Friday 31 July 2009

Andres Boiarsky - Into the Light (1997)

Review by Scott Yanow
A forceful improviser with a big tone, tenor saxophonist Andres Boiarsky may not be famous, but he is a fine hard bop player. Although Boiarsky was born and raised in Argentina and uses some top Latin jazz players on this set, the music is strictly hard bop. For this project, he is heard in a quartet with pianist George Cables, bassist David Finck, and drummer Ignacio Berroa, with guest appearances from percussionist Gabriel Machado, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, and altoist Paquito D'Rivera. Roditi takes solo honors during his three appearances, but Boiarsky (who contributed six of the eight songs) holds his own with his better-known sidemen and shows that, with some luck, he could be a force to be reckoned with.

1.Movin'
2.Adriana's Theme
3.16 & 7
4.El Mono
5.Monte Carlo
6.Saying Goodbye
7.Mambotango
8.Alone Together.


Ignacio Berroa - Drums
Andres Boiarsky - Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
George Cables - Piano
Paquito d'Rivera - Sax (Alto)
David Finck - Bass
Gabriel Machado - Percussion
Claudio Roditi - Trumpet.

John Abercrombie & Andy LaVerne - Nosmo King (1996)

01.I Hear a Rhapsody
02.Waltz For Debby
03.I Love You Porgy
04.Blue Cycle
05.Silver's Serenade
06.John's New Waltz
07.Babes W/Babies
08.My Man's Gone Now
09.Nosmo King
10.Never Never Land
11.0softly as in a Morning Sunrise.


John Abercrombie (guitar)
Andy LaVerne (piano).

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Thursday 30 July 2009

Jack Dejohnette - Special Edition (1980)

Special Edition was one of the three ensembles that Jack DeJohnette recorded with. This quartet made its debut with SPECIAL EDITION, a set that's bracing from beginning to end. DeJohnette, who plays drums and piano, is joined by bassist/cellist Peter Warren and two reed players, David Murray on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet and Arthur Blythe on alto saxophone. The two shortest pieces are by John Coltrane ("Central Park West" and "India"), and the remaining three (all nearly nine minutes or longer) are by DeJohnette. His opener, "One for Eric," announces the character of the band in grand style, as they blow in like a parade in honor of Eric Dolphy. "Zoot Suite" takes a look back at the swing era in a way that doesn't sacrifice any of the contemporary world's flourish and flavor.

1.One For Eric
2.Zoot Suite
3.Central Park West
4.India
5.Journey to the Twin Planet.

Recorded at Generation Sound Studios, New York, New York in March 1979.
Jack DeJohnette (piano, melodica, drums)
Arthur Blythe (alto saxophone)
David Murray (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet)
Peter Warren (bass)

John McLaughlin - Live at Antibes Jazz Festival (1996)

John McLaughlin ( with Elvin Jones & Joey DeFrancesco)
Live at Antibes Jazz Festival
Juan-les-Pins, France 25/07/1996.

01.Take the Coltrane
02.Encuentros
03.Sing Me Softly of the Blues
04.My Favorite Things
05.After The Rain.


John McLaughlin – guitar
Joey DeFrancesco - B3 Hammond organ
Elvin Jones – drums.

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Wednesday 29 July 2009

Jorge Lopez Ruiz - Bronca Buenos Aires (1970)

A great set from Argentinean jazz bassist Jorge Lopez Ruiz -- funky, cinematic big band swing and choral arrangements! The set is a four piece suite based on the writings of Jose Tcherkaski, featuring arrangements that range from big band with heavy horns and strings and a very late 60s/early 70s soundtrack feel, to intimate solo work from players that include Chivo Borraro on tenor sax and Fernando Gelbard on piano. It features spoken word bits that at a listen feel a lot like a 60s new wave film narration! It's got a lot of sweeping, cinematic funk things going on -- for great kinda early 70s soundtrack jazz vibe! Tracks include "La Ciudad Vacia", "Relatos", "Amor Buenos Aires" and "Brono Buenos Aires".

1º Movimiento: LA CIUDAD VACIA
2º Movimiento: RELATOS
3º Movimiento: AMOR BUENOS AIRES
4º Movimiento: BRONCA BUENOS AIRES.


HORACIO "CHIVO" BORRARO (saxo)
FERNANDO GELBARD (piano)
"POCHO" LAPOUBLE (percusión)
JORGE LOPEZ RUIZ (bajo).

Sunday 26 July 2009

Sonny Sharrock - Dance With Me, Montana (1982)

Review by Brian Olewnick
The main point of interest of this album is its session date. Recorded in 1982, this is one of the very few documents of the late Sonny Sharrock's playing between his classic work with Pharoah Sanders and Don Cherry as well as on his own and his re-emergence with Last Exit in 1985. Bill Laswell had already utilized his talents on Material's Memory Serves release from the prior year, but here is Sharrock in a simple trio, playing several of the pieces that would become part of his stock repertoire for the remainder of his career. Unfortunately, his bandmates aren't very inspiring and the entire affair is thinly recorded, making this a less-than-rewarding pickup. One can attempt to mentally divorce Sharrock's sound from his surroundings, but even so, he's more workmanlike than ecstatic here and the listener can only scrape together the faintest clues of just how great a guitarist he could be. Even his "Dick Dogs," normally a guaranteed roof-raiser, is dragged down here by some astonishingly leaden drumming, though it also provides some of the leader's best work on the date. Serious students of Sharrock's style will probably want to have this if only to provide a link between his earlier and later playing, but there are many better places to hear his unique genius. Additional warning: This album also contains, arguably, one of the very worst covers in the history of recordings. Be afraid.

01.Dick Dogs
02.Dance with Me Montana
03.Slow Drag
04.Marpasa Down/Song to Chester
05.74-75
06.She's Only Fourteen
07.Purple, Blue, Green and Yellow [#]
08.74-75 [#] 2:48
09.Marpasa Down/Song to Chester [#]
10.Slow Drag [#]
11.Dance with Me Montana [#]
12.Dick Dogs [#].

Friday 24 July 2009

Claus Ogerman & Michael Brecker - Cityscape (1982)

Reviews
From Jazziz
In the early '60s, arranger Claus Ogerman's signature style fueled classic hits like Frank Sinatra's landmark duet with Antonio Carlos Jobim - it's an approach that is still emulated today. By the early '70s, when a glut of jazz recordings laden with strings and background vocals surfaced (most in an effort to capitalize on the string-section appeal of some disco hits), Ogerman stood apart for his elegant melding of jazz and strings. Evidence of this is his work on George Benson's crossover hit Breezin'. Ogerman's earlier work on Jobim's landmark recording, Wave, as well as with Getz, Bill Evans, and Paul Desmond, and his later recordings with Benson, Freddie Hubbard, and Stanley Turrentine are better known than his solo and duet albums. It was producer Tommy LiPuma (then at Warner Bros.) who recognized Ogerman's talent early on. LiPuma produced an early Ogerman project, Gate of Dreams, that featured Benson, michael brecker, David Sanborn, and Joe Sample. One track inspired the producer to reunite Ogerman and Brecker for an album in 1982. "Nightwings" is from that collaboration, Cityscape. Conducted, composed, and arranged in classic Ogerman style, the album provided a unique backdrop for Brecker's impassioned solos.

1.Cityscape - (with Claus Ogerman/Michel Brecker)
2.Habanera - (with Claus Ogerman/Michel Brecker)
3.Nightwings - (with Claus Ogerman/Michel Brecker)
4.In the Presence and Absence of Each Other - (Pt.1, with Claus Ogerman/Michel Brecker)
5.In the Presence and Absence of Each Other - (Pt.2, with Claus Ogerman/Michel Brecker)
6.In the Presence and Absence of Each Other - (Pt.3, with Claus Ogerman/Michel Brecker)

John Tropea, Buzz Feiten (guitar)
Warren Bernhardt (keyboards)
Eddie Gomez , Marcus Miller (bass guitar)
Steve Gadd (drums)
Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).

Dewey Redman - Living on the Edge (1989)

The great tenor Dewey Redman has always been a versatile player and he really gets a chance to show off his individuality on this set, whether it is some freebop a la early Ornette Coleman, "Mirror Windows" (which is an explosion of sound and pure energy), the soulful "Blues for J.A.M. - Part 1," a free and speechlike tenor-piano duet with Geri Allen on "As One" and a boppish "Lazy Bird." On "If I Should Lose You," Redman has a rare chance to play some conventional but cliché-free alto. With bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Eddie Moore forming a solid team, this is an easily recommended set of inside/outside music.

1.Boo Boodoop
2.Mirror Windows
3.Blues or J.A.M., Pt. 1
4.If I Should Lose You
5.As One
6.Lazy Bird.

Geri Allen - Piano, Arranger
Cameron Brown - Bass
Eddie Moore - Drums
Dewey Redman - Arranger, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor).

Thursday 23 July 2009

Cecil Taylor - Conquistador! (1966)

This album and "Unit Structures" (made earlier in 1966 for Blue Note) were the first recordings of the fully matured Cecil Taylor. The pianist/composer finally mastered the art of mixing composed and improvised music into a dense, powerful soundscape and found musicians who understood his concept. Andrew Cyrille brings Taylor's unique rhythmic sense to life with ferocious power. The front line is alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons and trumpeter Bill Dixon; the bassists are Henry Grimes and Alan Silva. An avant garde classic with one alternate take added to the original album.

01.Conquistador
02.with (exit)
03.with (exit) [alternate take].

Cecil Taylor (piano)
Jimmy Lions (alto sax)
Bill Dixon (trumpet)
Henry Grimes, Alan Silva (bass)
Andrew Cyrille (drums).

Ritual - Presencia (1994)

RITUAL's first release, recorded in Los Angeles and Montevideo Uruguay, taking the Afro-Uruguayan music of Candombe by storm from the streets of Montevideo to the Universal Palette of artistic expression.

With the collaboration of Steve Fowler, Tuca Camargo, Charles Moore, Adam Rudolph, Hugo Fattoruso and Pippo Spera, Ritual presents a unique view of a presence that manifests in every place and moment in an ever changing World constantly influenced by the forces of ignorance, power manipulation and fear.

1.Un Canto Para Iemanja,Mateo 7:07
2.Nombre de Bienes,Mateo 5:03
3.Yulele Now!,Del Signore,Mateo 4:33
4.My People,DelSignore,Spera 5:00
5.La Casa Grande,Mateo 8:05
6.Candombaile,Del Signore,Perez,Ramos 5:27
7.Nuevo Mapa del Mundo,Del Signore,Perez,Ramos8:21
8.Carlitos,Mateo 7:53
9.Someone,DelSignore,Spera 4:05


Jose Luis Perez

Wednesday 22 July 2009

Archie Shepp & Karin Krog - Hi-fly (1976)

A landmark meeting from one of the two greatest talents in jazz on the 70s European scene
vocalist Karin Krog and saxophonist Archie Shepp both coming together in an extremely evocative session! The work has a very moody feel as Krog's singing in a spacious tone that allows for plenty of tenor work by Shepp done in a mode that colors in the spaces between the words, and made all that much better by support from his regular group members Charles Greenlee and Beaver Harris.
Shepp was hitting a more traditional tone at this point in his career but as with his other recordings of the same time, there's still a strongly modernist undercurrent that shines through nicely.
Combined with Krog's vocals, the result is a beautiful approach that really opens up jazz standards like "Soul Eyes", "Solitude", and "Hi Fly" and which is matched perfectly for Shepp's "Steam" and Carla Bley's "Sing Me Softly Of the Blues".

1.Sing Me Softly of the Blues
2.Steam
3.Daydream
4.Solitude
5.Hi Fly
6.Soul Eyes.

Karin Krog - vocals
Archie Shepp - tenor sax
Charles Greenlee - trombone
Jon Balke - piano
Arild Andersen - bass
Beaver Harris - drums
Cameron Brown - bass.

Brand X - Livestock (1977)

Brand X was a British jazz-rock fusion outfit formed by Genesis drummer Phil Collins and Atomic Rooster guitarist John Goodsall as a side project from their regular groups. Their initial lineup also included keyboardist Robin Lumley and bassist Percy Jones (the Liverpool Scene, the Scaffold). Brand X's debut album, Unorthodox Behaviour, was released in 1976; a live album, Livestock, and the studio effort Moroccan Roll followed in 1977. Collins left the group to concentrate on Genesis, and for 1978's Masques, he was replaced by Al DiMeola drummer Chuck Burghi, as well as additional keyboardist Peter Robinson, who had played with Stanley Clarke. Three further albums -- 1979's Product, 1980's Do They Hurt?, and 1982's Is There Anything About? -- followed before the group disbanded. In the mid-'90s, Lumley, Goodsall, and Jones reunited, issuing several live collections in the years to follow.
This live album released in November '77 features Phil on three of the five tracks.

Recorded at Ronnie Scott's in September 76, Hammersmith Odeon on 12th November 1976 and the Marquee Club in April 77

1.Nightmare Patrol
2.ish
3.Euthanasia Waltz
4.Isis Mourning Part 1, Isis Mourning Part 2
5.Malaga Virgen.


Phil Collins - Drums
John Goodsall - Guitar
Percy Jones - Bass
Robin Lumley - Keyboard
Morris Pert - Percussion
Kenwood Denard - Drums.

Bob James Trio - Straight Up (1995)

As the title indicates, Bob James pares down his modus operandi on STRAIGHT UP. He gets back to the basics of a true jazz-trio formation and plays "straight-ahead" jazz. James leaves the synthesizers and electronic pianos behind, returning to the (acoustic) piano. Drummer Brian Blade and bassist Christian McBride round out the trio.

James' compositions work beautifully in this format. The dramatic "Shooting Stars" and the Trio's take on Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny's "James" are especially nice. All nine tracks blend together, conveying the sense of a late-night performance in a dark, basement club. James goes back in time here, and he makes some perfect, old-fashioned soft jazz.

1.Night Crawler (4:43)
2.Ambrosia (7:18)
3.James (4:52)
4.The Jody Grind (7:07)
5.Lost April (5:39)
6.Three Mice Blind (7:18)
7.Hockney (6:10)
8.Shooting Stars (6:20)
9.Quiet Now (6:20).

Live Recording
Recorded at the Power Station, New York, New York on December 20-21, 1995.

Bob James Trio: Bob James (piano); Christian McBride (bass); Brian Blade (drums).

Sunday 19 July 2009

The Anglo-Argentine Jazz Quartet Live at the Red Rose (2001)

Since 1990, British saxophonist George Haslam had been travelling regularly to Argentina, performing with local free jazz musicians. In the winter of 2001 he returned the favor by inviting saxophonist Pablo Ledesma and bassist Mono Hurtado over. He formed the Anglo-Argentine Jazz Quartet (with drummer Paul Hession) and hit the road for a tour of England. This CD documents a concert at the ~Red Rose Club in London. This is exciting music: Haslam's fat baritone sax has rarely sounded this luxurious, so he must have enjoyed himself quite a bit (witness his solo in �La Vieja"). The first half of the album is comprised of original compositions by Ledesma and Hurtado, plus arrangements of folk Argentinian tunes. Free jazz heads meet South-American rhythms in a very nice way. The two influences are perfectly integrated; this is not yet another world music cross-cultural thing. The Argentinian players have been doing this fusion of genres for years and the Brits have caught on with brio. The m...usic swings and dances. The second half is a 30-minute free improvisation by a double quartet with guests Lol Coxhill (sax), Elton Dean (sax), John Edwards (bass) and Lukax Santana (percussion) joining the group. This time, it is Ledesma and Hurtado who indulge in the game of typical British free improv. The piece is relentless, overcrowded, exhuberant... and excellent unless this kind of power display is not your cup of tea. In any case, you can choose your favorite half. Highly recommended if you like your free jazz soulful. - François Couture, All Music Guide.

1.Vieja (Chacarera)
2.So Long Gato (Milonga)
3.Vidala Para Mi Sombra (Vidala)
4.Benito
5.Impetuosity of Youth.


Pablo Ledesma (soprano and alto sax); George Haslam (baritone sax, tarogato); Mono Hurtado (double bass); Paul Hession (drums); Lol Coxhill (soprano sax); Elton Dean (straight alto sax, saxello); John Edwards (double bass); Lukax Santana (percussion).
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Archie Shepp - Stream (1975)

1.Stream
2.Along Came Betty
3.Blues for Donald Duck
4.U-Jamaa
5.Crucificado
6.Miss Toni.


Drums - Beaver Harris
Piano - Dave Burrell
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] - Archie Shepp
Trombone - Charles Greenlee
Recorded in Montreux 1975.

Saturday 18 July 2009

Jack Dejohnette - New directions (1978)

This 1978 set was the debut of the ensemble which went on to record and perform under the name of Jack DeJohnette's New Directions. Drummer DeJohnette is perfectly matched with bass player Eddie Gomez, trumpet player Lester Bowie and guitarist John Abercrombie.

Bowie's multi-faceted trumpet sounds dance around the liquid guitar lines while the rhythm section bubbles underneath like a sonic lake that alternates between calm and foreboding. DeJohnette wrote three of the selections, including the wonderfully evocative opener, "Bayou Fever." The remaining two tracks were jointly composed by the quartet as a whole, borne out of group improvisation. "Dream Stalker" is a study in misty atmospherics, not unlike Weather Report's first album, while "One Handed Woman" is a gutsy and angular feast of potent interplay.

Recorded at Talent Studio, Oslo, Norway in June 1978.

1.Bayou Fever
2.Where Or Wayne
3.Dream Stalker
4.One Handed Woman
5.Silver Hollow.

Jack DeJohnette - drums, piano
John Abercrombie - guitar, mandolin
Lester Bowie - trumpet
Eddie Gomez - bass.

Hilton Ruiz - Steppin' Into Beauty (1977)

Born: May 29, 1952 | Died: June 6, 2006

If there was a pianist who personified the term “Latin Jazz” it would have to be Hilton Ruiz. His knowledge, ability and technical skill in bop, blues, stride, avant garde, his innate talent for the Afro Cuban montuno,and his fusing of the genres made for a unique style that was all his own.

Born in New York City in 1952,of Puerto Rican parents, Hilton Ruiz was a piano prodigy who by the age of five was appearing on local television, playing church organ, and performing at Carnegie Hall by the time he was eight. After lifelong classical training he under took personal training under the great Mary Lou Williams. He would accredit this tutoring for laying the foundation of his musical career.

He played in local Afro Latin bands as a teen, but it would be jazz that would be his calling.While still in his teens he played with some of the best players in the New york area and started to build a strong reputation as a jazzman.In 1974, he became Rahsaan Roland Kirks' pianist, exposing him to the avant garde extractions of jazz.He performed on Kirks “ Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color,” and “The Return of the 5,000 pound Man.” He remained and toured the world with Kirk until 1977.

He became part of the New York avant garde movement, and was also highly sought after as an accompanist for vocalists, recording session player, and bandmember.

In 1975 he released “Piano Man” as his first effort as leader. This was a bop influenced session,recorded with a trio format.After many successful releases,and a transition from bop piano into more latin flavors, in 1992 he recorded the critically acclaimed “Manhattan Mambo,” which is still one of his most popular to date.On the record “Heroes,”released in 1993, he pays tribute to his favorite and influential jazz figures.Fast forward to 2005 in which he dedicated “Stepping with TP” to his long time friend and musical collaborator Tito Puente.One of his last projects in 2006 was as pianist/arranger on the Ray Barretto “Standards,Rican-Ditioned” which was a session of Puerto Rican musicians playing jazz standards. This was to be Ray Barrettos' last record.Hilton had recorded a last album based on a New Orleans theme in 2006, but it has yet to be heard.

He would go on to record over twenty records as a leader, appear in hundreds of sessions, nurturing and developing a latin bop style that would be his signature trademark.His collaborations with Tito Puente, and the top latin players, established his credentials even further, and gained him a huge following in the Latin market.His involvement in the Latin Jazz world helped to broaden the appeal of the music toa broader market. He certainly was a qualified spokesman for his culture, representing and playing for us all, especially those of us in Puerto Rico who hold him in very high esteem for his accomplishments in the international realms of music.

In 1987 he co/authored a three voulume book “Jazz and how to play it.” Thus revealing his academic grasp of the sophisticated fundementals of jazz. Jazz piano has multiplied into many hybrids and mutations, and there are many pianist in any area that are brilliant. To able to master two distinct musical modes is another issue altogether. This is what set Hilton Ruiz apart from the rest.

If the ultimate achievement of a musician is to create an individual expression on his instrument,then Hilton Ruiz certainly accomplished this.

God Bless the Child that's got his own.

Hilton Ruiz died in New Orleans on June 6, 2006.

It’s been almost three years since Hilton Ruiz died under mysterious circumstances while visiting New Orleans. Hilton went to New Orleans to capture the images and essence of the city in the wake of Katrina, for promoting an album. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

SOURCE: James Nadal

1.Origin
2.Steppin' into Beauty
3.The Last Profit
4.The Goal
5.Excition


Roy Brooks - Drums
Frank Foster - Sax (Tenor)
Hakim Jami - Bass
Hilton Ruiz - Piano
Steve Solder - Drums
Buster Williams - Bass
Richard Gene Williams - Trumpet.

Friday 17 July 2009

Jeremy Steig - Fusion (1970)

Review by Jason Ankeny

Fusion pairs the entirety of Jeremy Steig's landmark 1971 Capitol release Energy alongside unreleased material from the same sessions. Energy is a miracle of alchemy -- Jeremy Steig transforms his flute from the ethereal to the elemental, forging a heavy, deeply funky jazz-rock record that defies gravity. Paired with keyboardist Jan Hammer, bassists Gene Perla and Eddie Gomez, and drummer Don Alias, Steig creates Technicolor grooves that float like butterflies and sting like bees. His music doesn't so much fuse jazz and rock as it approaches each side from the perspective of the other, exploring their respective concepts and executions to arrive at a sound all its own. If anything, the tonal restrictions of Steig's chosen instrument push him even farther into the unknown, employing a series of acoustic and electronic innovations to expand the flute's possibilities seemingly into the infinite. While some of the unissued content here is no less astounding, as a whole Fusion feels like too much of a good thing; one can't help but miss the focus and shape of Energy in its original incarnation.


01.Home
02.Cakes
03.Swamp Carol
04.Energy
05.Down Stretch
06.Give Me Some
07.Come With Me
08.Dance Of The Mind
09.Up Tempo Thing
10.Elephant Hump
11.Rock #6
12.Slow Blues In G
13.Rock #9
14.Rock #10
15.Something Else.

David Murray - 3D Family (1978)

A major early release by tenorist Murray, 3D Family appeared originally on Hat Hut records as a double LP before eventually being re-released on disc by hat ART. Murray performs here in a live context with one of his very strongest rhythm sections: the intensely musical South African bassist Johnny Dyani and veteran master drummer Andrew Cyrille. The program consists of all Murray compositions, weaving between burners, funky dances, and soulful ballads. "Patricia" is an especially lovely example of the latter, with Murray displaying his well-known penchant for Ben Webster-like growls, which almost inevitably mutate into upper-register cries. The title track is a wonderfully surging piece, full of drama. Dyani's propulsive playing here is astonishing; of all the bassists to accompany Murray, perhaps only the late Fred Hopkins was his peer. His often-played "P-O in Cairo" suffers a bit pared down to a trio, its sinuous line sounding a bit lost as though seeking support, but still the playing manages to salvage something. If anything, the length of the pieces allows Murray to drift on a bit longer than necessary at times. As often as not, though, he manages to wring out some extra juice, making it easy for the listener to grant him significant slack. Still in his mid-twenties, this recording captures him moving toward the crest of his powers (evidenced in his octets) and is one of the better trio dates in his discography. Recommended, as much for the marvelous "sidemen" as for Murray himself.
All Music Guide.

01.In Memory of Jomo Kenyatta
02.Patricia
03.3D Family (For Walter P. Murray)
04.Shout Song (for Cecil Taylor).


David Murray - Sax (Tenor)
Johnny Dyani – Bass
Andrew Cyrille - Drums.

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Steve Turre (1997)

Review by Richard S. Ginell

No wonder Steve Turre merely used his name as the title of this tour de force, for it is a supremely ambitious, self-defining project that covers an enormous amount of ground and means on one small disc. With his trombone and signature conch shells as a base, Turre expands his reach to embrace the Western Hemisphere -- particularly Cuba and Brazil -- arranging, composing, inviting stellar guests to chip in, and ending up with a beautiful, swinging record that can't be mistaken for anyone else's. One gets a powerful dose of Turre's unique sound world on the fascinating opening track, "In a Sentimental Mood," done bossa nova style with a conch shell solo that sounds like late-period Dizzy Gillespie and a smoky Cassandra Wilson vocal. There are ample layers of Turre's multi-tracked conch shell harmonies, the sweetest ensemble sound this side of Lombardo and one that is used as a genuinely musical ingredient, not a gimmick. Turre is secure enough to feature the majestic sound of J.J. Johnson, who plays magnificently on the lengthy tone poem "The Emperor" -- whose title undoubtedly refers to the elder trombone giant -- and on "Steve's Blues." Afro-Cuban music plays a major role here, as Mongo Santamaria's veteran chartmeister Marty Sheller arranges "Ayer Lo Vi Llorar" for the 81-year old Queen of Boleros, Graciela Perez -- and then Mongo himself duels with the madly comping McCoy Tyner on, of course, "Mongo 'n' McCoy." The booklet notes (by Turre himself) are an exhaustive play-by-play of what was clearly an exhausting project, yet the final product has much of the exuberance of a spontaneous jam session.

1.In a Sentimental Mood
2.The Emperor
3.Let It Go
4.Ayer Lo VI Llorar
5.Coastin' With Bobby
6.Steve's Blues
7.Inocência Cartola
8.Mongo 'N' McCoy.


Steve Turre - shells, trombone
Cassandra Wilson - vocal
Graciela Perez - vocal
Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn
Robin Eubanks - shells, trombone
Jimmy Bosch - shells, trombone
Frank Lacy - shells, trombone
Douglas Purviance - shells, trombone
J.J. Johnson - trombone
Britt Woodman
Jon Faddis - trumpet, flugelhorn
Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros - trumpet
Akua Dixon - cello
Regina Carter - violin
Carlos Baptiste - violin
Ron Lawrence - viola
Romero Lubambo - guitar
Andy Gonzalez - bass
Herculano Federici - surdo, percussion
Manny Oquendo - bongos, percussion
Portinho - drums
Stephen Scott - piano
Willie Rodriguez - piano
Stefon Harris - marimba, balifone, gong
Mongo Santamaria - conga
Milton Cardona - conga, shakere
Kimati Dinizulu - djimbe, African drums
Victor Lewis - drums
Horacio "Negro" Hernandez - drums

Thursday 16 July 2009

Sun Ra - Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy/Art Forms Of Dimensions Tomorrow (1961)

This twofer combines two early-1960s releases from the period when Sun Ra was just starting to get truly cosmic. Certainly he'd utilized celestial themes in his work before this, but on these albums, Sun Ra & his Arkestra actively pursue their idea of what outer space actually sounds like. Breaking with the more (relatively) traditional aspects of his earlier albums, Ra begins to focus on sound as an end in itself; Ra's right-hand man John Gilmore explores all the sonic possibilities of the saxophone, while Ra's organ whirls into otherworldly dimensions; the whole ensemble heads in a direction far more "out" than anything even the most forward-looking jazz artists were thinking of in the early '60s. COSMIC TONES and ART FORMS are avant-garde, downright psychedelic, and way ahead of their time.

Recorded in New York, New York between 1961 and 1963.Rolling Stone (3/4/93, p.64) - 5 Stars - Classic - "...the music that paved the way for acid rock..."
Spin (2/93, p.78) - "...like an Egyptian sci-fi soundtrack recorded on Mars...contains some of the greatest woodwind playing ever heard..."
Down Beat (5/93, p.36) - 5 Stars - Excellent - "...schizophrenically alternate[s] Edgard Varese-like percussive workouts and ethereal horn arrangements....Ra's Hammond organ grinds lunar funk..."
Musician (4/93, p.84) - "...Note the polyrhythmic ruminations foreshadowing the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. Marvel at the spacey electric textures and far-out echo effects anticipating Pink Floyd at their druggiest....after 30 years it still sounds like an intriguing tomorrow..."

01.And Otherness
02.Thither and Yon
03.Adventure-Equation
04.Moon Dance
05.Voice of Space
06.Cluster of Galaxies
07.Ankh
08.Solar Drums
09.Outer Heavens, The
10.Infinity of the Universe
11.Lights on a Satellite
12.Kosmos in Blue.


COSMIC TONES FOR MENTAL THERAPY: Sun Ra (Clavioline, drums, organ), Danny Davis (alto saxophone, flute), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, oboe, drums), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, drums), Pat Patrick (baritone saxophone, flute),James Jackson (flute, log drums), Robert Cummings (bass clarinet), Ronnie Boykins (bass), Clifford Jarvis (drums, percussion), Thomas Hunter (percussion).

ART FORMS OF DIMENSIONS TOMORROW: Sun Ra (piano, keyboards, drums, percussion), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, bells, sticks, drums), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, drums), Pat Patrick (baritone saxophone), Clifford Thornton, Manny Smith (trumpets), Ali Hassan (trombone), Ronnie Boykins, John Ore (bass), Clifford Jarvis, C. Scoby Stroman, Thomas Hunter (drums).
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Wednesday 15 July 2009

Curtis Fuller - The Opener (1957)

By Chris May

Detroit-born trombonist Curtis Fuller stepped into the hard bop big league during the summer of 1957 with a flurry of high profile sideman dates and two albums as leader, New Trombone (Prestige, 1957) and The Opener, made within a few weeks of each other. The Opener, a lithe and soulful but largely forgotten disc, has been rereleased as part of Blue Note's Rudy Van Gelder Remaster series.

In 1957, the big league meant New York, where Fuller had arrived in April as a member of reed player Yusef Lateef's quintet. When Lateef and his band returned to Detroit, Fuller stayed behind. Within a month, he'd recorded four albums for Prestige—as a sideman with saxophonist Paul Quinchette, as co-leader with pianist Red Garland, on a Teddy Charles produced French horn project, and New Trombone. A month later, he recorded two albums for Blue Note—as a sideman with saxophonist Clifford Jordan and The Opener.

With the leader albums, Blue Note beat Prestige to the shops, rush-releasing The Opener in August, by which time Fuller's sideman credentials with the label also included albums with pianists Sonny Clark and Bud Powell. A month later, Fuller sealed his arrival on saxophonist John Coltrane's Blue Train (Blue Note, 1957).

When you're hot, you're hot. And 51 years after its original release, The Opener tells us why. Combining a fluent technique shaped by J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding, his own deep melodicism, a knowledge of trombone stylists stretching back to Tommy Dorsey and beyond, and an embrace of Coltrane's recent harmonic initiatives, Fuller fashioned an enduring jewel. He was assisted by a superb band comprised of rising stars saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor.

The two sides of the original LP followed a similar sequence, each starting, unusually, with a ballad (McHugh and Adamson's "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" and Bloom and Mercer's "Here's To My Lady"), followed by a bluesy Fuller original ("Hugore" and "Lizzy's Bounce"), followed by a fast-paced standard (Oscar Pettiford's "Oscarlypso" and George Gershwin's "Soon").

Producer Alfred Lion's decision to start each side with a ballad—recorded without Mobley—was daring, but he knew what he was doing. Fuller's warmth and lyricism, reflected in Timmons' solos, set the tone for the other four tracks. These are all brisk going on fast, but loose and carefree rather than urgent, and always on the melodic money. Hard bop's darker, more menacing moods are way off in the wings. The musicians sound at ease with each other and with life, and the feeling is infectious. This is hard bop served sunny side up.

Born in 1934 and still kicking, after The Opener Fuller went on to record a prodigious discography as sideman and leader, and the 1957 album brims with a promise later amply fulfilled. Released in a stereo edition by Mosaic in 1996, this RVG edition is in the original mono.

01.A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
02.Hugore
03.Oscalypso
04.Here's to My Lady
05.Lizzy's Bounce
06.Soon.


Paul Chambers - Bass
Curtis Fuller - Trombone
Hank Mobley - Sax (Tenor)
Art Taylor - Drums
Bobby Timmons - Piano.

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Dave Brubeck 50 Years Of Dave Brubeck Live At The Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-2007 (2008)

Dave Brubeck appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival on so many occasions since its launching in 1958 that it seems like compiling highlights to make up just one CD should have been an impossible task. But Brubeck's longtime manager Russell Gloyd was involved with co-producing this compilation and the result should please the pianist's fans. Brubeck hardly fits the stylistic molds of some of his critics in this collection, that he is too bombastic or dismissing him merely as a cool player. The pianist not only evolves as a player and composer, but shows an incredible knowledge of music from earlier eras. His classic quartet with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond is well-represented with a lengthy excursion into Brubeck's "Two Part Contention" (with its intriguing use of counterpoint), the always swinging treatment of "Someday My Prince Will Come," and the crowd-pleasing favorite "Take Five" (though it suffers from over-modulation). Two tracks are from his years with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, bassist Jack Six, and drummer Alan Dawson, including Brubeck's lonely, exotic "The Sermon on the Mount" and Mulligan's spry Latin-flavored "Jumping Bean." Brubeck's challenging "Tritonis" features Bobby Militello on flute in an extended solo recalling Rahsaan Roland Kirk's simultaneously singing and playing, in addition to regular quartet members Bill Smith (clarinet), electric bassist Chris Brubeck, and drummer Randy Jones. Bassist Stan Poplin is the pianist's sole accompanist for Brubeck's poignant memorial tribute written following Mulligan's death, appropriately titled "Goodbye Old Friend." A delightful romp through "I Got Rhythm" showcasing Miltello on alto sax and guest Christian McBride. Brubeck dug deep to recall old chestnuts like the blazing "Sleep" and the loping, easygoing "Margie" (the latter featuring Michael Moore's amusing arco bass). While Brubeck fans may regret the omission of two suites that the pianist premiered at the Monterey Jazz Festival, "^The Real Ambassadors" (with Louis Armstrong) and "Cannery Row Suite" (with Kurt Elling and Roberta Gambarini), hopefully these performances will appear in later volumes of this superb series recorded at the legendary festival. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide.

01.Two Part Contention (1958)
02.Someday My Prince Will Come (1962)
03.Take Five (1966)
04.Sermon on the Mount (1971)
05.Jumping Bean (1971)
06.Tritonis (1985)
07.Goodbye Old Friend (1998)
08.I Got Rhythm (2002)
09.Sleep (2006)
10.Margie (2007).

Elvin Jones - Youngblood (1991)

Despite his stature in both the percussion and jazz communities as one of the most important drum-set innovators in history, Elvin Jones rarely gets credit for The Jazz Machine, his long-lived, always swinging group. On 1992's YOUNGBLOOD, the master kit player teams up with the young lions (or "youngbloods") of the '90s, including tenor saxophonists Javon Jackson and Joshua Redman and trumpet player Nicholas Payton. Together with bassist George Mraz, the Machine minces away once again.

These young jazz greats fit in superbly with the elder Jones, nearly 65 when this album was recorded. Indeed, Jones plays with a youthful spirit on YOUNGBLOOD, while Jackson, Redman, and Payton all play with the maturity of jazz veterans. All involved provide memorable solos. Jones' drums are especially riveting throughout. His contrapuntal and harmonic sense for the instrument proves that drums have the ability-even if more limited than pitched instruments-to develop themes and create complex musical statements beyond the boundaries of rhythm. Highlights include the knotty "Strange" and the solo drum composition "Ding-A-Ling-A-Ling."

24bit digitally remastered Japanese limited edition issue of the album classic in a deluxe, miniaturized LP sleeve replica of the original vinyl album artwork.
Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey from April 20-21, 1992.

01.Not Yet
02.Have You Seen Elveen?
03.Angel Eyes
04.Ding-A-Ling-A-Ling
05.Lady Luck
06.The Biscuit Man
07.Body And Soul
08.Strange
09.My Romance
10.Youngblood.

Elvin Jones - Drums
Nicholas Payton - Trumpet
Joshua Redman - Tenor Saxophone
Javon Jackson - Tenor Saxophone
George Mraz - Bass.

Tuesday 14 July 2009

Charles Mingus - Live in Chateauvallon (1972)

The track listing on the CD liner notes is almost completely wrong and it is fixed here, except for Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson tune (?) 'Blues For Some Bones', which appears also as 'John's Blues' on "Stormy & Funky Blues". Liner notes also list 'Stormy Weather' (even that is mistitled 'Stormy Monday') and 'I'll Remembered April' (sic) to have been played as part of Ellington medley, but neither of them are recognizable.
The playing time noted in the back cover doesn't correspond with the actual performance.

1. Duke Ellington Medley (26:46)
..1. Blues in G (bass solo) (3:45)
..2. In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)
..3. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington)
..4. ?? (Ellington)
..5. Mood Indigo (Ellington, Barney Bigard)
..6. Take The "A" Train (Billy Strayhorn)
2. Fables Of Faubus (19:10)
3. Diane [Body And Soul] (6:56)
4. Blues Medley [Blues for Some Bones] (15:32)
..1. John's Blues (10:21)
..2. Blues for Roy's Saw (2:02)
..3. Noddin' Ya Head Blues (2:51).


Charles McPherson - alto sax
John Foster - piano, vocal
Charles Mingus - bass
Roy Brooks - drums, musical saw.

Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity (1964)

Spiritual Unity was the album that pushed Albert Ayler to the forefront of jazz's avant-garde, and the first jazz album ever released by Bernard Stollman's seminal ESP label. It was really the first available document of Ayler's music that matched him with a group of truly sympathetic musicians, and the results are a magnificently pure distillation of his aesthetic. Bassist Gary Peacock's full-toned, free-flowing ideas and drummer Sunny Murray's shifting, stream-of-consciousness rhythms (which rely heavily on shimmering cymbal work) are crucial in throwing the constraints off of Ayler's playing. Yet as liberated and ferociously primitive as Ayler sounds, the group isn't an unhinged mess — all the members listen to the subtler nuances in one another's playing, pushing and responding where appropriate. Their collective improvisation is remarkably unified — and as for the other half of the album's title, Ayler conjures otherworldly visions of the spiritual realm with a gospel-derived fervor. Titles like "The Wizard," "Spirits," and "Ghosts" (his signature tune, introduced here in two versions) make it clear that Ayler's arsenal of vocal-like effects — screams, squeals, wails, honks, and the widest vibrato ever heard on a jazz record — were sonic expressions of a wildly intense longing for transcendence. With singable melodies based on traditional folk songs and standard scales, Ayler took the simplest musical forms and imbued them with a shockingly visceral power — in a way, not unlike the best rock & roll, which probably accounted for the controversy his approach generated. To paraphrase one of Ayler's most famous quotes, this music was about feelings, not notes, and on Spiritual Unity that philosophy finds its most concise, concentrated expression. A landmark recording that's essential to any basic understanding of free jazz.
All Music Guide

1.Ghosts: First Variation
2.The Wizard
3.Spirits
4.Ghosts: Second Variation.


Albert Ayler – tenor sax
Gary Peacock – bass
Sunny Murray – drums, percussion.

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Alan Shorter - Orgasm (1968)

One of only two sessions led by flügelhornist Alan Shorter (Wayne's older brother), this set (which was reissued as a 1998 CD) is a near-classic. Shorter and his quartet (with tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, either Charlie Haden or Reggie Johnson on bass, and Muhammad Ali or Rashied Ali on drums) perform six of the leader's complex originals. Barbieri lets out some strong screams in places but sounds more restrained and coherent than on his other avant-garde recordings of the period. The rhythm sections are stimulating and alert, while Shorter, although not a virtuoso, comes up with consistently inventive ideas. The style is sometimes slightly reminiscent of Ornette Coleman (partly due to the presence of Haden), but Shorter had apparently not heard Ornette's band before recording this music. Well worth several listens. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.

1.Parabola
2.Joseph
3.Straits of Blagellan
4.Rapids
5.Outeroids
6.Orgasm.

Alan Shorter - Trumpet, Main Performer, Tambourine, Flugelhorn
Muhammad Ali - Drums
Charlie Haden - Bass
Rashied Ali - Drums
Gato Barbieri - Sax (Tenor)
Reggie Johnson - Bass.

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Antonio Sanchez - Migration (2007)

Few young musicians have enough juice to attract both pianist Chick Corea and guitarist Pat Metheny to their debut release. Drummer Antonio Sanchez shows how with extraordinary artistry combined with exceptional technique on Migration. Saxophonists Chris Potter and David Sanchez can unquestionably blow bop and, along with bassist Scott Colley, they supply the necessary musicianship and creativity that nails this session. Sanchez has been Metheny's drummer of choice for several years and Colley is likewise not new to this rarefied air having extensive ties to guitarist Jim Hall.
It's the slower, more spacious numbers...that best show Sanchez's compositional
skills and ever-musical free-drumming expertise.

01.One For Antonio
02.Did You Get It?
03.Arena (Sand)
04.Challenge Within
05.Ballade
06.Greedy Silence
07.Inner Urge
08.Solar.

Antonio Sanchez: Drums
Pat Metheny. Guitar
Chris Porter: Saxophone
David Sanchez: Saxophone
Chick Corea: Piano
Scott Blonde: Bass.

Alan Pasqua - My New Old Friend (2005)

Pianist Alan Pasqua has recorded with Tony Williams, Alan Holdsworth, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, James Moody, Sam Rivers, Sheila Jordan, Joe Williams, and many others. My New Old Friend features intensely personal renditions of some unusual jazz standards, as well as moving original compositions. This intimate piano trio features drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Darek Oles. Alan was featured pianist on Ray Charles' Grammy winning Genius Loves Company. Alan Pasqua isn’t a household name in the jazz world, though his cv is quite long and illustriuous, including stints on piano and keyboards with everyone from Sammy Haggar to Joe Williams to Tony Williams’ band Lifetime. Pasqua’s new cd crossed my desk the other day, and I was intrigued from the start. First, it’s on Cryptogramophone Records, a small label out of Southern California, that doesn’t release a lot of music, but when it does, it usually is very good and distinctive. They’re the home of one of my favorite new cds, from someone who’s fast becoming one of my favorite bass players, Darek Oles. His new album, “Like a Dream” captures the big toned bassist with Brad Mehldau in a duo setting, (as well as some quintet work with a group including Bennie Maupin). When I saw that Oles appears on Alan Pasqua’s new cd, I was intrigued all the more, and of course, it’s hard to go wrong with the always tasteful Peter Erskine on drums, so into the cd player went “My New Old Friend.” And I must admit, I’m impressed. Pasqua is certainly from the post Herbie Hancock, post Bill Evans school of piano, though his work doesn’t recall too much of those two legends, or any one else for that matter, he’s his own player for sure. He tackles a nice mix of standards and originals, and gives each a very personal touch. The standards, such as You Must Believe in Spring, Body and Soul, and All the Things You Are, hit the sweet spot between playing it too close to the norm, and the “look at how cool my reharmonizations are” gimmicks a lot of players use. There’s an honesty and sophistication to Pasqua’s playing, the sort of thing you hear in only the top players of his instrument, say Kenny Barron or Brad Mehldau. His originals also shine, and add some variety to the program, and perhaps most importantly are melodically compelling.

01.You Must Believe in Spring
02.Barcelona
03.Highway
04.All the Things Your Are
05.My New Old Friend
06.Body and Soul
07.One More Once
08.Vienna
09.Wichita Lineman
10.Stick Slap
11.Smile.

Alan Pasqua: Piano
Darek Oles: Bass
Peter Erskine: Drums.

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Thursday 9 July 2009

Alan Silva & Celestrial Communication Orchestra - My Country (1971)

Leo 302 F cd Royan, France, Festival de Musique Contemporaine 1971.

Alan Silva-cond,vln,sarangi,el-bow,ac-bow,el-spring,ac-spring Anthony Braxton-as,ss Steve Lacy-ss Becky Friend-fl,as Robin Kenyatta-as Ronnie Beer-as Hugh Levick-ts Lubomir Tamaskovic-ts Jouk Minor-bs Bernard Vitet-tp,frh Ambrose Jackson-tp Oche Ray Stephens-tp Noel McGhee-d,perc Jerome Cooper-d,perc Bob Reid-b Kent Carter-b Beb Guerin-b Francois Tusques-p,org,celeste,perc David Horowitz-p Robert Wood-vib.

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Herbie Mann & Bobby Jaspar - Flute Souffle (1957)

1.Tel Aviv Mann
2.Somewhere Else Puma
3.Let's March Mann
4.Chasin' the Bird Parker.

Bobby Donaldson - Drums
Tommy Flanagan - Piano
Bobby Jaspar - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Herbie Mann - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Wendell Marshall - Bass
Joe Puma - Guitar.


Review by Scott Yanow
At the time of this Prestige set (reissued on CD), Herbie Mann was a flutist who occasionally played tenor and Bobby Jaspar a tenor-saxophonist who doubled on flute. Two of the four songs find them switching back and forth while the other two are strictly flute features. With pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Joe Puma, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Bobby Donaldson contributing quiet support, the two lead voices constantly interact and trade off during this enjoyable performance. Highpoints are the haunting "Tel Aviv" and a delightful version of "Chasing the Bird."

Tomoko Ohno & Andres Boiarsky - Shadows of Spring (2004)

01-Black Mountain
02-Shadows of Spring
03-Casa Mila
04-Funk A Leufu
05-Invierno Porteno
06-In Your Own Sweet way
07-Alone Again
08-Lazy Bird
09-Samba de Sorvete
10-Anabelle
11-Oblivion.

TOMOKO OHNO (p)
ANDRES BOIARSKY(ts,as,ss)
GUILLERMO DELGADO(b)
FERNANDO MARTINEZ(ds,udu)

Tomoko Ohno: piano
Tomoko Ohno, born in Tokyo, began piano studies at the age of 4. As a teenager, she began playing professionally in the Tokyo area jazz scene. After graduating from Rikkyo University in Law and Politics, Miss Ohno moved to the United States and entered the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where she studied with Harold Mabern and Rufus Reid. During this time she had the opportunity to perform with such artists as Jerome Richardson, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson and Joe Henderson. A recipient of the Student Award of Outstanding Performance and a member of the Dean’s List, Miss Ohno graduated with a B.A. in Jazz Studies.
She has performed at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Sweet Basil and The Lenox Lounge in Harlem, in addition to appearing on live radio broadcasts by WBGO and WNYC, and ABC TV's Good Morning America. She has performed and/or recorded with Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, James Spaulding, Rufus Reid, The John Lee Quartet, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band and Sherry Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, as well as working as a side musician with such diverse musical ensembles as the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and The Spirit of Life Ensemble.
Miss Ohno also leads her own group, and has released three CDs on the Japan-based Tokuma label. In 1997 her first album, “Powder Blue” was released, and in 1999 her second album, “Affirmation” was released, followed in 2000 by the album "Natural Woman." Her latest album "Shadows of Spring" (recorded in Argentina) was released by Notorious Records in 2005.
Miss Ohno is also active as a composer, and has been the recipient of a grant from The Meet The Composer Foundation. Commissioned works include pieces written for the Englewinds Chamber Ensemble.

Andres Boiarsky: Saxophones, Clarinet and Flute
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Andres Boiarsky began piano lessons at the age of six. He later switched to the clarinet while getting deeply involved with the strong revivalist jazz scene that existed in Buenos Aires during the mid seventies. While stylistically evolving within the jazz idiom, Andres began playing the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones.
In 1978 he left Argentina for London, England, to study at the renowned Royal College of Music from where he received an A.R.C.M. Diploma. During his British sojourn, he formed his own group and recorded his first solo album for Spotlight Records and several radio programs for the BBC.
After completing his studies in England, Boiarsky returned to his homeland where he spent the next six years. He recorded two solo albums for CBS records and performed throughout several South American countries.
In 1988, with the encouragement of Paquito D'Rivera and Carlos Franzetti, he moves to New York. A few months after his arrival Boiarsky joins the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, he would later become the band's musical director till 1993.
From 1993 to 1998, Andres was a member of the United Nation Orchestra under the direction of D'Rivera.
In 1997 after recording the CD “Dizzy’s 80th Birthday”, alongside Jon Faddis and Cyrus Chesnut among other jazz greats, he becomes part of the pool of outstanding musicians that make the “Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars”, directed by Slide Hampton and John Lee. Currently he is still a member of this group performing all over the world at the most prestigious venues/festivals.
As a sideman, Boiarsky participated in many recordings by the likes of: Slide Hampton, Paquito D'Rivera, Jimmy Heath, Nancy Wilson, The United Nation Orchestra, Claudio Roditi, Lionel Hampton, Al Di Meola, to name but a few.
In 1996 he recorded "Into the Light", his first album as a leader for a North American label available through Reservoir Records.
In 2004, Boiarsky starts a musical partnership with Japanese pianist Tomoko Ohno. While performing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, they record the CD "Shadows of Spring" for MDR Records, released in May 2005. In 2006 they record for the same label: “Tomoko in Buenos Aires”, a follow up CD to “Shadows of Spring”, to be released in November 2006.
As an educator Boiarsky has a vast experience that spans over twenty years of teaching in the US and in his native Argentina. He gave clinics at prestigious institutions such as the University of Idaho and the George Mason University in Virginia.
His solo performances took him as far as Alaska and Russia where he has performed in several occasions including the White Nights Jazz festival in St. Petersburg.

author: robert hesse
This is first rate jazz performed by musicians who accompany, listen and pass musical ideas back and forth within the group. Mpstly original tunes by Tomoko Ohno and Andres Boiarsky, the album was recorded in Buenos Aires in October, which, of course, is in the spring of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. This is music to listen to when you need to know there remains beauty in this world.

Monday 6 July 2009

John Coltrane - Jupiter Variation (1967)

1.Number One (Coltrane) 11:58
2.Peace on Earth (Coltrane) 07:12
3.Jupiter (Variation) (Coltrane) 06:48
4.Leo (Coltrane) 11:02.

John Coltrane - Sax Tenor
Pharoah Sanders - Tambourine, Flute (Wood), Shaker
Alice Coltrane - Piano
Charlie Haden Bass
Rashied Ali - Drums.

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, N.J on March 7, 1967 (A1), February 22, 1967 (B1, B2).
Peace On Earth recorded at Coast Recorders, San Francisco on February 2, 1966.
Alice Coltrane replaced her piano part and Charlie Haden replaced Jimmy Garrison's bass part at Village Recorders, Los Angeles in April, 1972.
Previously released on AS-9225 with a string section overdubbed in April, 1972. It is released here without the strings.

Joe Henderson - Black Narcissus (1974)

1.Black Narcissus
2.Hindsight and Forethought
3.Power to the People
4.Amoeba
5.Good Morning Heartache
6.Other Side of Right.

This Milestone LP (which has been included in Joe Henderson's eight-CD Milestone set) is a bit of a mixed bag. The tenor recorded four numbers with pianist Joachim Kuhn's trio in Paris and later had percussion and Patrick Gleeson's synthesizer overdubbed. In addition there is the odd "Amoeba" (which finds Henderson doubling on synth himself) along with a superior version of "Good Morning Heartache" featuring Henderson, Kuhn, bassist Dave Friesen and drummer Jack DeJohnette. This album has its moments although there are many much more consistent Joe Henderson albums around.

Bass - David Friesen (tracks: B2) , J.-F. Jenny-Clark (tracks: A1, A2, A3, B3)
Congas, Percussion - Bill Summers
Drums - Daniel Humair (tracks: A1, A2, A3, B3) , Jack DeJohnette (tracks: B1, B2)
Piano - Joachim Kühn (tracks: All except B1)
Producer - Joe Henderson , Orrin Keepnews
Saxophone [Tenor] - Joe Henderson
Synthesizer - Patrick Gleeson (tracks: A1, A2, A3, B2).

Wednesday 1 July 2009

Jean-Pierre Drouet - Percusionista (MPEG)

Biography by Stewart Mason

French-born avant-garde percussionist and composer Jean-Pierre Drouet is a familiar figure in modern European experimental music, having worked with storied figures like Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen, as well as creating his own bizarre multi-media extravaganzas. Born in Paris in 1935, Drouet originally studied piano until an accident forced him to switch to percussion while still a student. Upon graduating, Drouet fell into friendship with Italian composer Luciano Berio and his vocalist wife Cathy Berberian; the three explored the United States together in the 1950s, where Drouet developed an interest in jazz and improvised music that would remain with him through the rest of his career. Besides his solo improvisations and work with collaborators ranging from the British jazz-rock guitarists John McLaughlin and Fred Frith to the avant-garde French saxophonist Louis Sclavis, Drouet has also written extensively for the theater, the ballet, and the concert stage. His album releases include Solo, En Public a Banlieues Bleues, Improvisations, Les Variations d'Ulysse, and Parcours.

Format: MPEG-PS
File size: 134 MiB
Duration: 6mn 53s
Overall bit rate: 2 720 Kbps

Audio
Bit rate: 224 Kbps
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz.