Nowości wydawnicze w dystrybucji Multikulti Project - Maj 2009
lista wytwórni płytowych:
Eremite Records (USA)
Tzadik (USA)
Multikulti Project (PL)
polska premiera 2009-05:
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- Jazz / Avant jazz - Jemeel Moondoc / Hamid Drake / William Parker
New World Pygmies, vol. 2 [2CD] MTE03031
eremite continues its documentation of this remarkable duo, who have played together since 1973, with a double c/d set [140+ minutes] featuring two concert recordings from a 2000 tour. on both versions of ''new world pygmies,'' parker's recent interest in double-reed instruments & moondoc's introduction of a soprano saxophone move their music into realms of joyfully non-tempered playing that recall the master musicians of jajouka. elsewhere the old bass & alto join for ravishing performances of compositions from both musician's books. on disc 2, hamid drake is inducted as an honorary pygmy for a concert at chicago's legendary velvet lounge, an emotionally charged chicago homecoming for moondoc with much of his family in attendance, & a hometown audience queued out the door all night.
magnet magazine, #1 free/jazz recording 2002
coda magazine writer's choice top ten recordings 2002
''a caustic & wildly inventive album.'' -- gary giddins, village voice
''new world pygmies vol. 2 is a continuation of the long-standing relationship between parker & saxophonist jemeel moondoc. veterans from sam rivers' legendary loft encounters of the 1970s, parker & moondoc grapple with a multitonal free jazz renaissance that encompasses the music of the rainforests. blues-based & cross-cultural, their sonic conversations follow a decidedly non-western logic that unfolds with eccentric passion & dramatic power. moondoc's narratives on alto & soprano are wildly emotive, as is his expansive discourse with parker. parker himself is typically profound, dueling with moondoc via intuitive basswork as well as blowing double reed instruments from france [the bombard] & barcelona [the gralle]. drake, who enjoys an obvious rapport with parker [& moondoc], contributes admirably, playing quite freely & with vigorous imagination throughout disc two, which was recorded live at the velvet lounge in chicago.'' --mitch myers, downbeat
''Running a record label is a constant search for music that's pushing the envelope, taking the genre concerned and moving it to the next level, onwards and upwards. It's a joyful adventure, but a frustrating one: no sooner has one batch of discs made it to the CD player before a new package appears in the mailbox. Eventually, there comes a time when choices have to be made - for Eremite's Michael Ehlers that means concentrating on championing a generation of musicians who came screaming forward in the early days of free jazz, and who are still playing superbly today despite the rise to prominence of a second generation of young lions which has grabbed the attention of the media [not to mention a few juicy awards and prizes]. In his liner notes to the recently released ''Bob's Pink Cadillac'' [also on Eremite: see elsewhere], William Parker writes: ''When life is on the line nothing can be left up to chance. We rehearse and practice daily so when the angel of music comes we know what to do.'' This recalls Sunny Murray's line in his interview in STN #23: ''I'm here to practice or to do something spiritual with my life as a musician. I'm constantly training, fortifying, feeding my spirit so that the lack of work won't beat me.'' Unlike Murray, William Parker isn't exactly short of work: in November 2000 he and alto / soprano saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc took to the road with ''the New Eremite Mobile Unit'' [Ehlers, his gear, and his Volvo station wagon], playing Fred Anderson's Velvet Lounge in Chicago on the 4th, and the Spotlight Room up the road in Madison, Wisconsin the day after. 'New World Pygmies Vol. 2' documents those two evenings.
''There's an integrity to Moondoc's music that is all too often lacking in the work of younger saxophonists, who seem to be more concerned with running all over the instrument, or even blowing it to pieces [ironically, a display of ''chops'' not so far removed in spirit from the technical preening of the much-maligned Marsalis]. Firstly, when you've got a sound on your horn as full and round as Moondoc's, you don't need to run through a whole book of scales and arpeggios to impress. Even in the most active pieces on offer here [and these lads can slap and swing like crazy when they get going], you get the distinct impression that Moondoc can always find the necessary breathing space. Like Steve Lacy, he teases ideas out of the horn, letting them develop at their own pace, secure in the knowledge that Parker is right behind him every inch of the way. His bowed work on Moondoc's ''You Let Me Into Your Life'', with its affectionate nods to ''My Darling Clementine'' [compare with the sumptuous reading of the same piece on Moondoc's ''Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys'', Eremite MTE 028] is magnificent, and on the title track, though his technique on the bombard and gralle [both European double reed instruments] may not be as advanced as Jemeel's on sax [meaning that Moondoc lets Parker lead the way most of the time, embellishing his lines with dazzling arabesques], the interplay between the musicians is exhilarating.
''With Hamid Drake sitting in on drums on the second disc [from the Velvet Lounge], ''New World Pygmies'' heads off to the African interior in a joyful explosion of power and light. Drake, as we all know, is a veritable one-man Gnawa orchestra, but his solo on the title track is amazing even by his standards. Following without a break, Moondoc's ''Blues for Katie'' begins with a meaty six-minute Parker solo, before Moondoc takes his soprano sax on a guided tour of the entire history of the blues until Drake returns, swinging as hard as Dannie Richmond. The closing reading of Parker's ''Three Clay Pots'' [which makes for an interesting comparison with the version of the piece on In Order To Survive's ''The Peach Orchard''] rounds off a memorable set. There must be quite a few young cats out there who'd love to have an album out on Eremite, but they'd do well to remember music as fine as this only comes from many years of playing, training, fortifying and feeding the spirit - and you know it'll still be sounding just as great many years from now.'' --Dan Warburton, ParisTransatlantic
''alto & soprano saxophonist jemeel moondoc, bassist william parker, & drummer hamid drake have played together, off & on, in various configurations for more than two decades. by now, they have a great ability to intuit one another's improvisational routes. the 2-cd new world pygmies vol 2 [eremite] documents a pair of inspired live concerts --one with the moondoc/parker duo & one with the trio-- based on, as parker writes in the liner notes, ''the human heartbeat & the human voice.'' aligning their music with the otherworldly, polyphonic or micro-tonal vocalizations of the pygmies [rain forest peoples of central africa], the improvisers aim to push their songs beyond so-called jazz & into what parker calls the realm of ''black mystery music.''
''Though one can easily discern groove-rich jazz & blues-derived phrasing on ''three clay pots,'' ''spirit house,'' ''o'neal's porch,'' & ''blues for katie,'' a structural openness & prayer-like intensity permeates all the tracks, which gives them a palpable feeling of freedom more typically associated with ''free jazz'' or ''energy jazz.'' but even these designations may be a bit misleading. moondoc's soaring liquid melodies --though indebted to ornette coleman, eric dolphy, & other founders of the avant-garde idiom-- have an inimitable quality all their own. & the music the players make together breathes with a distinct empathetic charm.'' --sam prestianni, jazziz
''how often does a live record fail to capture the moment's magic? the souvenir has the potential to desecrate the memory. the double-cd new world pygmies vol 2 [eremite], by jemeel moondoc & william parker, which includes an incendiary set i saw in november 2000 at chicago's celebrated velvet lounge, doesn't let me down. stoked by hometown guest hamid drake, the two men were on fire that night; while moondoc blew scorching blue flames out of his saxophones, parker's bass & drake's swinging trap work & pan-ethnic hand percussion spun a kaleidoscopic matrix of ever-changing rhythms. the core duo burns even brighter on a second version of the title tune recorded the next evening in wisconsin. the ribbons of sound that emanate from parker's bombarde [a medieval french double-reed instrument] & moondoc's soprano intertwine like molten streams of gold to create a shining jewel of a performance. these men first played together almost thirty years ago, & the longevity of their relationship pays dividends when they take chances. whether moondoc lets his alto lag far behind the beat or parker plays an out-of-time arco melody up near the violin range, each knows excactly where to stand so the other can't fall.'' --bill meyer, magnet
''Bassist William Parker & saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc's ongoing New World Pygmies series attempts to reconcile the ritual, horizon-spanning beauty of pymgy music with secular, urban blues. Recorded over two concerts, the second at Fred Anderson's Velvet Lounge in Chicago, the performances on Volume II sound like invocations, as if they're out to raise the dead. The first set pairs Moondoc's ''Spirit House'' with Parker's ''O'Neal's Porch''. Compared to their earlier, joyous big band incarnations, these versions are as tight as new pants, with Parker's bass walking the city skyline, while Moondoc rains down little spurts of sax. The first of two takes of ''New World Pygmies'' moves someplace else entirely, as Parker switches between Bombard & gralle --two double-reeded ethnic instruments that sound like they are tearing the sky. Combined with Moondoc's soprano, they conjure buzzing swarms of insects. On the second disc, they're joined by master drummer Hamid Drake for a set that moves deeper into the blues, featuring Moondoc's vocalized horn at its most pained & expressive.'' --David Keenan, The Wire
''reed player jemeel moondoc is one of the great unsung masters of the new york scene. since the mid-'90s, the eremite label has helped to champion moondoc with a small handful of releases culminating in the astonishing, new world pygmies, a duet with bassist william parker recorded at the '98 fire in the valley festival. this two-disc set is a masterful follow-up. recorded live over the course of two nights on a tour of the mid-west, the first disc is a duet outing while the second adds drummer hamid drake in a set captured at fred anderson's velvet lounge in chicago. The thing that is immediately striking about moondoc is his natural, vocal phrasing and unique sound on alto. like the late jimmy lyons, he has extended the bebop vocabulary into the world of free jazz. His tart-edged intonation has a plaintive, bluesy feel as he slides into notes or dives into melodic themes with a fervent passion. moondoc and parker's musical relationship goes back to the early '70s and their rapport is one of long-time comrades. parker's plangent, warm bass lines are the perfect complement to the reed player's keening alto. he can imply a pulse while heading off on probing, lyrical threads that meld perfectly with moondoc's fervid incantations.
''the duet set has an intense intimacy that builds with deep-felt fervor. The two stretch out over four originals, expanding on the dark, lyrical themes with unaffected intensity. these are players who bring an emotional depth and thoughtfulness to their playing, rather than just riffing along or sailing off on ecstatic torrents. there is the cry of the blues, a gospel shout, and a joyously celebratory exhortation as the two wend their way. the spare beauty of alto and bass develops a sanctified potency over the course of the extended melodic explorations. the duet take of the title tune pairs moondoc on curved soprano with parker's double reed bombard and gralle for a ritualistic celebration as the two snake off on a circuitous trance-like improvisation. the second cd, with the addition of drake kicks off with a different take on ''new world pygmies.'' again, parker's double reeds and moondoc's soprano are intertwined in labyrinthine interplay, but the addition of drake's pulsing percussion propels the music along with a simmering groove. the drummer's polyrhythms give the piece a bounding momentum that prod the reed players, though his solo tends to bog down a bit before leading to a charging conclusion with parker's bass darting over the pulse as moondoc soars over the top. the three-part ''blues for katie,'' starts with a rousing bass solo, builds to an ebullient duet with moondoc testifying over the blues, and then adds the drummer for a buoyant stride. the set finishes up with the cascading swing of parker's ''three clay pots,'' with the reed player letting loose on alto. moondoc has been on a tear lately with this release hot on the heals of last year's phenomenal Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys. his longstanding partnership with parker [and now a trio with drake] has provided one of his strongest settings. maybe eremite's efforts will help garner him some of the recognition he rightfully deserves.'' --michael rosenstein, cadence
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- Jazz / Avant jazz - William Parker Clarinet Trio
Bob's Pink Cadillac [2CD] MTE03233
Editor's info:
''the bassist calls this his clarinet trio, and it may be the best record perry robinson has ever madehis sound liquid, his disposition relaxed yet buoyant. and what a kick to hear the veteran drummer walter perkins, who backed roland kirk so unforgettably on i talk with the spirits. the first disc was made in the studio, the second live at tonic, where from the moment robinson enters on a continuous five-part suite, parker alights with mingusian exultation and might.'' --gary giddins, village voice
''The bass player William Parker is a central wheel in New York's experimental jazz scene, & that scene in the past years has been documented better than ever. It's only recently that we've been able to get an understanding -- from recordings -- of how wide Parker's talents & interests are, & his new album on Eremite records, Bob's Pink Cadillac, is valuable help. It's a trio with Parker on bass, Perry Robinson on clarinet, & Walter Perkins on drums. An interesting group, both Robinson & Perkins can play with old-fashioned swing & storytelling sense, as well as improvise freely & energetically. Perkins, especially, is an important rediscovery. Jazz fans might know his work on records from the early sixties by Jaki Byard, Booker Ervin, Carmen McRae, & Rahsaan Roland Kirk. These three musicians work together particularly well. Bob's Pink Cadillac is a double c/d, the first is a studio recording & the second is live. I like the studio set much more than the live set, in general they establish themes more persuasively on c/d one, before getting too far 'out there,' & there are some lovely melodic & rhythmic passages. The live set was recorded at Tonic, a club on New York's Lower East Side last August. It's one long piece titled ''Ebony Fantasy,'' & it's looser, w/ longer individual improvisations, where the musicians explore texture & sound.'' --ben ratliff, new york times
''what an inspired idea these recordings are, a unique summit of three wonderfully idiosyncratic improvisers. the ubiquitous parker meets up with seldom-heard traps master perkins & the great perry Robinson, who i see as one of the great improvisers currently playing, regardless of instrument. but on his instrument, he is simply a master: his sound is dark & liquid, his lines are patient & lyrical, capable of the scorching abstraction of john carter or the tempered explorations of jimmy giuffre. this is superb music, brimming with ideas & energy from the start. Perkins, known largely for his contribution to art farmer units, is perfect for this gig, goosing parker in ways similar to hamid drake [perk may indeed be an influence on mr. drake]. parker himself --who claims to have had the idea for this group in a dream-- is in top form here, proving what an adept interpreter of song & groove he is, aside from his well known talents for free music. the tunes on disc one groove in serious fashion, with the warm chalumeau tone of robinson's clarinet wending its way through the open-air shapes thrown up by parker & perkins. the title track is a killer mid-tempo shaker, with a bluesy conclusion that adds the exclamation point, & it's exactly the kind of inside-out pleasure had all over these two discs. ''overcoat in the river'' is more experimental, a presto-chango dash through multiple tempi [a proclivity this trio has, with its sharp reflexes & eager exploratory sensibility]. ''blue flower'' is a seriously deep blues epic, while ''fence in the snow'' is so elaborate & varied it could almost be an ellington suite [though the duke would probably never countenance the vocal & percussion outburst that occurs towards the close of the nearly-30 minute piece]. speaking of suites, the second disc is comprised of ''ebony fantasy,'' a five-part journey recorded live at tonic. all the gravity & rootsiness is carried over here [& one can hear why parker considers robinson to be the heir of masters like jimmy hamilton & russell procope, ducal clarinet masters, even as he takes his horn to places those fellows might never have imagined]. indeed, parker writes in his liners that he considers this suite to e something of an historical encapsulation/distillation of the music, with all its varied colors, structures, meters, & moods: the superb descending theme of part II is darkly romantic, while part III just swings its ass off. the under-recorded robinson has been getting wider exposure in recent years, thanks to labels such as eremite & CIMP, & this twofer is practically a clarinet textbook. tone, timbre, & articulation are all here in abundance. but one of the things that kept knocking me out was robinson's ability as a pure melodist. as the music rolls along in waves, this guy is continually inventive. the rhythm section is as limber as you could want: tight & loose, funky & abstract, supportive & challenging. parker's virtues, on ample display here, need little elaboration at this point --suffice to say that in this relatively conventional session, he excels. but perkins is a marvelous surprise here, the snap of his snare & sizzle of his cymbals a wonderfully distinct contribution to this group. i've gone back to this one quite a lot already, & i imagine you will too. i find it to be a sheer joy.'' --jason bivins, cadence
''fueled by clarinetist perry robinson's eloquent vocabulary & grounded by walter perkins guileless work on the traps, parker's licorice stick trio is perfectly symmetrical & obviously inspired. lengthy performances like ''fence in the snow'' showcase robinson's vast aesthetic range & parker again shines on bass, digging deep into the more spiritual aspects of collective innovation. the second half of this collection is a live performance recorded at tonic in manhattan. wide-open & joyously experimental, ''ebony fantasy'' is an hour-long improvisation that harkens back to the forgotten mysteries & early discoveries of avant-garde jazz.'' --mitch myers, downbeat
''a splendid realization of parker's long-standing ambition to work within the illustrious tradition of jazz clarinet. it ties together the essences of swing, free, blues & gospel with a scholar's acumen, a preacher's zeal & more rowdy fun than an Irish wake held on St. Partrick's Day.'' --bill meyer, magnet
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- Jazz / Avant jazz - Peter Brotzmann / William Parker / Hamid Drake
Never Too Late But Always Too Early - Dedicated To Peter Kowald [2CD] MTE03738
an original architect of creative improvised music in europe, peter brötzmann is a figure of prodigious international stature & influence. now in its tenth year, brötzmann's die like a dog band is widely regarded as ''one of the leading ventures in the history of avant-garde jazz'' [all music guide]. featuring hamid drake [drums] & william parker [bass], the group combines brötzmann's explosive ''kaput music'' with a spectacularly flexible rhythm section that suggests congruencies with dozens of world music traditions. a two c/d set, never too late. . . is die like a dog's complete concert from 10 april, 2001, in montreal, & only their second release on a north american-based label [after from valley to valley, mte-18]. eremite recorded every north american performance by the group during their 2000 & 2001 tours, & never too late [dear friends] is the motherfucker of them all. cover art & liner notes --an unusually intimate remembrance of his late peer peter kowald-- by brötzmann.
''eremite producer michael ehlers captures one of free jazz's finest trios live in concert in montreal on this stunning double c/d recording, which is --considering the prodigious output of the players-- incredibly one of the group's best on disc. peter brötzmann, william parker, & hamid drake have been playing together for years now, & there is an instinctive synergy among them that is clearly evident on every track. as with many of brötzmann's later performances there is plenty of slash 'n burn intensity but there are also many moments when brötzmann turns inward to focus on colors, shading & nuance. there are numerous highlights, from the usual thrilling over-blowing by brötzmann on all three reeds, the drake/parker collaborations when brötzmann drops out [as on the second & third parts of ''never run but go,'' & the enlightening ''the heart & the bones''], & spectacular contributions from all three as soloists & as part of the group. posthumously dedicated to peter kowald the discs represent the best of modern creative improvisation as the strategies pursued include focusing on building & releasing tension, maneuvering through complex time signatures, & generating magnificent clusters of sound that recall the best of later coltrane. the short closing number on the second disc, ''half-hearted beast'' is a rousing chord-based blues-drenched romp that opens the rafters & leaves the crowd screaming for more, even after two hours of nearly unadulterated intensity. almost certain to appear on many top-ten lists, never too late but always too early is brötzmann, drake, & parker at their best, & it is an important & valuable contribution to each of their discographies.'' --steven loewy, cadence
''recorded live in montréal in the spring of 2001, this double cd, despite being dedicated to the late peter kowald, was actually performed before his death. the dedication is out of affection and respect rather than something literally recorded for him. that said, brötzmann, parker, and drake reveal in depth here just how they have gelled as a trio. with parker employing the doussin gouni as well as his bass, and brötzmann utilizing a taragato and a-clarinet, this is not a skronk session, though there are certainly elements of that, and it certainly is out in its approach. as one would expect, the intensity level is high from the jump as the band begins with the four-part suite ''never run but Go.'' brötzmann uses the clarinet like he does the tenor, blowing not out of the instrument but completely through it, expanding its sonic palette with blurred smattering tonal blurs that do not reflect the instrument's soft, round, and refined tonalities. in fact, his playing on part one, full of ribbons of legato phrases and pulsing intervallic sequences, is reminiscent of coltrane's soprano playing on the afro blue impressions concerts. parker matches brötzmann, coursing a pattern of rhythmic excess that leaves no space unfilled. this isn't about dynamics or tension, it's about intensity and movement, and while for these three it does not run, it certainly does go, through a series of tonal structures that were certainly directed and purposeful. drake's rhythmic dramatics offer the clues as he returns the signatures from 7/8 and 5/8, moving into overdrive to 11/8 before downshifting again. ''pt. 2'' and ''pt. 3'' are all parker and drake creating a downright funky pop and groove. parker states the line and drake fills in with rubato and rim shots to accent the ends of parker's lines. ''pt. 3'' signals brötzmann's return on the tenor, and drake kicks it into afro-cuban gear as parker circuitously pizzicatos his way through a machito/cachao bassline that gives brötzmann literally everything he needs to fuse it all together in a solo that is blistering, soulful, and wrapped around three tonal figures that nod to both drake and parker, who don't so much follow as extrapolate, adding shifting, broken harmonics to an already splattered sonic canvas. disc one closes with the gorgeous ''the heart and the bones,'' featuring contrapuntal designations spearheaded by drake followed by parker. they round off the edges of opposition and eventually come close to playing against each other, and that's where brötzmann enters the fray, with as lyrical a statement as you are ever likely to hear him make from the bottom register of his horn --slow, mournful, spiritual, like albert ayler as the improvisation becomes hymn-like for quite a while before erupting into a free for all. the three-part title suite kicks off disc two as a slow, mournful, speculative exercise in bass tonality, with parker bowing his instrument. brötzmann moves from the low to middle register in elongated phrases, creating an architectural harmonic complexity and smearing the hell out of one- or two-note phrases. drake shimmers with a pulse on brushes, keeping the center clean and spare. the pace picks up about six minutes in, but the spareness of the tonal language remains the same. brötzmann may be blowing out the inside of the horn, but without flurries of notes, as parker walks it, filling in the extra spaces behind his tonal investigation with pronounced, brief staccato lines. drake switches to sticks and the band is off and running into the unknown. by the second movement, everything is chaotic and crazy, dark yet celebratory. The audience is screaming for brötzmann to blow, parker is in overdrive to add a counterweight to the flight, and drake pushes it all further, creating a tension that seems irresolvable --and it isn't until the end of the last movement. the concert ends with a swinging blues, ''half-hearted beast,'' which is literally a barroom romp for improvisers. never has brötzmann played in such a guttural, vulgar, and enjoyable manner, nor has parker walked his bass in such a straightforward way --though it is far from stride walking. drake gets to play around all over the edges of the tune, only to bring it back on the turnarounds and carry it out into the night. a fitting end, an amazing ride, and --dare it be said-- one of the most necessary of the collaborations involving these three men.''
--thom jurek, all music guide
''it's a marathon ride, and from brötz's opening shrieks on tarogato you know that seatbelts should remain firmly fastened. the trio cycles through most of its moods, registers, and instrumentations throughout the long and rewarding sets: crushing funk, rolling free expressionism, muscular swing, and the occasional dark textural mood. the latter is the rarest commodity for this band, so it's a pleasure to hear the dark melancholy that opens the second set, where brötz's bass clarinet speaking mournfully to parker's arco bass. and though this set slowly morphs into a more abstracted rendering of the same territory that opened the first set, drake shifts frequently into his colorist mode here, a fine reprieve from the blackwell-on-steroids grooves that tend to dominate [albeit exhilaratingly so]. the second set additionally features very good, expressive bass and drum solos. and both discs are filled with the nice, harsh lyricism that distinguishes this band.'' --jason bivins, dustedmagazine.com
''this free blowing monster of a set very nearly eclipses machine gun, brötzmann's legendary 60s big band lp.'' --edwin pouncey, The Wire
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- Jazz / Avant jazz - Fred Anderson / Hamid Drake / William Parker
Blue Winter [2CD] MTE04748
blue winter is a milestone achievement in the great career of one of the stalwarts of the tenor saxophone, fred anderson. an exponent of the illustrious chicago heavyweight tenor tradition that includes his contemporaries gene ammons, johnny griffin, john gilmore & von freeman, anderson spent decades as a family man & bar owner before starting to seriously tour & record in the nineties. born 1929 in monroe, louisiana, anderson migrated to chicago in 1940, where he devoted many years of study to the music of lester young, coleman hawkins, & charlie parker. in 1964 anderson co-founded the seminal chicago musicians' organization the association for the advancement of creative musicians [AACM]. the strength & individuality of his playing in early AACM ensembles with muhal richard abrams, joseph jarman, & henry threadgill earned anderson the nickname ''the lone prophet of the prairie.'' on blue winter, anderson is joined by one of the premier rhythm sections in any music genre, william parker & hamid drake. the two-cd set features an impeccably recorded complete concert performance from the trio's 2004 northeast tour.
howard reich, chicago tribune, #2 jazz record of 2005
''Chicago tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson has recorded with some regularity in recent years, but the two-CD ''Blue Winter'' represents a pinnacle in his work, and in its documentation. Performing with longtime collaborator Hamid Drake on drums and William Parker on bass, Anderson unfolds solos of uncommon majesty, duration, invention and intellectual heft. The first CD alone represents one extended piece, nearly 45 minutes of extraordinarily fluid jazz improvisation, Anderson's characteristically gnarly, complex yet free-flowing lines pushed forward by Drake's relentless rhythms and deepened by Parker's resonant bass. Anderson rarely has been more faithfully recorded, the often leathery quality of his midrange, the acidity of his high notes and the barreling quality of his nethermost pitches captured more vividly than ever before. In every regard, then, a tour de force.'' --howard reich, chicago tribune
''Fred Anderson, the 76 year-old tenor saxophonist and founding AACM founder, is on a roll. He was honored with his own day at the Vision Festival this spring, and he recently spent two nights recording his first concert DVD. But the occasion for that filming, the imminent demolition of his club the Velvet Lounge, is sad news indeed. Not only is it a free music haven on Chicago's south side, the Velvet has long been Fred's livelihood [check out the club's website, www.velvetlounge.net , to learn more about the situation and what you can do about it]. Fred's has stood out from his AACM brethren in both the company he keeps he fits in equally well with South siders, North siders, New Yorkers, and Europeans and his sound. Anderson doesn't flirt with multi-instrumentalism of any stripe, let alone the vaunted little instruments. He has maintained a single-minded commitment on the tenor, and works mainly with its familiar sounds, which he fashions into long, winding, lines. Fred mainly plays from a set of tunes that he developed long ago, and anyone who catches a few of his concerts or records will get to know them. It's strong material, but one must also note that there's a lot of it about; Blue Winter is Anderson's seventh live album, his fifth with Drake [who lived under Fred's roof as an adolescent], and his third double to be released since 1999. But notions that this is a dispensable effort evaporate once the laser hits the plastic. For a start, the remarkably named Amos Scattergood got a very different sound from this performance, which went down at Vermont's Johnson State College last December, than the harsh, in-the-red sound that typifies the Velvet Lounge recordings. William Parker's bass notes sound out big and round, pushing through the swirl of Hamid Drake's dynamic drumming like a great whale breeching. Parker's relative lack of familiarity with Anderson's music is another bonus; he forges his own course, inviting Fred to take a different route where Tatsu Aoki and Harrison Bankhead might anticipate where he's going and help him to get there. Anderson plays fewer of his signature licks, and when he does they're recontextualized. This is never more apparent than when Parker pulls out his nagaswaram [an Indian double reed instrument] and issues a snake charmer's challenge, which the saxophonist answers with noble, pile-driving cries. But it's just one exhilarating moment among many; winter's never felt so hot.'' --Bill Meyer, Signal To Noise
''***** Tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson has a beautifully deep tone, a sound that spans decades and a facility for extended bouts of melodic improvisation that's the equal of elemental players like John Coltrane, Illinois Jacquet and Archie Shepp. Yet despite being one of the founding members of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians alongside pianist Muhal Richard Abrams and playing in regular groups with thinkers of the calibre of saxophonist Joseph Jarman and trombonist George Lewis his star has never risen to the latitude of many of his contemporaries. Over the past decade or so this has slowly begun to change, thanks to the evangelical support of a select band of independent labels, including Thrill Jockey, Atavistic and Eremite. Despite turning 75 this year, Anderson is playing as hard as ever and this beautifully presented double disc set documents an incendiary performance that took place in Vermont last December. Here Anderson is paired with the best groove-based improvising rhythm section on the planet, drummer Hamid Drake - who grew up with Anderson's family - and bassist William Parker. The recording quality is beautiful, with the organic, earthy quality of Parker's bass the perfect compliment to Anderson's big, brassy sound and the playing is restlessly inventive, with the trio burning up two discs with barely a pause for conscious thought. --David Keenan, Scotland Sunday Herald
''You don't have to witness dozens of performances by tenor saxophone titan Fred Anderson to notice two traits: especially for someone in their seventies, he bends considerably at the waist and knees when the music heats up; and he is always ready, if not eager for one more blow at the end of a set. Undoubtedly, Anderson was crouching within minutes of the opening 45-minute work out that comprises the first of this excellent 2-CD concert recording. Drummer Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker, widely regarded as the premier rhythm team in creative music, immediately lay down the type of infectious groove that is conducive to Anderson's deliberate development of streamlined motives and his subsequent rigor in building and sustaining intensity. Given that the second disc has equally engaging tracks of 37, 13, and 14 minutes, it's easy imagining Anderson motioning ''one more'' to his colleagues at least once. Blue Winter is a welcomed reminder of Fred Anderson's greatness.'' --Bill Shoemaker, Pointofdeparture.org
''This record is a joy. A surprise it isn't. These three men have overlapping histories of development and collaboration of such depth that when they convene nowadays, the results are always inspired. One of Hamid Drake's early mentors was AACM mainstay Fred Anderson, who decided to stay home in Chicago, tend bar, and keep his connections to the muse wide open. Later, Drake connected up with William Parker and they've played on dozens of excellent records over the past few years. One of the delights Blue Winter spotlights is how far inside ''free'' can be. This is a 2-CD set consisting of four extended, unnamed improvisations and yet, vast stretches of this music bop to the beat or groove unmercifully. And these guys don't waste time. Not thirty seconds into the first cut, you can feel this monstrous groove being created beneath your feet. Parker finds a bass line to his liking and repeats it a few times, as Drake's drums and cymbals dance around him. Throughout the album, they display the level of empathy that such great rhythm sections of the past as Haden/Higgins, Grimes/Blackwell, and Hopkins/McCall have used to create the kind of attack that has backed many of the masters of the last half-century. Of course Anderson isn't a sideman on his own album. Far from it. When he enters, beginning with a few terse phrases, Parker starts to expand on his riff, and the three take off, treating the music like a ball of yarn being played with by a trio of energetic kittens. There are times when Anderson's playing resembles, say, Von Freeman, or Dewey Redman or Joe Henderson, but it's important to remember that he's a contemporary of these giants, not a footstep follower. The second CD continues at the same high level, though each man has more unaccompanied solo space. Parker eventually pulls out his nagaswaram and he and Anderson find a mutual language to converse in. After several plays, I confess I have found no weak spots whatsoever here. Exceptionally well-played music, exceptionally well-recorded, it's sure to end up on many Top 10 lists by year's end.'' --Michael Davis, All About Jazz LA
''If it wasn't one already, Fred Anderson's trio with Hamid Drake and William Parker can rightly be considered a supergroup. Anderson was named the first Vision Festival Lifetime Recognition honoree last month, and if such awards were given, Drake and Parker would surely have shared the MVP trophy. While the three have worked together before--notably in quartet with Kidd Jordan--this is their first trio recording. Blue Winter also may be Anderson's definitive release, at least thus far. He's made great records before [see especially Vintage Duets with the late drummer Steve McCall and Chicago Chamber Music, featuring varying lineups] and the documents from his Southside Velvet Lounge club capture a homebrewed character, but Blue Winter is the best effort yet at preserving Anderson's sound in a petri dish. The first disc is a long, relaxed jam of 45 minutes, with Parker and Drake in an exploratory mood. While the rhythm section players' penchant for groove has rightly made them in high demand, they're also extraordinarily flexible. It isn't until twelve minutes into the first track on the second disc that they start to fall into regular rhythm and even then in flux. The second disc continues with a thirteen-minute call and response with Parker on the double-reed nagaswaram and Drake on hand drum, before concluding with another slow, free jam. Extended unaccompanied sax and percussion sections strengthen the trio's stance. But the real value of the set is the presence of the no longer under-recognized Anderson. He's released a dozen or more records in the last decade, after making it to retirement age with barely a handful of records to his name. Blue Winter is pure Anderson--with the best rhythm section in the land to be sure--and an indispensable selection of energy improv.'' --Kurt Gottschalk, All About Jazz NY
''Listening to Fred Anderson can sometimes be akin to listening to a sage or prophet. Wordless history and wisdom simply pour from the bell of his horn, allowing him to communicate with listeners on a different level than most other musicians. Recorded on December 12, 2004, this two-CD, nearly 150-minute complete performance with William Parker and Hamid Drake speaks on many levels. Since Anderson's decision to return to music full time in the nineties [and still run the Velvet Lounge at the same time], he has experienced a resurgence in popularity not unlike fellow Chicagoan Von Freeman. A co-founder of Chicago's AACM [Association for Advancement of Creative Musicians], Anderson plays with a tone and mindset steeped in tradition, yet he pushes himself to find new ways to communicate and speak through his horn. Bassist William Parker and percussionist Hamid Drake may be more familiar, given their recently raised profiles in the public eye and the constant flow of albums on which they participate. Nonetheless, here they form one of the tightest and most intuitively limber backbones found in music today. The impeccably recorded Blue Winter consists of four improvisations that are far from the completely out, screeching free jazz some may associate with a program of extended improvisations. Anderson and company never leave the organic-sounding nature of their thematically developed and consistently evolving music by simply going for pyrotechnics. The hallmark here is invention and evolution of melodic ideas, which is in line with something Anderson has said in the past: music is about communicating a story. If that was the intent for Blue Winter, these men succeed. To give a breakdown of this music is somewhat futile because so much occurs that highlights should be heard and not laid in text. Nonetheless, for a sense of how these musicians can create improvised music that is cohesive and firmly entrenched with the tools of the tradition, listen to ''II.'' Anderson opens the song with a six-minute solo before he is joined by Parker and Drake, who create a swinging groove, propelling the nearly 38-minute track forward. Parker carries the rhythm in his solo spot, only to be swallowed up by Drake riding his cymbals and bringing the music to a groove-based composition that increases in speed and eventually cruises for Anderson to continue his angularly fluid lines. All three musicians follow their own paths; no one is simply fulfilling a role, and when they interlock around the twenty-minute mark, one has to wonder how they communicate with such a singular mindset. From the opening moments of ''I'' to the fascinating ''III,'' replete with hand percussion and Parker on nagaswaram [somewhat similar to an oboe] in a call and response with Anderson, through the applause that closes ''IV,'' the three are working holistically: listening and responding to each other, never losing the arresting core sound they create. There are few, if any missteps here. Listen up.'' --Michael McCaw, All About Jazz
''Now 76, Fred Anderson is a repository of songs from the Heartland. As a founding member of the AACM, he's been a vital member of the Chicago jazz community, and it's clear that he's listened to others as much as others have listened to him. This trio date with ideal bandmates bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake from December, 2004 captures his prodigious outpouring of songplainspoken, yet delivered with the intensity of fire music; cogent and tightly knitted, yet flowing free and uninhibited. The trio opens with a 44-minute exploration of the folk blues. Drake sets the scene with some tap dance figures, while Parker adds a resonant melodic seam. Anderson comes in on top, entering at an odd-angle, singing in his middle register, pulling continuous melody from the blues modality. And that's the train the musicians ride throughout the tune. The time eludes easy metric calculation. Anderson lifts melodies from the bass line and elaborates on them. Parker plucks phrases from the saxophonist's stream of song, and shapes them into invigorating vamps. They keep turning the same material over and over, pushed along by Drake, who adds polyrhythmic flourishes at the end of Anderson's phrases. Yet even after three-quarters of an hour, they still seem not to have exhausted the materials at hand. Having exercised such stylistic single-mindedness on the opener, the trio follows up with a more diverse musical journey. Anderson opens up with a five-minute modal call to prayer. He rises with simple pleading figures. As he spins those out, he alternates direct swing-like riffs with bop filigrees, punctuating them with honks in his lower register. Anderson and Parker converse when the bassist enters, nailing notes as a foundation. Drake joins them with some tambourine and Anderson worries a gospel-inflected figure. The tempo picks up for Parker's solo. It's indicative of the way he and Drake are able to shift gears with nary a hiccup. When Parker takes an arco solo, Drake deftly cuts the tempo in half. Parker ends the solo picking out two low notes as Drake's beat becomes more insistent. Then, echoing a figure Anderson had played while accompanying the arco solo, he brings forth a funk figure with Drake's backbeat right at his elbow. Two shorter pieces close the set. The first is an extended conversation with Parker on nagaswarama bright, nasal double-reed instrumentAnderson's tenor, and Drake's hand drumming. The set closesI'm assuming this was an encorewith an unsettled ballad that evolves into the trio's most frenzied playing of the date before Anderson brings the trio home with some searching lyricism. A fitting end for a set of songs from the heart.'' --David Dupont, One Final Note
''Septuagenarian tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson has recorded with drummer Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker beforeon the 1999 Eremite release Two Days in April, where they were joined by the volatile Edward ''Kidd'' Jordan on second tenor. But Blue Winter, which documents a December 2004 concert in Vermont, marks the CD debut of these three as a trio. The two-disc set reveals a superb band driven by an enthralling rhythmic tension. The first CD, which consists entirely of ''I,'' a single improvisation lasting more than 40 minutes, is Blue Winter's highlight, a straightforward demonstration of Anderson's agility and confidence as an extended soloist. Drake plays busily from the outset, but Anderson paces himself; he lazily muses on an impromptu theme before gradually ratcheting up his intensity. His phrases, rendered in an unmistakable silvery, gruff tone, hover just behind the beat without sounding sluggish. Meanwhile, the rhythm section oscillates naturally between hard swing and skittish pulse. The trio's inspired interplay flags on ''II,'' which opens disc two. In this piece, Drake and Parker fixate on a stilted backbeat, over which Anderson layers frustratingly static riffs. ''III,'' on which Parker plays the nagaswaram [a piercing Indian oboe] and Drake limits himself to the frame drum, acts as a mysterious interlude before the trio recalibrates on the closing ''IV.'' Here, Parker and Drake goad Anderson to move from a languorous ballad texture to a scampering up-tempo exchange. The players abruptly halt in the middle of a heated passage, hopefully signaling unfinished business for this formidable collective.'' --Hank Shteamer, Time Out New York
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- Jazz / Avant jazz - Fred Anderson / Hamid Drake / 'Kidd' Jordan / William Parker
2 Days In April [2CD] MTE02324
multikulti.com; 2009-05
''. . .Dwóch tytanów tenorowego saksofonu wspartych przez [uznawaną za] najlepszą sekcję rytmiczną świata!!! Ten podwójny album jest zapisem dwóch koncertów nagranych 1 i 2 kwietnia 1999 roku na University of Massachusetts w Amherst i MIT w Cambridge. Znajdą na nim Państwo długie, zbiorowe improwizacje zagranych przez muzyków z tak niesamowitą energią, jakby samym dźwiękiem chcieli zmieść z powierzchni ziemi swoich słuchaczy. Operujący pięknym głębokim brzmieniem saksofonu Fred Anderson gra charakterystyczne, długie frazy z lekkością młodzieniaszka. Nakładają się na to szalone, ostre partie saksofonu Edwarda 'Kidda' Jordana, a wszystko to wsparte jest sekcją grającą jak jeden organizm. Anderson wraz z Parkerem i Drake'iem pojawiał się już na innych płytach [dość przypomnieć choćby nagrane dla tej samej oficyny, również podwójne ''Blue Winter''], tutaj jednak, w odróżnieniu od innych ich dokonań, próżno szukać elementów czysto folkowych, prostych odniesień do afrykańskiej tradycji, w których to muzycy sekcji rytmicznej się lubują. Obecność Jordana działa niczym katalizator - jego energia i moc jakie nadaje grze kolektywu tempo nie pozostawiające chwilki oddechu tak muzyką, jak i słuchaczom. . .''
autor: Józef Paprocki
double c/d set documenting two 1999 concerts [amherst & boston] by this summit gathering of american free jazz heavies. two continuous long-form group improvisations. a major statement on American improvisational methodologies at the end of the century. 'a wall of energy, a tidal wave of celebration, that sweeps away the listener.'
wire magazine records of the year 2000, jazz
cadence magazine reviewers' choice, top ten recordings 2000
magnet magazine top 10 free/jazz recordings 2000
coda magazine writers choice top ten recordings 2000
'This recording of two concerts at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and MIT at Cambridge are striking for two reasons: One is that they smoke ass; the other is that the two elder players here, both saxophonists, Fred Anderson, who runs the Velvet Lounge in Chicago, the city's hottest spot for new creative music, and New Orleans professor Edward ''Kidd'' Jordan, are still shielded by the spotlight rather than having it shone on them. Meanwhile their younger, crack rhythm section of bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake are celebrated all over the planet in both mainstream and marginal publications for their brilliance and dedication to bringing ''free'' creative jazz out from under the rock of obscurity. Kidd Jordan and Anderson obviously care less, and the music they make here with their younger counterparts is the proof. There isn't anything remotely ''inside'' about the playing on these two CDs. They are documents of concerts in which two brilliant veteran saxophonists engaged each other, stretched each other's musical vocabularies to the breaking point and pushed their rhythm section into places &mdash even though these two cats have played with everybody &mdash they hadn't dreamed of going before &mdash and perhaps not since. None of the individual pieces, which range anywhere from ten to 18 minutes, is worth mentioning separately because this music is, truly, ''speaking in tongues,'' these are the pure ''ribbons of sound'' John Coltrane spoke of when a musician reached a placed beyond the point of ''ordinary'' language. The sheer mode-shattering, polytonal majesty of creative over tonal joy of two men old enough to be grandfathers, speaking, squealing, honking, praying, bleeding, singing, crying, preaching, whispering, and laughing to each other is enough. And yes, Drake and Parker were easily the only capable pair for this job; they ride the hurricane from the inside knowing far too much to attempt to contain the sheer joy that this fury of sound conjures.' --Thom Jurek, all music guide
''The Music emerges from the speakers like some sort of wonderful, piano-less version of Coltrane's mid-60s band, taking the music everywhere that implies in terms of rhythm, scale, & power.'' --byron coley, jazziz
'a powerful, touching collective statement.' --john corbett, downbeat [four stars]
'There are moments in these two concerts on consecutive April days in 1999 when the group attains a forward motion-density that exceeds their collective parts. Sure you can still hear those individuals-- Parker's solid & deep arco bass, Drake's heavily funked up circularity, Anderson's tremendously sure-footed low end tenor, fellow tenorist Jordan's angel-winged upper register flights. But the music has something else, the secret sound of soul fusion probably. This provides a warmth that envelopes the group as they move through a smooth suite encompassing News For Lulu-like brass dance, downhome blues & good old ecstatic gospel blowouts. & for once, the strictly traditional power relationship that relegates the rhythm section to the role of of mere accompanists, even in the freest of free jazz, is toppled over. Drake & Parker are as much part of the continuum as Anderson & the too little recorded Jordan, shooting off in different tangents that branch out from the same luminously pulsing centre. This is simply fabulous stuff, without a doubt one of the jazz releases of the year.' --alan cummings, the wire
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- Jazz / Jewish - Jamie Saft
Black Shabbis TZ8133
Editor's info:
After two stunning jazz piano trio recordings featuring the music of Dylan and Zorn, dubmeister Jamie Saft returns to his roots with a masterpiece of Jewish heavy metal. Slashing and burning his way through nine tracks of unbridled madness, this is Radical Jewish Culture at its best. Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and Slayer for the frum, Black Shabbis presents uncompromising and intense sounds from one of the most versatile creative lights in the downtown scene.
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- Jazz - John Zorn
kompozytor: John Zorn John Zorn: Filmworks XXII: The Last Supper TZ7371
diapazon.pl; 2009-01:
''. . .Wielokrotnie już wspominałem, iż śledzenie dorobku Johna Zorna jest zajęciem karkołomnym, bo ileż płyt ten artysta wydaje pod swoim nazwiskiem, tego obawiam się on sam nie jest w stanie zliczyć. Jego filmowa seria ma niekiedy wątpliwe związki z jazzem i tak jest w przypadku tej płyty. Wszakże jest ona ciekawostką, bowiem jest to album z 5 wokalistami, którym towarzyszą grający na instrumentach perkusyjnych Cyro Baptista i sam John Zorn. Świetne harmonie wokalne wystarczą, żeby płytę tę przesłuchać z przyjemnością. Niby nic wielkiego, nawet w pewnym momencie muzyka męczy nieco swoją jednostajnością, ale mimo wszystko poleciłbym ją nie tylko zornofilom. . .''
[Robert Żurawski]
pełny tekst recenzji na diapazon.pl
Editor's info:
2008 proves a busy year for Zorn and film, with this, his third release of soundtrack music. FilmWorks XXI contains two very different film scores for two very different moviesone, a bit of French S/M erotica and the other a documentary about the renovation of the world-famed Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. From baroque minimalism to a sensual fusion of harp, guitar and bass, the cues on FilmWorks XXI are some of the most unique and charming in the entire series, with Belle de Nature being one of Zorn's greatest scores to date.
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- Jazz / Jewish - Zakarya
The True Story Concerning Martin Behaim TZ8129
Editor's info:
Based in France, Zakarya is one of the most exciting and cutting edge bands working
in the ever-growing community of Radical Jewish Culture. Always thought provoking,
their fourth CD for Tzadik presents an imaginary film score about the life
and thought of Martin Behaim, the 15th century cosmograph/converso who was
the first to represent the world as a sphere. Blending new music, klezmer, rock and
jazz in their inimitable ''klezmer jazzcore'' style, this is more madness from one of
France's most creative young bands.
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- Outer Limits / Psychodelia / Experimental Rock - Brown Wing Overdrive
ESP Organism TZ7410
Edito's info:
Angry shamans, burning circuitry, lonely poltergeists, sandpaper, dental work, alarm clocks, hallucinogenic claw hammer banjos, trash trucks, human beat boxes, chaotic analog synths and modular meltdowns-three young certifiable lunatics come together to dig deeper into the depths of the human psyche than anyone ever could or should. Influenced by Alejandro Jodorowsky, Aleister Crowley, pollution and more, this bizarre trio of musical misfits creates acoustic/electronic compositions that will keep you on the edge of madness until the last frightening sound.
- Muzyka klasyczna / Muzyka Współczesna - Mamoru Fujieda
kompozytor: Mamoru Fujieda Mamoru Fujieda: Patterns of Plants II TZ8061
Editor's info:
In his third CD for Tzadik, Mamoru Fujieda continues his fascinating exploration of the creativity of, by and about plant life with five more pieces from his continuing series Patterns of Plants. Utilizing the violin in combination with two Japanese traditional instruments, the koto and the sho [mouth organ] Fujieda has again created a sensuous and evocative musical universe, unique in sound and conception that both challenges the idea of composer and composition in the 21st century. Modest in approach but orchestral in design, this is another masterful CD from one of the most original and radical composers in Japan today.
- Muzyka klasyczna / Muzyka Współczesna - Wu Fei
kompozytor: Wu Fei Wu Fei: Yuan TZ8063
Editor's info:
Wu Fei has composed music for solo instruments, string quartets, choirs, orchestras, modern and traditional dance, film and chamber ensembles. Performing on guzheng since the age of six, she studied composition at the China Conservatory and with Fred Frith at Mills College. She has since collaborated with Alvin Curran, Fred Frith, Carla Kihlstedt, Joelle Leandre, Meredith Monk, Ikue Mori, Pauline Oliveros, Kazue Sawai, Elliott Sharp, Cecil Taylor and many others. Her first CD for Tzadik presents a variety of pieces for ensembles, including a fabulous composition for percussion and Chinese traditional instruments and several solo pieces for piano, percussion and guzheng. Soulful, lyrical and powerful music from this remarkable young composer / performer from Beijing!
- Jazz / Avant jazz - John Zorn
kompozytor: John Zorn The Crucible TZ7372
Editor's info:
The legendary Moonchild trio returns for another intense journey into the worlds of magic, alchemy and witchcraft. Following one of Zorn's true masterpieces Six Litanies for Heliogabalus, this fourth volume streamlines and simplifies the music with new melodic elements bringing Zorn's sax and the lyricism of Masada into the power and structural complexity of the patented Moonchild sound. With Patton using his prodigious voice to sing melodies in addition to his preverbal screams and howls, The Crucible is another bold step from mad alchemist John Zorn. Including special guest guitarist Marc Ribot on one Led Zeppelin influenced track, this is a rocking new installment to the Moonchild-Astronome-Heliogabalus legacy.
- Jazz / Jewish - Ori Dakari
Entrances TZ8132
:
Born in Kfar-Saba Israel, Ori Dakari is a spectacular young guitarist who has studied in the States and now resides in New York. Performing regularly with a tight group of musical colleagues, Ori has surrounded himself with an exciting community of exceptionally talented players, who now step out for their debut recording. Lyrical and powerful, this is a new generation of Radical Jewish Culture. Rooted in Israeli, Yemenite, East European, North African music and more.
- Jazz / Avant jazz - Bill Laswell
kompozytor: Bill Laswell Bill Laswell: Invisible Design II TZ8062
Editor's info:
In addition to being one of the most unique producers in contemporary music, [Iggy Pop, Herbie Hancock, George Clinton, the Rolling Stones, Laurie Anderson], Bill Laswell is also one of the world's most original and creative bassists. Here he brings his prodigious technique, massive sound and renegade conception to the fore in this intense and virtuosic outing for solo bass. Armed with four-string and eight-string bass and a barrage of effects and distortion boxes, his skill as a player has never been more evident. A dynamic follow-up to his 1999 release Invisible Design, this is an intimate view into the mind of one of the greatest musicians of our time.
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- Jazz / Jewish - Mark Feldman / Uri Caine / Greg Cohen / Joey Baron
Secrets TZ8130
multikulti.com:
To prawdziwa supergrupa, skrzypek Mark Feldman, basista Greg Cohen, pianista Uri Caine oraz perkusista Joey Baron są zaangażowani w projekty Tzadika od lat. Zespół powstał z inicjatywy Grega Cohena i Marka Feldmana i to jest zdecydowanie udany projekt.
Słychać tutaj echa zornowskich projektów z Masada String Trio, Masada Chamber Ensemble i Bar Kokhba Sextet, gdzie klarowne melodie ze środkowowschodnim akcentem podane w bardzo wyrafinowany sposób zachwycają ulotna interpretacją znakomitych instrumentalistów. Każdy z członków kwartetu może uchodzić za gwiazdę współczesnej muzyki.
Kwartet w składzie z Benem Perowskim w miejsce Joeya Barona będzie gwiazdą tegorocznego Poznań Tzadik Festiwal, koncert odbędzie się 17 lipca 2009.
jazzandblues.blogspot.com
Mark Feldman,Uri Caine, Greg Cohen - każdy z nich odgrywa znaczącą rolę w wielu rozmaitych projektach Tzadika. Każdy z nich cieszy się uznaniem słuchaczy i krytyków, zwracjących uwagę na oryginalność brzmienia i jednocześnie umiejętność jego adaptacji. W ich wspólnym przedsięwzięciu - płycie 'Secrets' - wraz z perkusistą Joey Baronem na nowo definiują pojęcie tradycji. Każdy z nich jest odrębną osobowością muzyczną, nic więc dziwnego, że każdy temat - nowy czy stary - potraktowany został z dużą dozą muzycznej intuicji. Na płycie interpretują na nowo niggum - melodie modlitewne, często bez słów, śpiewane przez Chasydów, mieszając jazzową wrażliwość z delikatnym muśnięciem awangardy i tworząc w ten sposób kwartet, który mówi wieloma językami - ale jednym głosem.
Do wielu pieśni muzycy dodali wyraźnej barwy i ciepła, poczynając od swingujących akordów Uri Caine'a w 'Lubavitcher Nigun' do eleganckiej linii basu Grega Cohena w 'Kel Adon' . Brzmienie skrzypiec Feldmana - jednego z najpopularniejszych instrumentów w muzyce klezmerskiej - jest naprawdę niezrównane: raz płaczliwe, zawodzące, innym razem ocierające się o mrok i komedię. Atmosfery dopełnia Joey Baron, delikatnie muskając szczotkami bębny.
Większość utworów na tej płycie zbudowanych jest wokół wolnych, skłaniających do zadumy melodii, dających muzykom przestrzeń do refleksji i modulacji brzmień. Zwłaszcza w utworze 'Z'Chor Dovon', który jest przepełniony transcendentalnym pięknem. Rozpoczyna się tęskną melodią graną na skrzypcach, z towarzyszącym jej w tle fortepianem, krótką recytacją przed wejściem basu i perkusji. Rzewnie brzmiące skrzypce Feldmana znajdują kontrapunkt w radosnych tonach klawiszy Uri Caine'a.
''Chabad Nigun,'' ''Satmar Rikud'' i ''Z'Chor Hashem'' to radosne jazzowe arcydzieła, w których Feldman i Caine grają modernistycznymi akordami, od czasu do czasu przełamując je nieoczekiwanymi, wprowadzającymi dysonans zgrzytami smyczka i osiągając ten radosny rodzaj brzmienia, właściwy niektórym tańcom ludowym, które sprawiają, że stopy same rwą się do przytupywania. . . To muzyka tkwiąca korzeniami w wielu miejscach, od przyjęcia weselnego począwszy, a skończywszy na klubie jazzowym.
Na zakończenie 'Moditzer Nigun'bass Cohena toruje hipnotyczną drogę dla podążających za nim, pełnych wdzięku akordów Caine'a. To głęboko poruszający, pełen bluesowych podszeptów ton nostalgii, która z szacunkiem zwraca się ku tradycji. Ten duet uosabia brzmienie grupy - bogate, głębokie, emocjonalne. Ci, których oczaruje piękno 'Secrets', z pewnością będą prosić o więcej.
by Tim
Editor's Info:
A spectacular debut CD by a dynamic new quartet featuring four of the most acclaimed musicians in jazz: pianist Uri Caine, violinist Mark Feldman and the legendary Masada rhythm section of Greg Cohen and Joey Baron. Performing the spiritual compositions of the Hassidic dynasties of Lubavitch, Satmar, Bobov and Modzitzer Hassidim, a rich catalog of thousands of tunes passed down for centuries by oral tradition, Secrets is a brilliant collection of soaring spiritual Jewish music performed by a swinging modern jazz quartet.
All About Jazz:
Mark Feldman, Uri Caine, Greg Cohen and Joey Baron have all played integral parts in John Zorn's many explorations of Jewish improvised music. All four have won acclaim for the distinctness and flexibility of their sounds, but here they work in a setting that defines the meaning of traditional.
With a group such as this, it would be impossible to explore any theme, new or old, without bringing flares of insight. Secrets finds them interpreting a variety of niggunim, the often wordless prayer melodies sung by sects of Hasidic Jews, and they mix a jazz sensibility with slight, indefinable touches of the avant-garde to create a quartet that speaks many languages in one voice.
A distinct warmth and color is brought to a variety of songs by the group, from Caine's bright, swinging keys on the opening ''Lubavitcher Nigun,'' to Cohen's gentle, adroit bass on ''Kel Adon.'' As the instrument most commonly found in traditional Klezmer, Feldman's violin sings with unparalleled distinctness. Plaintive at times, alternately tinged with darkness and comedy at others, his sound is almost unmatched. Meanwhile, Joey Baron's understated percussion gives shape to the atmosphere with whisks of brushes and cymbals.
Most of the album focuses on slower, more ruminative melodies, allowing the performers space and time for inflection and reflection. ''Z'Chor Dovon,'' in particular, is full of transcendent beauty. It opens with a heartfelt melody on violin, backed by a lone piano for one recitation before the entrance of bass and drums. Feldman brings a mournful touch here, which is balanced out by a kind of hopeful humor in Caine's keys.
''Chabad Nigun,'' ''Satmar Rikud,'' and ''Z'Chor Hashem'' are joyous masterpieces of up-tempo jazz, with Feldman and Caine testing the lines with modernistic chords and occasional, dissonant bow tweaks. But at the faster paces, these songs also attain a certain joyous folk dance quality that seem to pull gently but persistently at the toes. It's music with roots in many places, from the wedding hall to the jazz club. Baron's solos here are distinctly jazzy, but he peppers the toms with an unrestrained ebullience that speaks beyond setting.
For the closing ''Moditzer Nigun,'' Cohen's nodding bass paves a hypnotic path for Caine's graceful keyboard steps. Deeply moving, filled with whispers of the blues, there is a tone of respectful nostalgia here that shines light on the best sides of tradition. The duet epitomizes the sound of a group that brings rich, emotional playing no matter where or how they play. Those enchanted by the beauty of Secrets will, no doubt, be asking Tzadik for more.
By Warren Allen
jazzandblues.blogspot.com:
Violinist Feldman, bassist Cohen, pianist Caine and drummer Baron have been involved on a number of Tzadik projects throughout the years, and this is another genuinely enjoyable one. Touching on the gentle chamber jazz swing of projects like the Masada String Trio and BarKokhba, the music improvises on music with a Middle Eastern feel, led by Feldman's violin which achieves a sweet aching and longing on several of the tracks here. Caine's acoustic piano isn't often featured, but here he gets a bit of space and uses it to excellent effect, with some swinging and thoughtful improvisations and solid support for the other musicians. Highlights of this disc include the exciting ''Kel Adon'' which starts out with an ominous piano trio playing in a free-ish manner before Feldman enters and turns the performance into a mournful lullaby that gradually intensifies into a swinging quasi-classical performance. This track really demonstrates thebredth of the music these men are capable of. ''Chabad Nigun'' Is an uptempo performance that is a great feature for violin - sweeping and swooping, the music is swift and sure. Caine gets a fine feature in ''Z'Chor Hashem'', a fast Middle Eastern flavored swinger that includes a rapid interlude of McCoy Tyner like piano and a short drum solo. I liked this one quite a bit, and think that anyone who has been impressed by the chamber jazz works that have been released onTzadik previously will enjoy this, as well as listeners interested in the intersection of classical music and jazz.
by Tim
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- Jazz / Pianistyka Jazzowa - Borah Bergman Trio
Luminescence TZ8131
Editor's info:
The long awaited follow-up to Borah Bergman's critically acclaimed solo recording Meditations for Piano takes his lyrical cross hands contrapuntal technique into the dynamic context of the classic piano trio. Rich and soulful, this is Borah at his most thoughtful, supported by a fabulous rhythm section and performing music very close to his heart. Influenced by the exotic melismas of cantorial singing, the counterpoint of Bach and the harmonic beauty of Alban Berg and Bill Evans, Borah forges a new language of joy and sadness, firmly rooted in the Jewish tradition. John Zorn guests on one track.
'
- Książka - Różni wykonawcy
kompozytor: John Zorn John Zorn: Arcana III [książka] B003
Editor's info:
The writings in the continuing Arcana series provide direct connections to the inner sanctums of some of the most extraordinary musical thinkers of our time. Technical, philosophical and mystical in nature, these essays reach out to the listener to illuminate the creative processes and hidden stratagem of a music [and a community] largely misjudged and unappreciated by mainstream culture. Arcana provides welcome tools for digging into the underground and can lead the creative mind toward an exciting world of possibilities for artists, musicians, musical theorists and curious listeners alike.
-from the preface
The Arcana series will come to be viewed as the most vital source of relevant information on creative music in the transitional opening of the third millennium. In a time period where mundane reading sources permeate the publishing world, this body of writings provide welcome intellectual nourishment for serious engagement and learning about creative thinking.
-Anthony Braxton
This diverse group of contributors, living and writing in a deeply aware 21st century provides insights into the way musicians view their work and each other. One senses that there is an unlimited way ''to do it'' and that musicians, who can delight with their magic spells, can speak with welcome clarity about how they attempt to get to that mysterious place. These writers point to their sources, their concerns, and at times their love and admiration for one another with original thought. What you get with Arcana III is a sense that there are no boundaries-the closing piece raised me right up out of my chair with a resounding ''yes.''
-Terry Riley
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- Jazz / Jewish - Tafilalt
Tafilalt TZ8138
Editor's info:
Sacred texts from the Mishnah, prayers from North Africa and the Middle East, modern Hebrew poetry and even a letter found in the streets of Jerusalem all serve as the basis for this exciting exploration of the roots of Hebrew song by these innovative young Israeli composer / performers. Original members of Haoman 18, an Israeli counterpart to Radical Jewish Culture, these three musicians combine traditional music with improvisation and contemporary composition in adventurous arrangements. Exotic and passionate new music from the Holy Land featuring middle eastern percussion, mediaeval strings and voices.
- Jazz / Jewish - Frank London / Lorin Sklamberg
Tsuker-zis TZ8141
Editor's info:
At the epicenter of the klezmer revival and the New Jewish Music scene, Frank London and Lorin Sklamberg have masterminded some of the most exciting Jewish music bands of the past two decades, including The Klezmatics. This third installment of their Nigunim projects focuses on Hasidic holiday songs. Featuring guitarist Knox Chandler of the Psychedelic Furs, legendary oud player Ara Dinkjian and Indian percussion virtuoso Deep Singh, the songs on tsuker-zis [sugarsweet] will delight one and all with their authenticity and creativity.
'
- Jazz / Jewish - Pissuk Rachav
Eretz Hakodesh TZ8139
multikulti.com :
To płyta dzika i szalona, to jakby połączyć rozerotyzowanego Serge'a Gainsbourga, pulsujący soul, wyobraźnię Franka Zappy z hasydzką witalnością. Jeśli macie jakieś podejrzenie co do efektu to jesteście w błędzie, ta płyta na pewno was zaskoczy!
Warto też dodać, że w sesji nagraniowej uczestniczyli Marc Ribot i John Zorn.
autor: Piotr Szukała
Editor's info:
Channeling Serge Gainsbourg through the lens of Hassidic porn and the loving erection of the soul, Pissuk Rachav is the bastard child of Holy Land poetic visions and Brahmachari Circus Music. Marimba, ney, theremin, drums and voice weave a remarkably original and hilariously serious musical universe that seems so perfect one wonders why it has never happened before. French Israeli Jeremy Fogel is an instant superstar, styled in the mold of his hero Serge Gainsbourg. In their own words ''perambulations through the existential crisis experienced by post-menopause and suddenly somewhat melancholic Bruria heroine. We would advise all listeners to work out their own salvation with diligence and would like to dedicate all we say, write, sing, play or do to the eternal landlord of the soul.'' Who knew? This is their debut CD, and it is a must hear for all interested in the outer realms of sanity, Jewish or otherwise! Also features avant superstars Marc Ribot and John Zorn as special guests.
'
- Jazz / Avant jazz - Wadada Leo Smith & Jack Dejohnette
kompozytor: Wadada Leo Smith America TZ7628
Editor's info:
Two creative music legends who share a remarkable spiritual connection in their first duo outing. Originally proposed to ECM in 1979 and rejected, this rare musical treasure is a project that has been brewing for thirty years. Featuring six new compositions by one of the most consistently brilliant composer/performers out of the legendary AACM, and telepathic interplay by two virtuoso instrumentalists who have been pushing the musical envelope since the 1960s, Red Trumpet is one of the highlights of this or any other year. Recorded at Bill Laswell's New Jersey studio, the sound is impeccable and the music incendiary.
- Outer Limits / Współczesna Elektronika - Ikue Mori
kompozytor: Ikue Mori Class Insecta TZ7629
Editor's info:
One of the pioneers of laptop electronics, Ikue Mori has been breaking new ground on the musical frontier for three decades. From her early days in the landmark No Wave band DNA, to her years as a regular in the downtown improvisation community and more recently as one of the epicenters of the international laptop electronic scene, Ikue has become an underground heroyet her work is still sorely underappreciated. This newest solo CD features Ikue's idiosyncratic take on contemporary dance rhythms and electronica. Fascinating ambient textures, detailed improvisations and pulsing hypnotic rhythms clash and combine in this complex and charismatic electronic masterpiece.
- Film - Henry Hills
Henry Hills: Selected Films 1977-2008 [DVD Video] TZ3009
Editor's info:
ForMoving to New York in 1978, filmmaker Henry Hills formed a strong alliance with the Downtown improvisers and the 'Language' poets, guiding his film work toward a rhythmic, multilayered world filled with unpredictable changes and a striking improvisational edge. The very best of his short, intense films are presented herefrom the downtown all-star Money to structural dance films like The Little Lieutenant and Bali Méchanique. A major force in new cinema, these films are brilliantly visual, crammed with image and double meaning. Also included is his 1990 music video for the band Naked Cty, Gotham.
- Muzyka filmowa - Robert Burger
kompozytor: Robert Burger City of Strangers TZ7519
Editor's info:
Robert Burger has worked with Laurie Anderson, Rufus Wainwright, Lucinda Williams, Iron & Wine, and was a founding member of chamber music collective Tin Hat Trio. His first Tzadik CD Lost Photograph was released in 2002 to great acclaim. Performing on a multitude of instruments, and complemented by some of the greatest names in new music, Robert presents City of Strangers, a deep and eclectic collection of film cues that reveals, once again, the boundless and potent gifts of an important contributor.
'
- Jazz - John Zorn
kompozytor: John Zorn John Zorn: Filmworks XXI: Belle de Nature / The New Rijksmuseum TZ7370
multikulti.com :
Muzyka do dwóch zupełnie różnych filmów, pierwszy z nich ''Belle de Nature'' w reżyserii Marii Beatty to francuska s/m erotyka, drugi ''The New Rijksmuseum' w reżyserii Oeke'a Hoogendijka to dokument pracach renowacyjnych w Rijksmuseum w Amsterdamie.
Pierwszych siedem kompozycji nagranych w składzie Marc Ribot - gitara, Carol Emanuel - harfa i Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz - kontrabas. Kolejne powstały w składzie Uri Caine - Harpsichord, piano, Kenny Wollesen - vibraphone, chimes, percussion, Cyro Baptista - percussion i John Zorn - harpsichord, glass percussion.
Pierwsza część to połaczenie różnych muzycznych klimatów: od surf rocka po world music. Niby nic nowego, dobrze znani muzycy, zgrabne motywy, aranżacja trochę w stylu jewish avant pop. A jednak cóż za niesamowita łatwość zjednywania słuchacza.
Druga część jest inna, przedziwny melanż barokowego klawesynu z wibrafonem i instrumentami perkusyjnymi brzmi niesamowicie, kompozycje utrzymane w duchu minimal music/muzyki repetytywnej skręcają czasem w stronę loungowej exotica, iście diabelskie połączenie!
autor: Piotr Szukała
Editor's info:
2008 proves a busy year for Zorn and film, with this, his third release of soundtrack music. FilmWorks XXI contains two very different film scores for two very different moviesone, a bit of French S/M erotica and the other a documentary about the renovation of the world-famed Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. From baroque minimalism to a sensual fusion of harp, guitar and bass, the cues on FilmWorks XXI are some of the most unique and charming in the entire series, with Belle de Nature being one of Zorn's greatest scores to date.
'
- Outer Limits - Stabat Akish
Stabat Akish TZ8064
Editor's info:
Maxime Delporte is a passionate and talented young composer based in Toulouse, France who combines jazz, rock, classical and more into a crazy new music filled with compositional surprises, brilliant solos and wild juxtapositions. Written for and performed by his astounding band Stabat Akish, the music is tight, virtuosic and powerful-perfect for fans of Zappa, Zs and Zorn. This newest installment of the Full Force series is a dynamic debut by this young band of musical misfits.
'
- Jazz - John Zorn
kompozytor: John Zorn John Zorn: Filmworks XXIII: el General TZ7373
multikulti.com:
Elías Calles Plutarco to w historii Meksyku postać posągowa, w wieku 38 lat został generałem armii meksykańskiej, były to wprawdzie burzliwe czasy rewolucji meksykańskiej, lecz nawet jak owe czasy był to wyjątek. Założyciel Partii Narodowo-Rewolucyjnej, przekształconej w 1946 r. w Partię Rewolucyjno-Instytucjonalną [PRI], która rządziła Meksykiem w latach 1929-2000. W 1924 r. został wybrany na prezydenta kraju i pomimo oddania w 1928 r. urzędu prezydenta sprawował faktyczną władzę do 1936 r., kiedy to Calles został aresztowany wraz ze swoimi współpracownikami, a następnie deportowany do USA.
Film Natalii Almada 'El General' opowiada szalenie powikłane losy Callesa otrzymał wyróżnienia za reżyserię na tegrocznym Sundance Film Festival. Jednak prawdziwym skarbem jest muzyka, jaką do filmu skomponował John Zorn. Oszczędny skład, Marc Ribot na gitarach, Rob Burger na fortepianie i akordeonie, Greg Cohen na kontrabasie i Kenny Wollesen na marimbie, wibrafonie i perkusji w nasyconych meksykańsko-żydowsko-surfującymi tematami zachwyca elegancją.
To jakby zmiksować ludyczność Marc Ribot Los Cubanos Postizos, zwiewność ''The Dreamers'' i ''The Gift'' z wirtuozostwem nagrań kameralnych Masad.
Jeśli muzyka filmowa nie ma prawa do życia poza ekranem to płyta do filmu ''El General'' w najpełniejszy sposób zadaje kłam tej teorii, tym bardziej, że dokument o ''Elíasie Callesie Plutarco'' nie był dotąd prezentowany na polskich ekranach. A przecież ''filmówka'' sprzedaje sie TYLKO po premierze filmu, są jednak na szczęście wyjątki. . .
autor: Piotr Szukała
diapazon.pl:
2008 był pracowitym rokiem dla Zorna: 4 płyty z muzyką filmową, ''The Crucible'' z projektem Mooonchild, seria Music Romances powiększona o ''The Dreamers'', 3 kolejne odsłony księgi Aniołów [2 ostatnie z nich - ''Lucifer'' i ''Zaebos'' - doczekały się diapazonowych recenzji], w końcu wyczerpujące europejskie trasy koncertowe w ramach ''Zorn's Days'', choćby ta paryska. W 2009 r. wydawniczy maraton Zorn rozpoczął ''dopiero'' w marcu - i od razu małym arcydziełkiem: bo za takie skłonny jestem uważać ''el General'' - filmworks numer 23.
O ile mogłem trochę ponarzekać na kilka poprzednich filmworksów - ''The Last Supper'' zupełnie mi nie podszedł, ''Sholem Aleichem'' w sumie średnio na jeża, a z ''Belle de Nature/The New Rijskmuseum'' lubię tylko pierwszą połowę płyty - ''el General'' zauroczył mnie od razu. I od razu w całości. Przez chwilę myślałem nawet, że w końcu Zorn nagrał coś, co klasą dorównuje niedoścignionemu filmworksowi nr 13 [''Invitation. . .'']. Potem odświeżyłem tę ostatnią - jednak wciąż poza zasięgiem, nie wiem, co musiałbym usłyszeć, żeby strącić ją z tronu. Ale tylko w porównaniu z tą wyjątkową płytą ''el General'' wypada gorzej - bez mojej totalnej fiksacji w temacie ''trzynastki'' nowy filmworks Zorna z pewnością zostałby liderem tej naiwnej klasyfikacji, i ''Generał'' awansowałby na króla.
Tylko nie pytajcie co takiego jest w tej płycie. Nie wiem. To nie tak, by cokolwiek nie pozwalało mi wyodrębnić i opisać poszczególnych elementów składowych każdego z tych skądinąd dość prostych utworów - analityczna machina na niewiele się tu przyda: od melodii, po aranżację i wykonanie nie ma tu prawie nic, czego byśmy chociaż w zalążku nie słyszeli na jakiejś z wcześniejszych płyt Zorna. A jednak: jakaż łatwość pobudzania wyobraźni i kreowania klimatu! Czy jest ktoś [no, może poza S. Wilsonem], kto z trzech akordów potrafiłby stworzyć 30 przepięknych melodii? Takich jak ''Los Cristeros'' [znów ten niesamowity Ribot], jak zefirowo zwiewny ''el General'', czy jak melancholijny ''Besos de Sangre'' na gitarę klasyczną. To tylko trzy pierwsze z brzegu utwory - a i tak nie doszedłem jeszcze do ''Exactamente Eso'', mojego faworyta na płycie. Dalej nie pytamy już o tytuły, czy to konkurs pięknych melodii? Bezskutecznie szukamy słabego momentu [przecież musi jakiś być. . . musi?], potem ewentualnie dziwimy się, że to już koniec, że trzeba wstać i włączyć od początku.
Nie wiem skąd w eklektycznej głowie Zorna rodzą się pomysły na tak piękne rzeczy, nie mam potrzeby zresztą wiedzieć - byleby od czasu do czasu, raz na pół roku powiedzmy, zdarzało mu się wypuszczać takie cudeńka, jak ''el General''. Nie da się ukryć, że perfekcję wykonania i subtelną grę nastrojami płyta ta zawdzięcza w dużej mierze klasie muzyków: Cohen, Ribot, Wollesen, Burger - dość na temat: portfolio każdego z nich mówią same za siebie. Stąd być może wrażenie, że hiszpańsko-żydowsko-surfująco-popowe motywy słyszeliśmy już gdzieś wcześniej. Wrażenie? Na pewno słyszeliśmy - na giftach, dreamersach czy innych filmworksach. Zresztą - niejeden z zornofilów [nie mówiąc już o zornofobach] potraktuje to zauważalne podobieństwo jako zarzut. Cóż, trudno. Jeśli o mnie chodzi - nie uszczupla ono w żaden sposób przyjemności czerpanej ze słuchania. Gorąco polecam.
Na koniec pytanie do czytelników Diapazonu - może ktoś chciałby się podzielić swoją prywatną gradacją filmworksów?
autor: Łukasz Ragan
Editor's info:
Eleven cues recorded for a striking documentary focusing on the life of controversial Mexican dictator Plutarco Elias Calles who was called everything from a nunburner to the father of modern Mexico. Beautiful and dramatic, the music is scored for guitar, marimba, accordion / piano and bass and subtly draws upon Mexican, Spanish, minimalist and soundtrack traditions. Zorn's fifth film score in as many months is a pure delight. Moody and exotic music for a creative and revealing film dealing with truth and the complexity of history!
'
- Jazz / Jewish - Greg Wall's Later Prophets
The Kook Project TZ8137
Editor's info:
A leading figure in the Jewish music scene for over thirty years, Greg Wall is one of the pioneers in blending Jewish music with jazz. His newest recording with his powerful ensemble Later Prophets is a colorful and provocative mix of jazz and Jewish poetry and features the spiritual writings of Rabbi Avraham Itzchak HaCohen Kook, recently voted the most influential figure in the shaping of modern Israel. Kook was a unique blend of the traditional and the modernand the music follows suit, with funky grooves, improvisations and even a few of Kook's own compositions. With texts read by one of the greatest living scholars on Kook and his milieu, this is an important document of Jewish mysticism.
- Jazz / Jewish - Uri Gurvich
The Storyteller TZ8135
Editor's info:
The Storyteller is another exciting release out of the New Israeli Jazz scene, this time featuring alto saxophonist Uri Gurvich. Born and raised in Israel, Uri moved to Boston in 2003. He has studied at Berklee with Joe Lovano and Herb Pomeroy and now lives in New York, where he appears regularly with his own ensembles. His work places Israeli, Yemenite, East European and North African music into a prog ressive Jazz context. Passionate and virtuosic, The Storyteller is a fabulous debut CD by this brilliant and talented composer / saxophonist.
- Jazz / Jewish - Roberto Rodriguez
The First Basket TZ8136
Editor's info:
Charming and imaginative music for a controversial film that follows the Jewish basketball experience from ash cans placed on the stoops of brownstones to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Composed by Roberto Juan Rodriguez, whose CDs of modern Cuban-Jewish fusion have become Tzadik best sellers, the score jumps from klezmer to classical, dixieland, pop, rock and back again. Featuring an astounding array of downtown musicians, The First Basket establishes Roberto as a versatile composer who is capable of just about anything.
- Jazz / Jewish - Daphna Sadeh & the Voyagers
Reconciliation TZ8134
Editor's info:
To composer / bassist Daphna Sadeh, Jewish Music is the cross-cultural patchwork quilt of the diaspora experience. Born in Israel, she has studied in New York and since 2002 has been based mostly in London where she leads her own ensemble and performs with a variety of fabulous musicians. Her first contribution to the Radical Jewish Culture series is a brilliant and hypnotic mix of Jazz, Western Classical, Middle Eastern / Arabic Taqsim and Jewish music from the Sephardi / Ashkenazi tradition, reflecting her eclectic life experiences. Seductive and powerful music from this sensitive Israeli globe trotter.
- Jazz / Avant jazz - Guy Klucevsek
kompozytor: Guy Klucevsek Guy Klucevsek: Dancing on the Volcano TZ7627
Editor's info:
Guy Klucevsek is one of the world's first and foremost accordion virtuosos, performing with the likes of Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton, Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith and the Kronos Quartet, among many others. His music has graced theater productions, films, dance concerts and he has toured with his ensembles the world over. Guy's third CD for Tzadik presents a series of charming new compositions filled with the patented Klucevsek wit and humor, and is scored for a fabulous quartet of some of his closest collaborators. A new CD from Guy is always a delight, and this is one of his very best.
- Outer Limits - Richard Foreman
kompozytor: Richard Foreman Richard Foreman: Sophia: The Cliffs / 35+ Year Retrospective Compilation [DVD Video] TZ3008
Editor's info:
Since the late 1960's Richard Foreman has been writing, designing and directing one of the most important and innovative theater experiences in the world. Documenting dozens of productions, and replete with commentary and interviews, this first release in a series of DVDs from the Ontological Archives is an inner view into the mind of one of the world's greatest and most acclaimed theatrical geniuses. This special edition contains a retrospective of three decades of work, and a document of one of Richard's earliest plays complete from beginning to end.
- Jazz / Jewish - Roberto Rodriguez
Timba Talmud TZ8140
Editor's info:
Composer/percussionist Roberto Rodriguez's imaginative Cuban-Jewish fusion is some of the most charming and popular music on Tzadik. Continuing his creative reading of imaginary music from Havana's Jewish community, Roberto draws upon several traditions in Timba Talmud, his best CD yet. Performed by a tight band of musical all-stars, Son Montuno and Guaracha meet the Jewish tradition in this beautiful and sensitive collection of Latin Klezmer.
'
- Jazz - Raphael Rogiński
kompozytor: Johann Sebastian Bach [1685-1750] Bach Bleach MPCC001
Liner Notes:
Jeszcze raz, w miłosnej bliskości, przekaż mi Twoją najgłębszą mądrość,
bo Twoja miłość jest mi droższa nad wszystkie rozkosze świata.
[Pieśń nad Pieśniami 1:2, interpretacja kabalistyczna]
Odczytania Raphaela Rogińskiego nie są tradycyjne: stanowią twórczą polemikę z kanonicznymi wykonaniami tych dzieł i. . . naszymi przyzwyczajeniami. Radykalnie spowolnione tempa, sugestywne barwy, oryginalne frazowanie i kontrolowana dynamika pełnią funkcję ''wehikułu czasu'' - przenoszą słuchacza poza doraźność i tymczasowość, wyciszają i uspokajają, pozwalają prześledzić ''w mikroskopowym zbliżeniu'' przebieg melodyczny i architekturę harmoniczną utworów. Odgłosy z warsztatu gitarzysty - oddechy, poszumy, świsty, szurnięcia, trzaski oraz preparacje - są tu celowo wyolbrzymione: sugerują działanie prawie do szczętu zużytego, lecz wciąż jakimś cudem funkcjonującego werku pozytywki. Rogiński odczytuje Bacha podkreślając śpiewność, delikatność i tajemniczość tej muzyki. Jednocześnie nawiązuje brzmieniowo i artykulacyjnie do muzyki lutniowej - z jednej strony, a z drugiej - do ludowej, a nawet eksperymentalnej, aż czasem wprost trudno uwierzyć, że te kompozycje zostały napisane kilkaset lat temu, i że to Bach. . . Dla mnie największa wartość utworów wykonanych przez Rogińskiego tkwi w wyjątkowej atmosferze skupienia i osamotnienia - medytacji niepozbawionej pewnej dozy melancholii.
IRENEUSZ SOCHA
marzec 2009
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