Monday, July 14, 2014

New Releases: John Coltrane - Afro Blue Impressions; Sten Sandell & Paal Nilsson Love - Jacana; Angles 9 - Injuries

JOHN COLTRANE - AFRO BLUE IMPRESSIONS

One of the best posthumous releases by the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – and a set that really captures the group at a perfect moment – when they were really beginning to stretch out a lot, yet still in a style that was mostly inside! The material was recorded in Berlin and Stockholm – and features wonderfully fresh versions of tunes you'll know from classic Impulse and Atlantic albums by Coltrane – really reworked in this live setting, and opened up in that magical style of the group! In addition to some wonderful soprano and tenor sax from Coltrane, the group also features McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – on titles that include "Lonnie's Lament", "Afro Blue", "Cousin Mary", "Spiritual", and "My Favorite Things". 2CD version features bonus tracks not on the original album, too – including new versions of "Naima", "My Favorite Things", and "I Want To Talk About You".  LP vinyl album also available. ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

STEN SANDELL & PAAL NILSSON LOVE – JACANA

A fierce combination of piano and percussion – the former by Sten Sandell, the latter by Paal Nilsson Love – two very well-matched improvisers! The tracks here are mostly long and dynamic – very freewheeling performances by both musicians, but at a level that really holds strong with a good sense of focus – the kind of sounds that migh run off the rail in the hands of two lesser players, but which continue to burn very hard from the team of Sten and Paal! Tracks include "Jacana", "Kauri", and "Curvature". (First 500 copies come with bonus CD!)  ~, Dusty Groove

ANGLES 9 – INJURIES


Wonderful work from this Swedish collection – a group of players you might know from their excellent work on the Moserobie label, coming together here in one of their most ambitious projects ever! The lineup is relatively large, but the sound is nice and lean – as many musicians often work together in this rhythmic pulse that's quite strong – almost undercurrents of funk or 70s Afro modes, but with all the sharp edges you'd expect from soloists like Matthias Stahl on vibes, Johan Berthling on bass, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Martin Kuchen on alto and tenor sax, and Goran Kajfes on cornet. Kuchen wrote all the tracks on the record, and produced the set too – so we'll assume he's the leader – and titles include "European Boogie", "Eti", "Ubabba", "Injuries", "Compartmentalization", and "In Our Midst".  ~ Dusty Groove


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