Wednesday, January 03, 2018

NEW RELEASES - ELVIN JONES - GENESIS; HIROSHIMA – EAST / PROVIDENCE; IVAN BLANUSA - LOUNGIN'

ELVIN JONES - GENESIS

Elvin Jones rose to fame in the company of one of the greatest saxophone players ever – the mighty John Coltrane – and his post-Coltrane work like this really continues a keen respect for the role of the reeds in jazz – and really does a lot to push it forward as well! There's a compelling edge to the record that's light years from Elvin's work with Coltrane – a completely new sensibility that can be spacious one minute, extremely powerful the next – and quite possibly realized to its fullest potential here, thanks to the mindblowing contributions of Dave Liebman on tenor and soprano sax, Frank Foster on tenor and flute, and Joe Farrell on alto and soprano sax. All three players work together on each track – and all shift reeds throughout the session – opening up majestically with inspiration from Elvin's drums, and some wonderful work from Gene Perla on bass. The sound is beyond easy categorization or simple style – and the record's filled with wonderful titles that include "PP Phoenix", "For All The Other Times", "Three Card Monty", and "Cecilia Is Love". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove.

HIROSHIMA – EAST / PROVIDENCE

A pair of later albums from one of the most unique fusion groups of their generation! First up is East, a record that really has Hiroshima embracing both their name and their previous approach to tight jazzy fusion – a set that's very electric, but also uses plenty of koto, taiko, and shamisen to give the music a strong Japanese flavor! The strongest lead comes from Dan Kuramoto, whose keyboard work and reed lines get plenty of space – but the set's also a definite group effort, with a warm sense of sympathy between the players – something you'd definitely need to blend acoustic and electric elements in this way! Machun sings lovely lead vocals on a few tracks – and titles include "East", "Tabo", "Streetcorner Paradise", "Daydreamer", "Living In America", and "Thousand Cranes". Providence showcases the continuing evolution of the Hiroshima sound – a set that still features the group's blend of electric fusion and more traditional Japanese elements – but which also marks a bit of a shift in the style of electric instruments at the time! In other words, the vibe here is more early 90s fusion than the sound of their earlier records – a shift in the choice of keyboards used by leader Dan Kuramoto, which are mixed alongside koto, shamisen, taiko, and percussion. Jeanette Clinger sings lead vocals in a few spots – and titles include "Turning Point", "Island World", "Time On The Nile", "With This Heart", "Kazen", "Providence", "One Of Us", and "Ribbon In The Sky". ~  Dusty Groove

IVAN BLANUSA - LOUNGIN'

Serbia based musician and saxophonist Ivan Blanusa presenting a fresh two track single release under the title 'Loungin'. The single is loaded with a smooth variety of jazz, funk and fusion spiced with modern stylish urban r'n'b & soul grooves. For this release the mighty and very well known producer Basement Freaks has joined on the release giving a touch with his great skills on the production. Both tracks are diving into r'n'b and jazz with deep & burning grooves and great arrangements. 'Loungin is going down & under with a smoky breath, blended with hiphop beats & brass section, with nice hooks and memorial sax-lines. While 'Sunday Chill' is travelling deeper, a slo-mo urban exploration with easy-going attitude and sophisticated saxophone solo & jazzy house vibes. Produced by: Basement Freaks. 


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