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.
No comments:
Post a Comment