Record Reviews

NICOLAS SIMION ~ TRANSYLVANIAN JAZZ 7DREAMS ~ ROMANIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 As the title suggests, this is a Jazz-World Fusion album by Romanian saxophonist / composer Nicolas SimionFind albums by this artist, who revisits his musical roots combining them with his extensive experience of playing Jazz music. Simion´s discography includes several earlier Jazz-World titles, but this one seems to be the most profound attempt to present the music of the Balkans in a Jazz context, performed by a superb ensemble, which in fact includes more folklore instruments than traditional Jazz instruments. Even Simion himself plays the caval (a typical Balkan / Turkish end-blown flute producing an enchanting sound), in addition to the reeds he uses normally. The album includes twelve compositions, eleven of which were composed by Simion and one is an adaptation of the violin standard "Hora Staccato" by Romanian violin virtuoso / composer Grigoras DinicuFind albums by this artist. The ensemble performing the music is a septet and includes violinist Zoltan LantosFind albums by this artist, accordionist Martin LubenovFind albums by this artist, cymbalon (an East European version of hammer dulcimer) player Giani LincanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Sorin RomanescuFind albums by this artist, bassist Martin GjakonovskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Boris PetrovFind albums by this artist. The music is simply mind-blowing from start to finish. Simion´s captivating melodies are perfect vehicles for the improvised solos, with the Jazz and Folklore elements perfectly balanced, which is usually the biggest problem with other attempts to create such cross-genre music. The music is quite complex and sophisticated at times, but the overall atmosphere of the album manages to overcome all difficulties and makes the music sound groovy and extremely listenable / likeable. The individual performances are simply stellar, and the leader never stops to amaze, switching from one instrument to another with ease and elegance. This is definitely one of the best and most aesthetically pleasing attempts to organically combine Jazz and World Music elements that I have encountered and I wholeheartedly recommend it to every connoisseur of universally good music, regardless of where it comes from. Superb stuff!

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WDR BIG BAND ~ BALKAN JAZZ BIGBAND 1003 (Barcode: 4250459910030) ~ GERMANY ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2010 This is an album by the German WDR Big BandFind albums by this artist from Cologne, dedicated to Balkan Jazz motifs. The Big Band is conducted by American pianist / conductor / arranger Bill DobbinsFind albums by this artist. The main guest soloist is Romanian (resident in Germany) saxophonist / composer Nicolas SimionFind albums by this artist. Additional guest instrumentalists include Hungarian violinist Zoltan LantosFind albums by this artist, Italian accordionist Fausto BeccalossiFind albums by this artist, French drummer Benjamin HenocqFind albums by this artist and Croatian percussionist Kruno LevacichFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, all original compositions by Simion, arranged by Dobbins. The WDR Big Band is one of several German Big Bands, such as the NDR Big BandFind albums by this artist (from Hamburg) or the HR Big BandFind albums by this artist (from Frankfurt), which function side by side with the regional state broadcasting corporations active in Germany, being decentralized by law and remaining as one of the last bastions of independent publicly sponsored cultural organizations, adding a tremendous input into European Jazz in particular and European Culture in general. The musicians employed by these Big Bands have ideal working conditions and are free from economic struggles, which take a heavy toll on most freelance musicians. Also many projects, like the one documented on this album, would have never happened in a purely unsponsored commercial environment and the existence of these bands is simply a cultural miracle. The music is a brilliant amalgam of the Orchestral / Big Band Jazz and Jazz-World Fusion idioms, which combines the best of the two worlds. Balkan music has been a huge influence on the European Jazz scene over time, and its quirky rhythm patterns and typical melodic melancholy can be found on many on quite a few albums, but a meeting with the Big Band environment is relatively rare, and this is a splendid opportunity to enjoy it to the max. Nicolas Simion is a prolific figure on the European Jazz scene, with an impressive recording legacy to his credit, which covers several sub-genres and offers many international joint projects. His Transylvanian roots are always strongly in his compositions and I am a big fan of his work, as much as his company as a Friend, which go perfectly with my Romanian secret ties ;) Overall, this is a truly delightful piece of music, which can be enjoyed by a wide audience of Jazz listeners. Of course Big Band lovers, especially those of the European Big Band variety, will be completely smitten by the virtuosity of the performances and the depth of the music found on this album.

Updated: 05/10/2024Posted: 05/10/2024

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