18 Apr
Amassed by Spring Heel Jack
Thursday, 18 April 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
A new release from Thirsty Ear, AMASSED, follows the first recording from the group Spring Heel Jack, but includes a stellar cast of players, which thrusts this CD into cre…
07 Apr
Riding the Round Pool by Shelia Landis / Rick Matle
Sunday, 07 April 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Just as 19th century German composers melded the poetry of Schiller, Heine and Goethe to their newly composed music to create Romantic art song, so too has Sheila Landis an…
01 Apr
Objects by Rich Halley
Monday, 01 April 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Rich Halley, a name previously unknown to me, is a woodwind player who presents some very cogent free jazz on "Objects," a 2002 release. The title track, which leads off th…
31 Mar
Love Outside of Dreams by Kahil El'Zabar Trio
Sunday, 31 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Any new work by Kahil El’Zabar is cause for excitement. Over the past twenty five years, the Chicago percussionist, bandleader and mainstay of the groundbreaking Associatio…
29 Mar
Lifeline by Joel Futterman-Ike Levin Trio featuring Kash Killion
Friday, 29 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
LIFELINE is the new CD collection from the Joel Futterman-Ike Levin Trio, and features the cello performances of Kash Killion. Adventuresome music, laced with wild flights …
28 Mar
Inner Circle by Greg Osby
Thursday, 28 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The prolific and intellectually challenging Greg Osby continues to advance his ideas about new forms for jazz, even as he dips into the past. His latest release, Inner C…
21 Mar
Alone Together by Joseph Patrick Moore
Thursday, 21 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Joseph Patrick Moore's third solo CD, Alone Together, is an intriguing mixture of Jazz, Funk, Classical and Soul. It draws you in slowly, enchanting you with varieties of m…
17 Mar
The Torbjorn Zetterberg Hot Five by The Torbjorn Zetterberg Hot Five
Sunday, 17 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
TZH5 As they are known are an up and coming group determined to create beautiful yet challenging music.Zetterberg’s lamenting bass opens Kaften. Gulz’s sparse pia…
16 Mar
Optometry by DJ Spooky
Saturday, 16 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
I have often wondered how a contemporary musical style of the 21st century would sound. OPTOMETRY exemplifies how that might be. This newly released CD on Thirsty Ear has b…
13 Mar
Out of Nowhere by Judith Ren-Lay
Wednesday, 13 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This release by performance artist/singer Judith Ren-Lay is a fascinating mixture of provocative lyrics, vocal acrobatics, studio innovations, eastern influences, and the p…
06 Mar
Passaggio by Silvie Courvoisier Joëlle Léandre and Susie Ibarra
Wednesday, 06 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Traditional Jazz listeners have always thought of Jazz as a conversation between the players; no matter what your instrument in an ensemble situation, you are provided oppo…
04 Mar
Few and Far Between by Bobby Few / Avram Fefer / Wilber Morris
Monday, 04 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
American pianist Bobby Few (who’s played w/ Albert Ayler, Noah Howard and Steve Lacy) has, like many free-leaning players, finds a more artistically hospitable environ in F…
03 Mar
Shortwave Postcard by Alex de Grassi - G.E Stinson
Sunday, 03 March 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Alex de Grassi played with G.E. Stinson on Shadowfax's eponymous 1982 release. Although de Grassi favors acoustic instruments and Stinson was even then involved with electr…
27 Feb
Heavy Meta by Greg Goodman / Henry Kaiser / Lukas Ligeti
Wednesday, 27 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Time and time again I have railed against slipshod/self-indulgent/meandering/purposeless free improvisation - there’s a lot of people engaging in same who should know bette…
24 Feb
Opium by Eisenbeil/Attias/Taylor/Rosen
Sunday, 24 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The unusual line up here creates an interesting set of improvised music. Tracks like Biting Through and Whale Booty Stomp feature the bass sax and trombone, g…
22 Feb
The Happy Accidents by The Happy Accidents
Friday, 22 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The Happy Accidents and their THE HAPPY ACCIDENTS is an entertaining collection of original songs. The group, led by Colin Goldrine and Martin Croxford, is from Essex, Engl…
21 Feb
Viva Caruso by Joe Lovano
Thursday, 21 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Bringing together as it does many previously unwound strands of Joe Lovano’s interests and weaving them into a rich fabric, Viva Caruso is an idea so apt that its om…
20 Feb
Let Paul Robeson Sing by Joe McPhee's Bluette
Wednesday, 20 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
AND THE CULTURE ABOUNDSA history lesson is being taught in four Episodes in the recently released LET PAUL ROBESON SING on CIMP. Joe McPhee’s Bluette assumes a respo…
20 Feb
:rarum by Art Ensemble of Chicago
Wednesday, 20 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The Art Ensemble of Chicago are one of the most long-lived, cutting-edge and eclectic groups in jazz, a troupe that’s insisted on doing things on its own terms. If course, …
13 Feb
Live by Joe Diorio Trio
Wednesday, 13 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Joe Diorio is nothing short of one of the best players of his time, and hisability to shine in both commercial settings as well as his signature freeform approach have made…
09 Feb
Clouds by Natsuki Tamura and Satoko Fujii
Saturday, 09 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Clouds is a series of duets on trumpet and piano, each piece devoted to a type of cloud--"Cirrus," "Stratus," and so on. This may or may not be one of the senses tha…
08 Feb
Footprints - Live by Wayne Shorter
Friday, 08 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
If you've been waiting for Wayne Shorter to finally come out with a live album-here it is.While some may choose to argue about Wayne Shorter's impact on jazz and whether…
07 Feb
:rarum 1 by Keith Jarrett
Thursday, 07 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Very few artists would dare open a collection of their selected recordings with clavichord improvisations, but Jarrett has been, and genuinely remains, one of the rare few.…
06 Feb
Olympia 2000 by Ahmad Jamal Quartet
Wednesday, 06 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Pianist Jamal has long been an explorer of space, and he gives his band - drummer Idris Muhammad, bassist James Cammack and tenor saxophonist George Coleman - plenty of spa…
05 Feb
Uninvisible by Medeski Martin & Wood
Tuesday, 05 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
If a good album is like a journey, and a good journey seems to go by in a flash, Medeski Martin & Wood’s latest disc, Uninvisible, is a very good album.Like a jou…
02 Feb
At The Golden Circle - Volume 2 by Ornette Coleman Trio
Saturday, 02 February 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
This is Night Two of the Coleman Trio’s 1965 Swedish stand, and it’s even edgier that the very swell Volume One. Ornette Coleman is sometimes credited for being the Next St…
27 Jan
Shadow & Light by Giardullo / McPhee / Bisio / Tabbal
Sunday, 27 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
SHADOW & LIGHT is a recording that was made coincidentally on September 11, 2001. That coincidence has therefore rendered the recording significant. It is impossible to kno…
18 Jan
Black Mask by William Hooker
Friday, 18 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Drummer William Hooker’s "Black Mask" is firmly rooted in New York’s avant-noise scene. This CD is a series of improvised duets with saxophonist Roy Nathanson, violinist Ja…
13 Jan
Nu Bop by Matthew Shipp
Sunday, 13 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Any attempt at trying to categorize the music on the newest CD released by pianist Matthew Shipp, Nu Bop, would be an exercise in futility. This recording, a continu…
10 Jan
Invisible Nature by Jack DeJohnette and John Surman
Thursday, 10 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
At the risk of coming off as a "reactionary," all-improvised affairs can be hit-and-miss. It has to be the right confluence of improvisors, circumstance and inspiration, ot…
07 Jan
Live At The Glenn Miller Cafe - Vol. 1 by Janson / Kullhammar / Nilssen-Love
Monday, 07 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Fans of Euro-free-skronk rejoice! Ayler Records (out of Sweden) is dedicated to documenting free jazz of various types, and hot off the presses is this platterof a trio of …
06 Jan
Mask by Jeff Gauthier Goatette
Sunday, 06 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
One of the jobs that violinist Jeff Gauthier had done during his career was performing in Star Trek movies and TV series. From his latest solo release called Mask, …
04 Jan
At The Golden Circle, Volume One by Ornette Coleman Trio
Friday, 04 January 2002
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Funny how things change...when this was released in 1966, it was considered "too way out" by many jazz fans, and much of the rest of the world was in the thrall of Beatlema…
07 Aug
Tools of Trade by Ned Rothenberg & Denman Maroney
Tuesday, 07 August 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Jazz chamber of the highest quality, the Rothenberg/Maroney's duet is a marvelous surprise for those who love their music improvised. Two pieces from the pianist, one by th…
01 Aug
Tree Song by Takana Miyamoto
Wednesday, 01 August 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Pianist Takana Miyamoto's remarkable talent hinges on dual strengths: well-developed sensibilities for both rhythm and melody. Her debut recording, "Tree Song," highlights …
01 Aug
Live Trane: The European Tours by John Coltrane
Wednesday, 01 August 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth, Fantasy/Pablo has released Live Trane: European Tours. This seven-disc, eight-hour-long box set, mixing previous…
26 Jul
Republic by Lemon Juice Quartet
Thursday, 26 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Coming to America, the members of the Lemon Juice Quartet didn’t so much assimilate into the pre-existing jazz scene they found when they began studying at Berklee School o…
26 Jul
Radio Free Soul by Dawan Muhammad
Thursday, 26 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
One of the beautiful things about jazz is when it brings world music to our ears. For example Sun Ra, Taj Mahal, and Weather Report are known to have done this extensively …
21 Jul
The Constant Flame by Alex Cline Ensemble
Saturday, 21 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
May I know all the sounds as my own sound. May I know all the lights as my own light. May I know all the rays as my own ray. These words, from the Tibetan Book of the De…
21 Jul
Crash the Car Daddy by Pieces of Brain
Saturday, 21 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Pieces of Brain is a free-jazz trio from Poland consisting of guitarist/saxophonist Jon Dobie, bassist Staweck Janicki and drummer Jacek Majewski. One of them, my money say…
20 Jul
Chain Of Accidents by The Electrics
Friday, 20 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The Electrics are a quartet of unparalleled creativity, skill and emotion. Chain Of Accidents was recorded live at the Copenhagen JazzHouse in Copenhagen Denmark Apr…
19 Jul
Live At Glenn Miller Cafe by Janson / Kullhammer / Nilssen-Love
Thursday, 19 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Ayler Records is a label based in Sweden that specializes in capturing live Jazz performances. With attention to sound, production, and packaging, Ayler offers the listener…
16 Jul
Unify by Adam James Wilson Quintet
Monday, 16 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The Adam James Wilson Quintet plays music that sounds remarkably fresh in these jaded times. The combination of instruments is fairly unique: flute, violin, drums, piano an…
11 Jul
Bridge by Akiko Pavolka's House of Illusion
Wednesday, 11 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
There are so many different influences present in the music on the newest CD Bridge by Akiko Pavolka’s House of Illusion that it almost defies categorization. This c…
09 Jul
Caramel Topped Terrier by David Haney Quartet
Monday, 09 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Pianist David Haney is an experienced player and composer in both classical and jazz circles. The Calgary, Ontario native who now resides in Portland, Oregon has written pi…
05 Jul
Statements by Michael Cooke
Thursday, 05 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Statements is a collection of original pieces on a variety of saxes, winds and percussion by bay area multi-instrumentalist Michael Cooke. Some of them are solo performance…
01 Jul
Bar Torque by Elton Dean and Mark Hewins
Sunday, 01 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Jazz musicians have for many years sought out accompaniments beyond that of the standard rhythm section of piano, bass and drums. Among other reasons, this search is perhap…
01 Jul
Freedom and Jealousy by Paul Tynan Quartet
Sunday, 01 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Who sounds a little like Ornette Coleman’s quartet from the late 50’s/early 60’s, a little like Lester Bowie, a little like Mingus, a little like Eric Dolphy, the band Sex …
01 Jul
The Present Gift by Joel Futterman-Ike Levin Duo
Sunday, 01 July 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
The duo team of Joel Futterman and Ike Levin give the listening audience a taste of the unusual in their CD collection titled THE PRESENT GIFT. The CD contains 13 songs.
28 Jun
Betty Scott Sings With Lennie Tristano by Betty Scott and Lennie Tristano
Thursday, 28 June 2001
Published in
Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews
Don’t bother with "Betty Scott Sings With Lennie Tristano."The CD features 11 sloooow ballads recorded in Tristano’s Hollis, N.Y., studio during sessions in 1965, 1971 a…