments can be clearly heard in the mix, which is also quite rare these days. Overall this is a very unusual album, which is definitely worth of the attention of connoisseurs searching non-trivial musical explorations. Schultze, on the other hand, deserves praise and encouragement for pursuing his dreams, which eventually result in such superb recordings as this one.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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STEFAN SCHULTZE LARGE ENSEMBLE ~ TED THE BELLHOP WHYPLAYJAZZ 033 (Barcode: 4250459991336) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2017 This is the second orchestral / Big Band album by the German pianist / composer Stefan SchultzeFind albums by this artist released on the WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label and his third recording with the Large EnsembleFind albums by this artist. The music is performed by an eighteen piece orchestra and Schultze composed five of the six extended pieces the album presents. The remaining piece was composed by Carla BleyFind albums by this artist. Schultze himself does not play on this album. The Chinese sheng player Wu WeiFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The music is a brilliant amalgam of Jazz sub-genres and orchestral sound, which characterizes the European approach to Big Band music, which although powerfully swinging, is able to extend the idiom in many different directions, often simultaneously, encapsulating decades of the Big Band tradition and European instrumental music. The compositions, although melody based, are very modern and always fascinating. Schultze wrote intricate and masterly woven arrangements, which present the full scale of possibilities of the Big Band and the many balances existing between the orchestra´s sections, the soloists and the overall sound. The performances by all the musicians involved in this project are absolutely stunning, especially so in view of the complexity of the music and the challenges it presents both to the ensemble players and the soloists. Overall this is a brilliant album from start to finish, especially so in view of the fact that Big Bands are almost extinct on the contemporary Jazz scene, a sad reflection of the cultural climate today. Both the music and the performances are inspired and highly aesthetic, which makes this album an absolute delight for all Big Band enthusiasts and in fact all Jazz connoisseurs. A must!

Updated: 06/06/2017Posted: 06/06/2017

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