Jazz

Connie Crothers Quartet | music is a place | NA1043

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They may have started as members of the Lennie Tristano school of jazz, but the members of this highly evolved and polished quartet, as much a collective as the band of pianist Crothers, has ventured far beyond the tenets of Tristano. They take liberties with time, tone, tempo, dynamics and attack that would horrify more orthodox Tristanoites. The lesson they do take to heart is the valuable one of perseverance, of the importance of playing their music as often as possible, or, as Crothers says, “I put a ton of time behind everything I do . . . I spend time with music. It’s a joy! Never work.” Continue reading →

Max Roach | Connie Crothers | Swish | NA1001

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“Swish” reissues Crothers’ 1982 duets with Max Roach, who is definitely not a student of the Tristano school of passive drumming. The relative freedom of the duet setting fits the tension and energy of Crothers’ uninhibited playing much better. Roach is always fascinating in a duet, where he expands his role, occupying the open spaces in unexpected, always musical ways. Here, he focuses on different elements of the drum kit with each piece to give the largely improvised performances their distinctive character. The ways in which Roach reacts to and provokes Crothers are reminiscent of Roach’s Historic Concerts (1979) duets with Cecil Taylor. — Jon Andrews, Downbeat — August 1994 Continue reading →

Connie Crothers Quintet | Live Outpost Performance Space Albuquerque, New Mexico | NA1041

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From piece to piece the music moves smoothly from accurate melodies to intense interaction then soft and mysterious textures that allow poet Mark Weber’s poetry to come through. Through many gestures that could be modal, harmonically static, bebop harmony, dense or open, vertical or horizontal, there is a lot more conversation going on than in many standard jazz quintets. — Francis Lo Kee Continue reading →

Notes from New York | a New Artists Record Sampler | NA1034

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“NOTES FROM NEW YORK” is a sampler of the New Artists’ catalog, not so much a “greatest hits” collection, as an overview that features virtually all the talented musicians that have recorded for the label. Each of the performances rewards repeated listenings… This independent label’s future looks quite bright as it continues to infuse jazz with feeling, creativity, and fresh ideas.” — Scott Yanow, Editor, All Music Guide To Jazz. Continue reading →

Percaso

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percaso production was established in 1986 by Swiss saxophonist and composer Christoph Gallio who operates the label singlehandely. percaso production is a “subjective” label not charakterized by certain musical styles, but rather a selection by director’s choice. Quality of musical expression counts; commercial determinans not. percaso production collaborates with visual artists in packaging. Danish graphic designer Anne Hoffmann places the format and image into context making the medium a message as well as the music. percaso production releases are created with utmost loving care. All in all: music produced by and for the audiophile. Continue reading →

Kevin Frenette

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Featuring Kevin Frenette on guitar Andy McWain on piano, Todd Keating on bass and Tatsuya Nakatani on drums. I am previously familiar with just 2 members of this quartet. Boston pianist, Andy McWain, has had a couple of strong discs on this same label, a quartet date with Assif Tsahar and a trio with Albey Balgochian & Lawrence Cook that I reviewed. Former Boston-based percussion wiz, Tatsuya Nakatani, remains one of the best and most distinctive of all improvising drummers and moved to Pennsylvania a couple of years back. Although Kevin has nice round jazz guitar tone, his playing is quite free and focused. Both he and pianist, Andy McWain, have a special relationship as they swirl layers of notes around one another with a magical connection. The other magic is the way the acoustic bass and drums also swirl freely at an astonishing pace that is sparse and well-connected simultaneously. It is as is there are two incredible duos playing at the same time yet they are subliminally always connected. — Bruce Lee Gallanter Continue reading →

Pata Music

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Pata Music or the Concept of Composed Spheres

If you want to know the meaning of “pata” you will have to learn that your dictionary stubbornly refuses to reveal any information in this respect. To illuminate the origin of the little word we need a short literary excursion into the fascinating world of Doctor Faustroll. Because it was he who in 1898 under the overall control of the French Alfred Jarry created the expression of ” pata physics “. In the epilogue of the German edition (Alfred Jarry, Heldentaten und Ansichten des Doctor Faustroll, Pataphysiker; Publisher: Zweitausendeins) the translater Klaus Völker gives the following definition: ” Pata physics is the science which is based on unreal logic and a new reality beyond the borders of the world of external appearences removed from the usual principles of causality. Everything is able to be mixed up, to be changed, to be turned around and exchanged: things, times and spaces. But nothing is arbitrary, only that every simplicity consists of an interrelated and self-penetrating complexity.” Continue reading →