Record Reviews

BROTZMANN / AALTONEN / KOWALD / VESALA ~ HOT LOTTA SVART 253 (Barcode: 6430065584575) ~ FINLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1973 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the iconic album by the German / Finnish Free Jazz quartet, a one time cooperation formed as a result of a Finnish tour organized by the Goethe Institut for the two German musicians: saxophonist Peter BrotzmannFind albums by this artist and bassist Peter KowaldFind albums by this artist, joined by Finnish Free Jazz pioneers: saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist. The original album, which offered just four tracks, is remastered and expanded by a sensational and previously unavailable live radio session, adding five tracks and almost doubling the original album´s playing time. All the music is of course original, and although credited to individual quartet members, it is mostly spontaneously created by the players. At the time of the recording the German musicians were already Free Jazz "veterans", with the German Avant-Garde already flourishing for a few good years, and Brotzmann gaining already a legendary status with his brazing innovations and complete disregard of conventions. Aaltonen and Vesala started to play Free Jazz just about a couple years earlier, recording the first Finnish Free Jazz album "NanaFind albums with this title". When the tour and the recording of this album happened, Vesala already recorded the "TriptyconFind albums with this title" album with Jan GarbarekFind albums by this artist for the ECMFind albums on this label label and a year later would record "Nan MadolFind albums with this title", his first ECM release. The music is, as expected, absolutely stunning and completely fresh, sounding better than most Free Jazz played five decades later, which is not able to reproduce the spontaneity, group improvisation and telepathic communication between the musicians. Aaltonen´s flute parts are especially interesting, as flute is relatively rarely used in Improvised Music, surely at the time. The unusual double saxophone lineup is also a factor in making this album so outstanding. Overall this is a quintessential piece of European Avant-Garde / Free Jazz history, which is sadly little known due to the obscurity of this album, which reaches astronomical prices on the vinyl market these days. Therefore this reissue is an absolute marvel and again kudos is due to the SvartFind albums on this label label for their amazing work in keeping the Cultural legacy alive. Obviously this is an absolute must to all European Free Jazz connoisseurs anywhere on this planet. Essential listening!

Updated: 28/06/2020Posted: 28/06/2020

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

CHICK COREA / GARY BURTON ~ HOT HOUSE CONCORD 888072333635 (Barcode: 888072333635) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 The duo of pianist / composer Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist and vibraphonist / composer Gary BurtonFind albums by this artist has a history of almost four decades behind it and proves to be not only one of the most stable musical collaborations, but also one of the most prolific. The body of music the duo managed to records over the years is truly staggering, and belongs today the everlasting heritage of the Jazz Art Form. Most of the music the duo recorded in the past was composed by Corea and Burton and therefore for this new project they decided to concentrate on Jazz standards, albeit selecting the lesser known material. Only after the material for this album was completed, they tried out a new piece by Corea, which was eventually recorded by the duo with the support of a string quartet and added to this album. This last piece is a preview of things to come, as they say in the liner notes, which surely will be another celebration, when released. Corea and Burton are both aestheticians in addition to being musicians / artists, which sets them aside from most of their contemporaries. They both share a burning love for elegance, sophistication and grace, which is then reflected in their music. Those listeners, who are open-minded enough to comprehend and recognize these qualities in music, which are often hidden in small details and even under the surface, are able to enjoy this music in full. Hearing Corea and Burton perform is like watching a pair of dancers swirling around each other in a passionate engagement. This is always music with a capital M, and one must acknowledge that their ability to continue astonish us time after time if truly astounding. Listeners familiar with the duo´s output need little encouragement to plunge again into their magic universe, but should the reader of these lines be blissfully ignorant of their brilliance, this album might be just the first step in the right direction. Sublime stuff!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HOT FUR ~ HOT FUR MUSEA 4593 ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Israeli Prog releases are rare enough to make every new appearance a celebration. This album was recorded by the Israeli Prog ensemble in 1998 and had to wait for 7 years untill the French label Musea decided to release it (with a bonus track recorded in 2005 especially for this occasion). Led by guitarist and composer Lior Frenkel, Hot Fur create a very interesting mixture of Prog, Avant-Garde rock and some jazz, with numerous surprising tempo and melody changes and unearthy vocals. In short this is the kind of album in which you keep discovering new things every time you listen to it. It firmly establishes Israel on the map of places where some interesting musical things do happen (although sadly not too often).

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

GARY HUSBAND / DRIVE ~ HOTWIRED ABSTRACT LOGIX 015 (Barcode: 827912084474) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This is a great album by British drummer / keyboardist / composer Gary HusbandFind albums by this artist and his quartet called DriveFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Richard TurnerFind albums by this artist (who sadly died at the ridiculous young age of 27 from a heart attack three years after this album was recorded), saxophonist Julian SiegelFind albums by this artist and American (resident in London) bassist Michael JanischFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tunes, six of which are original compositions by Husband, one is by Siegel and two are standards. Although Husband´s work is usually associated with Jazz-Rock Fusion, and even though this album is even labeled as such on its cover, this music is way more real Jazz than Fusion oriented and often ventures into freely improvised passages, not to mention collective improvisations, all of which have little to do with the usual Fusion drudgery. As a result this album might catch some of Husband´s fans by surprise, but this is modern Jazz at its best folks. All four musicians are of course incredible instrumentalists, and therefore the level of performances herein comes as no surprise. Although melody based, the music is mostly about individual improvisations and teamwork. Husband sets the pace of course with his polyrhythmic beat and dominant drive, but he leaves a lot of space for everybody to contribute and plays a few nasty piano parts on top if it. The trumpet / saxophone unisono parts and dialogues are full of fire and grace, not to mention the explosive solos. The bass pulsations keep the music on a firm ground and the bass solos curdle your blood. In short this album kicks your bottom from start to finish. Overall this is a great modern Jazz album, which continues the proud British Jazz tradition of individuality and excellence. I can´t think of a true Jazz fan that would not be impressed by this album and I hope to hear more of similar music in the future. It´s been a while since this album was recorded so another drive would be most welcome. It´s about time for Gary Husband to get the respect and recognition he truly deserves. He is way to modest and good natured to put his elbows to work, so at least those who appreciate his talents should state their opinions out loud. The fact that Husband plays drums and keyboards and does so with the same deadly proficiency is part of the problem, as people often get confused as to his "true" devotion. Well, get used to this folks, he might be instrumentally schizophrenic, but both parts of his musical personality live perfectly in peace with each other. Keep up the great work Sir!

Updated: 02/07/2016Posted: 02/07/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ HOT RATS ZAPPA 3841 (Barcode: 824302384121) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1969 Released: 1969 This is a reissue / remaster of the 8th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally in 1969. The music was recorded in the studio during several weeks in 1969 and utilized a Sisyphean multi-tracking and overdubbing process, which can be studied in detail when listening to the 6CD Box Set “The Hot Rats SessionsFind albums with this title” released in 2019. The album presents six tracks, five of which are instrumentals, all composed by Zappa. The lineup, in addition to Zappa on guitar, includes violinists Don Sugarcane HarrisFind albums by this artist and Jean-Luc PontyFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, vocalist Captain BeefheartFind albums by this artist (on one track), bassists Max BennettFind albums by this artist and Shuggie OtisFind albums by this artist, drummers John GuerinFind albums by this artist and Paul HumphreyFind albums by this artist and many other musicians adding minor contributions. The album presents a brilliantly innovative Jazz-Rock Fusion, intricate and complex and yet beautifully melodic, which became one of Zappa’s main musical avenues in years to come. It also presents some of his most recognizable compositions, which became trademarks during his concerts. In retrospect, if Zappa had recorded nothing else beyond this album, his musical Genius would have been already recognized in full, but of course this was just a beginning in many respects. The album became in time one of the most iconic recordings in American music. Overall, although this music is now over fifty years old, it sounds as fresh as it did when first heard and lost absolutely nothing of its power and everlasting beauty. This album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 20/02/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend