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John Patitucci, bass – Irmao De Fe – Newvelle vinyl

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 16, 2017 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Taking an audiophile journey to Brazil with John Patitucci… John Patitucci, bass – Irmao De Fe – Newvelle NV007LP – vinyl ****1/2: (John Patitucci – acoustic and electric bass; Yotam Silberstein – acoustic and electric guitars; Rogerio Boccato – drums, percussion) The first-year subscription series of audiophile LPs from Newvelle Records set a standard for pristine acoustics and coffee table-worthy gate-fold albums. The 180gm clear vinyl felt substantial, and once on the turntable, the music presented matched the presentation of the package. It is worth highlighting the first year of their subscription series: The Frank Kimbrough Quintet (NV001LP) provided straight ahead horn/piano based jazz with tracks both wistful and buoyant. Jack DeJohnette’s solo piano effort (NV002LP) was contemplative and comforting, deeply creative, much like Keith Jarrett, with whom Jack has provided backing for years. Saxophonist Noah Preminger (NV003LP) explored the many faces of blues ballads in a deeply satisfying effort. One of Don Friedman’s final projects (NV004LP) before his passing was a Newvelle project honoring the unsung compositional talents of trumpeter, Booker Little, presented with piano as the main instrument sans horn. It demanded rapt attention to fully appreciate Friedman’s skills in sharing the complex charts of Little, so advanced […]

Free Nelson Mandoomjazz – The Organ Grinder – RareNoise

by Audiophile Audition | Dec 5, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

The doom metal/jazz innovators veer toward a stronger jazz vibe.. Free Nelson Mandoomjazz – The Organ Grinder – RareNoise RNR068, 70:02 [9/30/16] ****: (Rebecca Sneddon – saxophone; Colin Stewart – electric bass; Paul Archibald – drums, percussion, piano (track 5), organ (track 11); Luc Klein – trumpet (tracks 2, 5-6, 9); Patrick Darley – trombone (tracks 4, 6)) Jazz has shown an ability to combine with many other musical genres since its inception. Soul-jazz. Third stream music. Jazz-rock. One of the newer crosshatchings melds doom metal with jazz and is one of the most extreme confluences, in terms of loudness, aggressiveness and amplification. The multi-national trio Free Nelson Mandoomjazz (formed in Scotland, but only one member now resides in that area), has quickly become the vanguard for this unique and vociferous type of jazz fusion. For those unfamiliar with doom metal (which developed in the 1980s), the genre has a much thicker or heavier sound than other metal genres, and is characterized by slow tempos, low-tuned guitars and an impending perception of despair or doom. Not the kind of fare some jazz fans would be attracted to, but cuisine readymade for the RareNoise label, which promotes avant jazz and improvisatory […]

Al Jarreau – Live At Montreux, 1993 – Eagle Records

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 20, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Al Jarreau – Live At Montreux, 1993 – Eagle Records ER203992, 71:02 ****: A sure-footed musical exploration by Al Jarreau at his peak. (Al Jarreau – vocals; Paulinho Da Costa – percussion; Steve Gadd – drums; Eric Gale – guitar; Marcus Miller – bass; Philippe Saisse – synthesizer; Joe Sample – keyboards; Patches Stewart – horns; Stacy Campbell, Sharon Young, Jeff Ramsey – backing vocals) Early in his career, a jazz critic described Al Jarreau as “a singer with an orchestra in his throat”. When this album, Live At Montreux, was recorded on July 6,1993 at a performance at The Montreux Jazz Festival, Jarreau was 53 years old and in full control of his vocal facilities. The set list was a stroll through material with which Jarreau was fully familiar, yet also had a number of tunes that were new to his repertoire. Additionally the back-up band had a number of stellar and accomplished musicians, including drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Marcus Miller who been an integral part of one of Miles Davis’ groups, and keyboardist Joe Sample who was one of the founding members of the 1960 hard-bop band The Jazz Crusaders. Jarreau persuasively begins the outing with his 1981 […]

One for All – The Third Decade – Smoke Session

by Audiophile Audition | May 25, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

A most welcome return… One for All – The Third Decade – Smoke Session SSR 1605, 66:02 (06/03/16) ****1/2: (Eric Alexander – tenor sax; Jim Rotondi – trumpet; Steve Davis – trombone; David Hazeltine – piano; John Webber – bass; Joe Farnsworth – drums) It’s been over five years since One for All has released a group effort. As this group is made up of some of the finest hard bop players on the scene with the front line horn section each heavily recorded with their own projects (and trumpeter Jim Rotondi spending time in Europe), it was feared that the group had run its course. Not so, as their new CD, Third Decade, is hitting the stores on June 3. This super group has been a favorite of hard bop devotees ever since their first CD was issued on Sharp Nine Records back in 1997. For over twenty years they have set a standard that hearkens back to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. They took their name from Blakey’s last studio album, and their cohesion, tight charts, and ensemble blend as a sextet is spot on. Being New York based they seldom toured but found a home at […]

GRIEG: Complete Symphonic Works, Vol. V – Peer Gynt music – WDR Sym./ Eivand Aadland – Audite

by Audiophile Audition | Apr 12, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Conductor Aadland concludes his cycle of Edvard Grieg in colorful style, emphasizing both familiar orchestral and rare vocal works. GRIEG: Complete Symphonic Works, Vol. V = Music to Henrik’s Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, Op. 23: At the Wedding; Dance of the Mountain King’s Daughter; Six Orchestral Songs; Two Lyric Pieces, Op. 68; The Mountain Thrall, Op. 32; Norwegian Dances, Op. 35 – Camilla Tilling, sop./ Tom Erik Lie, bar./ WDR Sinfonieorchester, Cologne/ Eivand Aadland – Audite multichannel SACD 92.671, 66:26 (11/13/15) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Recorded between October 2012 and November 2014, the fifth, final volume of Grieg orchestral works from conductor Aadland embraces less frequent compositions – excepting the Norwegian Dances and a couple of the orchestral songs – of national character and arrangements of Grieg’s own lyrical and elegiac dance tunes. Aadland opens with two excerpts from incidental music for Ibsen’s Peer Gynt: the familiar Prelude to Act I and the Act II, Scene 6 Dance of the Mountain King’s Daughter. The Prelude resonates with the forward thrust of the protagonist’s picaresque adventures, alternating with the sad lament from Solveig for the life that they might have shared. The Dance of the Mountain King’s Daughter serves as an […]

Meridian Arts Ens. “Alchemy” (CD+DVD) & Meridian Arts Ens. “Live in Concert” (DVD) – both Meridian Arts Ens.

by Audiophile Audition | Jan 1, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

Meridian Arts Ensemble, “Alchemy” = music of Byrd, Gesualdo, Corelli, J.S.Bach, de Lassus, Carissimi and Elgar Howarth (Track List follows) – Meridian Arts Ensemble, 8 Bells – (CD + DVD) 59:02, (2/01/13) ***1/2: Meridian Arts Ensemble, “Live in Concert : The Library of Congress – 2004; Deutsches Jazz Festival – 1997” = music of Stravinsky, Gesualdo, David Sanford, Elliott Sharp, Su Lian Tan, Daniel Grabois, Jon Nelson, Randy Brecker (Track List follows) – Meridian Arts Ensemble, 8 Bells, 59:02, DVD (4:3 PCM stereo) [Both Distr. by Harmonia mundi] (7/10/12) ***1/2: This is a very talented and diversified brass ensemble you should hear. The Meridian Brass Ensemble was new to me. This is a genre I do enjoy but do not follow too well, I admit. The Meridian Arts Ensemble is based in New York City, specializing in the performance of new works for brass and percussion, but also in the traditional brass ensemble rep and with equal skill. Founded in 1987, the original members of the group wanted an opportunity to play challenging works, to experience control of their ensemble, and to find creative outlets for their musicianship. Meridian received its early education in the American Brass Quintet’s brass class […]