TOMMY SMITH & BRIAN KELLOCK – Whispering Of The Stars
Spartacus Records STS019
Tommy Smith (tenor saxophone); Brian Kellock (piano)
Recorded August 2013, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
It is very difficult to be objective when presented with an album of this quality. A combination of some of the most memorable and beautiful tunes form the Great American songbook, sensitively played by two of the world’s best exponents of their respective instruments it is nigh on impossible not to be captivated by the performances on this latest offering from the Smith/Kellock duo.
Following on from their previous albums, the live recording Bezique and the follow up studio set,
Symbiosis, saxophonist and pianist work their way through the chosen repertoire with an assurance and empathy that rekindles the spark in some oft played melodies, and breathing new life into familiar chord progressions with the sheer imagination of their intuitive interpretations.
By now, Tommy Smith has one of the most beautiful saxophone sounds in jazz, and this is enhanced yet further by Kellock’s sensitive accompaniment. So in tune are they with each other’s playing that the music often transcends the notes played to become a thing of wonderment, communicating directly and intimately in sound and pure emotion.
Hearing Smith’s softly played opening bars of ‘You Must Believe In Spring’ makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, and whets the
appetite and raises the anticipation of what is to follow. The pair wring every last drop of feeling in an all too brief rendition of ‘The Summer Knows’ by Michel Legrand, and then confound us with a delightful reading of Glenn Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’.
Toying with the listener still further, the ‘Ballad Medley’ touches on eleven exquisite melodies in just under nine minutes leaving one contemplating what they could do with the material on a whole recording devoted to ballads. Oh well, maybe on the next album!
This is more than just an album of timeless classics, but more a contemplative and invigorating display of just how valid these melodies are, and
how new generations of musicians can find new things to say within an established musical vocabulary. Wonderful album and unreservedly
recommended.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Spartacus Records STS019
Tommy Smith (tenor saxophone); Brian Kellock (piano)
Recorded August 2013, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
It is very difficult to be objective when presented with an album of this quality. A combination of some of the most memorable and beautiful tunes form the Great American songbook, sensitively played by two of the world’s best exponents of their respective instruments it is nigh on impossible not to be captivated by the performances on this latest offering from the Smith/Kellock duo.
Following on from their previous albums, the live recording Bezique and the follow up studio set,
Symbiosis, saxophonist and pianist work their way through the chosen repertoire with an assurance and empathy that rekindles the spark in some oft played melodies, and breathing new life into familiar chord progressions with the sheer imagination of their intuitive interpretations.
By now, Tommy Smith has one of the most beautiful saxophone sounds in jazz, and this is enhanced yet further by Kellock’s sensitive accompaniment. So in tune are they with each other’s playing that the music often transcends the notes played to become a thing of wonderment, communicating directly and intimately in sound and pure emotion.
Hearing Smith’s softly played opening bars of ‘You Must Believe In Spring’ makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, and whets the
appetite and raises the anticipation of what is to follow. The pair wring every last drop of feeling in an all too brief rendition of ‘The Summer Knows’ by Michel Legrand, and then confound us with a delightful reading of Glenn Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’.
Toying with the listener still further, the ‘Ballad Medley’ touches on eleven exquisite melodies in just under nine minutes leaving one contemplating what they could do with the material on a whole recording devoted to ballads. Oh well, maybe on the next album!
This is more than just an album of timeless classics, but more a contemplative and invigorating display of just how valid these melodies are, and
how new generations of musicians can find new things to say within an established musical vocabulary. Wonderful album and unreservedly
recommended.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
CHRISTINE TOBIN - A Thousand Kisses Deep
Trail Belle Records TBR03
Christine Tobin (voice); Phil Robson (guitar); Dave Whitford (double bass); Adriani Adewale (perrcussion); Huw Warren (accordion); Gwilym Simcock (piano on Track 6); Nick Smart (trumpet
on Track 11)
Recorded August 6 & September 12, 2013
This latest offering from singer, Christine Tobin is a far cry from her 2012 album, Sailing To
Byzantium that put music to the poetry of W.B. Yeats, and finds her working with the words and music of singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. Tobin has made no secret of her admiration for the work of Cohen featuring one of his songs in all her live performances since the mid-nineties, and has recorded two of his compositions on previous albums, with ‘Story of Isaac’ appearing on House of Women in 1998 and ‘Tower of Song’ from You Draw The Line in 2003.
As with anything that that she sings Christine Tobin brings a freshness and originality to her chosen material, with her voice and delivery
expressing a wide emotional range that is deeply affecting. Nine of the eleven tracks are superbly and sympathetically arranged by Tobin, and
guitarist Phil Robson which bring new life and meaning to the poetry inherent in the lyrics, and also incorporate a wonderful tribute to Miles and Zawinul’s ‘In A Silent Way/It’s About That Time’ to end the aforementioned ‘Tower of Song’.
Indeed, the key to the success of the album rests in the arrangements and instrumentation that give the music a distinctive yet contemporary feel, and with Christine’s approach and reverence to the material she has chosen to work with. Impossible also to find a comparison by which
Tobin’s work can be measured, although as fanciful as it may at first appear, she has the same gift in delivering meaning beyond the words as Billie Holiday did, imbuing the most melancholy of line with a hint of optimism and joy.
Repeated listening to this superb recording has had the effect of delaying the writing of this review (“I’ll just listen to it one more time!), whilst making any sort of impartial opinion on favourite tracks an impossibility, as this changes on each hearing. However, as a closing contradiction to the above, the duet pairing Christine with pianist Gwilym Simcock piano on ‘Anthem’ is a truly a thing of beauty.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Trail Belle Records TBR03
Christine Tobin (voice); Phil Robson (guitar); Dave Whitford (double bass); Adriani Adewale (perrcussion); Huw Warren (accordion); Gwilym Simcock (piano on Track 6); Nick Smart (trumpet
on Track 11)
Recorded August 6 & September 12, 2013
This latest offering from singer, Christine Tobin is a far cry from her 2012 album, Sailing To
Byzantium that put music to the poetry of W.B. Yeats, and finds her working with the words and music of singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. Tobin has made no secret of her admiration for the work of Cohen featuring one of his songs in all her live performances since the mid-nineties, and has recorded two of his compositions on previous albums, with ‘Story of Isaac’ appearing on House of Women in 1998 and ‘Tower of Song’ from You Draw The Line in 2003.
As with anything that that she sings Christine Tobin brings a freshness and originality to her chosen material, with her voice and delivery
expressing a wide emotional range that is deeply affecting. Nine of the eleven tracks are superbly and sympathetically arranged by Tobin, and
guitarist Phil Robson which bring new life and meaning to the poetry inherent in the lyrics, and also incorporate a wonderful tribute to Miles and Zawinul’s ‘In A Silent Way/It’s About That Time’ to end the aforementioned ‘Tower of Song’.
Indeed, the key to the success of the album rests in the arrangements and instrumentation that give the music a distinctive yet contemporary feel, and with Christine’s approach and reverence to the material she has chosen to work with. Impossible also to find a comparison by which
Tobin’s work can be measured, although as fanciful as it may at first appear, she has the same gift in delivering meaning beyond the words as Billie Holiday did, imbuing the most melancholy of line with a hint of optimism and joy.
Repeated listening to this superb recording has had the effect of delaying the writing of this review (“I’ll just listen to it one more time!), whilst making any sort of impartial opinion on favourite tracks an impossibility, as this changes on each hearing. However, as a closing contradiction to the above, the duet pairing Christine with pianist Gwilym Simcock piano on ‘Anthem’ is a truly a thing of beauty.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
ELLIOT GALVIN TRIO - Dreamland
Chaos Collective CC003
Elliot Galvin (piano /toy piano) Tom McCredie (double bass) Simon Roth (drums)
Recorded at Eastcote Studios, 16th & 17th October 2013
It is immediately apparent from the collage style art work of the CD sleeve that we are in for another dose of quirkiness from the Chaos Collective. Elliot Galvin, who appeared recently as the Chaos Orchestra’s pianist in `Island Mentality` leads a trio of kindred spirits in a set of musical etudes that defy easy categorisation; indeed as one tries to hang a label on the music it drops off after a few bars leaving one searching for something more appropriate.
Post-Modern, to be sure, free-bop, hip-hop, minimalist, aleatoric, atonal ; any of these definitions might apply but what certainly can be agreed upon is that Galvin’s trio fulfils to the letter Whitney Balliett’s dictum that jazz should represent `the sound of surprise`. Most importantly,
however, the music is fun and hugely stimulating to the ear though it must have been difficult to execute calling on a high degree of virtuosity from all three players.
The pieces range in variety from de-constructed blues, fugue like toccata statements, textured harmonics, anthem like melodic themes and a version of Lulu’s Back in Town that fuses cheeky vaudeville insouciance with Alban Berg’s menacing premonitions. `Dreamland ‘does have its nightmarish moments but on the whole it represents a mad -cap rollercoaster ride through a brightly lit tableaux of musical forms and inventions that are illuminated by prodigious technique.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Chaos Collective CC003
Elliot Galvin (piano /toy piano) Tom McCredie (double bass) Simon Roth (drums)
Recorded at Eastcote Studios, 16th & 17th October 2013
It is immediately apparent from the collage style art work of the CD sleeve that we are in for another dose of quirkiness from the Chaos Collective. Elliot Galvin, who appeared recently as the Chaos Orchestra’s pianist in `Island Mentality` leads a trio of kindred spirits in a set of musical etudes that defy easy categorisation; indeed as one tries to hang a label on the music it drops off after a few bars leaving one searching for something more appropriate.
Post-Modern, to be sure, free-bop, hip-hop, minimalist, aleatoric, atonal ; any of these definitions might apply but what certainly can be agreed upon is that Galvin’s trio fulfils to the letter Whitney Balliett’s dictum that jazz should represent `the sound of surprise`. Most importantly,
however, the music is fun and hugely stimulating to the ear though it must have been difficult to execute calling on a high degree of virtuosity from all three players.
The pieces range in variety from de-constructed blues, fugue like toccata statements, textured harmonics, anthem like melodic themes and a version of Lulu’s Back in Town that fuses cheeky vaudeville insouciance with Alban Berg’s menacing premonitions. `Dreamland ‘does have its nightmarish moments but on the whole it represents a mad -cap rollercoaster ride through a brightly lit tableaux of musical forms and inventions that are illuminated by prodigious technique.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
ALREDO RODRIGUEZ - The Invasion Parade
Mack Avenue Records MAC1079
Alfredo Rodriguez ( piano, mini-moog voyager, synthesiser, electronics, percussion) Peter Slavov (acoustic bass) Henry Cole (drums & percussion) Perdito Martinez (vocals & percussion) Roman Filiu (alto & soprano saxes) Billy Carrion (baritone sax) Javier Porta (flute) with special guest Esperanza Spalding ( vocals and acoustic bass)
Recorded at Sear Sound, New York, no specific date given
If one had to define the very essence of jazz the word `fusion`would figure as a prime element in its creation : perhaps all musical development is a product of the fusion of various stylistic elements but in jazz the term is particularly appropriate because it brings together diverse influences in a way that perhaps no other music does.
The `Invasion` referred to in the title of this progressive Lat-Am set is ostensibly a reference to an annual carnival parade that celebrates the ending of Cuba’s war of independence but it’s wider meaning refers to cultural invasion which melds American jazz modes and contemporary European classical influences with ancient and modern Afro- Cuban forms.
To stir this heady brew, Rodriguez, himself the beneficiary of a conservatoire education as well being steeped in the music of his indigenous
culture, has recruited a diverse group of musicians whose nationalities and interests represent all points on his creative compass: add to this mix the production expertise of no less a figure than Quincy Jones and you know you are in for something special.
Notable members of his crew include the much feted Esperanza Spalding who plays bass and sings a wordless line on a couple of tracks in
which she moves between scat and colorurata warbling in charming and decorative fashion. The other vocal contribution comes from Pedrito Martinez who brings a lusty authenticity to his interpretations of Afro-American style ululations.
Essentially, Rodríguez has welded a variety of Latin rhythms to a series of tightly constructed compositions that are themselves inspired by 20th
century European contemporary classical modes with the influence of Stravinsky and Bartok being particularly strong. Additionally he has taken some familiar Latin –American standards and subjected them to the art-house treatment: example `Quizás, Quizás, Quizás` (better known as `Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps`) which is shorn of its Doris Day perkiness and delivered as an existential dirge sound tracking a resolution to the unanswered question.
It would appear from the cover art that Rodríguez conceives his music making in painterly terms bringing splashes of vibrant colour to his
soundscapes: he realises this aim most convincingly in a track entitled `Timerobot` in which he combines the modern Cuban dance rhythm, the` timba` with a staccato ostinato of a determinably minimalist repetitiveness as well as oscillating electronics and `wha –wha` synthesiser effects in a way that is indelibly associated with Frank Zappa. By combining the tight, mechanistic rhythms a la Stravinsky and Prokofiev with the no less structured but seemingly freer polyrhythms of the Latin scene he has created a musical melange that is undeniably colourful and as stimulating for listeners as must be for dancers.
And then there is the jazz element to consider for whilst a lot of the vitality comes from Rodríguez’s compositional flair and his deployment of variegated rhythmic solutions a number of pieces allow space for some unbuttoned blowing. Saxman, Filiu figures prominently here, carving some chromatic lines against the tightly packed undertow, as does Rodríguez himself who lets go with some off the wall glisses when he breaks out of his carefully assembled structures.
So if you want to partake of some Latin jazz that attempts to break the mould; that is progressive without being pretentious and seeks to find
a pulse that transcends borders both physical and cultural, you need to check this out.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Mack Avenue Records MAC1079
Alfredo Rodriguez ( piano, mini-moog voyager, synthesiser, electronics, percussion) Peter Slavov (acoustic bass) Henry Cole (drums & percussion) Perdito Martinez (vocals & percussion) Roman Filiu (alto & soprano saxes) Billy Carrion (baritone sax) Javier Porta (flute) with special guest Esperanza Spalding ( vocals and acoustic bass)
Recorded at Sear Sound, New York, no specific date given
If one had to define the very essence of jazz the word `fusion`would figure as a prime element in its creation : perhaps all musical development is a product of the fusion of various stylistic elements but in jazz the term is particularly appropriate because it brings together diverse influences in a way that perhaps no other music does.
The `Invasion` referred to in the title of this progressive Lat-Am set is ostensibly a reference to an annual carnival parade that celebrates the ending of Cuba’s war of independence but it’s wider meaning refers to cultural invasion which melds American jazz modes and contemporary European classical influences with ancient and modern Afro- Cuban forms.
To stir this heady brew, Rodriguez, himself the beneficiary of a conservatoire education as well being steeped in the music of his indigenous
culture, has recruited a diverse group of musicians whose nationalities and interests represent all points on his creative compass: add to this mix the production expertise of no less a figure than Quincy Jones and you know you are in for something special.
Notable members of his crew include the much feted Esperanza Spalding who plays bass and sings a wordless line on a couple of tracks in
which she moves between scat and colorurata warbling in charming and decorative fashion. The other vocal contribution comes from Pedrito Martinez who brings a lusty authenticity to his interpretations of Afro-American style ululations.
Essentially, Rodríguez has welded a variety of Latin rhythms to a series of tightly constructed compositions that are themselves inspired by 20th
century European contemporary classical modes with the influence of Stravinsky and Bartok being particularly strong. Additionally he has taken some familiar Latin –American standards and subjected them to the art-house treatment: example `Quizás, Quizás, Quizás` (better known as `Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps`) which is shorn of its Doris Day perkiness and delivered as an existential dirge sound tracking a resolution to the unanswered question.
It would appear from the cover art that Rodríguez conceives his music making in painterly terms bringing splashes of vibrant colour to his
soundscapes: he realises this aim most convincingly in a track entitled `Timerobot` in which he combines the modern Cuban dance rhythm, the` timba` with a staccato ostinato of a determinably minimalist repetitiveness as well as oscillating electronics and `wha –wha` synthesiser effects in a way that is indelibly associated with Frank Zappa. By combining the tight, mechanistic rhythms a la Stravinsky and Prokofiev with the no less structured but seemingly freer polyrhythms of the Latin scene he has created a musical melange that is undeniably colourful and as stimulating for listeners as must be for dancers.
And then there is the jazz element to consider for whilst a lot of the vitality comes from Rodríguez’s compositional flair and his deployment of variegated rhythmic solutions a number of pieces allow space for some unbuttoned blowing. Saxman, Filiu figures prominently here, carving some chromatic lines against the tightly packed undertow, as does Rodríguez himself who lets go with some off the wall glisses when he breaks out of his carefully assembled structures.
So if you want to partake of some Latin jazz that attempts to break the mould; that is progressive without being pretentious and seeks to find
a pulse that transcends borders both physical and cultural, you need to check this out.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
ARNETT COBB - Blues & Ballads
Fresh Sound Records FRS CD 813
Arnett Cobb (tenor sax); Red Garland (piano); George Tucker ,George Duvivier (bass);J.C.Heard (d) Recorded New Jersey November 13th & 30th, 1960.
Culled from two sessions for Prestige, that produced the LPs Sizzlin' and Ballads by Cobb, this music presents the tenor man in a more laid back, straight ahead fashion than previously. The honking, sandpaper toned tenor heard on Lionel Hampton discs and some of his own early R&B efforts, is missing here and instead we get Cobb the balladeer and Cobb the blues tenor man. Cobb lives up to
the title of his first LP here and positively sizzles on the blues. Blue Sermon finds the sax man
spinning out chorus after chorus of slow, gutsy blues lines, aided and abetted by Red Garland’s down and dirty piano. This may also have been one of the first occasions Cobb worked with a high grade bop rhythm section and the support he receives from Duvivier, Tucker, Heard and the pianist, is first class. Garland gets to stretch out on several solo outings as well as providing nourishing chords in the section throughout.
The rough edged, bluesy sound of Cobb’s tenor is in evidence throughout these tracks although here he is creating jazz and blues lines that are right in the tradition; his variation on the style of Coleman Hawkins. It is his own sound however and an original approach to blues and ballads. His version of Blue And Sentimental on this disc is fresh and his own; it was recorded some months before Ike Quebec’s classic Blue Note version. Darn That Dream is a consummate ballad performance and there are many gems to be enjoyed on this two LPs on one CD compilation. And with a rhythm section like this, a soloist would find it difficult not to play well.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
Fresh Sound Records FRS CD 813
Arnett Cobb (tenor sax); Red Garland (piano); George Tucker ,George Duvivier (bass);J.C.Heard (d) Recorded New Jersey November 13th & 30th, 1960.
Culled from two sessions for Prestige, that produced the LPs Sizzlin' and Ballads by Cobb, this music presents the tenor man in a more laid back, straight ahead fashion than previously. The honking, sandpaper toned tenor heard on Lionel Hampton discs and some of his own early R&B efforts, is missing here and instead we get Cobb the balladeer and Cobb the blues tenor man. Cobb lives up to
the title of his first LP here and positively sizzles on the blues. Blue Sermon finds the sax man
spinning out chorus after chorus of slow, gutsy blues lines, aided and abetted by Red Garland’s down and dirty piano. This may also have been one of the first occasions Cobb worked with a high grade bop rhythm section and the support he receives from Duvivier, Tucker, Heard and the pianist, is first class. Garland gets to stretch out on several solo outings as well as providing nourishing chords in the section throughout.
The rough edged, bluesy sound of Cobb’s tenor is in evidence throughout these tracks although here he is creating jazz and blues lines that are right in the tradition; his variation on the style of Coleman Hawkins. It is his own sound however and an original approach to blues and ballads. His version of Blue And Sentimental on this disc is fresh and his own; it was recorded some months before Ike Quebec’s classic Blue Note version. Darn That Dream is a consummate ballad performance and there are many gems to be enjoyed on this two LPs on one CD compilation. And with a rhythm section like this, a soloist would find it difficult not to play well.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
ART PEPPER & TED BROWN (FEATURING WARNE MARSH) - The Complete Free Wheeling Sessions
Phoenix Records 131599
Art Pepper (alto sax) Ted Brown (tenor sax) Warne Marsh (tenor sax) Ronnie Ball (piano) Jeff Morton (drums –December session) Gary Frommer (drums-November session)
Recorded Hollywood, California, December 21st 1956 and Los Angeles, California,
November 26th 1956
Billed as `The Complete` this re-issue brings together two separate sessions recorded for two distinct record labels , Vanguard and Contemporary, at a time when Art Pepper was gigging with Warne Marsh’s Quintet in and around Los Angeles. The Hollywood date was issued under Ted Brown’s name because Warne Marsh was under contract to another label and the Los Angeles session , which doesn’t include Brown, didn’t see light of day until 1972 when the original five tracks of which it comprised were augmented with alternative takes and a couple of quartet tracks featuring Pepper alone. These were issued on a Japanese CD entitled simply, `Art Pepper with Warne Marsh` and a US compilation called `The
Way It Was` so it is useful for newcomers to the music to have all the Marsh/Pepper studio collaborations together in one package in that it saves shelf space but it should be noted that the sessions were not conceived as a single entity in the way the title of this re-issue suggests. The circumstances of their conception are detailed in Stafford Chamberlin’s indispensable biography `An Unsung Cat: The Life and Music of Warne Marsh` and it makes fascinating reading but of course, the music stands on its own feet as a testimony to the prodigious talent on display.
Marsh, Brown and British born pianist Ronnie Ball were all disciples of pianist Lennie Tristano under whom they had studied and were wedded to his advocacy of contrapuntal interplay in the articulation of jazz solos: a sort of baroque meets be-bop approach; additionally the horn men drew inspiration from the cool, dispassionate style of Lester Young and eschewed anything that smacked of emotional histrionics concentrating on the intricacy of their improvisations. We are told, for instance, that Marsh avoided the use of blues licks because he thought, rather over sensitively perhaps, that the blues were the cultural property of African –Americans and that to play something not wrought from his personal experience was inappropriate. Pepper on the other hand was a more emotional player, not constrained by any pre-ordained aesthetic manifesto and although at this point in his career he was yet to develop the Coltrane inspired expressiveness that was to become characteristic of his mature style there is febrile quality in playing that contrasts effectively and excitingly with the more cerebral approach of Marsh and Brown – and of course he had no hang-ups about the blues.
That Marsh is the de-facto leader of the Hollywood date is evident from his pre-eminence in the solo order. Brown, a solid but less interesting soloist- doesn’t solo at all on two tracks but does get a couple of features to himself ; a burner, `Avalon`, and a ballad , `Slow Boat To China`,
and works in counterpoint with Marsh in the best Tristano inspired method. Marsh solos on five of the tunes impressing on `Long Gone`, a take on `Long Ago and Far Away` and the ballad `Crazy She Calls Me` . Pepper is just brilliant at every turn. The highlight of the set is a version of `Broadway` in which the three horns perform an ensemble chorus replicating note for note Lester Young’s famous solo in the Basie original and presaging the `Supersax` concept that Marsh was involved with in the seventies.
In the Los Angeles session which follows the `Freewheeling ` tracks the Marsh/Pepper dialogue becomes even more intense , their styles being
at once complimentary – they both came out of the swing-era remember- but tantalisingly diverse with Marsh setting the pace as regards improvisational ingenuity and Pepper matching him in terms of passion and unpredictability. Their up –tempo interplay and exchanges on numbers like `I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me` and `Tickletoe` are breath-taking as is their re-invention of the melodies. As
well as the` in tandem ` pieces with Marsh, Pepper performs two numbers in quartet format that includes one of the best versions of `What’s New` he ever recorded and a slinky version of `Stompin’ at the Savoy. Finally, if there was ever an unsung jazz hero it is pianist Ronnie Ball
whose solos throughout are the very model of cogency and good taste. Beautiful stuff!
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Phoenix Records 131599
Art Pepper (alto sax) Ted Brown (tenor sax) Warne Marsh (tenor sax) Ronnie Ball (piano) Jeff Morton (drums –December session) Gary Frommer (drums-November session)
Recorded Hollywood, California, December 21st 1956 and Los Angeles, California,
November 26th 1956
Billed as `The Complete` this re-issue brings together two separate sessions recorded for two distinct record labels , Vanguard and Contemporary, at a time when Art Pepper was gigging with Warne Marsh’s Quintet in and around Los Angeles. The Hollywood date was issued under Ted Brown’s name because Warne Marsh was under contract to another label and the Los Angeles session , which doesn’t include Brown, didn’t see light of day until 1972 when the original five tracks of which it comprised were augmented with alternative takes and a couple of quartet tracks featuring Pepper alone. These were issued on a Japanese CD entitled simply, `Art Pepper with Warne Marsh` and a US compilation called `The
Way It Was` so it is useful for newcomers to the music to have all the Marsh/Pepper studio collaborations together in one package in that it saves shelf space but it should be noted that the sessions were not conceived as a single entity in the way the title of this re-issue suggests. The circumstances of their conception are detailed in Stafford Chamberlin’s indispensable biography `An Unsung Cat: The Life and Music of Warne Marsh` and it makes fascinating reading but of course, the music stands on its own feet as a testimony to the prodigious talent on display.
Marsh, Brown and British born pianist Ronnie Ball were all disciples of pianist Lennie Tristano under whom they had studied and were wedded to his advocacy of contrapuntal interplay in the articulation of jazz solos: a sort of baroque meets be-bop approach; additionally the horn men drew inspiration from the cool, dispassionate style of Lester Young and eschewed anything that smacked of emotional histrionics concentrating on the intricacy of their improvisations. We are told, for instance, that Marsh avoided the use of blues licks because he thought, rather over sensitively perhaps, that the blues were the cultural property of African –Americans and that to play something not wrought from his personal experience was inappropriate. Pepper on the other hand was a more emotional player, not constrained by any pre-ordained aesthetic manifesto and although at this point in his career he was yet to develop the Coltrane inspired expressiveness that was to become characteristic of his mature style there is febrile quality in playing that contrasts effectively and excitingly with the more cerebral approach of Marsh and Brown – and of course he had no hang-ups about the blues.
That Marsh is the de-facto leader of the Hollywood date is evident from his pre-eminence in the solo order. Brown, a solid but less interesting soloist- doesn’t solo at all on two tracks but does get a couple of features to himself ; a burner, `Avalon`, and a ballad , `Slow Boat To China`,
and works in counterpoint with Marsh in the best Tristano inspired method. Marsh solos on five of the tunes impressing on `Long Gone`, a take on `Long Ago and Far Away` and the ballad `Crazy She Calls Me` . Pepper is just brilliant at every turn. The highlight of the set is a version of `Broadway` in which the three horns perform an ensemble chorus replicating note for note Lester Young’s famous solo in the Basie original and presaging the `Supersax` concept that Marsh was involved with in the seventies.
In the Los Angeles session which follows the `Freewheeling ` tracks the Marsh/Pepper dialogue becomes even more intense , their styles being
at once complimentary – they both came out of the swing-era remember- but tantalisingly diverse with Marsh setting the pace as regards improvisational ingenuity and Pepper matching him in terms of passion and unpredictability. Their up –tempo interplay and exchanges on numbers like `I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me` and `Tickletoe` are breath-taking as is their re-invention of the melodies. As
well as the` in tandem ` pieces with Marsh, Pepper performs two numbers in quartet format that includes one of the best versions of `What’s New` he ever recorded and a slinky version of `Stompin’ at the Savoy. Finally, if there was ever an unsung jazz hero it is pianist Ronnie Ball
whose solos throughout are the very model of cogency and good taste. Beautiful stuff!
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
AVISHAI COHEN - Almah
Parlophone Records (France)
Avishai Cohen (acoustic & electric bass, vocals) Nitai Hershkovits (piano) Ofri Nehemya (drums) with
Cordelia Hagmann (violin) Amit Landau (viola) Noam Haimovitz Wieinschel (viola) Yael Shapira (cello) Yoram Lacish (oboe and cor anglais) Amir Briesler (drums) Keren Tannenbaum (violin) Galia Hai
(viola)
Recorded at Kicha Studios, Tel Aviv, Israel.2nd to 9th June, 2013 and Lento Studios, Göteburg, June, July 2013
Avishai Cohen is a contemporary bass player whose unimpeachable jazz credentials reference some of the most famous names in the music today whether performing in the role of sideman, collaborator, or leader of his own highly regarded trio. In this recording he returns to the origins of his musical development by revisiting the grounding he received the classical repertoire and, in particular, his love of chamber music. To these formative influences he has wedded his subsequent interest in jazz and folk forms in a way that avoids the contrived manner in which these musical genres are often brought together, creating a synthesis that sounds wholly natural and unforced ,devoid of `Third Stream` incongruities or `jazzing the classics` parody.
Though the writing for strings and winds is anachronistic in the sense that it displays no avant-garde tendencies and largely follows the
conventions of diatonic classicism, it is undeniably beautiful and enables the jazz trio element to move within it in a seamless fashion without detriment to the largely elegiac, subtly melancholic mood. Some of the writing, as in the opening overture, is overtly `classical` in that it recalls the courtly measures of a Sarabande whilst other pieces have a pastoral air that might be reminiscent of Delius or Vaughan –Williams having an autumnal tone that is enhanced by the presence of two violas and a cello, producing a more luminous sound than is typical of a conventional string quartet with the oboe contributing tonal highlights to brighten the aural palette.
Most of the compositions and all the arrangements are by Cohen who honours his Russo-Israeli heritage by including pieces drawn from
traditional sources or from the work of unfamiliar composers that represent his early cultural experience. Additionally he offers an amalgam of Lebanese tunes brought together in a the lively `Arab Melody` which like the coda to `On a Black Horse`, a reworking of an old Russian army tune, provides an opportunity to break loose with a vibrancy that relieves the pervading sobriety. His American muse is represented by harmingly
refined reading of Thad Jones classic `A Child is Born` and, of course the ever present jazz improvisation of the core trio which is skilfully woven into the overall fabric.
Cohen plays both acoustic and electric bass , the latter featuring powerfully in the ostinato driven original `Shlosre`, the most ostensibly jazzy piece on the album, which puts the trio in the foreground giving prominence to the superlative piano playing of Hershkovits and ending with an exciting walk through drum break from Nehemya. In addition to his instrumental and compositional contribution the leader sings on the final track giving a moving rendition of an Israeli song that owes a great deal to the Jewish cantorial tradition and draws to a conclusion a fine disc of variegated music that will give pleasure to a potentially wide audience within and outside the jazz fraternity.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Parlophone Records (France)
Avishai Cohen (acoustic & electric bass, vocals) Nitai Hershkovits (piano) Ofri Nehemya (drums) with
Cordelia Hagmann (violin) Amit Landau (viola) Noam Haimovitz Wieinschel (viola) Yael Shapira (cello) Yoram Lacish (oboe and cor anglais) Amir Briesler (drums) Keren Tannenbaum (violin) Galia Hai
(viola)
Recorded at Kicha Studios, Tel Aviv, Israel.2nd to 9th June, 2013 and Lento Studios, Göteburg, June, July 2013
Avishai Cohen is a contemporary bass player whose unimpeachable jazz credentials reference some of the most famous names in the music today whether performing in the role of sideman, collaborator, or leader of his own highly regarded trio. In this recording he returns to the origins of his musical development by revisiting the grounding he received the classical repertoire and, in particular, his love of chamber music. To these formative influences he has wedded his subsequent interest in jazz and folk forms in a way that avoids the contrived manner in which these musical genres are often brought together, creating a synthesis that sounds wholly natural and unforced ,devoid of `Third Stream` incongruities or `jazzing the classics` parody.
Though the writing for strings and winds is anachronistic in the sense that it displays no avant-garde tendencies and largely follows the
conventions of diatonic classicism, it is undeniably beautiful and enables the jazz trio element to move within it in a seamless fashion without detriment to the largely elegiac, subtly melancholic mood. Some of the writing, as in the opening overture, is overtly `classical` in that it recalls the courtly measures of a Sarabande whilst other pieces have a pastoral air that might be reminiscent of Delius or Vaughan –Williams having an autumnal tone that is enhanced by the presence of two violas and a cello, producing a more luminous sound than is typical of a conventional string quartet with the oboe contributing tonal highlights to brighten the aural palette.
Most of the compositions and all the arrangements are by Cohen who honours his Russo-Israeli heritage by including pieces drawn from
traditional sources or from the work of unfamiliar composers that represent his early cultural experience. Additionally he offers an amalgam of Lebanese tunes brought together in a the lively `Arab Melody` which like the coda to `On a Black Horse`, a reworking of an old Russian army tune, provides an opportunity to break loose with a vibrancy that relieves the pervading sobriety. His American muse is represented by harmingly
refined reading of Thad Jones classic `A Child is Born` and, of course the ever present jazz improvisation of the core trio which is skilfully woven into the overall fabric.
Cohen plays both acoustic and electric bass , the latter featuring powerfully in the ostinato driven original `Shlosre`, the most ostensibly jazzy piece on the album, which puts the trio in the foreground giving prominence to the superlative piano playing of Hershkovits and ending with an exciting walk through drum break from Nehemya. In addition to his instrumental and compositional contribution the leader sings on the final track giving a moving rendition of an Israeli song that owes a great deal to the Jewish cantorial tradition and draws to a conclusion a fine disc of variegated music that will give pleasure to a potentially wide audience within and outside the jazz fraternity.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
BENJAMIN HERMAN – Live
Roach Records DOX 208
Benjamin Herman, alto saxophone; Miguel Rodriguez, piano; Ernst Glerum, double bass; Joost Patocka, drums
Recorded 2012/2013
Nothing new herein; the album opens with a driving Kenny Dorham number, 'Una Mas'. That trumpeter is known to have played with most of the big-name saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley, Joe
Henderson, Harold Land, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins et al, anyone indeed who counted as a saxophonist during the '50s. The point here is that Herman sets out
on the path of that unremitting force of 'Una Mas' as though he were indeed one of those very saxophonists. He is not, but he means well and the album swings vibrantly. His tone is forceful and his sound and approach are very much akin to 'blues/funk', but on occasion full of idiosyncratic, off-centre, saxophone techniques and measures that create confusion and a certain difficulty in listening to or following the threads.
Herman's own writing leans towards a '50s pastiche and although there is some evidence of other worlds even in this short album, his core does seem to be rooted some 60 years ago, such are his affectations - horn-rimmed glasses and slim ties of the era, perhaps seeing himself very much as a '50s fashionista? He is also known to have a penchant for the C-melody saxophone, even more ancient and also an eccentricity, as the instrument is hardly ever made these days. Manufacturers generally stopped building them around 1930, as they really belonged to the era when music in the home was made by the people who lived there. C Melodies sounded good, weren't too hard to play and were in the key of
C, so a player could read right off piano music without need of transposing. Seek out Frankie Trumbauer if you want to hear what it sounded like in the 1920s and '30s
Benjamin Herman has earned quite a reputation in Europe and has featured with all kinds of artists such as Candy Dulfer Paul Weller, and the Stan Tracey trio and has toured extensively.
My pick from this album is track 7, 'Arachibutyrophobia', not for its esoteric name, but for the splendidly neat bowing of the bass.
The audience loved it all.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
Roach Records DOX 208
Benjamin Herman, alto saxophone; Miguel Rodriguez, piano; Ernst Glerum, double bass; Joost Patocka, drums
Recorded 2012/2013
Nothing new herein; the album opens with a driving Kenny Dorham number, 'Una Mas'. That trumpeter is known to have played with most of the big-name saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley, Joe
Henderson, Harold Land, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins et al, anyone indeed who counted as a saxophonist during the '50s. The point here is that Herman sets out
on the path of that unremitting force of 'Una Mas' as though he were indeed one of those very saxophonists. He is not, but he means well and the album swings vibrantly. His tone is forceful and his sound and approach are very much akin to 'blues/funk', but on occasion full of idiosyncratic, off-centre, saxophone techniques and measures that create confusion and a certain difficulty in listening to or following the threads.
Herman's own writing leans towards a '50s pastiche and although there is some evidence of other worlds even in this short album, his core does seem to be rooted some 60 years ago, such are his affectations - horn-rimmed glasses and slim ties of the era, perhaps seeing himself very much as a '50s fashionista? He is also known to have a penchant for the C-melody saxophone, even more ancient and also an eccentricity, as the instrument is hardly ever made these days. Manufacturers generally stopped building them around 1930, as they really belonged to the era when music in the home was made by the people who lived there. C Melodies sounded good, weren't too hard to play and were in the key of
C, so a player could read right off piano music without need of transposing. Seek out Frankie Trumbauer if you want to hear what it sounded like in the 1920s and '30s
Benjamin Herman has earned quite a reputation in Europe and has featured with all kinds of artists such as Candy Dulfer Paul Weller, and the Stan Tracey trio and has toured extensively.
My pick from this album is track 7, 'Arachibutyrophobia', not for its esoteric name, but for the splendidly neat bowing of the bass.
The audience loved it all.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
BETTINA POHLE & RALPH RUH TRIO - Sophisticated Lady
Octason Records-OSR 21501
Bettina Pohle (vocals) Lars Gűhcke (bass) Peter Horiseberger (drums) Ralph Ruh (piano) with special guest Wolfgang Frister (sax)
Recorded at Greve Studio, Berlin, 2013
Judging by her portrait on the CD sleeve Bettina Pohle is the very epitome of a sophisticated lady and she looks out at us with a hauteur that defies criticism of her singing. Her interpretation of this set of largely American songbook standards does impart a degree of lieder style gravitas thanks to her leaning towards a contralto range but it seems at times that her inability to sustain it leads to wilting of her phrasing that sounds a bit gasping and, sad to say, rather flat. As regards jazz interpretation it all resides in the idiosyncrasy of her singing style as there is nothing particularly creative about her vocal lines. If the world is in need of another version of `Sophisticated Lady` then it needs to be a bit special to lay claim to our attention.
The supporting trio is, however, another matter because, when required, they swing like the clappers in the best Oscar Peterson fashion and the tracks that feature Frister’s slippery Phil Woods style alto sax are especially welcome in that that he provides a perfect antidote to Ms Pohle’s rather doleful sound. If only her vocals were able to match the energy and élan of her supporting musicians then we would have something much more appealing to listen to.
In the context of a cabaret setting I’ve no doubt Bettina Pohle puts on a good show and those who have experienced a live performance may well like to have this disc as a souvenir. I wish I could be more supportive but I fear the dispassionate medium of the recording rather exposes her weaknesses and makes this selection a bit of a slog to listen to in its entirety.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Octason Records-OSR 21501
Bettina Pohle (vocals) Lars Gűhcke (bass) Peter Horiseberger (drums) Ralph Ruh (piano) with special guest Wolfgang Frister (sax)
Recorded at Greve Studio, Berlin, 2013
Judging by her portrait on the CD sleeve Bettina Pohle is the very epitome of a sophisticated lady and she looks out at us with a hauteur that defies criticism of her singing. Her interpretation of this set of largely American songbook standards does impart a degree of lieder style gravitas thanks to her leaning towards a contralto range but it seems at times that her inability to sustain it leads to wilting of her phrasing that sounds a bit gasping and, sad to say, rather flat. As regards jazz interpretation it all resides in the idiosyncrasy of her singing style as there is nothing particularly creative about her vocal lines. If the world is in need of another version of `Sophisticated Lady` then it needs to be a bit special to lay claim to our attention.
The supporting trio is, however, another matter because, when required, they swing like the clappers in the best Oscar Peterson fashion and the tracks that feature Frister’s slippery Phil Woods style alto sax are especially welcome in that that he provides a perfect antidote to Ms Pohle’s rather doleful sound. If only her vocals were able to match the energy and élan of her supporting musicians then we would have something much more appealing to listen to.
In the context of a cabaret setting I’ve no doubt Bettina Pohle puts on a good show and those who have experienced a live performance may well like to have this disc as a souvenir. I wish I could be more supportive but I fear the dispassionate medium of the recording rather exposes her weaknesses and makes this selection a bit of a slog to listen to in its entirety.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
GARY BURTON - Who is Gary Burton?
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55627
Tracks 1 to 7Gary Burton ( vibes ) Clark Terry ( tpt ) Chris Swansen ( val. Tmb ) Tommy Flanagan ( pno ) John Neves ( bass ) Joe Morello ( drs )
Recorded New York 14th & 15th September1962
Tracks 8 to 12
Gary Burton ( vibes ) Phil Woods ( alto / arr. ) John Bunch ( pno ) Gene Cherico ( bass ) Joe Morello ( drs )
Recorded New York, 6th & 15th June 1961
Tracks 13 to 22
Gary Burton ( vibes / xyl ) Hank Garland ( gtr ) William Purcell ( pno ) Bob Moore ( bass ) Murray Harman ( drs )
Recorded Nashville, Tennessee, 29th August 960
This is a bit of a hodge podge of three sessions recorded by Gary Burton in the early sixties and bear little resemblence to anything Gary Burton
has recorded in the last fifty years. Having said that, there is little wrong with the quality of the music on this album.
The pick of the sessions is the one originally recorded under drummer Joe Morello's name and titled "It's about time", this is a quintet with
Phil Woods on alto whose output is rarely less than brilliant and these tracks are no exception.The pianist is John Bunch who is at home in most surroundings and this session is an ideal setting. As a sideman Gary Burton tailors his playing to the needs of the group with some nicely swinging solos particularly on "Just in time". It's Joe Morello's superb drumming which catches the listener's attention, he swings hard
without being overbearing. All the arrangements are by Phil Woods which are minimal and leave plenty of room for solos.
The septet sides claim to be issued for the first time on CD and it is a bit of an all star group with only trombonist Chris Swansen being
relatively little known but his contribution is well up to standard and he is given his chance to shine on "I've just seen her". Gary Burton has a fine solo on vibist Terry Gibbs composition "Fly time fly" and with Phil Woods' excellent clarinet solo it makes for an inter3esting track.Gary Burton's best solo is on the boppish "Get away blues" by trombonist Chris Swansen who also has another well thought out solo.
After Tommy Flanagan introduces "My funny Valentine" Clark Terry takes over with a very lyrical solo with some very sympathetic backing from Gary Burton. Jaki Byard's "One note" closes out the proceedings with some puckish trumpet from Clark Terry and a highly swinging piano solo by Tommy Flanagan. A satisfying session with all the players contributing succesfully.
The final session is the complete album "Subtle swing" released under guitarist Hank Garland's name and is a complete change of style but adds a lightness to the album, it even has a tongue in the cheek version of "Pop goes the Weasel". This is a pleasant session with a good mix of swingers and more laid back tracks.
This is an interesting release and covers all the bases with something for everyone with plenty of good solos in a variety of guises and if that's what you enjoy this is the one for you.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Essential Jazz Classics EJC55627
Tracks 1 to 7Gary Burton ( vibes ) Clark Terry ( tpt ) Chris Swansen ( val. Tmb ) Tommy Flanagan ( pno ) John Neves ( bass ) Joe Morello ( drs )
Recorded New York 14th & 15th September1962
Tracks 8 to 12
Gary Burton ( vibes ) Phil Woods ( alto / arr. ) John Bunch ( pno ) Gene Cherico ( bass ) Joe Morello ( drs )
Recorded New York, 6th & 15th June 1961
Tracks 13 to 22
Gary Burton ( vibes / xyl ) Hank Garland ( gtr ) William Purcell ( pno ) Bob Moore ( bass ) Murray Harman ( drs )
Recorded Nashville, Tennessee, 29th August 960
This is a bit of a hodge podge of three sessions recorded by Gary Burton in the early sixties and bear little resemblence to anything Gary Burton
has recorded in the last fifty years. Having said that, there is little wrong with the quality of the music on this album.
The pick of the sessions is the one originally recorded under drummer Joe Morello's name and titled "It's about time", this is a quintet with
Phil Woods on alto whose output is rarely less than brilliant and these tracks are no exception.The pianist is John Bunch who is at home in most surroundings and this session is an ideal setting. As a sideman Gary Burton tailors his playing to the needs of the group with some nicely swinging solos particularly on "Just in time". It's Joe Morello's superb drumming which catches the listener's attention, he swings hard
without being overbearing. All the arrangements are by Phil Woods which are minimal and leave plenty of room for solos.
The septet sides claim to be issued for the first time on CD and it is a bit of an all star group with only trombonist Chris Swansen being
relatively little known but his contribution is well up to standard and he is given his chance to shine on "I've just seen her". Gary Burton has a fine solo on vibist Terry Gibbs composition "Fly time fly" and with Phil Woods' excellent clarinet solo it makes for an inter3esting track.Gary Burton's best solo is on the boppish "Get away blues" by trombonist Chris Swansen who also has another well thought out solo.
After Tommy Flanagan introduces "My funny Valentine" Clark Terry takes over with a very lyrical solo with some very sympathetic backing from Gary Burton. Jaki Byard's "One note" closes out the proceedings with some puckish trumpet from Clark Terry and a highly swinging piano solo by Tommy Flanagan. A satisfying session with all the players contributing succesfully.
The final session is the complete album "Subtle swing" released under guitarist Hank Garland's name and is a complete change of style but adds a lightness to the album, it even has a tongue in the cheek version of "Pop goes the Weasel". This is a pleasant session with a good mix of swingers and more laid back tracks.
This is an interesting release and covers all the bases with something for everyone with plenty of good solos in a variety of guises and if that's what you enjoy this is the one for you.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
GENE AMMONS – Blue Groove & Preachin’
Groove Hut Records 66719
Gene Ammons (tenor sax); Clarence (Sleepy) Anderson (org); Sylvester Hichman (bass); Doug Watkins( bass); J.C.Heard (d) Unknown guitar. Dorral Anderson (d)
Recorded Chicago April 27th & May 3rd 1962 & New Jersey January 27th 1961.
Two sterling LPs from Prestige are issued here on a single CD. Blue Groove , the first, was first put out when Ammons signed for Chess Records when he was still under contract to Prestige. As many times as he was put in jail at this time he probably neither knew nor cared but a court case ensued and Prestige won and issued the disc on their own label. It is typical Ammons, blue but not sentimental, backed by Anderson and the bass and drum team he was working with at this time. Mostly slow and breathy blues lines there are strong readings of Someone To Watch and You Better Go Now. The rhythm section is more than adequate but who plays guitar is anybody’s guess.
The same rhythm players are on hand for the Preachin’ session. This is unusual as it features Gene playing all religious tracks in a blues soaked
manner. Church hymns and religious pieces like I Believe and Precious Memories make up a funky but fascinating programme of jazz. All are slow so a little variety might have been in order but generally, Ammons enthusiasts will be well satisfied with this selection. The final, bonus track is from a more conventional Prestige session featuring J. C. Heard, percussionist Ray Barretto and that fine bass player, Doug Watkins. Solid ballads and blues and an easy swing from a master of the tenor sax.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
Groove Hut Records 66719
Gene Ammons (tenor sax); Clarence (Sleepy) Anderson (org); Sylvester Hichman (bass); Doug Watkins( bass); J.C.Heard (d) Unknown guitar. Dorral Anderson (d)
Recorded Chicago April 27th & May 3rd 1962 & New Jersey January 27th 1961.
Two sterling LPs from Prestige are issued here on a single CD. Blue Groove , the first, was first put out when Ammons signed for Chess Records when he was still under contract to Prestige. As many times as he was put in jail at this time he probably neither knew nor cared but a court case ensued and Prestige won and issued the disc on their own label. It is typical Ammons, blue but not sentimental, backed by Anderson and the bass and drum team he was working with at this time. Mostly slow and breathy blues lines there are strong readings of Someone To Watch and You Better Go Now. The rhythm section is more than adequate but who plays guitar is anybody’s guess.
The same rhythm players are on hand for the Preachin’ session. This is unusual as it features Gene playing all religious tracks in a blues soaked
manner. Church hymns and religious pieces like I Believe and Precious Memories make up a funky but fascinating programme of jazz. All are slow so a little variety might have been in order but generally, Ammons enthusiasts will be well satisfied with this selection. The final, bonus track is from a more conventional Prestige session featuring J. C. Heard, percussionist Ray Barretto and that fine bass player, Doug Watkins. Solid ballads and blues and an easy swing from a master of the tenor sax.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
GOGO PENGUIN - v2.0
Gondwana Records GONDCD 009
Chris Illingworth, piano; Nick Blacka, bass; Rob Turner, drums
'v2.0' is a new release from Gondwana and it's a beautifully clean, clear recording of the piano trio.
It is full of pleasing sounds and totally lacks any harshness. It is profoundly rewarding. There is, too, that wonderful feeling that arises when one hears a band that has clearly got it together – the communal, musical understanding is sturdy, there is no 'leader' because the band doesn't need one, so intrinsically are the ideas interchanged. The band's sound will come to identify its presence and I hope it stays together for a very long time.
Although the harmonic and lyrical ideas in the music meld with the construction of each piece and echo influences both jazz-like and classical in nature, these both are challenged by the shifting rhythms which seem to be sourced from somewhere different. To this and other ends, the musicians' levels of skills are very high and quite diverse. Consider the opening track, 'Murmuration', in which sparkling drums and bass are opposed by beautifully considered, persistent and reiterated piano themes from which the bass ultimately mounts to the sense of discord of the moment. 'One Percent'' is a persuasive, lively and greatly electric number; the last section forcefully imitates a skipping CD, through a diversity of finely measured tempo variations and that's some achievement. Elsewhere, one hears Illingworth declaring one melody with his right hand
and reiterating an alternative with his left.
The album is not without its mood changes and while it is clearly motivated by bebop and jazz otherwise, it also pulls in it’s a diversity of interests, from John Cage to Brian Eno. There is considerable emotive leaning in the metronomic 'Shock and Awe', while 'To Drown In You'
carries a certain temper of melancholy deriving perhaps from Philip Glass.
The collaborative ensemble playing is wonderful, the interplay memorable and the album's closing track, 'Hopopono'' is an eloquent souvenir of the band's mutual respect. This is a decidedly innovative and reachable jazz piano threesome.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
Gondwana Records GONDCD 009
Chris Illingworth, piano; Nick Blacka, bass; Rob Turner, drums
'v2.0' is a new release from Gondwana and it's a beautifully clean, clear recording of the piano trio.
It is full of pleasing sounds and totally lacks any harshness. It is profoundly rewarding. There is, too, that wonderful feeling that arises when one hears a band that has clearly got it together – the communal, musical understanding is sturdy, there is no 'leader' because the band doesn't need one, so intrinsically are the ideas interchanged. The band's sound will come to identify its presence and I hope it stays together for a very long time.
Although the harmonic and lyrical ideas in the music meld with the construction of each piece and echo influences both jazz-like and classical in nature, these both are challenged by the shifting rhythms which seem to be sourced from somewhere different. To this and other ends, the musicians' levels of skills are very high and quite diverse. Consider the opening track, 'Murmuration', in which sparkling drums and bass are opposed by beautifully considered, persistent and reiterated piano themes from which the bass ultimately mounts to the sense of discord of the moment. 'One Percent'' is a persuasive, lively and greatly electric number; the last section forcefully imitates a skipping CD, through a diversity of finely measured tempo variations and that's some achievement. Elsewhere, one hears Illingworth declaring one melody with his right hand
and reiterating an alternative with his left.
The album is not without its mood changes and while it is clearly motivated by bebop and jazz otherwise, it also pulls in it’s a diversity of interests, from John Cage to Brian Eno. There is considerable emotive leaning in the metronomic 'Shock and Awe', while 'To Drown In You'
carries a certain temper of melancholy deriving perhaps from Philip Glass.
The collaborative ensemble playing is wonderful, the interplay memorable and the album's closing track, 'Hopopono'' is an eloquent souvenir of the band's mutual respect. This is a decidedly innovative and reachable jazz piano threesome.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
HILDEGUNN OISETH - Valencia
Losen Records LOS 121-2
Hildegunn Oiseth, trumpet; Tommy Kotter, piano; Peter Janson, bass; Anders Kjellberg, drums
Recorded in Studio Barxeta, Spain, June 2013
There is a contemplative, pensive tone to the airy sound of Norwegian Oiseth's trumpet work which contrives to echo both a calmer, Nordic, aesthetic chill and a hotter, Iberian songbook that rings with recollections of 'Sketches of Spain'. The choice of piano trio accompanying trumpet yields a very fine-tuned subtlety, rich yet delicate.
The opening track 'Sacred' leads one to imagine that here is an album of soft reflection, but it is followed dynamically by 'Chasing My Own Tail',
pure agitation by comparison, a deafening bass introduction leading to a speed-walk as the rhythm foundation, with piano and drums joining in. Rhythms play an important part throughout and 'Roxy' is perhaps the finest example, in which there is marvellous, good-natured discourse between Oiseth's tentative trumpet and the positive but compassionate responses of Kjellberg's drums.
Oiseth's blowing is clean, gentle and mellifluous and the band is tight behind her. Although there are only seven tracks and forty one minutes, there is great variety and I wanted more. This is a lovely album.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
Losen Records LOS 121-2
Hildegunn Oiseth, trumpet; Tommy Kotter, piano; Peter Janson, bass; Anders Kjellberg, drums
Recorded in Studio Barxeta, Spain, June 2013
There is a contemplative, pensive tone to the airy sound of Norwegian Oiseth's trumpet work which contrives to echo both a calmer, Nordic, aesthetic chill and a hotter, Iberian songbook that rings with recollections of 'Sketches of Spain'. The choice of piano trio accompanying trumpet yields a very fine-tuned subtlety, rich yet delicate.
The opening track 'Sacred' leads one to imagine that here is an album of soft reflection, but it is followed dynamically by 'Chasing My Own Tail',
pure agitation by comparison, a deafening bass introduction leading to a speed-walk as the rhythm foundation, with piano and drums joining in. Rhythms play an important part throughout and 'Roxy' is perhaps the finest example, in which there is marvellous, good-natured discourse between Oiseth's tentative trumpet and the positive but compassionate responses of Kjellberg's drums.
Oiseth's blowing is clean, gentle and mellifluous and the band is tight behind her. Although there are only seven tracks and forty one minutes, there is great variety and I wanted more. This is a lovely album.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
JIMMY RUSHING - The Jazz Odyssey of James Rushing esq.
Plus Jimmy Rushing & The Smith Girls
Phoenix 131600
Tracks 1 to 12
Jimmy Rushing ( vocal ) with Ernie Royal ( tpt ) Vic Dickenson ( tmb )Budd Johnson ( tnr) Danny Bank ( bar ) Hank Jones ( pno ) Skeeter Best ( gtr ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded New York, 6th to 8th November 1956
Tracks 13 to 22
Jimmy Rushing ( vocal )with Dickie Wells ( tmb ) Benny Morton ( tmb )Buster Bailey ( clt ) Coleman Hawkins ( tnr ) Claude Hopkins ( pno ) Everett Barksdale ( gtr ) Gene Ramey ( bass ) Jimmy Crawford ( drs )
Recorded New York, 7th & 13th July 1960
Tracks 18 to 23
Jimmy Rushing ( vocal ) with Emmett Berry ( tpt ) Dickie Wells ( tmb ) Budd Johnson ( tnr) Sir Charles Thompson ( pno ) Steve Jordan ( gtr ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded New York, 18th to 23 rd August 1955
Jimmy Rushing cannot be dismissed as merely the man who sang the blues with the Count Basie Orchestra simply because his body of recorded work demonstrates just how wide he cast his net.
There is his recording with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, his work on record and his appearances live at the New York Half Note with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims and also his embrace of the popular songbook rather than just the blues. This album which covers two previous LPs and three tracks from another previous release finds him in the company some of the major players from the forties era.
On the first LP four centres of jazz excellence are covered New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago and New York, Buck Clayton has chosen musicians associated with these centres to provide the backing music. Rushing is on good form throughout and some fine solos from the accompanying musicians including Buck Clayton, Buddy Tate, Vic Dickenson and Hank Jones. Apart from one number it is the first time Rushing has recorded these tunes even though they have been in his repertoire for some time.
On the second album Jimmy Rushing has chosen songs made famous by four blues singers named Smith, Bessie, Clara, Mamie and Trixie. For this recording Buck Clayton has gathered together a fine ensemble of players including Dickie Wells, Buster Bailey , Claude Hopkins and Coleman
Hawkins. The album gets off to a cracking start with “Arkansas Blues” which has a heavy backbeat but Rushing is just as effective on slower numbers like “Downhearted Blues”. Of the two albums this is the one the most variety and Rushing is on top form and obviously enjoying himself. The three bonus tracks are from the album “Cat meets Chick” and fit nicely in style on this release but it would be good to see the whole album have its own release.
Any Rushing fan will be pleased to see the release of this album but anybody who appreciates good jazz singing will get a great deal of pleasure from its content.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Plus Jimmy Rushing & The Smith Girls
Phoenix 131600
Tracks 1 to 12
Jimmy Rushing ( vocal ) with Ernie Royal ( tpt ) Vic Dickenson ( tmb )Budd Johnson ( tnr) Danny Bank ( bar ) Hank Jones ( pno ) Skeeter Best ( gtr ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded New York, 6th to 8th November 1956
Tracks 13 to 22
Jimmy Rushing ( vocal )with Dickie Wells ( tmb ) Benny Morton ( tmb )Buster Bailey ( clt ) Coleman Hawkins ( tnr ) Claude Hopkins ( pno ) Everett Barksdale ( gtr ) Gene Ramey ( bass ) Jimmy Crawford ( drs )
Recorded New York, 7th & 13th July 1960
Tracks 18 to 23
Jimmy Rushing ( vocal ) with Emmett Berry ( tpt ) Dickie Wells ( tmb ) Budd Johnson ( tnr) Sir Charles Thompson ( pno ) Steve Jordan ( gtr ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Jo Jones ( drs )
Recorded New York, 18th to 23 rd August 1955
Jimmy Rushing cannot be dismissed as merely the man who sang the blues with the Count Basie Orchestra simply because his body of recorded work demonstrates just how wide he cast his net.
There is his recording with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, his work on record and his appearances live at the New York Half Note with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims and also his embrace of the popular songbook rather than just the blues. This album which covers two previous LPs and three tracks from another previous release finds him in the company some of the major players from the forties era.
On the first LP four centres of jazz excellence are covered New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago and New York, Buck Clayton has chosen musicians associated with these centres to provide the backing music. Rushing is on good form throughout and some fine solos from the accompanying musicians including Buck Clayton, Buddy Tate, Vic Dickenson and Hank Jones. Apart from one number it is the first time Rushing has recorded these tunes even though they have been in his repertoire for some time.
On the second album Jimmy Rushing has chosen songs made famous by four blues singers named Smith, Bessie, Clara, Mamie and Trixie. For this recording Buck Clayton has gathered together a fine ensemble of players including Dickie Wells, Buster Bailey , Claude Hopkins and Coleman
Hawkins. The album gets off to a cracking start with “Arkansas Blues” which has a heavy backbeat but Rushing is just as effective on slower numbers like “Downhearted Blues”. Of the two albums this is the one the most variety and Rushing is on top form and obviously enjoying himself. The three bonus tracks are from the album “Cat meets Chick” and fit nicely in style on this release but it would be good to see the whole album have its own release.
Any Rushing fan will be pleased to see the release of this album but anybody who appreciates good jazz singing will get a great deal of pleasure from its content.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
JOE WILDER – Such A Beautiful Sound
Fresh Sound Records CD 812
Joe Wilder (trumpet); Pete Brown (alto sax); Hank Jones or Wade Legge (pno); Wendell Marshall or Gene Ramey (bass); Kenny Clarke or Rudy Collins (drs); Wally Richardson (gtr)
Recorded NYC November 16,1954, November 29, 1955 & January 19th 1956.
The contents of this CD were issued originally on three separate Savoy and one Bethlehem LPs. The first eight tracks are by Wilder with superb backing from the streamlined rhythm section of Hank
Jones, Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke. Wilder is able to stretch out here, using his gloriously burnished trumpet sound to improvise choruses on a number of standards including tasty versions of Darn That Dream, My Heart Stood Still and Mad About The Boy. The blues are taken care of with Six Bit Blues an eight minute excursion where everybody digs in on a low down , slow ride that is in classic style.
The first track is listed as How High The Moon but this appears to be an error unless the melody and construction of that standard has been changed completely. All the music here is played by Wilder in a wide variety of settings. On the last seven tracks he is joined in the front line by altoist Pete Brown and the two soloists blow up a storm together on tracks like Moonlight In Vermont and There Will Never Be Another You. The
disc features many highlights, not least the strength and variety of sound achieved on trumpet by Wilder and his inventive choruses. Hank Jones is also a standout on those pieces he plays on, his light touch a delight and his invention never failing. The tracks with Brown offer contrast and a little more variety but the rhythm section is not up to the same standard as the Hank Jones selections.
Along with a good selection from various LPs, this disc includes the full contents of the Savoy disc Joe Wilder---‘n wilder, one of his best single programmes on record.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
Fresh Sound Records CD 812
Joe Wilder (trumpet); Pete Brown (alto sax); Hank Jones or Wade Legge (pno); Wendell Marshall or Gene Ramey (bass); Kenny Clarke or Rudy Collins (drs); Wally Richardson (gtr)
Recorded NYC November 16,1954, November 29, 1955 & January 19th 1956.
The contents of this CD were issued originally on three separate Savoy and one Bethlehem LPs. The first eight tracks are by Wilder with superb backing from the streamlined rhythm section of Hank
Jones, Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke. Wilder is able to stretch out here, using his gloriously burnished trumpet sound to improvise choruses on a number of standards including tasty versions of Darn That Dream, My Heart Stood Still and Mad About The Boy. The blues are taken care of with Six Bit Blues an eight minute excursion where everybody digs in on a low down , slow ride that is in classic style.
The first track is listed as How High The Moon but this appears to be an error unless the melody and construction of that standard has been changed completely. All the music here is played by Wilder in a wide variety of settings. On the last seven tracks he is joined in the front line by altoist Pete Brown and the two soloists blow up a storm together on tracks like Moonlight In Vermont and There Will Never Be Another You. The
disc features many highlights, not least the strength and variety of sound achieved on trumpet by Wilder and his inventive choruses. Hank Jones is also a standout on those pieces he plays on, his light touch a delight and his invention never failing. The tracks with Brown offer contrast and a little more variety but the rhythm section is not up to the same standard as the Hank Jones selections.
Along with a good selection from various LPs, this disc includes the full contents of the Savoy disc Joe Wilder---‘n wilder, one of his best single programmes on record.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
JULIE DUNN - Out of this World
Diving Duck Records DDRCD017
Julie Dunn ( vocals ) John Horler ( pno ) Alec Dank worth ( bass ) Winston Clifford ( drs ) Tony Coe ( clt / sop ) David Horler ( tmb )
Recorded at Kingston University, November 2011
There are so many new female vocalists appearing on the scene in recent years it is difficult to know how they all find work and to make an impact they have to find something different to say. In Julie Dunn’s case she has a fine singing voice but there is nothing distinctive about her approach to a song that sets her apart from other singers who out to make a living.
On this album it is John Horler’s arrangements which lifts this release out of the ordinary and his piano contributions are a joy to listen to.
Julie Dunn does try to lift the song selection out of the common place with numbers like “Not like this” and Monk’s “Well you needn’t” but do we really need another version of “The shadow of your smile”. Not that it isn’t a good song but it is nice to hear numbers that really see the light of day. There are so many songs by major composer and others that rarely are given an outing and our own composers like Duncan Lamont whose songs are usually taken up by American singers. It was nice to hear the verse of “All the things you are” and the arrangement gave the song a new lease of life. Burke and Van Heusen’s number “But beautiful” is given a sympathetic reading by Dunn and Dave Horler’s beautiful trombone sound and John Horler’s piano solo make this the best track on thy album.
The two original compositions by Julie Dunn are acceptable but are not going to set the world on fire and with all the Great American Songbook at her disposal they seem irrelevant.
On balance it has just enough worthwhile ingredients to make it one to look out for particularly for John Horler’s contribution.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Diving Duck Records DDRCD017
Julie Dunn ( vocals ) John Horler ( pno ) Alec Dank worth ( bass ) Winston Clifford ( drs ) Tony Coe ( clt / sop ) David Horler ( tmb )
Recorded at Kingston University, November 2011
There are so many new female vocalists appearing on the scene in recent years it is difficult to know how they all find work and to make an impact they have to find something different to say. In Julie Dunn’s case she has a fine singing voice but there is nothing distinctive about her approach to a song that sets her apart from other singers who out to make a living.
On this album it is John Horler’s arrangements which lifts this release out of the ordinary and his piano contributions are a joy to listen to.
Julie Dunn does try to lift the song selection out of the common place with numbers like “Not like this” and Monk’s “Well you needn’t” but do we really need another version of “The shadow of your smile”. Not that it isn’t a good song but it is nice to hear numbers that really see the light of day. There are so many songs by major composer and others that rarely are given an outing and our own composers like Duncan Lamont whose songs are usually taken up by American singers. It was nice to hear the verse of “All the things you are” and the arrangement gave the song a new lease of life. Burke and Van Heusen’s number “But beautiful” is given a sympathetic reading by Dunn and Dave Horler’s beautiful trombone sound and John Horler’s piano solo make this the best track on thy album.
The two original compositions by Julie Dunn are acceptable but are not going to set the world on fire and with all the Great American Songbook at her disposal they seem irrelevant.
On balance it has just enough worthwhile ingredients to make it one to look out for particularly for John Horler’s contribution.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
MATTHEW FORD - Portrait of Matthew Ford
Diving Duck Recordings DDRCD018
Matthew Ford ( vocals ) John Horler ( pno ) Ian Laws ( gtr ) Jeremy Brown ( bass ) Neil Bullock ( drs )
Recorded, London, 23rd & 24th July 2012
The number of new female singers coming on to the scene must outweigh their male counterparts by at least ten to one it is therefore rewarding to find an album by a male singer recording the standard repertoire.
It is a pity that the song selection was not a little more adventurous but according to the liner notes the session was hastily convened so I assume that the singer was reduced to picking numbers from his usual live performances.
With the back catalogues of the great male singers from the forties and fifties available at discounted prices any new male singer coming on the scene would have to come up with something a little different to attract today fickle buyers and although Matthew Ford is a good enough singer he doesn’t possess that extra edge.
The backing quartet is as professional as they come with the excellent John Horler on piano, solo on “A day in the life of a fool” is one to watch out for. One of the better vocal tracks is Johnny Mercer’s “I wanna be around” backed by some sympathetic by John Horler. “Lullaby of Broadway” is not a song that comes up too often these days and Matthew Ford makes the most of it with a lightly swinging version.
Two Irving Berlin numbers are given lively treatment by Ford and are two of the better tracks with some nice backing by the quartet. The groups
guitarist Ian Laws gets a chance to shine on Bobby Troup’s “Route 66”.
If you like to keep up with what’s happening on the present male vocal scene give this one a try.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Diving Duck Recordings DDRCD018
Matthew Ford ( vocals ) John Horler ( pno ) Ian Laws ( gtr ) Jeremy Brown ( bass ) Neil Bullock ( drs )
Recorded, London, 23rd & 24th July 2012
The number of new female singers coming on to the scene must outweigh their male counterparts by at least ten to one it is therefore rewarding to find an album by a male singer recording the standard repertoire.
It is a pity that the song selection was not a little more adventurous but according to the liner notes the session was hastily convened so I assume that the singer was reduced to picking numbers from his usual live performances.
With the back catalogues of the great male singers from the forties and fifties available at discounted prices any new male singer coming on the scene would have to come up with something a little different to attract today fickle buyers and although Matthew Ford is a good enough singer he doesn’t possess that extra edge.
The backing quartet is as professional as they come with the excellent John Horler on piano, solo on “A day in the life of a fool” is one to watch out for. One of the better vocal tracks is Johnny Mercer’s “I wanna be around” backed by some sympathetic by John Horler. “Lullaby of Broadway” is not a song that comes up too often these days and Matthew Ford makes the most of it with a lightly swinging version.
Two Irving Berlin numbers are given lively treatment by Ford and are two of the better tracks with some nice backing by the quartet. The groups
guitarist Ian Laws gets a chance to shine on Bobby Troup’s “Route 66”.
If you like to keep up with what’s happening on the present male vocal scene give this one a try.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
RALPH TOWNER / JOHN ABERCROMBIE – Five Years Later
ECM 374 3512
John Abercrombie (acoustic & electric guitars, electric 12-string guitar, mandolin guitar);
Ralph Towner (12-string & classical guitars)
Recorded March 1981
Another offering in ECM’s Story of our Listening re-issue series, this is the first time that this particular recording has been available on CD, and the follow up to the duo's Sargasso Sea set released in 1976.
The music made by the duo is of intricate detail based on mutual trust and understanding of each other’s playing. The smallest of gestures and nuance are acknowledged and developed to create music that is full of subtleties and melodic delights. Opening with ‘Late Night Passenger’ the duo weave a reflective introduction that leads into a pulsating rhythmic groove set up by Towner as a support for Abercrombie’s electric guitar solo, whilst Towner takes the lead for the all acoustic ‘The Juggler’s Etude’.
The pair maximise the potential of the collaboration by clever use of the different guitars, both electric and acoustic, at their disposal switching effortlessly between the gentle interlude that is ‘Caminata’ to the rhythmically propulsive ‘Bumabia’.
A true collective collaboration with both participants being subservient to both the music and each other, this is music that speaks on an
emotional level. If it is high octane pyrotechnics that you are seeking, you will not find it here, nor will you find late night mood music. What you will discover in this engaging set is highly developed and intelligent music making that will warrant and command your full attention.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
ECM 374 3512
John Abercrombie (acoustic & electric guitars, electric 12-string guitar, mandolin guitar);
Ralph Towner (12-string & classical guitars)
Recorded March 1981
Another offering in ECM’s Story of our Listening re-issue series, this is the first time that this particular recording has been available on CD, and the follow up to the duo's Sargasso Sea set released in 1976.
The music made by the duo is of intricate detail based on mutual trust and understanding of each other’s playing. The smallest of gestures and nuance are acknowledged and developed to create music that is full of subtleties and melodic delights. Opening with ‘Late Night Passenger’ the duo weave a reflective introduction that leads into a pulsating rhythmic groove set up by Towner as a support for Abercrombie’s electric guitar solo, whilst Towner takes the lead for the all acoustic ‘The Juggler’s Etude’.
The pair maximise the potential of the collaboration by clever use of the different guitars, both electric and acoustic, at their disposal switching effortlessly between the gentle interlude that is ‘Caminata’ to the rhythmically propulsive ‘Bumabia’.
A true collective collaboration with both participants being subservient to both the music and each other, this is music that speaks on an
emotional level. If it is high octane pyrotechnics that you are seeking, you will not find it here, nor will you find late night mood music. What you will discover in this engaging set is highly developed and intelligent music making that will warrant and command your full attention.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
RITA LOVISE - Craving Coffee
Losen Records LOS127-2
Rita Lovise Haugseggen, vocal, guitar; Henning Gravrok, tenor saxophone; Gaute Vikdal, buck horn, lure; Bjørn Andor Drage, piano; Bjørn Alterhaug, double bass; Finn Sletten, drums
Recorded at Rainbow Studios, Oslo, October 2013
Jazz-like rather than jazz is my preferred description for this music from Norwegian singer and songwriter Rita Lovise Haugseggen, but borrowing from jazz styles has long been accustomed practice for many pop musicians of a certain genre. There are echoes here of Eva Cassidy, Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones and Nina Simone, so particles of American folk delivered in one of those voices often described as smokey, but whether that referred to the jazz venue or the voice box I was never to discover. It might be said though that those smokey jazz venues are no longer the norm and certainly there never was any real romance in the concept. Elsewhere, the soubriquets 'tasty' and 'jazzy' have been used to describe both content and delivery I think.
On the whole the album has been cleanly recorded, but has failed in part in this aspect in that the words are not always distinct, not even the English words. The backing band has made a stalwart effort, but on the whole the concept doesn't work for this reviewer and certainly there is no new genre here as Haugseggen has apparently claimed. It's more like 'same old, same old.'
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
Losen Records LOS127-2
Rita Lovise Haugseggen, vocal, guitar; Henning Gravrok, tenor saxophone; Gaute Vikdal, buck horn, lure; Bjørn Andor Drage, piano; Bjørn Alterhaug, double bass; Finn Sletten, drums
Recorded at Rainbow Studios, Oslo, October 2013
Jazz-like rather than jazz is my preferred description for this music from Norwegian singer and songwriter Rita Lovise Haugseggen, but borrowing from jazz styles has long been accustomed practice for many pop musicians of a certain genre. There are echoes here of Eva Cassidy, Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones and Nina Simone, so particles of American folk delivered in one of those voices often described as smokey, but whether that referred to the jazz venue or the voice box I was never to discover. It might be said though that those smokey jazz venues are no longer the norm and certainly there never was any real romance in the concept. Elsewhere, the soubriquets 'tasty' and 'jazzy' have been used to describe both content and delivery I think.
On the whole the album has been cleanly recorded, but has failed in part in this aspect in that the words are not always distinct, not even the English words. The backing band has made a stalwart effort, but on the whole the concept doesn't work for this reviewer and certainly there is no new genre here as Haugseggen has apparently claimed. It's more like 'same old, same old.'
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
STEFANO LUIGI MANGIA - Glad to be Unhappy
Leo Records CD LR 692
Stefano Luigi Mangia, voice, melodica; Adolfo La Volpe, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electronics; Giorgio Distante, trumpet, live electronics
Atmospheric, mood music is the theme here; 'ambient' as Brian Eno would name it back in 1978, music 'intended to induce calm and a space to think' rather than, as canned music did, 'proceed
from the basis of regularizing environments by blanketing their acoustic and atmospheric idiosyncrasies'. (Brian Eno, September 1978, sleeve notes for AMBIENT 1, MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS, Polydor Records LP AMB 001).
Whereas canned music was often realised as collections of easily identifiable songs and tunes, reconstituted in an imitative and plagiaristic manner, Eno's Ambient Music was written originally and to purpose, as is this here. All tunes come from the creative pens of Mangia and La Volpe except for track 1. That is the title track 'Glad to be Unhappy' and most oddly in the circumstances comes from the pens of Rodgers and Hart.
There is constant fluctuation between shades of absence and sadness, reminiscence and a downward modulation of atmospheric density almost to the point of depression. You will be quieted, but you won't be dulled.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham
Leo Records CD LR 692
Stefano Luigi Mangia, voice, melodica; Adolfo La Volpe, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electronics; Giorgio Distante, trumpet, live electronics
Atmospheric, mood music is the theme here; 'ambient' as Brian Eno would name it back in 1978, music 'intended to induce calm and a space to think' rather than, as canned music did, 'proceed
from the basis of regularizing environments by blanketing their acoustic and atmospheric idiosyncrasies'. (Brian Eno, September 1978, sleeve notes for AMBIENT 1, MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS, Polydor Records LP AMB 001).
Whereas canned music was often realised as collections of easily identifiable songs and tunes, reconstituted in an imitative and plagiaristic manner, Eno's Ambient Music was written originally and to purpose, as is this here. All tunes come from the creative pens of Mangia and La Volpe except for track 1. That is the title track 'Glad to be Unhappy' and most oddly in the circumstances comes from the pens of Rodgers and Hart.
There is constant fluctuation between shades of absence and sadness, reminiscence and a downward modulation of atmospheric density almost to the point of depression. You will be quieted, but you won't be dulled.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham