Schauble/Rava/Magnusson/Bekker: "Night Music" Origin OR 012 Neon-lit atmospheric miniatures from the Melbourne/Berlin Axis...drummer Niko Schauble leads an international quartet into territories which are alternately eerie and sombre, and warm and mellow. With the lyrical and sensitive flugelhorn improvisations of the great Enrico Rava free-flowing in and around the open and spacious rhythm bed, "Night Music" captures nocturnal moods of beauty and mystery. This is electric jazz of the highest order, with restrained and responsive playing from all from all four musicians. With Steve Magnusson's guitar and Chris Bekker's bass, Schauble's rhythm section is about as subtle as you can possibly get. Sensitive, thoughtful interplay which produces clear images for the mind to dwell upon ... it's a series of seemingly connected vignettes which, when completed, makes you feel as though you've travelled somewhere and then returned home again. I'm continually impressed by the lyricism and warmth of this music. Rava's lines produce all the right shades and hues and it's a credit to Schauble's vision to have arranged for the well-known trumpeter to add his spacious expressions to the trio's themes. These sounds inhabit the evening as naturally as midnight stars or full moon shadows. Listen to "Night Music" as night music and you will know what I mean. This CD was a contender for the ARIA Jazz Album of 1996. Available through B# Records. Reviewed by: Matt Krieg "Jazz Notes" Sept 1996 Go To Index
John Scofield "Groove Elation!" Blue Note: CDP 7243 8
32801 2 4
Total Time: 60:24 Retail Price: $34 (approx)
My Macquarie dictionary defines the term elation as "to put in high
spirits". This is exactly the effect that the music on this CD has,
through the different "feels" or grooves used on each of Scofield's
10 compositions.
The title of each track suggests the type of groove used. For example,
Lazy is very laidback, while Peculiar has an unusual rhythmic vamp.
Kool is a cool one-chord rock based tune. Let The Cat Out and Groove
Elation are in the groove, blues based tunes. Old Soul is an acoustic
romp complete with piano and steel string guitar. Carlos is a Latin
styled tribute to Santana, utilising the "Carlos Santana secret chord
change" - [Zappa]!
Scofield is joined on this album by his current group consisting of
Larry Goldings (organ and piano), Dennis Irwin (acoustic bass) and
Idris Muhammad (drums). Guest musicians are included on some tracks to
provide additional colour and texture to the quartet sound. They are
Don Alias (percussion), Howard Johnson (tuba, bass clarinet, baritone
saxophone), Steve Turre (trombone), Billy Drewes (tenor saxophone, flute)
and Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn).
This is a CD to be played and enjoyed. Scofield's guitar and compositional
talents have continued to grow and mature over the years. The group's sound
is very contemporary, yet influences of past masters such as Jimmy Smith
and Bird are evident. Available through Music Direct and all
good music stores.
Reviewed by Greg Fisher
Source: OCT '96 AJS
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New Releases
Horace Silver: "The Hardbop Grandpop"
Impulse! (GRP): IMPD 192 Total Time: 62:38 Retail Price: $22 (approx)
The name Horace Silver and the term "bop" are nearly synonymous. While he
didn't invent the bop vocabulary, Horace has written many tunes - such as
"Nica's Dream", "Song for my Father", and "The Preacher"- that have become
part of the jazz literature and are essential learning for any aspiring
young jazz musician. "The Hardbop Grandpop" features 10 new compositions
by Horace, some complete with lyrics - although these are not used on the
recording - and an extremely accomplished group of musicians to tackle them.
The personnel on this CD are Horace on piano, Claudio Roditi, trumpet and
flugelhorn, Michael Brecker, tenor sax, Steve Turre, trombone, Ronnie
Cuber, baritone sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Lewis Nash, drums. The
younger players are all in extremely fine form and, while bop may not be
what they are best known for, they play in the style with conviction and
some credibility. Notably, Brecker explores the upper extensions of bop
harmony with assurance, Carter plays with a solid pulse, and Horace is at
his inimitable best sprinkling his solos with quotes from familiar tunes.
Tunes are:
1) the catchy "I Want You" which uses both the "shave & hair" rhythm
and rhythm changes
2) "The Hippest Cat in Hollywood"- a Latin style tune
3) "Gratitude"- a Basie style swing tune
4) "Hawkin'"- a swinging tribute to Coleman Hawkins
5) a very funky "I Got the Blues in Santa Cruz"
6) "We've Got Silver At Six"- a blues in 6/8 reminiscent of "Footprints"
by Wayne Shorter
7) "The Hardbop Grandpop"- a new melody on some familiar chord changes
8) a Latin tune in 6/8- "The Lady From Johannesburg"
9) "Serenade To a Teakettle"- an interesting tune with an unusual rhythm
10) an uptempo tribute to Dexter Gordon- "Diggin' on Dexter"
This is an unexpected, but welcome release from a grandmaster of the post
bop era. It's great to hear Horace again, joined by some very modern
players re-examining the roots of today's jazz with conviction. Available
at a special introductory price from Blackwood Sound Centre and all good
CD stores.
Reviewed by Greg Fisher
Source: DEC '96 AJS
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Mark Simmonds Freeboppers: "Fire" Birdland BL002
Mark Simmonds: Tenor Saxophone, Simon Barker: Drums, Scott Tinkler: Trumpet,
Steve Elphick: Bass rec. 1993, Sydney
Australian Jazz fans, you'd better sit up and take note of this one. Mark Simmonds and the Freeboppers have delivered some of the strongest and most impassioned original contemporary jazz recorded in Australia to date. Simmonds is a no-nonsense musician who consistently drives himself and his bandmembers beyond themselves, reaching into the realm of pure inspiration, where all great jazz is made. The resulting 2CD recording is "Fire", a two-hour session of triumphant jazz music that revels in a raw beauty and an exultant flame. The band digs in deep on every track, all originals bar an obtuse reading of 'Body and Soul". The gutsy emotion of Simmond's tenor pushes Tinkler, Elphick and Barker further into each piece and the saxophonist is in teriffic voice on every track. The raw power of this music is immediate and challenging. It's Scott Tinkler's imaginative responses to Simmonds' swooping, driven lines which open the melodic framework of the music in the most delightful way. The overlap, divergence and occasional unison of their melodies make the music breathe, helped in no small measure by Elphick and Barker, who steer their course through the fourteen pieces, aiding and abetting Simmonds' deliriously exciting narratives to great effect. After thirteen years at the forefront of Australian jazz, the Freeboppers have finally made their indelible mark on disc(s). Every open-minded listener should have a copy.
Contact: BIRDLAND, 3 Barrack Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Reviewed by Matt Krieg
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Tomasz Stanko: 'Bossonossa And Other Ballads' GOWI CDG O8
Tomasz Stanko: trumpet, Bobo Stenson: piano, Anders Jormin: bass, Tony Oxley: drums
rec. Warsaw, March/April 1993
Tomasz Stanko is Poland's premier jazz musician. He's been a major force in East-European jazz for the past twenty-five years and deserves a lot more recognition than he has received. "Bossonossa" teams him with the Scandinavians Bobo Stenson and Anders Jormin and ex-patriate Briton Tony Oxley. They are a dream band for Stanko's brand of powerfully expressionistic music. This is a marvellous recording of Stanko's own standards-related songs and each of the players attend to the statement and expansion of the moody and subtly haunting themes with care and sensitivity. Stanko's unique trumpet sound is the dominant voice, firing icy flares into the brooding canvas of Stenson's incisive piano and the acute and otherworldly percussives of Oxley. The trumpeter's arsenal of bent notes, smears and slurs is in full effect and his arching ascent into the high registers brings the music a thrilling tension. Oxley's approach to timekeeping on his very individual kit is one of the most consistently exciting aspects of Nineties New Jazz. "Bossonossa" deserves to be heard. It is quite beautiful. GOWI records unfortunately has no distributor in Australia but can be contacted directly. Stanko fans would also be well advised to seek out his more recent recordings on ECM. "Bossonossa", however, remains a peak performance from this vital quartet. Definitely worth trying to get hold of.
Contact: GOWI Records, vl. Mackiewicza 23/38, PL-31214 Krakow, Poland,
or try BIRDLAND, 3 Barrack Street, Sydney, NSW, 20001
Reviewed by Matt Krieg
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Bobo Stenson Trio: "War Orphans"
ECM 1604
Bobo Stenson: Piano, Anders
Jormin: Double Bass, Jon Christensen: Drums
rec. May 1997, Oslo, Norway
Difficult not to like this album of graceful contemporary piano trio music. Far better to listen to its restraint and poise with open ears and to enjoy the depth and beauty imbued in every piece. The Bobo Stenson Trio is fast becoming a stellar group. They are three masters playing at their peak and Stenson and his partners achieve a delicate interplay across eight pieces. The album takes its title from one of two Ornette Coleman pieces performed. Its sombre yet stately mood seems to summarise the overall sound of the recording. Stenson maintains a highly melodic intuition throughout, plying many beautiful phrases from the piano. His is a muted performance, not really rhapsodic, but democratic. While clearly the leader here, Jormin and Christensen are naturally allowed space to express their dominant musical personalities and in my opinion they combine perfectly as one of Europe's most effective and musical rhythm teams. Anders Jormin has a huge and grainy tone on bass and plays with a certain assurance which grounds the music, bringing it out of a very safe and known place. Christensen, is of course, renowned for his subtle commentary and skilled prowess on the drums. Here you have the makings of a great trio and, since their earlier recording "Reflections" ( also on ECM, from 1993 ) these players have strengthened their musical language, the new album assuming more 'weight' and benefitting from the player's familiarity with each other. There is some drama in Stenson's "Bengali Blue" and possibly Stenson's most spirited playing on the closing piece, Duke Ellington's "Melancholia". The most purely romantic moments are derived from the opening ballad, Silvio Rodriguez' "Ole de Mujer con Sombrero" which has a placid and deeply satisfying sweep. The Ornette pieces are given dutiful and reverential readings. "War Orphans" signals a consolidation of the Bobo Stenson Trio's musical achievement and is, in the end, simply a very good album which can be enjoyed again and again.
Australian Distributor: Sonart Music, order through your local CD shop.
Reviewed by Matt Krieg
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Mike Stern: "Between the Lines"
Atlantic Jazz: 7567-82835-2 Total Time: 70:29 Retail Price: $30
(approx)
Mike Stern's new release "Between the Lines" shows that he is not only an
excellent guitarist, but also a world class musician, composer and leader.
Formerly appearing content to be a sideman in bands such as "Blood, Sweat
and Tears", "Steps Ahead" and those lead by Miles Davis in the early 80s,
Mike has now emerged as a major force in contemporary jazz.
The musicians featured on this CD are Mike (guitar), Dave Weckl (drums),
Jeff Andrews (bass), Bob Malach (tenor saxophone) and Jim Beard (keyboards
as well as producer). On "Tell Me" and "With a Twist", Lincoln Groines and
Dennis Chambers are featured, respectively, on bass and drums. Mike's guitar
sound ranges from mellow to blistering, complete with fuzz-tone. Dave Weckl
and Bob Malach are impressive throughout the CD providing both sensitive
accompaniment and hard driving solos. Jeff Andrews provides the right feel
and sound for each number (with an excellent solo on "Bait Tone Blues"),
while Jim Beard seems to add little more than colour to the ensemble.
The tracks featured on this CD, which are all Mike Stern compositions, are:
1) "Sunnyside" - an uptempo funk number
2) "The Vine" - a very 'in-the-pocket' funk tune
3) "Wing and a Prayer" - a mellow ballad
4) "Lose the Suit" - another funk based tune with a complicated melody
and familiar middle section
5) "You Never Know" - a laid back, slightly sinister, tune that features
Dave Weckl to advantage
6) "Tell Me" - a mellow 'soul-ish' melody
7) "With A Twist" - another uptempo 'funk-based' tune featuring a
tricky melody
8) "True Enough" - a very 'pop-ish', smooth melody
9) "Pages" - a relaxing pentatonic tune with a funky middle section
10) "Bait Tone Blues" - a modern, altered, blues that swings and grooves
If you didn't see Mike's recent tour of Australia, this is an excellent way
to experience his current approach to jazz. If you did, this may be a good
way to recapture the power of the music he played live in concert. Available
from David Jones and all good CD stores.
Reviewed by: Greg Fisher
Source: DEC '96 AJS
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