Expanded jazz music : review page 3

Ozella Rec.Edgar Knecht : Good Morning Lilofee (D,2010)****

Too many piano based releases are not exhibiting much more than neo-romantic easy listening. Such releases lack vision, skills and experiment, not that it has to be weird to be good. Edgar Knecht's release still is based entirely on rhythmic/melodic scores, is shows the necessary skills and visions of a composer/improviser memorizing a lot of tunes and rhythms and then playing with it, light and joyfully. This ranges from classical and baroque themes to swinging jazz, breaks into some Latin rhythm and then returns back to previous or even other themes without a feeling to create just a pot-pourri or medley. Much more this takes something back of the early experiments of fusing mixes of jazz and classical, like we know from some post-Nice/ELP groups, like some serious progressive Italian bands like Latte & Miele for instance. Only this time, 30 years later, the serious compact crossovers visions become liberated and lighter. It is as if this sort of mixed area was there and the mixture happened all the time, this is celebrating its existence into a new vision, semi-improvised. This is as virtuous as the great early 70s pianists (like Keith Emerson), but with no need of pretension or a need to prove itself. Somehow it reaches a different level, even though this sounds light and brighter. Longer parts swing with jazzy skills, accompanied by upright bass and jazz swing drums. But then before you know it a classical theme is incorporated, and then jazz tune hints are given within the same flow of rhythm. Then as if within a break some themes return. This was about the first track. All the tunes and flavours that meant something to the composer now are given a new life. This is of course somewhat romantic too, with creative ideas in rhythm and certain surprising combinations. One track used an element of singing with vocoder. Very enjoyable.

Audio : "Heisses Kathreinerle", "Simsala", "Thule"

Homepage : http://www.edgarknecht.com/

Label info : http://www.ozellamusic.com/446.0.html?&L=1

Ubiguity Rec. Clutchy Hopkins : Walking -CD+DVD- (US,2008)***°+*

When a box with reel to reels was found at a yard sale, this caused some serious research by the lable for who recorded these. The owner seemed to be Clutchy Hopkins who was traced down some time after. He told them his father was a record engineer at Motown. A documentary video is added about tracing down people who seem to have met the man, leaving an impression, music, a proportion of life energy, most often the possessions or tapes later were stolen. The music has great grooves, is a fine energy of jamming. Only the mysterious aspect itself for me comes over as much about nothing concrete. You cannot talk about what caused a good groove. This compilation all are good tracks, but still are a bit repetitive and like a groove-based record. Exceptional is the soulful kinda real-life song “Song for Wolfie” co-produced by Shawn Lee.

Fan site : http://www.clutchyhopkins.com/ & with audio: http://www.myspace.com/whoisclutchyhopkins

& http://www.whoisclutchyhopkins.com & homepage : http://www.clutchyhopkinsmusic.com/

& http://clutchyhopkins.bandcamp.com/

Info on CH : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutchy_Hopkins

& http://www.last.fm/music/Clutchy+Hopkins

& http://www.allmusic.com/artist/clutchy-hopkins-p928831

Documentary : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lo8OdJ1Kq8

Label info: http://www.ubiquityrecords.com/artists/CLUTCHY-HOPKINS.html

& audio on http://www.ubiquityrecords.com/shop/products/...

Dutch reviews : http://www.rundfunk.nl/clutchy-hopkins-walking-backwards

& http://www.muziekweb.nl/Link/JK147540

Other reviews : http://www.thegoldbrick.net/clutchy-hopkins-walking-backwards/

Roots Music Root (B,2011)****/***°

This Belgian jazz/pop/rock trio with most foundation in jazz is mostly led by the ideas brought forward to Dominique Vantomme’s lead on keyboards like Wurlizer and Rhodes piano. The first track is the most powerful and adventurous one, a bit Canterbury-like showing the weirdest side of the keyboard with some distortion, and combined with interesting driven and groovy rhythms. But then the band suddenly relaxes after that with a successful improvisation based upon the melody of “Money Money Money” from Abba brought down to a jazz-rock setting. After a contemporary piano intermezzo, “Current one”, more elements are brought in too. Several melodies are slightly melancholic. On “Greetings from Béram Sowe” there’s a break beat rhythm played on jazz drums. Then a few funkier tracks appear too (I lean funky in a jazz way), like “Two Stores High” or later “PLC-101”, which also includes some mouth harmonica. And then some guest vocalists were invited too, for a more pop/rap edge, making the band more an accompanying group in a more popular music sounding context, entertaining but less surprising, even though Geert Roelofs showed a few adaptations to differet styles with woody accents and occasionally Mirko Banovic played in a funkier way too on PLC-101 stretching the final outer shape of the band a bit with it.

Dominique Vantomme on Rhodes, Wurlizer, CP 80, clavinet, piano ; Mirko Banovic (Arno en Arsenal) on electric bass, samples and Geert Roelofs on drums, sounds with some guests like DJ Grazzhoppa, Uman & Eva/Kapinga Gysel, Laurent Maur, Leonie Gysel, Karin Leclercq and Didier Vogelas.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/rootband

Homepage : http://www.rootband.be/

Videos : http://www.youtube.com/user/rootmusicrecords

Band info : http://www.flandersmusic.be/identity.php?ID=146683

Dutch intro : http://www.rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEUW/2011/MEI1/CD5.html

Private publ. John Irvine Band : Wait & See (UK,2011)***'

John Irvine is a classically trained guitarist with a PhD in music composition. After his studies he got more interested in different music forms like jazz. This release as the John Irvine Band is a jazz / fusion / prog / rock album based upon melodic electric guitar improvisations. Most often these melodies are driving calmly on the rhythms and are played with convincing emotion in the playing. The second guitar responds calmly and there’s a small electric feedback echoing. There are a few good ideas in the progressions, like some oscillating effect arrangement as if some additional sequenced power is added to the guitar arrangement and an occasional distorted accent. Never the less after the second half of the album the effect of it all becomes a bit predictable and safe formula with almost romantic melody leads, brushed evening moods and landscapes with texture keyboards, I wish the safety of staying in one area had been left to gain access to bigger ideas of change into composition but this wasn’t, so in the end this becomes slightly more tiresome than it should have been. There’s a strong potential but perhaps a bit too much individualism in the project.

Homepage : http://www.johnirvinemusic.com/

Info & audio : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thejohnirvineband

& http://www.reverbnation.com/thejohnirvineband

Private Nadishana Trio : Far & Near (RU,2011)****

On the earliest releases of Vladiswar Nadishana, this multiple artist, with the help of some visual artists, created a new sort of imagined, idealised world with its own folk music, its own (in this case self-built) instruments and its own folk music, a sort of imaginary middle ground between a lot of world music origins. Having worked solo and with some other musicians on stage, the practice with all that derived from it, to give this direct approach a stronger aspect of reality, based upon the art of improvisation and the practicality of all that. Here it becomes a confirmation that Nadishana has a particular style (no matter which instrument is played), which has unclear world-folk origins -or better similarities- simple because of these improvisational skills, a happy and light, rather brilliant highly melodic playing, with an ear to sound and a good rhythmic flow with openness towards the development of its melodic core and aspect of being a free spirit playing in such a way. The band mates wonderfully succeed to give additional features to Nadishana’s playing, with fretless bass or bass acoustic guitar or electric bass accents, always played with warmth and the more often brushed and sometimes, colourful percussion. There’s an element of jazz improvisation involved in this. The lead instruments change more often to make this a perfect listen. First it’s flute, then a steel-pan rhythm, then a jazzy played guitar, a kind of sitar guitar and then jew’s harp in different order of appearances. The way Nadishana handles the flutes from the souls of the instruments creating its melodies is comparable to that of Didier Malherbe, in combination with the use the costum built steel pan, he also plays the jew’s harp with the contribution of his voice in it, and also his guitar style is remarkable and still this feels light to hear. I am not sure if one of the flute melodies really had a Chinese melody in it and elsewhere there was a far distant hint to something Appalachian, perhaps this simply is appealing something universal, something from the whole world of being, into what equally can be called melodic jazz improvisation skills. Very pleasant. Highly recommended.

Audio : http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_details/9746970

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/nadishanatrio

& http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/NadishanaTrio

& http://www.projects.nadishana.com/... & http://nadishana.blogspot.com/

& http://www.reverbnation.com/nadishana

Info : http://sologak1.blogspot.com/2010/01/ethno-jazz-nadishana-trio.html

Article : http://www.sheerfolk.com.ar...

Info : http://shop.nadishana.com/

Previous albums reviewed : http://www.psychefolk.com/world.html#anchor_55

Enja Rec. Rez Abbasi' Invocation : Suno Suno (PAK/IND/US,2011)****

Although this album introduces itself as having been very much under the influence of far-eastern music and the Pakistani devotional Sufi style of Qawwali, specifically, (especially "Thanks for Giving" and "Onus on Us" has been written), as this kind of hypnotic music is to uplift the min. There is not much that reveals any other foundation than jazz, although I cannot not recall the subtle changes in rhythm. However, the continuous feeling of improvisational inspiration throughout the whole album is something, which is rarely achieved for this length of an album. The tracks give the chance for sax leads and electric jazz guitars leads and harmonic duets most of the time, but also the piano improvises in lead just a few times. It is all so perfectly structured, with interesting changes, smoothness and a power to groove, with melodic inventiveness during the solo improvisations. A great album which I am sure will become a classic some day.

Rez Abbasi (PAK/US) plays electric guitar ; Rudresh Mahanthappa (IND) on alto saxophone ; Vijay Iyer (IND/US) on piano; Johannes Weidenmueller (US) on bass ; Dan Weiss (US) on drums.

David Virelles sometimes replaces Vijay Iyer on piano, curently it is Matt Mitchell who replaces him live on his latest tour.

Rez Abbasi also plays in the Indo-Pak Trio, the Dakshani Ensemble, and Dave Pietro's Quintet.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/rezabbasi

Homepage : http://www.reztone.com/

Label info & audio : http://www.enjarecords.com/cd.php?nr=ENJ-9575

Info on guitarist : http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=1604

Other reviews : http://jazzandblues.blogspot.com/..

& http://www.elementsofjazz.com/... & http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=89413

& http://mybindi.typepad.com... & http://somethingelsereviews.com/...

& http://worldjazznews.blogspot.com/2011/11/rez-abbass-invocation-suno-suno-enja.html

Interview with artist : http://innerviews.org/inner/abbasi.html

Live performance article : http://hhwst.net/...

Bass player’s site : http://www.bassitis.com/

Previous album I reviewed on http://www.psychefolk.com/RezAbbasi.html#anchor_173

Home Rec. Gansan & Tamount Ifassen : Elegie Berbere (B/MO,2011)****'

Announced as a marriage between the love of the Moroccan violin, the rebab (locally also called the souss) and the soprano sax, finding a common ground of Berber rhythms with jazz foundations, to a near-rock energy, I had the impression the band had expanded its goals from the first meeting point of engagement, at some moments it seemed that there was a little more domination in the sax, but for that point I was wrong. A more careful listen revealed that sometimes their meeting point and blend is so close it is as if they play with one mind, a bit more sax orientated indeed, it still is these two different instruments with their own colours. Only “White nights at Casanegra”, as I have heard well this time, has indeed only two saxes combined. The Moroccan violin of course also contributes its own ideas, the leads are done by sax, violin or electric guitar or they play harmoniously close or fill in melodic and harmonic gaps and show a few contra-rhythmic layers. Especially the guitar does so, but it is possible that the electric guitar or the electric bass adds a rocking groove moment too. There are some electric guitar lead solos here and there. With two percussionists Gansan’s sound becomes interesting. Rhythmic changes within one track lead more often to Northern African hand bell percussion leads. It is clear the band has created a new jazz-based blend through its expanded horizons. You can see again how much it makes a proof that ethnical inspirations can give extra structure to jazz and also to improvisation. The title track, “Tamount Ifassen” shows a Northern African afro-rock flavour in its rhythm and approach, some folk theme integrations and a lot of variety within one track. “L'oreille d'Abeille”’s violin theme sound is a bit more eastern in the beginning. The track shows also some groovy, rockier parts. A recommended well prepared and inspired jazz record.

Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czwqjqU0ljc

Label info (with audio): http://www.gansan.be/

Homepage : http://www.gansan.be/ with audio here

& http://www.myspace.com/gansan

Concert organisation info : http://www.zoartmusic.com/#!gansan-and-tamount-ifassen

Heavenly Sweetness Solis Lacus -LP/CD- (B,rec.1974,1975,re.2012)****'

Solis Lacus existed around the same time as Marc Moulin’s Placebo, they shared stages and even a few members. The renowned Belgian pianist Michel Herr, who is said to have introduced electric jazz in the 70’s in Europe, led the band. The release has a very consistent flow and is compared to Nucleus or as being the European counterpart to sound experimentations of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters or to the best albums of the CTI label such as Freddie Hubbard. Closer in sound it is to jazzrock and even more, to several of Canterbury jazzrock albums, also due to its use of Rhodes piano (Soft Machine, Quiet Sun,..). The drumming is relaxed but very complex and incorporates many ideas without ever appearing to the foreground, also the bass lines can be melodious but only add sophistication to the sound, where especially the electric piano and trumpet, sometimes with duet harmonies (trumpets or trumpet/sax) that lead the evolutions. The fifth track starts more quietly with an echoing keyboards foundations, shortly some Latin drumming is added before taking us back to the general jazzfusion/jazzrock style. The last, uptempo track has a more complex melody in Canterbury style (outside the smooth jazziness), still holding the flow strongly.

The album had been released on LP by several labels (EMI, International Bestseller Company, Selection Records, Sharp Records) and exists with at least three different covers. On CD it has been rereleased before paired with Michel Herr’s “Perspective” album. An album not to miss !

As I posted before as a remark, for me, albums like this make jazz always worth tracing. It is not just only smoothly improvised, at the same time and with a sophisticated balance it still shows a sort of adventurous progression.

Audio : http://soundcloud.com/heavenlysweetness/solis-lacus-teaser-snippet

& http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epqOmMzuLq4 & http://www.rushhour.nl/...

LP info : http://www.michelherr.com/common/cd_pages/solis_lacus.html

& http://www.discogs.com/Solis-Lacus-Solis-Lacus/release/1649111

Band info : http://www.bandtoband.com/band/solis-lacus/s-t

&http://www.michelherr.com/common/cd_pages/solis_lacus.html

and pictures : http://www.michelherr.com/...

Description : http://progresagitation.blogspot.com/2010/...

More about Michel Herr : http://www.jazzinbelgium.com/person/id=188?lang=en

& http://www.michelherr.com/

Release info : http://www.rushhour.nl/sheets/64396_sheet.pdf

Dutch info : http://www.muziekarchief.be/albumdetails.php?ID=69794