Jazz

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ROVA Saxophone Quartet | Juke Box Suite | Not Two Records

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The seven compositions on this recording where composed with an idealized Juke Box in mind, where any kind of music might show up from any culture or time and be combined for the next “Play”. My music listening has been informed by the spirit and work of Alan Lomax, from blues to raga, ragtime to avant-garde, pygmy chants to Korean court music, following styles and esthetics as they rubbed up against each other in the mingling of culture that was made available by intrepid searchers of music. The “sides” aren’t a direct borrowing but a weaving of the common threads that occur in all music’s. — Jon Raskin Continue reading →

100nka | Potrawy S Trawy + Kompot Gratis | Not Two Records

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Jokes are over, IT is available now, after a long time of awaiting…. The newest „green” album of 100nka, amazing and unusual two cds record of compositions improvisations and experiments. The first cd „potrawy sTrawy” contains a studio record of compositions and some tracks of absolutely free, pure music. The second one „kompot” is a live recording of a totally improvisated concert with a special guest Antoni „Ziut” Gralak and his trumpet.. The whole album is surprising and various, it is a good piece of modern jazz, free and open minded as all the music should be. Really worth of hearing and felling for all music lovers. Strongly recommended… by J.a.c. Continue reading →

Ganelin Trio Priority | Live in Lugano | Not Two Records

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Ganelin, Vysniauskas and Kugel are more than just plain avant-gardists that break up all connections behind them just to pay tribute to some future aesthetic. They make use of the method of American jazz in order to listen deeply into the European musical tradition. That way, they shed light on great gestures of baroque music, they internalize the painful individualism of Romanticism and recapitulate the careless lightness of traditional folk music. It is no less than trans-European, inter-traditional and multi-sensual improvised music. What was said above about their rich musical supply is also true without exception for the pianists new formation. With Vysniauskas and Kugel, Ganelin may be less missionary and pugnacious as in the 70´s. But in an age of euphemisms where all fronts have been veiled or dissolved, precisely translatable statements make sense only for the most ardent of idealists. Today´s Ganelin Trio draws from the variety of life an even greater amount of options and perspectives. By not submitting to the worn out primacy of the moment but instead implicating the freedom of the whole process in every moment of their play the new Ganelin Trio is without comparison in European music. — Wolf Kampmann, Berlin, 2006 Continue reading →

Yaremchuk | Tokar | Kugel | Yatoku | Not Two Records

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A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. — Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) Continue reading →

The Fonda – Stevens Group | Trio | Not Two Records

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This is the tenth disc from the great Fonda/Stevens Group, but it is the first one to feature them as a trio. This disc was recorded live at The Alchemia in Krakow, Poland in April of 2006. I was intrigued to see that this is a rare trio date for these three musicians who have been playing together for some 20+ years, but rarely as a trio. There is no leader in the trio, as each member is integral to their sound and explorations. “Soon to Know” (by Mr. Fonda) seems to feature the amazing Joe Fonda, whose bass is central to the way this trio expands and contracts and moves. There is a constant throb going on, with the piano and drums slowly swirling around him majestically. Mr. Stevens’ “The Search” has a delightful theme that is difficult to forget, with Michaels’ piano playing dreamy, elegant waves that fade into the distance. Joe begins “Andrea” by plucking his strings in a unique way, making way for Michael’s exquisite piano – the piece is quite lovely and sublime. “From The Source” features Michael’s piano playing flurries of notes as Joe holds down the center until the trio starts swirling quickly together, the tempo speeding up and slowing down together. Throughout this disc, one gets the feeling that this trio has been together for a long time since they consistently flow together as one formidable force. Joe Fonda’s bass continues to blow me away as he reaches for the impossible and achieves what he strives to do. — Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery. Continue reading →

Steve Swell | Live at the Vision Festival | Not Two Records

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The opening set of Saturday evening was a killer.Steve Swell’s Slammin’ the Infinite, a working unit now for some two and a half years, hit the Vision Festival fresh from a European tour. This is just one of a number of regular projects for the increasingly visible Swell, but perhaps the one which showcases his writing, organisation and virtuosity to best effect. For this performance special guest John Blum was added on piano. Slum is one of the hitherto overlooked horde of musicians in NYC….but on this showing, wider exposure will surely not be long in coming.” — John Sharpe All About Jazz Continue reading →

Darren Johnston | Fred Frith | Devin Hoff | Larry Ochs | Ches Smith | Reasons for Moving | Not Two Records

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Although this is an improvised session it has that wonderful magic glue that these serious and seasoned musicians are so successful at. « Passing Fields » starts with spacious guitar and sax sounds, but soon the rhythm team kicks into a powerful groove. As Frith locks into the rhythm with some bold noise guitar, both horns spin furiously above. Frith sounds a bit like Sonny Sharrock jamming on an electric Miles session. Each piece explores different combinations of players. While « Dawn and the Flat Irons » begins with haunting trumpet and contrabass, soon the rest of the quintet is simmering along. One of the great things about this disc is that Darren’s trumpet and Larry’s saxes work so well together, in similar tonal areas. Fred Frith is the perfect middle man, balancing between the horns and rhythm team perfectly, whether dealing in dark colors and shades or occasionally soloing underneath or with the spinning horns. On a few on these pieces, Frith gets a chance to lead and stretch out and turn the quintet inside-out into a strange twisted (prog ?) rock unit. These pieces fall somewhere between Massacre and Material, yet they are still unique in their own way. Great things, fellows ! — BLG, Downtown Music Gallery Continue reading →

Dominic Duval | Songs for Krakow | Not Two Records

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Dominic Duval is one of the finest and most prolific bassists on the contemporary scene, having played and recorded with some of the greatest names in jazz and new music. Duval’s continuing tenure with pianist Cecil Taylor’s trio has cemented his reputation as one of contemporary music’s more important figures. Duval is comfortable and can be seen performing in any number of genres, including modern classical, jazz or music which defies classification .The bassist has performed and recorded with such notables as saxophonists Joe McPhee, Ivo Perelman, Glen Spearman, and Mark Whitecage, composer Pauline Oliveros, trombonist Steve Swell, pianists Joseph Scianni and Michael Stevens, trumpeter Herb Robertson, and drummer Paul Lytton, David S. Ware among many others. Duval leads and co-leads a number of ensembles himself, including the critically-acclaimed C.T. String Quartet, Trio X, “The Wedding Band”, and the Dominic Duval String Ensemble. Duval’s solo bass CD, Night Bird Inventions, was a Top 10 pick in the Coda Magazine critics poll, and his String Ensemble CD, State of the Art, was chosen one of the year’s best in the Jazziz Magazine poll. Mr. Duval can be seen on tour through out the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. Continue reading →

Michael Marcus | The Magic Door | Not Two Records

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The first album I heard with Michael Marcus was “Ithem” a sax trio with William Parker and Dennis Charles, and I was immediately charmed by this excellent musician. He has a very strong sense of melody and pitch when improvizing, a great sense of swing in his compositions, a clear respect for the traditional form which he recreates in a very open modern format. Whether he plays with Jaki Byard, the Cosmosamatics or in other bands, his core characteristics are always present as they are on this record. He sticks to his clarinet on all songs, with Jay Rosen on drums and François Grillot on bass on most tracks. Daniel Levin plays cello on three pieces and Rahsaan Carter and Eric Revis play bass on one track each, and Newton Taylor Baker drums on one track. Anyone interested in melodic free jazz with a great swing feeling, should look this one up.– Stef’s blog Continue reading →