ukvibe

Tributes to the eclectic Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal are few and far between so this is an unusually welcome surprise and on the whole it works surprisingly well. For those not already aware of Hermeto’s craft, Pascoal was born an albino in the north-east of Brazil which meant he spent a good deal of time indoors and from an early age was fascinated by the everyday sounds around him. As a result he developed a prodigious talent for transforming these somewhat banal voicings into musical form. Befriending musician husband and wife couple percussionist Airto Moreira and singer Flora Purim, Pascoal moved to the States at the end of the 1960s and for a short while pursuing a recording career there playing flute on Blue Note albums for Duke Pearson, and on the first albums that Moreira and Purim laid down in California. After returning to Brazil, Pascoal cemented his reputation with a series of now classic albums on which he played numerous keyboards as well as reed instruments. Of these a famous live recording from the Montreux Jazz festival in the mid-1970s stands out. For this tribute album pianist/accordionist Huw Warren has chosen to operate within the more initimate setting of a trio with bassist Peter Herbert and drummer Martin France. The joyful sound that is part and parcel of Hermeto’s distinctive sound comes through loud and clear on ‘Jeguez’ with inventive drumming from France and feisty accordion playing from Warren, an instrument normally associated with forro music in north-east Brazil. Conveying the riff-laden music of Hermeto is no easy task, but on ‘Briguinha de musicos’ the inventive melodies allied with genrous doses of improvisation are very effectively transmitted. Equally authentic are the piano vamps on the well known piece ‘Santo Antonio’. Of the self-penned compositions by Warren, some are a little obscure and rather free in concept with a series of vignettes. However, the number ‘Cowboys and shepherds’ has a fascinating riff very much in the vein of Hermeto’s music. A brave attempt, then, to transpose Hermeto Pascoal’s musical genius and one that on the whole.  Tim Stenhouse

Norwegian trombonist and composer Helge Sunde and his Ensemble Denada have come up with a unique take on the big band format and on this project we have some truly imaginative pieces. If they do not necessarily collectively always come together, then it is partly because of the highly ambitious nature of the project. Sunde has enlisted some of Scandinavia’s finest session musicians including percussionist Marilyn Mazur who is best known for her work with Miles Davis and Jan Garbarek. Intriguingly there is an Italian suite that shifts from expansive big band to more intimate arrangements reminiscent of Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges. The ensemble works best on the sensitive ‘Lullaby of Broltesia’ and one ideally would have liked to hear more of this evocative side to the band’s repertoire. The reposing intimacy of the intro to ‘Bryk (Omkalfatra)’ is brusquely broken up by big band mayhem with the guitarist kicking in. On the percussion driven ‘Knegg (Dark Horse)’, the special effects heard within sound akin to those on the 1970s cult children’s cartoon series ‘Les Shadock’. Avant garde influences are evident on ‘Moon Crier’ while the title track works at a staccato rhythm with fine guitar licks throughout. Perhaps tighter and more compact compositions are what is required, but make no mistake this big band must be something to behold in a live context.  Tim Stenhouse

For this project, for which the proceeds will partly go to the Médécins Sans Frontière project in Nairobi to fund the improvement of a notorious slum, Swedish trombonist, arranger and composer Nils Lundgren has undertaken an album with the emphasis firmly on 70s style soul and funk with jazz-funk influences thrown into the mix. For the latter Herbie Hancock from the Headhunters period, Earth, Wind and Fire, and even Santana spring to mind while James Brown is all too evident in the brass. Zapp meets Chicago blues might be one way to describe the driving ‘Danger Zone’ whereas ‘Dry’ is a mid-tempo instrumental with saxophone solo. The intro to ‘Danger Zone’ sounds almost identical to Heatwave’s ‘Boogie Nights’, but then veers away into a jazzy number with flute and the use of brass. Melodic grooves permeate the Santana-esque ‘Mag runs the voodoo down’ with vocoder vocals à la Herbie while ‘Suguta Road’ is a moody instrumental jazzer with flute that is surely influenced by 1970s Bobbi Humphrey on Blue Note and is a welcome introduction to the more sensitive side of the band’s portfolio. Overall a soulful groove is present on the vocals and one hopes the group will expand its repertoire to allow the jazzier side to their music to be given full reign. As part of this very worthy endeavour, ACT have already made a donation of 20,00 euros. A generous gesture that is almost unheard of in today’s corporate atmosphere. Tim Stenhouse

Long-time hipster and regular jazz writer/radio host Ben Sidran is, perhaps, best known for his book ‘Black Talk’. However, as an accomplished singer and composer in his own right, his own musical contribution has been vastly underrated, largely due to the sporadic nature of his releases. For this latest project, Sidran has decided to transpose the musical prose of Bob Dylan into a jazz context and the result is somewhat akin to what one might expect that indomitable sage Mose Allison to come up with. This is a witty and inventive take on the Dylan songbook and opting for a pared down instrumentation one that fans of Americana will find as much to appreciate as regular jazzistas. Of the less well known songs in the Dylan repertoire (something of a hollow statement given the great man’s predilection for songs not officially released that then end up becoming anthemic as bootlegs) ‘Rainy day woman’ impresses on first listen with its gentle percussion and offbeat fender groove. Soulful Stax horns are in abundance on ‘Gotta serve somebody’, a number that originally surfaced on the controversial 1979 Dylan album ‘Slow Train Coming’ devoted to his new adoption of the Christian faith at the time. On the sparse blues-inflected take on ‘Highway 61 Revisited’’, Sidran’s quasi-spoken delivery compliments the composition to perfection and above all else demonstrates that he is a true disciple of the Mose Allison approach to music. An interesting re-working of ‘Tangled up in blue’ sounds almost Michael Franksish in feel and is an uplfiting rendition of the classic complete with handclaps and catchy keyboard riff. A more austere take on ‘Knockin’ on heaven’s door’ results in a slower, laid back groove with Sidran dueting on the chorus with Brazilian singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler, who previously recorded with the great Caetano Veloso. Other guests include England’s very own hammond organ legend Georgie Fame. A burner of an album that may just become a contemporary cult classic. Tim Stenhouse

Here is a trio of oud players (the oud being an Arabic string instrument with a truly haunting tone and of whom one of the best known practitioners internationally is Tunisian Anouar Brahem who records for ECM) who have become internationally recognised in recent years and this is a golden opportunity to catch their live performance in Ramallah in September 2008 both visually and in the audio format. Seated on evenly spaced out stools on the stage dressed in black, the stage act of the trio takes a leaf out of the great guitar trio comprising Paco de Lucia, John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola. The resulting music is a treasure trove of meditative playing coupled with the added bonus of poetry recited in Arabic from the voice and words of Mahmoud Darwica, a renowned poet in the Arab-speaking world and judging from this neophyte’s admittedly poor grasp of the language what appears to be a florid literary style. In general the instrumental pieces are wonderfully evocative with repetitive riffs created by the trio that merely enhance the transcandental atmosphere and one that the audience is immediately wrapped up in. For the poetry accompanied numbers, one never sees the poet (and presumbably the poet is no longer among us), but simply hear his prose. It has to be acknowledged that the coupling of poetry recited in Arabic on some pieces is an acquired taste and some basic knowledge of Arabic would go a long way, particularly in understanding the candlelight vigil image which may possibly be a tribute to the passing of the poet. However, even non-Arabic speakers (this writer included) should not be put off by the visual and audio treats on offer on this quality release which lasts for over an hour. Tim Stenhouse

Swedish sextet Oddjob have played together for almost a decade and their own take on jazz-rock has introduced many new fans to the music. For this latest project, the group have devoted themselves entirely to film music soundtrack scores from composers of the calibre of Enrico Morricone, Lalo Schiffrin, Lennie Niehaus and even one number by Clint Eastwood himself (he is actually a competent pianist as well as being a devotee of jazz). Of course Eastwood starred as actor in the actual films, hence the title. Clearly late 1960s and early 1970s Miles Davis has been a seminal influence on the band and their reworkings work best in this idiom such as on ‘Palancio’ with undertones of ‘Bitches Brew’, and an electric bassline that is right out of ‘In a silent way’. A more sensitive side to the band’s repertoire is displayed on the acoustic ‘Pale rider’ and with breathy baritone saxophone this is something they should explore further throughout an entire album while ‘Let’s do it’ hints at EST with a lovely piano and trumpet riff. Some of the music it has to be said is pleasant, but insubstantial such as on ‘Ecstasy of gold’, though soundtrack buffs will still warm to tracks like ‘Robbery suspect’. Overall, an interesting take on famous tunes, but one wishes the band would examine more challenging territory.  Tim Stenhouse

If legendary Ethiopian instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke hooked up with King Tubby and came up with fully realised project, it would probably sound like this. Dub Colossus last year hinted at what could be achieved by a fusion of Jamaican and Ethiopian grooves, but bassist Tommy T (formerly with group Gorgol Bordello) has well and truly nailed the musical métissage into the ground with a superlative dissection of the hitherto relatively uncharted idiom. The rhythm section is one that even the great Sly and Robbie would be proud to be a part of and the sound is correspondingly as tight as a duck’s derrière. Roots reggae fans will be salivating at the mouth at numbers such as ‘The Call’, with stabbing horn led riffs and at the dub-soaked flavours of ‘The Eighth Wonder’ with an extended sax solo and the use as on other tracks of the uniquely sounding massinqo, a traditional one-stringed Ethiopian instrument. For fans of Ethiopian jazz who may have first been initiated to the sound by the excellent Ethiopiques series by Francis Falcetto, or the Jim Jarmusch film ‘Broken Flowers’, the instrumental ‘Brothers’ will delight as will the folksy feel of ‘The Response’, complete with Ethiopian vocals by Gigi. Another singer, Abdi Nuressa, contributes vocals to the dub-inspired hues of ‘Oromo Dub (Cushitic Dub)’, a track in homage to the name of the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. However, this is an album that opens out its influences way beyond reggae and jazz even. A discernable Sade-influenced groove is audible on ‘East-West Express’ with massinqo and Fela-inspired horns combining, and on the bass heavy ‘Eden’ with use of lovely trumpet playing and wordless vocals. Rounding off proceedings, and in an entirely different setting, is the raw and emotional ‘September Blues’, performed simply by a saxophone duet over a classic Ethiopian song of lost love. This may just prove to be a milestone recording in world fusion music history.  Tim Stenhouse

Aimed more at the general dance enthusiast than the Brazilian music aficionado, this compilation simply does not deliver on some of its claims and in general is a rather disjointed overview with a somewhat skewed vision of the sub-genres. The classic ‘Jazz Carnival’ by Azymuth is not in fact the original version that graced the UK dancefloors and airwaves in 1979, but rather an inferior re-worked interpretation with beefed up percussion including a breakdown five minutes in. A cover of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Chameleon’ by the group is perfectly acceptable, if not mindblowing while keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami contributes a individual number in ‘Eighties Times’ which features a rock guitar that one could well do without. The Brazilian Groove Band track ‘Dance’ is more in the vein of what one might have expected with Earth, Wind and Fire an obvious influence. This is by far the most interesting discovery on the album. Sabrina Malheiros’ excellent ‘New Morning’ song is in this format largely an instrumental version and frankly sounds out of place with its breezy feel while Marcos Valle does not even seem to sing on Powerride’ so just what was his input to proceedings? A major contention is the claim of this being in part an album of Afro Funk. Quite simply the Afro Funk content is not borne out by the track listing with the notable exception perhaps of the Future Warriors ‘Ipembe’ that is at least in part Fela influenced and in its unreleased version of interest to collectors and perhaps it would have been more appropriate to re-title the compilation ‘UK Funk’ to reflect bands such as Natures Plan and their ‘Somewhere Beyond’ song. Overall one cannot but be left by the feeling that is a hurredly and somewhat randomly chosen selection of tunes caught between two musical houses that may be pleasant enough if heard on the radio, but does not necessarily stand up to repeated listening. Far Out have been pioneering in their championing of the cause of Brazilian music and deserve enormous credit and our respect for doing so. Sadly this present compilation is not one of their finest moments.  Tim Stenhouse

Continuing the musical voyage through dub history is the fourth instalment of the boxset series, complete with original facsimile sleeves and excellent detailed notes on the artists contained within. Of immediate note is the inclusion of the ‘State of Emergency’ CD from 1976 with an album cover that was indicative of the dangerous political climate at the time and which depicts an army officer frisking ordinary citizens. The upbeat opener ‘Bounty Hunter’ gives an insight into what is to follow musically and in general there is less of the sonic wizardry that characterizes the ‘African Dub’ series and far more empasis on the purely melodic aspect of the riddims. This is demonstrated on ‘Rawhide kids’ and ‘Tribute to Donald’ with classic rockers beat and a take on John Holt’s ‘Up Park Camp’. Another contender for album cut is ‘Revenge’, with keyboards and brass in unison over an irresistable riddim. While not as highly regarded as the ‘Africa Dub’ series, another Mighty Two collaboration, ‘Majestic Dub’ from 1979 features some truly excellent dub. This begins with ‘Ten commandments’, the opening of which has a synth lick straight out of Donna Summer’s ‘I feel love’, before a rockers-style dub sets in. The title track is very much in the classic roots dub tradition with the usual array of special effects and in particular the terrific use of sparse echoey keyboards. Working on Augustus Pablo’s ‘Java’ riddim is ‘Social Justice’, heavy on the bassline with a choppy guitar rhythm and synths as background. Following on is ‘Syncopation’, an album from 1982 by Sly and Robbie, which is very much in the vein of the epochal productions for Black Uhuru and Grace Jones from the same period. As ever with this pioneering duo the most unusual of numbers are ripe for dubbing and in this case it is ‘Ticket to Ride’, taken at a considerably more rapid tempo than the vocal original. More traditional in dub format is ‘Earthscan’ with horns to the fore and the interesting use of synth bass into the mix. The catchy piano riff of ‘Nighthawk’ impresses while heavy syndrums are present on’ Laser Eyes’ with haunting keyboard and Pacman-like background noises. Only the 1984 fifth chapter of ‘Africa Dub’ does not impress and by this time the whole dub phenomenon had become somewhat dated and the Mighty Two sound as though they had come to the end of the inventive explorations of the preceding volumes. Overall an excellent document of late period dub and once again containing incisive inner sleeve notes that make the listening all the more enjoyable. Greensleeves are to be congratulated on the series as a whole for their major contribution to enhancing our understanding of one of Jamaican popular music’s most enduring and beloved legacies.  Tim Stenhouse

Munch-based label ACT has established a reputation as being the next ECM for a younger generation of European jazz musicians and this latest release from Norwegian soprano saxophonist Froy Aagre is a particularly fine example. This is Aaagre’s debut on the label and at the relatively young age of 32 she has already made an impact on the Norwegian jazz scene with two previously well received albums including the second which featured in the end of year top ten best recordings for the country’s daily Dagsavisen in 2007. Froy Aagre is in fact an extremely well trained and travelled musician having studied classical and jazz saxophone in Birmingham before playing as well as being resident in both London and Buenos Aires. While in New York she studied most notably with professional saxophonist Dave Liebman. The album has a fresh, timeless feel to it and it is truly invigorating for this writer to review an album devoted entirely to the soprano saxophone (Steve Lacy being one of the rare exceptions), a rare occurrence indeed these days. The lyricism of the playing on ‘Words on an envelope’ is outstanding and even hints at Courtney Pine in parts while ‘Long distance’ is firmly in what might expect of a Scandinavian saxophone player with elements of the early Jan Garbarek without in any way being derivative. In particular there is the additional and beautiful use of horns here. Winter landscapes are evoked wonderfully on ‘Lost conception’ with its piano riff that sounds like rain dropping, accompanied by piano and cello only. Indeed given Aagre’s passion for J.S. Bach and even Schönberg and Messiaen, it should come as little surprise that classical tones are recognisable in the compositions. One needs to immediately acknowledge the excellent contribution made by the piano trio in this recording with pianist Andreas Ulvo that most sensitive of accompanists, ably assisted by Audun Ellingsen on double bass and Freddy Wike on drums. The maturity of the compositions and the playing come across immediately and there is a storytelling quality to Froy Aagre’s musicianship that belies her young years and sets her apart from other contemporaries.  Tim Stenhouse

Soundway continues its pioneering exploration of world roots sounds with a return to one of its favourite musical homes: Nigeria. Needless to say with their usual attention to detail, authentic Afrobeat grooves are in abundance. For collectors of the genre the inclusion of a super rare Fela 45 will be worth the admission price alone. In this case it is the original 45 version of ‘Who’re you’, later to be re-recorded at no less than Abbey Road studios as part of ‘Fela’s London Scene’ album, though it might as well be an early candidate for 12” single status since it weighs in at an approximate time of 8 minutes 42! The slow burning drum beat of ‘Mind your business’ by Saxon Lee and the Shadows International is a welcome discovery with collective vocals to begin with before transforming itself four minutes in to an instrumental groover with sax and trumpet solos. Anyone who thought that Afrobeat was merely monotonous uptempo music should think again. In Orlando Julius one finds an artist who has even had a CD devoted entirely to him previously. However, in this context we hear a more reflective and even meditative side to the genre on ‘Afro-Blues’ (not the Mongo Santamaria Afro-Cuban jazz classic) with brass to the fore. Much more of this style of Afrobeat is required. Back to the rapid dancefloor action we find Godwin Omabuwa and his Casanova Dandies (an evocative name for a group if ever there was one!) on ‘Do the Afro Shuffle’, complete with handclapping and guitar licks not dissimilar to early reggae. Equally manic are the Jingoesque hues of ‘Hankuri’ with the vocals of the appropriately named Madman Jaga. Rounding off proceedings is the driving stomper that is ‘Otachikpopo’ by Bongos Ikwue and the Groovies with a cheesy 1970s keyboard omnipresent. The vinyl set contains an additional five cuts and the full copy CD extensive liner notes not available with the review copy. Another excellent musical overview and one that still leaves space for an exploration of other Nigerian artists, notably the great Bobby Benson who is fully deserving of a compilation in his own right. Where next for the label? Perhaps an examination of the legacy of Haitian music would be in order given the recent tragedy inflicted on the island’s inhabitants. Tim Stenhouse

Makasound’s continued commitment to new roots remains undiminished as this latest release demonstrates. Guinean singer Takana Zion has recorded his second album for the label, following on from the excellent ‘Zion Prophet’ in 2007. He is in the direct lineage of a host of distinguished West African vocalists including Ivory Coast’s’ Alpha Blondy and Tiken Jah Fakoly. The late Joseph Hill of Culture was fully aware of the African roots explosion and this very acknowledgement is proof of the devotion to authentic roots reggae. Featuring the cream of Parisian reggae musicians who have played with Faya Dub, Pierpoljack and Alpha Blondy among others and engineered by Anglo-Jamaican, Goodwin Logie, the album has a decidedly rootsy feel throughout with songs delivered in no less than three languages: Sousou, English and French. Classic roots riddims permeate the highly melodic ‘Mikhi Kobie’ while another album highlight is the French language ‘Jeune fille’ as are the English lyrics to ‘I want to be free’. Terrific background vocal harmonies are a feature of ‘Abirina smita khine’ with its appealing steppers rhythm. Two guest artists contribute on the album, Burkina Fasso singer Victor Démé on ‘Reggae donkili’ with Jamaican reggae veteran Winston McAnuff being his usual righteous self on the modern sounding ‘Jah kingdom’. Roots for a wider audience comes in the form of ‘Sekou ko non’ and ‘Ithiopia’. The English-speaking audience should approach this album with an open mind because even if all the lyrics are not immediately obvious, the roots instrumentation is of the highest quality. If the Wailers or Steel Pulse are your kind of reggae, then this release will be of immediate interest. Tim Stenhouse

Precociously talented multi-instrumentalist Pat Metheny has always been fascinated by musical technology from an early age and when a child was enthralled that his grandfather had a player piano in the basement. The adult Metheny retained an affection for this old world-style instrumentation and wanted to explore what an entire orchestra of like-minded instruments might sound like accompanying him on guitar. The result is the latest album on which with help Metheny has programmed all the instruments heard within. Needless to say this was no mean technical feat, but one which in Metheny’s mind really opened up the dynamics inherent in undertaking such an enterprise. Enlisting the aid of fellow musicians such as Jack de Johnette to select the drum mallets and two other experts of this highly unsual form of instrumentation, Metheny has come up with a musical treat for the ear as well as the mind.

In some respects this is project is a logical extension of two previous albums he completed during the late 1970s and early 1980s for ECM, ‘New Chautauqua’ (1978) and ‘Off Ramp’ (1981), with for the former layers of guitar played by Metheny being over-dubbed, though paradoxically creating a sparser sound.  Of the five tracks on offer, ranging from over seven to fifteen minutes long, the delicate melody of ‘Entry Point’ is, perhaps, the album’s tour de force and one where Pat Metheny most ably demonstrates the romantic side to his playing. Equally of interest is the acoustic sounding piece, ‘Soul Search’, on which the legacy of Wes Montgomery is most obviously apparent. At some point Metheny would surely be well served devoting an entire album project to transposing the Montgomery sound to a twenty-first century context (rather than merely re-working the classic Wes repertoire). Interestingly, it is on this number that Pat Metheny sounds least like his normal self. Factor in the uptempo breezer ‘Expansion’ with synth guitar and Latin undertones and you have another accomplished album from the guitar maestro. The listener will naturally be asking the question: has the project been worth all the technical trouble and does the overall sound differ significantly from Metheny’s previous albums? The answer to both is a qualified yes. Metheny detractors will once again point to the slickness of the production and argue that inspite of all the technical wizardry involved, this does sound very much like yet another Metheny album. In part the latter the criticism certainly holds up, but largely because the guitarist has such an instantly recognisable tone irrespective of the musical surroundings. This should not detract from the simple fact that this is a beautifully recorded album with the emphasis very much on Metheny’s wonderous guitar licks. While it is unlikely that with ‘Orchestrion’ Pat Metheny is about to attract a whole new audience to his work, it is ample evidence, if it ever were required, that the guitarist is far more interested in becoming a more complete and expansive musician than chasing a fast buck and for that reason alone he is likely to add to his legion of fans in the long-term. Catch him at the sole UK concert date in February in London.  Tim Stenhouse

For the debut album J.J. Johnson cut for Columbia, the trombonist enlisted the services of be-bop’s crème de la crème and these comprised the great Tommy Flanagan (who would shortly go on to grace the ‘Saxophone Colossus’ album for Sonny Rollins and ‘Giant Steps’ album for John Coltrane), bassist Paul Chambers (then with the Miles Davis quintet) and on drums the incomparable Max Roach, who plays a somewhat more subdued role than usual in proceedings. A selection of standards and the odd original make up the composiitons on offer and a mid-tempo rendition of ‘Cry me a river’ impresses as does ‘It’s only a paper moon’ with a lovely bass solo from Chambers. The original composition by Johnson, ‘Harvey’s house’, is a funky ditty that bears a resemblance to Horace Silver’s ‘Doodlin’ (Johnson was clearly a fan and would record as a sideman with the pianist on the mid-1960s ‘Cape Verdean Blues’ for Blue Note) . As Nat Hentoff states in his original liner notes this was essentially a bop blowing session and one for which the rhythm section was cooking. For the bonus tracks, the other half of the ‘Eminent Jay Jay Johnson vol. 2’ session is included and this features Wynton Kelly, Charles Mingus, Kenny Clarke, and a certain Sabu Martinez on percussion. Among the six numbers, ‘Old devil moon’ and ‘Coffee pot’ are delicious slices of cu-bop. Tim Stenhouse

J.J. Johnson recorded extensively for the Columbia label between 1955 and 1961 and up until recently these were only available as an expensive boxset from Mosaic, or even more sporadically as original vinyl on the collectors market. American Jazz Classics are therefore to be congratulated on re-issuing the first two in the series, with for the CDs additional bonus tracks, beefing up the overall time to around the seventy minute mark. In addition to the original liner notes we find a more recent overview of the artist along with a very useful original Downbeat review. Johnson was that most melodic of trombone players and on the second release, ‘Blue Trombone’, the crack trio format was replicated with once again Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Max Roach on drums. Since J.J. Is the only featured horn player on the original album, this makes the session all the more interesting and allows all quartet members to stretch out at some stage.
The repertoire is largely the great American songbook with a healthy dose of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Gershwin brothers and even an arranged variation by Johnson himself of a Cole Porter original on ‘100 Proof’. As for the title track, it is a blues-inflected number on which Flanagan excels. Overall the line up is bop fan’s dream and the overall recording is almost on a par with J.J. Johnson’s fabulous mid-1960s outing for Impulse, ‘Proof Positive’. Rounding off the CD are six extra tracks from the ‘Eminent Jay Jay Johnson vol. 2’ album that he cut for Blue Note in June 1955 with a host of stars including Horace Silver and notably another hornman, this time in the shape of a then young Hank Mobley.  Tim Stenhouse

Electronica and jazz have been somewhat reluctant bedfellows, but gradually a collection of musicians has emerged over the last ten to fifteen years who have successfully fused the two to create hauntingly atmospheric music. One of these is Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer. Now with Universal, Molvaer first caught our imagination with the austere and bleak musical landscape of ‘Khmer’. The latest offering, ‘Hamada’, sounds very much like a film soundtrack, possibly a twenty-first century vision of Miles Davis’ classic ‘Lift to the scaffold’ and is mightily impressive in its tone. The trumpet solo opener ‘Exhumation’ sets the scene beautifully and segues straight in to ‘Sabkah’, with pared-down instrumentation and just guitar accompanying Molvaer. Another short vignette, ‘Lahar’, segues into the deeply melancholic ‘Auticline’. Sensitive sampling and programming are a feature of the album and this approach is typified on ‘Softmoon shine’ with the use of harp providing a thrilling musical backdrop. The delicate textures of ‘Moncline’ reveal layered sampling over which Molvaer’s trumpet soars triumphantly. On the upbeat ‘Friction’ the album comes alive with intense beat programming and the guitar replicating the sound of humming vocals. Only the prog-rock noise of ‘Cruel attitude’ with intrusive drumming fails to deliver. Overall this is ambient music at its moodiest with sufficient variety to retain the listener’s attention throughout. Catch the group on a UK wide tour in late February. As far as challenging late-night chill out music is concerned, this could hardly be bettered. Tim Stenhouse

a) West Coast Cool All LP format

Chet Baker ‘It could happen to you’ 4/5
Chet Baker ‘A jazz tour of the NATO countries’ 4/5
Dexter Gordon ‘Dexter blows hot and cool’ 5/5
Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan 3/5
Dave Brubeck ‘Red, Hot and Cool’ 4/5
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown ‘Poll Winners’ 4/5

California in the 1950s and 1960s was the home of what came to be known as ‘west coast’ or ‘cool jazz’, a spurious concept that underlied an essentially laid back approach to the music and one that for some lacked the fire and intensity of their east coast contemporaries. While it was in reality perfectly feasible for west coast musicians to play as hot as the east coast ones in New York and Chicago (Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy were both born on the west coast and were as fiery players as they come), the label nonetheless stuck and many classic sessions were recorded in Los Angeles. Chet Baker unquestionably typified the ‘cool’ character of the sub-genre, and both sang and played trumpet in this manner as demonstrated on the album ‘It could happen to you’. Accompanied by a crack rhythm section of pianist Kenny Drew, bassist George Morrow and drummers Philly Joe Jones and Dannie Richmond, Baker excels on ‘Do it the hard way’ which has become something of a signature tune for him and ‘The more I see you’. The tracks are concise in nature and Chet alternates between vocals and trumpet on most of them. Not necessarily his most demanding set ever, but certainly one of his most atmospheric and as a result most feted. Equally Chet Baker during the md-1950s undertook a European tour that would cement his reputation and recorded for Emarcy a series of sessions in Paris that would eventually find their way onto a 4-CD set. One of these sessions is included on ‘A jazz tour of the NATO countries’, accompanied by a mixture of American and local French musicians and this album gives just a taster of that tour. During the 1950s tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon invariably found himself incapacited, either battling a drug habit, or finding himself in prison. After a prodigious start to his career in the late 1940s, Gordon recorded only occasionally in the 1950s, but ‘Dexter blows hot and cold’ was unquestionably the finest album among them. Recorded in Hollywood in 1955 and featuring a crack west coast cast of Carl Perkins on piano, Leroy Vinegar on bass and Jommy Robinson on trumpet, Gordon cut a fabulous selection of numbers including a near definitive version of ‘Cry me a river’, then an in-vogue tune immortalised by one Julie London. Thus was born the mature Dexter Gordon sound and one which would serve him so well when, in the first half of the 1960s as he reached mid-life, he recorded a now classic series of albums for Blue Note. For fans of the latter, ‘Dexter blows hot and cool’ will prove indispensable listening. One of the more unusual pairings was that of saxophonists Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond for an album originally on Verve. It was a pianoless quartet, one of the innovations of the west coast musicians (Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh also being devotees of this paired down format) which enabled them to engage in a ‘cutting edge’ contest. Among the standards, perhaps the Mulligan original composition ‘Line for Lyons’, which he recorded famously with Chet Baker, stands out. Pleasant, but not essential listening. Paul Desmond does,however, feature as as member of an early version of the Dave Brubeck band on what was originally a Columbia LP mid-1950s session live at Basin Street in New York (though it is very much in the west coast style). It is interesting to hear Brubeck before the classic quartet was formed and already his compositional genius was readily apparent, most notably on a piece devoted to Duke Ellington appropriately titled, ‘The Duke’. Of the other lengthy numbers, the two Rodgers and Hart pieces, ‘Lover’ and ‘Little boy blue’ stand out. Brubeck would shortly go on to greater things, but this captures him in early period and as such is an important musical document. ‘The poll winners’ represented the quintessential west coast outing, with a beautiful William Claxton photo on the cover, and was in fact a bringing together of three 1956 poll winners from the Downbeat, Metronome and Playboy magazines collectively, namely guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Ray Brown. Swinging standards abound on this album and include ‘Satin doll’, the oriental exoticism of ‘Nagasaki’ as well as the excellent Kessel original, ‘Minor mood’. The success of this album can be judged simply from the fact that a further three sessions of the trio would be recorded over a five year period.

b) Modern Piano and trumpet All LP format

Bill Evans ‘Everybody digs Bill Evans’ 4/5
Thelonius Monk ‘Monk’s music’ 5/5
Miles Davis ‘Lift to the Scaffold’ 5/5
Art Farmer ‘Modern Art’ 4/5

The jazz piano trio format would be revolutionised by the advent of the Bill Evans trio and in particular by the Village Vanguard sessions with bassist Scott La Faro in 1961. However, Evans was, by the mid-1950s, already making inroads into the history of jazz piano and this album captures only his second recording, and one which would become famous for his three solo pieces. Most notable of these was ‘Piece peace’ which would inextricably be associated with Evans’ work for decades to come. There is an interesting selection of numbers among which Sonny Rollins’ ‘Oleo’ stands out, an indication that Evans could swing with the best of them when required, and fine interpretations on standards of the calibre of ‘Night and day’ and ‘Young and foolish’. Arguably Monk’s 1950s output was among his very finest recordings and ‘Monk’s Music’ reaches a zenith in his career featuring an all-star cast of John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins on saxophones and Art Blakey on drums. Coltrane in particular revelled in the company and this brought out the best in Monk. All but one of the extended pieces are Monk originals (the one exception being ‘Abide by me’, interestingly authored by one William H. Monk, unrelated to Thelonius!) and are definitive renditions. These include the eleven and a half minute ‘Well you needn’t’, ‘Epistrophy’ and two versions of ‘Ruby my dear’. Quite simply Monk at his very best and an indispensable part of any modern jazz collection. Atmospheric is the only way to describe an ambitious project by Miles Davis to capture the flavour of a French nouvelle vague film by Louis Malle, ‘Lift to the Scaffold’, featuring the then young actress the delectable Jeanne Moreau. A crack French rhythm section comprising tenorist Barney Wilen (later to become a legendary figure of the French jazz scene thanks to a cartoon series devoted to him in the 1980s) and bassist Pierre Michelot plus drummer Kenny Clarke makes for an essential musical journey on the short musical vignettes. Miles would return to film soundtracks at a later stage in his career, but this was undoubtedly his finest of all. The beautiful album front and back cover photos capture the period to perfection with Miles blowing muted harmon trumpet into Moreau’s ears. Art Farmer recorded ‘Modern Art’ for a 1958 session that predates the formation of the famous Jazztet. Of course the inclusion of Bill Evans as a sideman is of immediate interest, particularly given his membership of the Miles Davis quintet during the same period. The album features a mixture of standards and two group originals with Evans and Farmer in inspired form on ‘Darn that dream’ and ‘Like someone in love’. Excellent original liner notes from jazz writer and critic Nat Hentoff.

c) Saxophone giants

Cannonball Adderly ‘Cannonball’s Sharpshooters’ 4/5
John Coltrane ‘Lush Life’ 4/5
Sonny Stitt ‘With the New Yorkers’ 4/5
Zoot Sims Quartet ‘Zoot’ 3/5
Ben Webster ‘King of the Tenors’ 5/5

A hitherto hard to find album, ‘Cannonball’s Sharpshooters’ was cut only three days pervious to the seminal ‘Something Else’ album that Adderly recorded for Blue Note. While the line up is entirely different, the soulful delivery that characterised Adderly’s craft is very much in evidence with ‘Jubliation’ a classic example of soul jazz an album highlight as is a lengthy take on Monk’s ‘Straight no chaser’. Completing the formation were pianist Junior Mance, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Jimmy Cobb. In a more laid back vein than per usual is an offering by John Coltrane, Lush Life’, with long-time 1950s accompanist on piano Red Garland and trumpeter Donald Byrd. Six lengthy tracks in all including the near fourteen minute title track. One bonus track is included, a Coltrane original. Plenty of bluesy wailing from the Trane. A 1957 New York date from Sonny Stitt captures him in classic bop style with the great Hank Jones on piano. The album comprises mainly standards including Rodgers and Hammerstein evergreens ‘It might as well be spring’ and ‘People will say we’re in love’ with Rodgers again present on ‘I didn’t know what time it was’. A rare 1956 Chcago date from Zoot Sims was long unavailable apart from as an expensive Japanse import and so ‘Zoot’ is a welcome addition for Zoot completists. A relaxed, swinging session is the best way to describe proceedings with the usual array of standards and one original composition. The jewel in the crown of this batch is the 1953 recording originally on Verve of a Ben Webster album that included various members of Oscar Peterson’s epic trios: Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and of course Peterson himself. Webster is in prime form with a delicious take on ‘Tenderly’ and ‘Pennies from heaven’ with superb accompaniment throughout. Not surprisingly Ben Webster would later record another album with the then Oscar Peterson trio on ‘Soulville’.

d) Mainstream Mayhem

Count Basie Orchestra ‘The Atomic Mr. Basie’ 5/5
J.J. Johnson ‘First Place’ 4/5 (see CD review)

This classic 1957 album is on a par with ‘April in Paris’ as definitive examples of the Basie sound and marked a new phase in Basie’s career more generally. Arrangements and writing are by Neil Hefti who would of course become such an integral part of the Frank Sinatra team. He composed all but one of the pieces on the album, the latter being the bonus ‘The late late show’. Of the numerous gems on offer, ‘Flight of the foo birds’ is outstanding and Basie himself stretches out on piano on ‘The kid from red bank’. Featuring arguably Basie’s best ever line up, the album includes Joe Williams on vocals, Freddie Green on guitar, Thad Jones on trumpet and Frank Wess on tenor saxophone. A truly classic big band recording.

Tim Stenhouse

From a 1970 recording session in Oslo comes a veritable gem of an album that captures vocalist Karin Krog and tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon in imperious form. Key to the cohesive nature of the sound was the fact that three quarters of the regular Gordon rhythm section were on board and these included Kenny Drew on piano, Nils-Henning Orsted Pederson on bass as well as the excellent Espen Rud on drums and together they produce a mighty fine ensemble sound. The repertoire consists essentially of classic standards, but there is a surprise package in ‘Blue Eyes’, an original written by Krog on which Gordon is allowed space to really stretch out with an extended solo. With such an accomplished line up, the band are in the mood to manipulate standards to their specific needs and thus ‘Shiny stockings’ is taken at a tempo slightly above that which one might expect with Dexter swinging like crazy. On ‘Blue Monk’, with lyrics provided by Abbey Lincoln, Karin Krog provides an unusual laid back delivery which almost has the feel of a late night song after partaking in some stronger form of refreshment while Gordon gently wails in the background. Jobim’s ‘How insenstive receives a more pared down rendition with the rhythm section creating a suitably intimate ambience. A heartfelt tribute to Jimmy Scott on ‘I wish I knew’ is one of Krog’s finest moments on the entire album and pushes her to really deliver while the funky bassline to ‘Ode to Billy Joe’, not on the original album, is an immediate foot tapping dancer. As ever Gordon always reserves his best solos for either a ballad or a mid-tempo number, and on this album it is the latter on a gorgeous interpretation of ‘Everybody’s somebody’s fool’. This was unquestionably a musical environment that suited Karin Krog to a tee and the result is the most accomplished recording of her career and one that compares most favourably with just about any other vocalist of the era. With four bonus tracks and three alternate versions of original album numbers, this CD also represents excellent value for money.  Tim Stenhouse

From relatively early on in Karin Krog’s career comes this 1966 album that oscillates between quartet and quintet settings. An all-star line up of Kenny Drew on piano, Nils-Henning Orsted Pederson on bass and Jon Christensen on drums are joined by a young Jan Garbarek on three pieces. The clarity of sound on the excellent remastering gives an immediacy to proceedings with both the bass and drums crisp and clear. On ‘I’ve got your number’ Krog sings in a quasi-whispered tone that has overtones of Janet Lawson, but is a good decade before Lawson’s arrival on the jazz scene in New York. Drew excels on the sedate ballad ‘Old folks’ with Pederson as trusty an accompanist as ever on a bass solo intro and soon about to explore piano trio territory as part of the Oscar Peterson band. There is a marked shift in gear part way through ‘All of you’ that would become a hallmark of the Krog approach to standards with Pederson and Drew duetting to good effect before Garbarek enters with a bop-influenced solo. As the inner sleeve notes testify, Karin Krog was just about to become famous to the jazz world and had won both the 1965 and 1966 Downbeat polls as a talent deserving of wider recognition. This recording is a fitting document to back up that early promise.  Tim Stenhouse

Although this release may come as a surprise to some arriving a good four years after the passing of the great Malian musician Ali Farka Toure, the new album and most definitely the final one is in fact a fully completed project that was recorded in its entirety after a snap decision by producer Nick Gold to lay down some music in a London studio during June 2005. It is neither a mish-mash of alternate takes, nor a quickly assembled selection of old pieces, but rather a wonderful follow up to the ‘In the heart of the moon’ recording, and is actually superior in several respects. As the extensive liner notes by both Toumani Diabate and Nick Gold indicate, Ali Farka Toure was seriously ill during the recording sessions, but overcame any pain felt to play some impassioned blues-inflected licks on guitar and in addition vocals on just two numbers. Accompanied by his son Vieux on percussion, Cuban Buena Vista Club bassist Cachaito Lopez, Toumani Diabate on kora and various background vocalists, Ali Farka Toure is in prime form here and the compositions bear all the hallmarks of a mastercraftsman who has far from lost his magic touch. The repertoire includes griot songs that are not ordinarily Toure’s musical terrain since they originate from the south of Mali. However, his sheer enthusiasm for the music overcomes any initial hesitance there might be over the material and this lends the album as a whole a more refined feel than its predecessor. A Cuban-influenced piece ‘Sabu Yerkoy’ is a prime candidate for the album’s outstanding track, but in truth there are several other worthy candidates. These include the traditional song that a much younger Ali heard as an acoustic guitar version by Keita Fodeba in Mali in 1956 and which goes by the title of ‘Sina Mory’. Lilting grooves permeate the album and it is the ability of Toure and Toumani to improvise over a catchy riff which truly takes one’s breath away. A majesterial album and one befitting a giant of a musician.  Tim Stenhouse