FEBRUARY 2015
Click on the Artist/Title to read our review
|
FAST TRACKS...More reviews in brief
ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS - Moanin' (Masterworks)
57 years later, and “The Jazz Tiger” that is Art Blakey lives on in the 2014 masterworks release of Moanin'!
Being a rather naive purveyor of jazz, this CD caught my attention immediately. The charmingly accurate snapshot of Arthur “Art” Blakey doing what he did best gave me a good idea of what was to be expected from this album, and it lived up to my expectations nicely! Originally released in 1959, the 2014 re-issue graces us with bonus recordings, taken from live performances in The Olympia, Paris, 1958. It's hard not to allow yourself to be captured by the charm of this CD, it is a tribute to a timeless legacy in the ether that is Jazz! Hence it's placement in the Grammy Hall of Fame. A year after the initial release of Moanin' The Jazz Messengers took their show on the road to Japan, where their arrival was televised nationally. This was truly a high point in the groups history, decades of working from the bottom up culminated in an established, international presence as authoritative figures within the Jazz and Hard-Bop worlds.Moanin' is a beautiful collection of instrumental pieces, guaranteed to take you on a musical trip to the contemporary realms of days gone by, and the bonus tracks on this CD make it a must have for any avid fan of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers! Hearing these virtuoso's demonstrate their craft live is truly marvellous, demonstrating the technical precision of a well oiled machine, lubricated with as much swing as you'd like!
Reviewed by Doug Mottershead
57 years later, and “The Jazz Tiger” that is Art Blakey lives on in the 2014 masterworks release of Moanin'!
Being a rather naive purveyor of jazz, this CD caught my attention immediately. The charmingly accurate snapshot of Arthur “Art” Blakey doing what he did best gave me a good idea of what was to be expected from this album, and it lived up to my expectations nicely! Originally released in 1959, the 2014 re-issue graces us with bonus recordings, taken from live performances in The Olympia, Paris, 1958. It's hard not to allow yourself to be captured by the charm of this CD, it is a tribute to a timeless legacy in the ether that is Jazz! Hence it's placement in the Grammy Hall of Fame. A year after the initial release of Moanin' The Jazz Messengers took their show on the road to Japan, where their arrival was televised nationally. This was truly a high point in the groups history, decades of working from the bottom up culminated in an established, international presence as authoritative figures within the Jazz and Hard-Bop worlds.Moanin' is a beautiful collection of instrumental pieces, guaranteed to take you on a musical trip to the contemporary realms of days gone by, and the bonus tracks on this CD make it a must have for any avid fan of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers! Hearing these virtuoso's demonstrate their craft live is truly marvellous, demonstrating the technical precision of a well oiled machine, lubricated with as much swing as you'd like!
Reviewed by Doug Mottershead
ROB BUCKLAND & PETER LAWSON - Duality (Sospiro Records)
Most of us look for something in music before the event-if we don't find it we feel disappointed / let down in some way...and we may not give the material a second chance. So the vexed question of genre to rear its head..Buckland has arrived ,he says, at a point where he hopes his music cannot be categorised. I would therefore urge anyone to give this CD a few shots in order to be rewarded..The acid test a priori is 'Does it do it for me?' period..that goes for most things. 'Like it?'..'Yes or no?' I would still urge listeners to give this disc a fair hearing..What- ever our opinions it does not make what is on offer invalid.
The Album explores numbers by Tim Garland,Babara Thompson,Jason Rebello,Rob Buckland et al..Maybe ... there's a case for saying to muscians and composers at a 'new' face of music ,why not pop in at least in the middle something we may want to hear..on this album a standard Quartet track of a well-known tune might do it..listeners are the customers whom you need to hear your stuff.with the best chance possible..Happy listening!..
Reviewed by Bob Jones
Most of us look for something in music before the event-if we don't find it we feel disappointed / let down in some way...and we may not give the material a second chance. So the vexed question of genre to rear its head..Buckland has arrived ,he says, at a point where he hopes his music cannot be categorised. I would therefore urge anyone to give this CD a few shots in order to be rewarded..The acid test a priori is 'Does it do it for me?' period..that goes for most things. 'Like it?'..'Yes or no?' I would still urge listeners to give this disc a fair hearing..What- ever our opinions it does not make what is on offer invalid.
The Album explores numbers by Tim Garland,Babara Thompson,Jason Rebello,Rob Buckland et al..Maybe ... there's a case for saying to muscians and composers at a 'new' face of music ,why not pop in at least in the middle something we may want to hear..on this album a standard Quartet track of a well-known tune might do it..listeners are the customers whom you need to hear your stuff.with the best chance possible..Happy listening!..
Reviewed by Bob Jones
EYESHUTIGHT - Resonance (Hungry Bear Records – HBR001)
Record producers must have confidence in our appetite for post EST piano trios given the number of clone like issues that are presented for our attention. Eyeshutight are as good as any who inhabit this territory, indeed quite masterful in their execution of the increasingly familiar ingredients. The opening track encapsulates them perfectly to the point of caricature: a through composed vehicle moving through several stages from superimposed electronic effects, sombre cadences, asymmetric progressions, repetitive vamps, a little in the way of elegiac reflection, all laid over a rock beat and bullying bass lines. I’m afraid we’ve heard it all before and worthy as this new release is, whilst listening to it I was overwhelmed by an ennui laden feeling of Déjà –Vu and fell asleep dreaming of Bud Powell.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Record producers must have confidence in our appetite for post EST piano trios given the number of clone like issues that are presented for our attention. Eyeshutight are as good as any who inhabit this territory, indeed quite masterful in their execution of the increasingly familiar ingredients. The opening track encapsulates them perfectly to the point of caricature: a through composed vehicle moving through several stages from superimposed electronic effects, sombre cadences, asymmetric progressions, repetitive vamps, a little in the way of elegiac reflection, all laid over a rock beat and bullying bass lines. I’m afraid we’ve heard it all before and worthy as this new release is, whilst listening to it I was overwhelmed by an ennui laden feeling of Déjà –Vu and fell asleep dreaming of Bud Powell.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
BUD POWELL-Live at the Blue Note Cafe (Paris 1961)
The double-bass (Pierre Michelot) is very clear on the Album and the percussion (Kenny Clarke) is vibrantly loud..some listeners may prefer that atmosphere created by 'lack' of quality on old recordings..we can always have both!
The first three tracks finds Zoot Zims making up a Quartet. It would seem preferable to have peppered the Sax at intervals throughout the Album ,thereby making for greater variety rather than coupling those sax tracks 1-3.
The CD then, is replete with familiar tunes in this instance representing the be-bop era:- such as 'Grooving High','Taking a Chance on Love','Monk's Mood' and 'Lover Man'- (11 tracks in all)..The bebop style may sound dated to some ears-but here it's the real deal we cannot deny. Be-bop too has influenced so many..even Bill Evans when you listen carefully/even Keith Jarrett can do it unashamedly, undisguisedly and wonderfully on 'I believe in You' - but wasn't Keith influenced by Bill Evans as well;mostly in different ways though!
Reviewed by Bob Jones
The double-bass (Pierre Michelot) is very clear on the Album and the percussion (Kenny Clarke) is vibrantly loud..some listeners may prefer that atmosphere created by 'lack' of quality on old recordings..we can always have both!
The first three tracks finds Zoot Zims making up a Quartet. It would seem preferable to have peppered the Sax at intervals throughout the Album ,thereby making for greater variety rather than coupling those sax tracks 1-3.
The CD then, is replete with familiar tunes in this instance representing the be-bop era:- such as 'Grooving High','Taking a Chance on Love','Monk's Mood' and 'Lover Man'- (11 tracks in all)..The bebop style may sound dated to some ears-but here it's the real deal we cannot deny. Be-bop too has influenced so many..even Bill Evans when you listen carefully/even Keith Jarrett can do it unashamedly, undisguisedly and wonderfully on 'I believe in You' - but wasn't Keith influenced by Bill Evans as well;mostly in different ways though!
Reviewed by Bob Jones
