Jazz /
Sensational Jazz '70: Vol. 1/2
The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. The definitive live recording that captures the chaos and climax of jazz in Japan. Japan's jazz scene around 1970 is very interesting. The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. New music and values were born one after another, and chaos was reached, and up-and-coming musicians ran at a speed that shook off the meter.
This album "Sensational Jazz '70 Vol. 1/2" is famous as a live soun…
Sounds Of Sound L.T.D.
Jazz drummer and bandleader Takeshi Inomata crafted an impressive discography throughout his career, but none quite matches the brilliance and intensity of Sounds of Sound Ltd, his 1970 album featuring his regular studio band, Sound Ltd. Released during a period when the distinctions between jazz, jazz-funk, and jazz-rock were increasingly blurred, the album seamlessly delivers infectious grooves, intricate solos, and uplifting musical motifs. This sense of speed, this sense of elation. The man …
Defiant Life
Anchored in the idea that, despite all obstacles, the human experience casts a net of possibilities, Defiant Life – Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith second duo recording for ECM – proves a profound meditation on the human condition and both the suffering and resilience it entails. An ethereal iridescence glistens between Leo Smith’s unmistakable trumpet wail and Vijay’s textural key strokes on piano and Fender Rhodes, conjuring multi-dimensional spaces of thoughtful musical conversation. “We work…
Reconstruction Of Sound
1996 release ** "Reconstruction of Sound features Ellen Christi on vocals, Yuko Fujiyama on piano, Masahiko Kono on trombone, and Mauro Orselli on drums and cymbals. This album was recorded at Baby Monster Studio in New York City on March 30, 1993, and includes live recordings from a performance at Roulette in New York City on April 2, 1996. Ellen Christi is a prominent figure in the avant-garde jazz scene, known for her innovative vocal techniques and improvisational style. Her contributions to…
The Soul And Gone
2006 release ** "Harris Eisenstadt's fifth album as a leader features a sextet of young Chicago players and all-star names. The lesser-known names are vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, gracefully waltzing through the drummer's complex compositions, and reeds player Jason Mears, who seems too busy keeping up with the score to truly shine. Bassist Jason Roebke has previously proved his worth (in Tigersmilk and the Scott Fields Ensemble, among other projects). Vandermark 5 trombonist Jeb Bishop and To…
True Live Walnuts
1990 release ** "A classic of '90s avant garde jazz, True Live Walnuts features Italian percussionist Mauro Orselli joined by British saxophonist Evan Parker and keyboardist Antonello Salis for some of the most fascinating free music of recent years. Performing just two pieces live at the Europa Jazz Festival in Noci, Italy, the three bring about an extraordinary union of disparate voices in a coherent whole. Orselli is stupendous on percussion, where he interacts with Parker as a second horn. T…
Luminosity (Homage To David Izenzon)
1996 release ** "The thing to do would be to get all misty-eyed about what a great bassist the late David Izenson was and how he brought in the whole deep-bowing technique to jazz with Ornette Coleman in the early '60s. It would also be summarily reasonable to note the student-teacher relationship between Lindberg and Izenson, as well as their friendship, and then discuss the influence of the object of this CD on the subject in terms befitting a jazz record. But forget it. The deal is clear: Joh…
Sylissäin Oot
2006 release ** Ten pieces of free-improv-folk-jazz from Finland, with a distinctive foundation of playful vigor and heartening spirit. Some of the tracks take on a higher timbre and slightly more tongue-in-cheek feel as the quartet splinters into the duo Lauhkeat Lamaat.
Ivo
1989 release ** "For his recording debut, Ivo Perelman performs seven folk melodies, five of which are traditional Brazilian children's songs. A powerful tenor player whose style and sound at times recalls Albert Ayler (without the vibrato), Gato Barbieri, and Clifford Jordan, Perelman uses the simple melodies as points of departure and places to land after his intense and fairly free but melodic improvisations. The first three songs co-feature vocalist Flora Purim, who is at the top of her game…
Saxophones
2004 release ** "The percussionist as poet, the drummer as sound painter, the composer as storyteller, and the improviser as artist of survival. What Pierre Favre writes for the Arte Quartet is like a choral fantasy, a suite for individualists with a strong collective spirit. Four singers, each with their own utterly unique timbre, a chamber choir with a highly developed sonic sensuality. The percussionist runs his threads between the voices, becomes one himself, creates space, provides the beat…
Electronics
One of the most electrifying records we've ever encountered from the power of the Nobuo Tsukahara's Sharps & Flats – a collection that infuses fantastic keyboards into the group's signature horn-heavy sound! The set features an incredible mix of Fender Rhodes and organ, frequently taking the spotlight as the lead solo instrument over the rich backings, creating a particularly delightful experience on the tracks with Rhodes! The tunes are absolutely fantastic, bringing a fresh and funky vibe that…
Inside: Missing Link
A 20th Century Renaissance man, cartoonist, film director, author, radio personality, record company owner, German guitarist Volker Kriegel played an important role in the European jazz-rock and fusion movements. Co-founder of the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble, Kriegel’s own groups and collaborations with American vibraphonist Dave Pike gained him a world-wide audience, as his 14 albums for MPS as leader and 15 as sideman can attest.
Volker Kriegel assembled a band of some of the leading musical…
Black Rhythm Revolution!
Black Rhythm Revolution! Is the first solo album from the jazz-funk legend Idris Muhammad, a New Orleans-bred rhythm king who successfully made the leap from the finest soulful jazz records of the ’60s to the nastiest fusion funk of the ’70s. Here we catch him literally on the cusp of the two in 1970, with one good foot in the get-down of “Express Yourself” and “Super Bad,” and the other in his own heady excursions into modal rhythm and melody, accompanied by virtuosos Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, …
Infra-Red
American Vibraphonist Dave Pike may not be as well-known as contemporaries Gary Burton and Bobby Hutcherson, but recordings with Bill Evans, Herbie Mann, and Paul Bley evince Pike’s pedigree. His MPS albums from 1969 through the early 70s have become minor classics.
Underpinned by funk and fusion, Infra-Red ventures into country rock on Suspicious Child and trips through fractured iridescent landscapes on Attack of the Green Misers. Raga Jeeva Swara is a rock meditation and Send Me the Yellow Gu…