Jazz Archives

Absolute Zero, an amazing American avant-rock ensemble including a Canterbury living legend (now dead, unfortunately), delivered the studio gem "Crashing Icons" in the early years of the new millennium. This wonderful yet difficult record states a powerful mixture of jazz-fusion and rock in opposition, which means an electrifying combination of vibrant cadences and deconstructive structures. This is the band's only official CD after releasing a number of domestic, limited-edition demos and live recordings. The album's title can also be the literal manifesto of the band's writing and performing strategies: iconoclastic performances cleverly inspired by the free spirit of jazz-based improvisations, fueled by the rhythm duo's bizarrely powerful expansions and ornamented by Quinn's ever elegant and ever bizarre inputs. The Dadaistic vocalizations by Quinn (whose tone reminds me of Thinking Plague alumnus Deborah Perry's) also help to expand the irreverent nature of the musical ideas developed, destroyed and reconstructed along the way of each piece (long pieces all of them, clocking between the 12 and 20+ minute marks). As points of reference, one can notice influences from Art Bears, "In Praise of Learning"-era Henry Cow, the wildest side of Zappa and the challenging standard of late 60s-early 70s free jazz. The way Jardines plays his bassist's role is amazing beyond belief: he usually uses his instrument as a mad lead guitar "in your face", while Pip masterfully accepts the challenge with an incredible energy that one doe not usually expect from a man that is past his 50th birthday. Forget about the melodic drive of Hatfield albums or the easy-going pulsations of early Gong releases, the Pip Pyle of Absolute Zero works as a wise accomplice of the band's global post-modernistic approach. Track 2 'Further On' is the most accomplished example of the radically avant-garde style that the band is aimed to. The presence of African tuned percussions among the track's development and variations works as a catalyser of colorfulness through the overall neurosis and fun elaborated by the nuclear trio. Nothing to complain about once you have gotten into the album's spirit through the opener 'Bared Cross', which defies the limits of rational sensitiveness in the art of noise from its initial seconds: 'Bared Cross' is an open invitation to find a new rationale in art beyond the habitual sense of rationality, headlong for the disturbing, celebrating the marriage of chaos and interconnectivity under the guidance of a new intelligence. In lesser words, a post-modernistic approach to jazz-rock-fusion. 'Stutter Rock/You Said' emphasizes the jazz element, enhancing the band's gusto for free-jazz and mixing it with some unmistakable funky cadences. Here we can enjoy the most impressive synth solo by Quinn in the entire album, as well as an exciting conga solo by guest Jim Stewart (announced by Jardines as a "fabulous salsero" and a "master of tropical rhythms") during a Latin-jazz excursion. Absolute Zero's music cries rebellion, but it doesn't deny fun or warmth at all. This Latin portion is an excuse for the whole band to propel itself toward an expansion of the madness that had been somewhat constrained so far. Being the least inscrutable track in the album, it still has plenty of room for radical weirdness. 'Sueños Sobre un Espejo' (Spanish for 'Dreams On a Mirror') entitles the closing track. This one manages to insert some lyricism as well as ethereal ambiences while staying in touch with the album's overall surrealistic scheme. The emergence of somber passages and ceremonious vocalizations preferentially hint at the absurd instead of the creepy.
The track's coda is as explosive as can be expected by the attentive listener. Crashing your musical conceptions like a Nietzschean hammer, Absolute Zero's music will be pleasantly perceived as a declaration of war against the musical conventions of jazz and rock by any true avant-prog lover.

:::Review by Cesar Inca:::

Absolute Zero - Crashing Icons (2004)

1. Bared Cross (13:47)
2. Further On (20:43)
3. Stutter Rock / You Said (11:49)
4. Suenos Sobre Un Espejo (16:46)

Credits
- Aislinn Quinn / keyboards, vocals, percussion (4)
- Enrique Jardines / bass, percussion (4)
- Pip Pyle / drums, percussion

Guest musicians
- Keith Hedger / trumpet, percussion (4)
- Jim Stewart / percussion (2,4)

Abrasive energy, aggressive darkness and challenging inventiveness - name these three items and you will be summarizing what NeBeLNeST's recent release "ZePTO" is all about. This has to be one of the Top 5 prog albums of the year, and it's really stunning how energetic and cohesive this avant-rock album is, considering that it was conceived and recorded during a long period of crisis, during which an old guitarist stayed for a little more time and then left, another one came in to replace him, and ultimately, the band's nucleus was reduced to Tejedor brothers and drummer Anselmi. Anyway, NeBeLNeST's sound is more focused on Olivier's multiple keyboards than ever before, but it hasn't stopped the band from creating their most ballsy recording so far. Yes, the nuclear trio have managed to concentrate mainly on their most chaotic side of their music and explore it further in order to instill a renewed electrifying energy into the realms of RIO. But that doesn't come out that clear until the second track. The catchy opening track 'Pillars of Birth', built on a robust 5/4 tempo, pretty much follows the path of the previous offering "Nova Express". 'Manjuns' is definitely oriented toward radical disturbance, stating an ambience of semi-controlled anarchy that the musicians deliver with solid efficiency, while challenging each other mercilessly. 'The Old Ones' kind of recycles the spirits of the previous two numbers; it recaptures the swing of track 1, but with a more sinister vibe, which results in a tension similar to that exposed in track 2. A special mention has to go to the keyboard input, essential for the mood of 'The Old Ones'. There is also a noticeable presence of jazz-rock nuances in places, which allows the generation of contrast against the harder-edged sections: Gregory's wickedly distorted bass lines serve as main solidifiers of those aforesaid harder sections. Does the listener want some more anarchy? There is the short 'The Thing in the Walls', that appears to our ears as an endless masochistic nightmare with its random paths that concretize a massive sonic deconstruction. Free-jazz, thrash-metal, radical psychedelia and HC's "In Praise of Learning" RIO: all this and more in less than 2 minutes. Its abrupt end is segued into the more ethnic 'Fabric of Reality': percussive drifts and exotic clarinet flourishes emerge over a krautrock-inspired minimalist series of keyboard layers, until the last minute brings a defying musique concrete display. 'De Triumpho Naturae' and 'Do What Thou Wilt' are the longest tracks in the album. The former is linked to the aleatory coda of 'Fabric', and actually gets started in a similar mood, until a well-ordained crescendo appears, seasoned with a cosmic interlude. The latter has a weird, eerie 4-minute intro, like a subtle hint of scary things to come. Then. they come. The main motif shows a ballsy mixture of classic Present and "Starless and Bible Black"-era KC. The spacey synthesizer ornaments are featured in order to enhance the track's overall surreal essence. The epilogue 'Station 9' portrays the machine-driven world that we live in. The cybernetic aura created by the free flowing of mechanic- sounding keyboards and percussions is full of abstract mystery and creepy intensity. Many of NeBeLNeST connoisseurs were afraid that the band had left the scene for good: we were so wrong. the band was only recreating itself in the dark, waiting to reappear with a vengeance. And so they did: "ZePTO" is a hell of a masterpiece in the current world of RIO.

:::Review by Cesar Inca:::

NeBeLNeST – ZePTO (2006)

1. Pillars of Birth (6:34)
2. Manjnuns (5:42)
3. The Old Ones (5:48)
4. The Thing in the Walls (1:48)
5. Fabric of Reality (3:13)
6. De Thriumpho Naturae (8:27)
7. DO WHAT THOU WILT (10:06)
8. Station 9 (4:25)

Credits
- Michaël Anselmi / drums, percussion
- Grégory Tejedor / bass
- Olivier Tejedor / keyboards, devices, ocarina ,violin
With
- Sébastien Carmona / guitar (1, 3, 6)
- Cyril Malderez / guitar (2, 4, 5, 7)
- Vincent Bouzefa / clarinet

miRthkon hails from Oakland, California, and plays what they describe as "an inimitable blend of quirky prog rock, avant-garde jazz, contemporary classical abstraction, thrash metal, and an uncanny pop accessibility that defies categorization". The band was founded by guitarist/vocalist Wally Scharold in the late 1990s; while existing in some incarnation of some sort for well over a decade, it was not until 2005 that the core lineup (Sharold, guitarist Rob Pumpelly, bassist Nat Hawkes, drummer Dickie Ogden, and multi-reedist Carolyn Walter) came together for a heavy gigging rotation throughout the Bay Area. An EP, The Illusion of Joy, was released in September 2006. They were shortly thereafter signed to AltrOck Productions (home of Italian avant-prog outfit Yugen), and soon began work on their first full-length album Vehicle, which was released in May 2009. The current lineup now features Matt Guggemos on drums and Jamison Smeltz playing alto and baritone saxes, as well as vocals.

:::Review from mirthkon.com:::

Mirthkon - The Illusion Of Joy (2006)

1. Zhagunk (5:00)
2. Johnny Yen (4:22)
3. Daddylonglegz (5:11)
4. Trishna (8:51)

Credits
Nathaniel Hawkes / Bass
Dickie Ogden / Drums
Rob Pumpelly / Guitar
Wally Scharold / Guitars, Vocals

Aram Shelton / Woodwinds
Carolyn Walter / Woodwinds

TIPOGRAPHICA are very hard to describe, which is probably why they were one of the most interesting band of the 90s (unfortunately, the band recently decided to part ways). The musicians, consisting of guitarist, bassist, drummer, and a small horn section seemed influenced by Frank ZAPPA's 70s jazz compositions, and especially Ruth Underwood's crazed percussion work-outs. However, the rhythms on "God Says I Can't Dance" are really unique, and don't seem directly influenced by ZAPPA. I've heard their unique rhythm work being called "arhythmic" (tons of starts, stops, 90 degree turns, tempo changes). Yes, you could definitely say that. But the band is great at creating grooves out of those irregular rhythms, giving the music a strange danceable quality to it (like ZAPPA's catchiest work). The interaction between musicians has a playfulness to it that is typical of most of the experimental Japanese bands. TIPOGRAPHICA are a perfect introduction to the Japanese prog scene.

:::Review by Steve Hegede:::

Tipographica - God Says I Can't Dance (1996)

1. Friends (8:54)
2. Control Tower Says 'TP-1, Break Down' (8:45)
3. White Collar Worker VS Black Rubber Man (11:22)
a) AM 3:28 Shinjuku
b) AM 3:45 Kasumigaseki
c) AM 5:02 Berlin
4. And Then The Last Ship Is Going (7:35)
5. Japanese Room (we Have No ZEN) (7:34)
6. Laughin' Photograph (8:15)
7. Forest Tipographical II (7:34)

Credits
- Tsuneo Imahori / guitar
- Naruyoshi Kikuchi / saxophone
- Osamu Matsumoto / trombone
- Akira Minakami / keyboards
- Hiroaki Mizutani / bass
- Akira Sotoyama / drums
+ Kazuto Shimizu / mokkin

In 1982, a one-off version of The Work went to Japan for a series of concerts - in the absence of regulars Rick Wilson and Mick Hobbs, Chris Cutler and L. Voag (as he was then known) filled in alongside regulars Tim Hodgkinson and Bill Gilonis. This recording was made at the last concert in Osaka, and the LP assembled from it came out later the same year, only in Japan, soon to go out of print and to remain so until now. This is a different and extremely in your face version of The Work, made more so by the recording, which brings everything forward and accentuates every punch and roar. Tim is in screaming form and the band take extreme liberties, somehow staying inside the songs they are systematically splitting them open and spitting them out. There's a lot going on here, in rapid succession, and yet somehow it remains uncluttered. Best taken loud (though, technically it sounds loud even when it's quiet), this recording is a nice example of what I like about certain live recordings - they have an energy and directedness (thanks to a lively public) that is quite impossible to capture in a studio. This CD Includes one piece never recorded by the official Euro Work, laconic spoken comments from Amos/Voag and the rare red flexi-disc version of 'I Hate America' by the same band from the same concert.

:::Review by RéR Megacorp:::

The Work - Live in Japan (1982)

1. State Room 3:40
2. Like This 3:01
3. Fingers & Toes 3:02
4. Pop 4:40
5. Crabs 4:29
6. Duty 2:10
7. Cain & Abel 3:50
8. Do It 2:16
9. Tuning 0:43
10. Flies 0:58
11. Benidorm 1:42
12. Night By The Sea 4:54

Credits
Artwork By - Chris Cutler
Bass Guitar, Voice - Amos
Drums, Drums [Electric] - Chris Cutler
Guitar [Hawaian], Saxophone, Organ, Voice - Tim Hodgkinson
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Bill Gilonis
Performer [Live Mix] - C.D. Gray
Recorded By - Masae Nishimura
Saxophone [Tenor] - Bill Gilonis (tracks: 12)

Notes
Recorded at a concert at the Osaka Koseikenkin Kaikan Middle Hall, Jun 29, 1982 with a cassette recorder 1/2 way back the hall and later reprocessed through a graphic equaliser & a DBX expander.

The second record by this theater troupe is a far more relaxed affair than the chaos of Aurora. Gone are the screams and howls to a free-form squall of noise. Instead, Nicole Aubiat's voice, mostly spoken, rides almost continuously over the steady ethno-percussion jazz-rock of the band. Since the lyrics are all in French, and there are no instrumental stretches until the final track, "Nil," some listeners without knowledge of the language might be put off, even more so without the visual aspects of the performance. Though at times her voice and the music are evocative enough, even when one doesn't know the meaning.
The opener, "Le Train," is propelled by African percussion and steady vibraphone riff, while Aubiat's voice, sexy and throaty, seems to climax with the rising horn session halfway through the song. Most of the emotion of the record is in her voice, as the band carries off a trance-like funk groove on "Hey," or an eerie ambience with bird noises in "Les Oiseaux." "Nil" sinks into a dirge, while her voice becomes forlorn. The record comes off maybe too well mannered, especially following in the shadow of Aurora.

:::Review by Rolf Semprebon:::

Chene Noir - Chant pour le Delta, la Lune et le Soleil (1976)

1. Le Train (4:35)
2. Les Oiseaux
3. Hey...! (11:32)
4. La 7 (5:30)
5. Le Nil (11:05)

Credits
- Nicole Aubiat / vocals
- Thierry Bergerot / synthesizers
- Jean-Loius Cannaud / Flute, tenor and alto sax, vocals, percussions
- Jean-Pierre Chalon / drums, percussions
- Daniel Dublet / piano, violincello, congas
- Monik Lamy / vocals, percussions
- Philippe Puech / vibraphone, vocals
- Christine Schaffter / soprano sax, vocals percussions
- Pierre Surtel / sporano sax, vibraphone, vocals
- Abel Valls / bass guitar, contrabass

This is the first album put out by Zu and personally its one of their best. Their blend of Speed Jazz with Henry Cow and Frank Zappa would be for anyone who loves Avant Garde Music. As a bass player, i listened to Massimo Pupillo very closely and i was pretty amazed at what he does. He blends with the rest of the band and doesnt overshadow the incredibly talented sax player, Luca T Mai. Zu pleases crowds. Their tour on this album consisted of a broken down mini van (as do all first timers) and lost of good memories.
Key tracks on the album are Zu Circus, Testa di Cane, and Erotomane. This is indeed one of their best works and its sure not to dissapoint. 4.5 stars.

:::Review by fungusucantkill:::

Zu - Bromio (1999)

1. Detonatore (3:36)
2. Xenitis (3:11)
3. Testa di Cane (3:06)
4. Paonazzi (1:20)
5. Zu Circus (3:42)
6. Asmodeo (4:06)
7. Cane Maggiore (3:24)
8. Epidurale (1:51)
9. Villa Belmonte (2:54)
10. Erotomane (4:25)
11. La Grande Madre delle Bestie (5:43)

Credits
- Jacopo Battaglia/ drums
- Massimo Pupillo / bass
- Luca T Mai / sax

Drum Circus is a shortlived Swiss band founded by the great drummer Peter Giger. The band he formed had three drummers (!) and many other musicians, including Joel Vandroogenbroeck, from Brainticket, playing Organ, Piano, Flute and Sitar. Carole Muriel from Brainticket appears also in the band doing vocals. Other curious thing about their only album is that the lyrics of two songs were written by the LSD guru Timothy Leary. After all this definition one can only think that the music contained in this album is rather crazy and in fact it is. If you like drumming/percussion, you will love this album.
The sidelong eponymous track, Magic Theatre, has many things and ideas included. The lyrics are inspired in the Tibetan Book of The Dead, written by Leary.
The sound is varied, with a percussion intro, nice organ, good flute and drum passage, some drums with a collective chanting and then fantastic sitar sounds that are very skillfully played, along with some crazy saxophone, mridanga (indian percussion) and indian-inspired chanting. Then are some avant-garde parts with percussion, sax improvisation and great organ sounds. After some jamming, there is some spoken phrases interpreted by the singers like in a play. After that a calm part with sitar, flute and percussion. Then some jazzy parts, with jazzy piano and saxophone, plus very good drumming. In the end there is the return of the theme under the spoken part.
The other songs are good also. Now It Hurts You is short, but has excellent sitar, organ and drumming. The vocals are strange in this song. Papera is a rather jazzy song with some soft saxophone arrangement and good piano. Percussion is always present and very interesting. The song has some changes during it.
La-Si-Do is the strangest song with strange vocals and dominated by percussion, with many different sounds generating a good combination.
Groove Rock is really groovy, with superb saxophone soloing and great organ and percussion backing the solo. The song is jazzy and the highlights are the superb drumming and the great saxophone.
All Things Pass has interesting piano and percussive sounds. The singing is inspired. The piano arrangement is somewhat jazzy and the drumming parts are very improvisational, with the usage of the less used parts of the drums, like cymbals.
Overall is a nice album with a great mix of psychedelic indian influences and jazz and impressive drumming. The sound is not so much varied and some shorter songs resemble the long suite, but this is a little common for their genre (Krautrock).

:::Review by akin:::

Drum Circus - Magic Theatre (1971)

1. Magic Theatre (21:32)
2. Now It Hurts You (2:48)
3. Papera (3:32)
4. La-Si-Do (2:22)
5. Groove Rock (8:44)
6. All Things Pass (3:25)

Credits
- Peter Giger / drums, percussions
- Marc Hellman / drums
- Alex Bally / drums
- Joel Vandroogenbroeck / organ, flute, sitar
- Gerd Dudek / sax, flute
- Isla Eckinger / bass
- Carole Muriel / vocals
- Polo Hofer / vocals

Recorded over the course of three days in April of 1961, Someday My Prince Will Come is at once a curiosity and a masterpiece, a recording that not only captures trumpeter Miles Davis' group in flux but practically crystallizes the very moment of transition. As on Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959), for which the leader brought back pianist Bill Evans, Davis again turns to the past, this time calling upon two recent alumni to participate on three of the tracks. But far more than an historical document, Someday My Prince Will Come is a thing of beauty, an indispensable addition to the Davis recorded canon.
Unfortunately, a disproportionate amount of attention has been devoted to the opening, title track. Following solos by a Harmon-muted Davis, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and pianist Wynton Kelley, the leader appears to take the tune out but instead ends on a deceptive cadence, suspending the dominant chord long enough for the tenor saxophone of John Coltrane to join the party for two undeniably dazzling choruses of alternate, extended harmonies and blistering pyrotechnics. Especially those listeners less familiar with Mobley's than Coltrane's work tend to make much of the obvious disparity between the two, interpreting it either as a sign of Coltrane's unassailable superiority or Mobley's middleweight mediocrity.
In retrospect, and especially after reading the liner notes with trumpeter Eddie Henderson's first-hand, sympathetic account of Mobley's status as the newcomer, it's difficult not to come away with some sense that Mobley was "blind-sided" on this occasion. Whereas Coltrane clearly makes the dramatic entrance of a man on a mission, Mobley is merely trying to please his boss, contributing a solo, moreover, that's based on the tight-lipped, minimalist model of the one immediately preceding him. The result is "respectable" but hardly representative Mobley. Neither a motivic power player like Rollins nor an incantatory harmonicist like Coltrane, Mobley is one of the instrument's premier bel canto "singers," an unabashed Romantic who habitually plays his heart out, rarely subjecting the inspiration of the moment to potentially life-killing (and song-ending) intellectual scrutiny. But in this rare instance he pauses—and pauses again—then again—each time up to an entire measure of empty space elapsing before, realizing his time is about to run out, he hastily inserts an arbitrary and lame closing tag.
Coltrane sits out on the tune's alternate take (not included on the original release), which finds Mobley back on his game, going repeatedly to the uppermost note of his solo until its lyric ring is unmistakable, then neatly tying it all together in unhesitating, characteristic Mobley-esque fashion. Nevertheless, the earlier Coltrane solo, while not doing any favors for Mobley, sets the stage for all that follows, elevating the session from an historical curiosity to another perpetually fresh, time-resistant classic by a Davis ensemble less "transitional" than state of the art.
"Old Folks," a ballad as sentimental and wistfully nostalgic as its title suggests, acquires unaccustomed urgency and poignancy when distilled to its essence by the steely, penetrating Davis trumpet, followed by its fleshing out in the warm, round tones of Mobley's tenor on the first of several flawless turns by the saxophonist. As Henderson's written account reveals, Davis was far from sold on the suitability of Mobley as a replacement for Coltrane—and Mobley was all too aware of his new employer's reservations. Saxophonist Sonny Stitt, another provisional member of the Davis ensemble following Coltrane's departure, had been subjected to withering criticism (or, worse, cold disregard) by his employer, especially for attempting to play bebop figures on the modal scales of "So What." But whereas Stitt stood his ground, sticking to his Charlie Parker-shaped story and then simply moving on, it's apparent that Mobley took especially seriously the question of his acceptance by jazz's frequently inscrutable Prince of Darkness.
With the exception of the released version of the title track and "Teo," a Mid-Eastern modal piece on which Davis revisits some of his upper-register work from "Saete" (Sketches of Spain, (Columbia 1959), Mobley acquits himself almost as impressively as he would on the group's on-location recordings, In Person at the Blackhawk, Vols. 1 and 2 (Columbia, 1961). On "Teo" Davis simply stopped the first take in midstream and turned once again to Coltrane for the definitive, released version of the tune. Frankly, it's unlikely there was anyone besides Coltrane capable not only of sustaining the exotic, suspended-meter spell woven by Davis' incandescent trumpet but of intensifying and deepening it, probing the darkly beautiful dimensions beneath the song's enticing angular surface.
Besides the Coltrane/Mobley meeting, the session affords the listener a unique opportunity to contrast the "new" drummer, Jimmy Cobb, with his predecessor, Philly Joe Jones, who sits in on "Blues No. 2," a track available only on the CD reissue. Cobb plays with a broad, generous stroke and a brilliant, ringing ride cymbal, creating open swinging spaces for the soloists to explore, clearly anticipating the prominent role of the ride cymbal in the playing of his successor, Tony Williams.
Jones who, like Coltrane on the title tune, sounds like a man out to prove something, favors the snare and executes with a shortened, tight stroke, perfect for the crisp, quick repartee he engages in with the leader. In that respect he's closer to Max Roach than to Cobb or Williams, yet there's an unmistakable difference. Whereas Roach, the "Dean" of modern jazz drummers, would maintain a busy polyrhythmic conversation, or "counter-chatter," with the soloists, Jones plays more like a horn player himself, his phrases intricate but relatively symmetrical, rattling off the same bebop licks as those favored by the idiom's leading exponents. In fact, listening to the drummer and his former employer on this track is not just a little like hearing some of the sparring matches between Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie as on Bird and Diz (Verve, 1950).
As might already be inferred, Someday My Prince Will Come is a Davis recording rich with contextual, historical and autobiographical significance (including the cover photo of a woman whose appearance the leader insisted upon as a condition for the album's release). Those listeners who insist on making much of the "shoot-out" between Mobley and Coltrane would do well to withhold judgment until hearing the two tenor giants going after one another on at least three other recordings, each granting the players generous amounts of solo space: Johnny Griffin, A Blowin' Session (Blue Note, 1957); John Coltrane, Two Tenors (Prestige, 1957); Hank Mobley, Tenor Conclave (Prestige, 1957). On the latter session, featuring four tenors, Mobley follows Coltrane as the consummate clean-up hitter on an especially memorable version of Irvin Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean?"—climaxing in a surprisingly forceful Mobley cadenza.
But Some Day My Prince Will Come is a recording that can be recommended solely on its intrinsic merits, not the least of which is the uniformly excellent playing of the trumpet player. For this reason, along with the consistently high level of the other individual performances as well as the unmistakable guiding if not shaping influence of the strong-willed, focused and visionary leader over virtually every measure of the music, it's a session that continues to acquire a strong following, having the potential, even, of pulling within striking distance of Kind of Blue.

:::Review by Samuel Chell:::

Miles Davis - Someday My Prince Will Come (1961)

1. Someday My Prince Will Come 9:04
2. Old Folks 5:14
3. Pfrancing 8:31
4. Drad Dog 4:29
5. Teo 9:34
6. I Thought About You 4:53

Credits
Bass - Paul Chambers
Drums - Jimmy Cobb
Piano - Wynton Kelly
Saxophone [Tenor] - Hank Mobley (tracks: 1,2,3,4)
Trumpet - Miles Davis
Tenor saxophone - John Coltrane (1,5)

A whole new chapter in Polish jazz music was started by Miłość / Love, a band created in Trójmiasto (an aggregate of the three neighbouring towns of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot) in April 1988. Ryszard Tymon Tymański (guitar) is the leader of this group. Together with other young musicians he contests the so called classical stream of Polish jazz. The band describes its music as yass, referring in this way to the original roots of jazz music. Yass is a combination of new wave, free jazz, modern rock, surrealistic instrumental theatre and poetry. Polish yass questions jazz played in Poland so far, it questions especially its creative value. At the beginning of the 1990's, Miłość had among its members a remarkably talented pianist Leszek Możdżer, and saxophonists Maciej Sikała and Mikołaj Trzaska. Miłość began a creative ferment, it gathered a group of believers, it led to the creation of a new stream in Polish jazz. Today this stream gathers at least over ten musicians, it has its own record company (Biodro Records), its own festival ("Muzyka z Mózgu" / "Music from the brain"), and a number of clubs of which "Brain" located in Bydgoszcz is the most important.
The leading bands of the yass stream are as follows: Miłość (records: "Miłość" / "Love", "Taniec smoka" / "Dance of a Dragon", "Asthmatic", "On Life and Death", "Not Two" - with a famous American trumpeter of the avant-garde stream Lester Bowie); Kury / Hens (record: "P.O.L.O.V.I.R.U.S."); Łoskot / Din (record: "Koncert w Mózgu" / "Concert in a Brain"); Duet Trzaska-Świetlicki / Trzaska-Świetlicki Duo (record: "Cierpienie i Wypoczynek" / "Suffering and Resting"); Arythmic Perfection ("Out to Lunch", "Rozmowy z Catem"); Trytony / Tritons (record: "Zarys matematyki niewinnej" / "An Outline of Innocent Mathematics"); Maestro Trytony / Maestro Tritons (record: "Enoptronia"); Diffusion Ensemble (record: "Azure Excess"); Trupy / Corpses; Niebieski Lotnik / Blue Pilot.
The leading musicians of the yass stream are: Ryszard Tymon Tymański (guitar), Mikołaj Trzaska (saxophones), Mazzoll (clarinet), Tomasz Gwinciński (guitar) Jacek Olter (percussion), Leszek Możdżer (piano during the initial period), and Maciej Sikała (saxophones).

Mózg ("Brain" in Polish) is a performance place (concert, exhibitions and more) in Bydgoszcz aimed at contemporary art. It was established in 1994 by Jacek Majewski and Sławomir Janicki. Mózg and Gdańsk were centers of yass movement.
This compilation was released to celebrate fifth anniverary of Mózg.

Mózg website


V/A - Mózg 5 lat (2000)

01. Marzena Pawlicka, Joanna Czapińska - Habanera Z Opery "Carmen" G. Bizeta [02:49]
02. Mazzoll & Arhythmic Perfection - Andrzej [05:02]
03. Teleecho - Mars Bars [05:06]
04. Trytony - Ostatni raz [06:34]
05. Sylvie Curvoisier, Tomasz Pawlicki - Fragment koncertu [03:52]
06. Zdzisław Piernik, Sławomir Janicki - Dialogi na tubę, kontrabas i taśmę [04:24]
07. Pieces Of Brain 2nd Edition - Ayler's Song [07:34]
08. Maestro Trytony - Wariacja na temat "Ojczyzną naszą dobroć, dobroć, dobroć [06:49]
09. Kazik Staszewski - Mózg [01:00]
10. Masło - Venus in Furs (The Velvet Underground cover) [06:15]
11. Tomasz Gwinciński, Peter Gonzales, Tomasz Pawlicki, Grzegorz Daroń, Phillipa & Hariert - The Identity of Relative and Absolute [03:02]
12. 4 Syfon - Be be cia cia [05:40]
13. Caridad De La Luz - This Love is Not Good For Me [02:48]
14. Barondown - Unleashing the Dobermans [03:03]
15. Tymon Tymański - Lies [02:20]
16. Fred Frith - Fragment koncertu [05:22]

The band was formed in 2003, initially as a by-project of musicians who at that time performed in Something Like Elvis and Tissura Ani. Its original name was Electric Blues Mutants. Through the first two years the character of created music as well as the group’s line-up had been shaped.
In this line-up they came up with a material of which recording started in April 2005 and finished in January 2006. These tracks were composed in various places and circumstances. In Bydgoszcz, Szubin, London, Swarzędz. In spring, summer, autumn and winter. In the music that resulted one can feel that it is ‘road’ music, music of varied circumstances and spirits. ‘In these sounds was given voice to many emotions and feelings that had appeared throughout that time in our lives: a phenomenon of birth, but also break-ups, returns, betrayals, love, hate, loneliness, and above all a desire to make music together’.
A debut album ‘All You Know Is Wrong’ consists of ten pieces of music, that were created over a span of the first three years of the group’s activity. ‘In spite of the passage of time, for us this music is still fresh, almost “moist”. We are not able to classify it nor specify of what genre it is, and let it remain this way. We are going to keep looking for new solutions in our music and sound, even if later on it was supposed to turn out that all we knew about it was wrong’.

:::Review by ankh:::

Potty Umbrella - Forte Furioso (2007)

1. Dr Pizdur 6:37
2. Swing Deluxe 3:52
3. Feces Of Love 6:39
4. Why Man Still Fall In Love? 1:44
5. Jat Lag 6:57
6. Original Sin 8:03
7. Why Man Still Go To Wars? 8:38
8. Brain Fever 4:41
9. Gone 6:49
10. Exclusive Pollution 6:11

Credits
Sławek Szudrowicz - vocal, guitar, drums
Artur Maćkowiak - keyboards
Maciej Szymborski - electric piano, Poly 61
Piotr Komosiński - bass
Piotr Waliszewski – drums

Robotobibok (a blend of two Polish words for robot and skiver) was formed in 1998 in Wrocław, Poland. From the very beginning, their music has seemed to combine modern electronic music with the energy of improvised jazz. Strong and acoustic drums, double bass and trumpet intertwine with dreamy vibraphone, electric guitar and characteristic 70’s analogue electronica.

:::by Last.fm:::

Robotobibok - Instytut Las (2003)

1. Solina
2. Wymiana Tlenu Na Stacji Mir
3. Grzybiarz
4. Vcs*
5. Robot
6. Muzyka Do Filmu
7. Instytut Ruperta S.
8. Vcs**
9. Pomiar Czasu
10. O Czym Szumią Wierzby
11. łódź Podwodna

Credits
Contrabass - Marcin Ożóg
Guitar, Arp Odyssey - Maciej Bączyk
Percussion - Kuba Suchar
Saxophone, Moog - Adam Pindur
Trumpet - Artur Majewski

100nka is a 90-year-old contrabass, the drums from 1956 and the guitar with a huge power plant. On their first album entitled "Zimna Płyta" as a guest played Mikołaj Trzaska. Then, on their second, two-disc album "Potrawy Strawy + Kompot Gratis" plays Ziut Gralak. The third album is "Superdesert" featuring an outstanding representative of the New York underground scene, trumpeter Herb Robertson. Crazy, improvised, speed and excellent reviews meant that musicians interested in jazz festivals in Germany, Austria and Hungary. 100nka`s sounds should introduce vibrations into the organisms of even the strongest jazz conservatives. Being fascinated with classics such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman or contemporarily playing Tim Bern, Jim Black, Elery Eskelin, Medeski Martin and Wood, DJ Logic, Yuka Honda they create the world of sounds which combine both modernity with a classic approach to jazz music, contemporaneousness and oldschool.

:::Review by ankh:::

100nka - Zimna Płyta (2004)

1. Rossinboiler
2. Instant
3. Zamaskowany atak stonki
4. Remi
5. Progno zapogody
6. Tatatomka
7. Nagual
8. Wyprodukowano w Polsce
9. 0Mjosa
10. POS 59UT
11. *
12. Mistberget
13. Long Vehicle

Credits
Adam Stodolski - double bass
Tomek Leś - guitar
Przemek Borowiecki - drums
Mikołaj Trzaska - sax (3, 4, 9, 12)

Szelest spadajacych papierkow is now a legendary band , but the memories bout it just faded away and now barely no one can say what that band was . The collective was strongly attached with gdansks artistic group Totart , and it became a strong point of the local underground scene in the 80.
In those days Szelest played many gigs mainly in the Totart circle . Band appeared as a example of a revolutionary and radical group that shown a quite new approach to the sound materia. Characteristic signs of Szelest were : provocation and fore-front music destruction. Gigs of the group were more like happenings than concerts , musicians were often dressed in strange cloths and were reading parts of manifestos between the tunes. Frequently music was just a background and seemed to be just an addition.
At that time szelest played a mixture of a hard chaotic noise style which was influenced by the western vanguard and a strong industrial scene. The gigs , were often ended with an act of destroying the instruments but there also was a solution given by the polish Police.
The crisis of totart and the orange revolution touched also the Band. In face of personal and health problems the group disappeared for a longer moment. In late 90 Szelest started to play once again , to record in October a live album called "Plyta Redlowska". In Gdansk at the Plama Klub played : Joanna Charchan (Alto Sax), Krzysztof Siemak (Guitar and loops), Pawel Konjo Konnak (Lyrics), Slawomir Ozi Zamojda (Guitar), Szymon Albrzykowski (bass) , Tomasz Ballaun (Drum things).
Przemyslaw Gulda said about "plyta redlowska"
The band plays quite calm music, mostly based on electronic rhythm loops which are a base for improvised parts of sax and guitar . It is a trans and soft album what could be a shock for people who now the band from the past . Only Pawel Konnaks reflective poems give a anxious feel to some parts of this rekord.
In may 2008 the two most important pillars of Szelest (Szymon Albrzykowski, Slawek Zamojda) were again working on the bands second album . During the session guys had recorded also few hours of queer (strange if you don't wanna use queer) abstract , no-music on a generator used also in KSAS and Prawatt.
Szelest Spadajacych Papierkow from the 21st century is a noise of cybernetic bale fires it does not give any chance for you to calm down. It is an abstract medley of 8-bit-retro sounds of a Nintendo console wired to generator of stretch , scream and whir.
There is no melody in it . It is a cybernetic trans . Discotheque for printers or a favorite set of lullaby songs for R2D2. We may call it in many ways but there is one truth , that is a radical position only for the bravest of this world.

:::Bio by myspace:::

Szelest Spadających Papierków - Płyta Redłowska (1999)

1. ORP "Titanic"
2. Grażyna W. wydała na świat pieniądze
3. Trepanacja Czeszki
4. 7 kóz
5. Paulus miliarderem
6. Randka z mutantem
7. Niepolska tajemnica Lopeza
8. Czy chcesz ze mną chodzić na fajne imprezy techno?
9. Gdańsk 3000

Credits
Joanna Charchan - sax
Sławek "Ozzi" Żamojda - guitar, game boy, generators
Krzysztof Siemak - guitar, loops
Szymon Albrzykowski - bass, generators
Tomasz Ballaun - drums, didgeridoo
Paweł Konnak "Konjo" - words

Kormorany is a legendary, alternative polish band which started in 80's. They play avantgarde-psychedelic music in strange places like basements, ruins etc.
Actually they have composed soundtracks and music for theatre performances.

:::Review by Ankh:::

Kormorany - Teraz (2000)

1. Gotyk - 1:40
2. Antygonas - 8:33
3. Deviant - 4:50
4. Koriolan - 4:00
5. Mykietyng - 3:39
6. 5/4 - 5:06
7. Blart - 3:53
8. Besame - 3:12
9. Ranna Karawana - 6:21
10. E Bum E - 2:05
11. Zwiedzajcie Wrocław - 2:30
12. The Talking Drum - 5:37
13. Terra Z - 8:21

Meritum is a group of musicians active on Warsaw's independent and jazz scenes. The band was established in 2001, and has been performing in its current line-up since 2002. Their music is often associated with the energetic "klezmer jazz", but it is in fact a merger of many different musical styles and genres, combined in the players' search for beauty.
The band plays its own compositions, in which the acoustic sound of the piano, clarinet, bass and drums is enriched by concrete sounds and field recordings as well as scratching performed by DJ Lenar. One can hear in Meritum's pieces both the freedom of improvisation, and precision of arrangement. There is joy, folly, but also genuine sadness and nostalgia. This makes Meritum's music surprising, and universal in its appeal.
The band performed, among other events, at the first and fourth editions of the WUJek festival (for Warsaw Underground Jazz), Mironalia 2002, as well as at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days in 2003. They played concerts in all of the most important jazz clubs in Poland. In August of 2003, Meritum went on a tour of Norway, performing in cities like Bodo and MoiRana. In April of 2004, the band took part in the Nowa Tradycja (New Tradition) festival held by the Polish National Radio. Meritum has recorded an album (published by Lado ABC), and put out a short release entitled "Single Live". Currently, the band released their second album, called "SzCz".
Meritum was established by Paweł Szamburski in the summer of 2001. The first line-up featured Szamburski on clarinet, Tomasz Bandyra on electric bass, Patryk Zakrocki on electric guitar, and Rafał Listopad on drums. In the beginning, the band aimed at a combination of acoustic hip-hop and instrumental jazz, but the general concept soon started to evolve. As new inspiration and new ideas emerged, the music was becoming deeper and more complex. Ambition grew and skills improved so changes in the line-up were inevitable. The band welcomed Karol Maśluszczak on electric piano, DJ D-Art., and soon DJ Lenar. Eventually, Łukasz Moskal joined in on drums, adding highly dynamic rhythm and thus increasing the band's rhythmic potential.
In 2002, Meritum prepared their first material, consisting of a few mature compositions. The band performed in jazz clubs in Warsaw, at vernissages and Djazzpora improvised music concerts. In 2003, Meritum was asked to play at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, but needed a replacement for Łukasz Moskal, the drummer, who was on tour at the time. That's when Roman Ślefarski came in, charming everyone with his personality and musical sensitivity. With Ślefarski on drums, Meritum has reached its current line-up.
The new album "Szcz" feature guest appearances, including Raphael Rogiński, an electric guitar virtuoso, and Tomasz Duda, a saxophone wizzard.
Paweł Szamburski was born in Warsaw in 1980, he plays clarinet and is an improviser. He formed and leads Meritum, but has also been active in many other musical bands and projects, including: Tupika, Cukunft, o.Grandier, Sztetlach, and Bauagan. He is known for his collaborations with Galimadjaz, and has his own musical project called Djazzpora, a periodic presentation of contemporary improvised music and visual arts. He played or otherwise co-operated with such established musicians as Patryk Zakrocki, Macio Moretti, Tomasz Stańko, Mikołaj Trzaska, Noel Akchote, Pavel Fajt, Raphael Rogiński, Tomasz Duda, Bartosz Weber, Kuba Kossak, Sebastian Wypych, Michał Górczyński, Josquen Roset, Norbullo, DJ Lenak, DJ DFC and many others.
Tomasz Bandyra plays bass. He is the founder of the Bindu Duo project, as well as of the punk band Podzespół. Active in the Galimadjaz project for many years now.
Karol Maśluszczak plays piano. An active member of Warsaw's independent jazz scene, he participated in many Djazzpora and Galimadjaz sessions.
Roman Ślefarski plays drums. He is an actor, and a graduate of Warsaw's prominent jazz school Bednarska. He plays in countless ensembles playing classical jazz.
Dj Lenar has collaborated many times with the Sofa, Galimadjaz, Djazzpora and Bauagan projects. Together with DJ Dfc, he conducts periodical music sessions under the name Dekonstrukcje (Deconstructions), where he develops his turntablism skills.

:::Review by meritum.art.pl:::

Meritum – Szcz (2006)

01. Swierszcz [5:30]
02. Kleszcz [2:28]
03. Dreszcz [4:20]
04. Leszcz [7:50]
05. Bluszcz [4:13]
06. Proboszcz [3:01]
07. Deszcz [6:34]
08. Chrzaszcz [6:24]
09. Plaszcz [6:56]
10. Wieszcz [4:56]
11. Gaszcz [2:53]
12. Miszcz [3:14]

Credits
Pawel Szamburski - clarinet
Karol Masluszczak - el. piano
Tomasz Bandyra - bass
Roman Slefarski - drums
DJ Lenar - turntables
Raphael Roginski - guitar (2,5)
Tomasz Duda - saxes, flute (2,9)

Pink Freud’s music combines the inexhaustible energy of the music of the 1960s and 1970s with contemporary influences sought wherever possible, from grunge to hip hop. Formalized, rich compositions and modern sound generated by electronic instruments leave the musicians enough room for spontaneity, individualism and the wild and crazy improvisations so typical of jazz. A narrative structure to compositions and a wide array of electronic instruments are distinctive features of Pink Freud’s music. The musical sense of humour and detachment from the sounds produced are the features by which the band’s style can be recognized. Pink Freud have become famous for their totally new and sometimes completely crazy interpretations of well-known musical motifs, like Nirvana’s Come As You Are [included in the album presented here – for all you rock fans out there: believe me, this track alone is worth the listen!] and Gershwin’s My Man’s Gone Now.

There must be a lot of intelligence in these musicians to create music, play with it and enjoy it at the same time.

Pink Freud - Sorry Music Polska (2003)

1. Madmoiselle Madera 9:32
2. Jazz Fajny Jest 6:59
3. Come As You Are 4:03, Written-By - Kurt Cobain
4. Pong 0:36
5. A Tribute To Don Johnson 6:23
6. My Man's Gone Now 8:51, Written-By - D. Hayword , Gershwin, Gershwin
7. Taniec Muletty 6:48
8. Kocie Języczki 6:57
9. Muzyka Pięciu Przemian 4:50, Remix [Rmx] - m.Bunio.s
10. Rozmowy Z Kapokiem (Bonus Truck) 16:58, Remix [Rmx] - m.Bunio.s

Credits
Tomasz Ziętek - trumpet
Wojciech Mazolewski - bass
Kuba Staruszkiewicz - drums
Paweł Nowicki - electronics
+
DJ Wojak - sample
Sławomir Jaskułke - piano

Clarinettist, bass clarinettist and vocalist, born on 19 December 1968 in Gdańsk.
At the age of eight he was learning music with professor Tadeusz Kamiński. At the end of the 80's he performed in punk and alternative groups. Then, he added elements of off-jazz and entered into the yass - alternative musical movement that incorporates rock, ethno and free improvisation elements created in opposition to jazz establishment. He performed in many groups (in general, every possible combination of several yass musicians have different name): Arhythmic Perfection, Knuth/Mazzoll, Miłość, Kazik i Mazzoll, Kury, Pieces of Brain, NRD and also in author's projects: Niebieski Lotnik, The Prozelits, Mazzoll & Arhythmic Memory, Mazzoll & Arhythmic Brain, Mazzoll & Diffusion Ensemble, Mazzoll & LooDzisco and Perpleks. He worked with such musicians as Django Bates, Peter Brotzmann, Jon Dobie, Alfred Harth, Kazik, Peter Kowald, Vytautas Labutis, Jeffrrey Morgan, Tony Oxley, Olga Szwajgier, Tomasz Stańko, Tymon Tymański, Olo Walicki.
This clarinet player and composer is one of the most important figures connected with the cult club Mózg in Bydgoszcz and with yass scene from Trójmiasto (Tri-city - Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot) but he also performed very often in Warsaw. Creator (in 1991) of musical idea "arhythmic perfection". Mazzoll creates improvised arhythmic compositions sometimes using drawings instead of notes. He has been using elements of classical jazz, folk, (klezmer music from Amsterdam) and contemporary music. Appreciated by Jazz Forum as one of the most interesting Polish clarinet players.
He has also created multimedia installations and has been an author of avant-garde films. At the beginning of the 90's he was connected with multimedia gallery Delikatesy-Avantgarde, one of the most interesting galleries in 1994 in Poland according to the Polityka magazine.

Projects:
Niebieski Lotnik (Tomasz Gwinciński - drums, percussion; Wojciech Mazolewski - bass)
Mazzoll & Arhythmic Perfection (Janusz Zdunek - trumpet, Sławomir Janicki - bass, Jacek Majewski - percussion, Tomasz Gwinciński - drums)
Arhythmic Brain (Sławomir Janicki - bass; Jacek Majewski - drums, percussion)
Arhythmic Memory
Perpleks

:::by culture.pl:::

Mazzoll & Arhythmic Perfection - a (1995)

1. Ojczyzną naszą dobroć, dobroć, dobroć
2. A właściwie jego cień
3. Miłość nie zna granic
4. Kocie łapy
5. A, B ... normal suita (fragmenty)
6. Utwór pt. "Fian" (ta ohydna siła)
7. Kocham Was
8. Ropa Św. Anny (część II) - rzecz o cudownym uzdrowieniu
9. Jeden dźwięk - rozwój potęgi woli
10. Drobiazgi życiowe
11. Uszy niedźwiedzia (I)
12. Uszy niedźwiedzia (II)
13. Dezabnormal
14. Miłość nie zna granic i ..
15. Ojczyzną naszą dobroć, dobroć, dobroć

Credits
Mazzoll - clarinet, bass clarinet, panpipe, vocal; conductor
Janusz Zdunek - trumpet (where it's heard)
Sławomir Janicki - double bass
Jacek Majewski - percussion
T. Gwinciński - drums

A skillful combination of traditional and avant-garde jazz made TriCity's Milość one of the most important yass scene collectives. The band formed from the ashes of the new wave group Sni Sredstwom Za Uklanianie, and consisted of double-bassist Ryszard Tymański, saxophonist Mikołaj Trzaska, and clarinetist Jerzy Mazolewski, aka Mazzoll. In 1991 Mazzoll left the band and pianist Leszek Możdżer joined the lineup. With the encouragement of success at Krakow's Jazz Juniors Festival in 1992, Miłość, with Jacek Olter on percussion and saxophonist Maciej Sikała, recorded their first self-titled album. In 1994 they produced a mix of avant-jazz and world music for their second release, Taniec Smoka. The same year Miłość's musicians, in cooperation with the preeminent avant-garde trumpeter Lester Bowie, issued the live album Not Two. In 1995, Miłość released the Krzysztof Komeda-linked Astigmatic long-play. In 1997, in cooperation with Tymański's Tymon i Trupy band, they issued a motion picture soundtrack from Olaf Lubaszenko's Sztos. Despite the collapse of the original Miłość lineup in the late '90s, Tymanski toured along with Olter, Trzaska (substituted in 2000 with Mazzoll), and Tomasz Hesse on bass. The second collaboration between Miłość and Lester Bowie was entitled Talkin' About Life and Death and was issued in 2000. Miłość disbanded in 2002 after the death of Jacek Olter by suicide.

:::Info by allmusic:::

Miłość - Taniec Smoka (1994)

01. The Dragon Dance [Taniec Smoka] [12:05]
02. Human Machine [Maszyna Ludzka] [03:49]
03. Lezor i Niutnia [03:17]
04. Your Goatee Gets On My Nerves (Not To Mention The Moustache) [03:26]
05. Cardano [0:07:52.13]
06. Lapping Fluid Helium [Chłepcąc ciekły hel] [07:04]
07. Ordre omnitonique [07:17]
08. Left Side Jass [Lewy Jass] [02:23]
09. The Last Of The Human Dragons [Ostatnie z ludzkich smoków] [08:43]
10. The Dragon Tears [Łzy smoka] [10:30]

Credits
Mikołaj Trzaska - alto, soprano & baritone saxes, flute, vocals
Maciej Sikała - tenor & soprano saxes,saxophone neck, vocals
Leszek Możdżer - piano, accordion, clapping, vocals
Ryszard "Tymon" Tymański - bass, balalaika, horn, vocals
Jacek Olter - drums, percussion, pots, water sound, vocals

Notes
Recorded at Polish Radio Studios,Szczecin on April 17-20, 1994.

Kandahar made two excellent albums and this, their debut, is one of them. Jaggy whammed-out and often fuzzy guitar, sumptuous saxophone squawks and squirts added with some highly melodic bass and drums mark this album as something of an unknown gem. Almost every track is enough to put me into an almost higher state of consciousness, because Kandahar really throw in lots of foot-tappingly stunning moments of worthy jazz and brass rock. They are hard to compare to any other band precisely, but they are by no means unique, but they do not have to be. There are some hints to Colosseum (the first incarnation, e.g. Valentyne Suite) and with the added underlying synth, they also remind me of some of the more symphonic jazz-rooted bands, especially from the Italian scene and one must not forget the obvious nod to Canterbury bands such as Nucleus and Soft Machine. The music is mostly of a light nature, but is juxtaposed with some almost haunting and ambient sections at times, which for me, show some great creativity. The use of many instruments, such as saxophone, flute and different synths, such as the ARP and Davoli makes their sound varied and interesting.
Jeff de Visscher's guitar playing is quirky also and because I am not a musician myself, it is difficult to describe, however, it seems he may have been listening to Chris Spedding who was with Nucleus. On Outside of Reality, for instance, his guitar playing has an Eastern feel to it (kind of Egyptian), which bearing in mind the band is named after the capital city of Afghanistan and that Karel Boegard lived in the Far-East, makes me believe that was very much intentional.
With track six Survivin' Boogie you get an odd jazz and R&B smattered score with vocals, which as the name suggests has hints of barrelhouse piano and although it is one of the weaker tracks on the album, it is still enjoyable because a. it is so fun to listen to and b. because there is some great interaction between all the musicians. The trumpets in the background give the track its jazz element (think of Keef Hartley Band here). As for The Walkin' Place, well, the intro sounds just like something Zeuhl band Weidorje or Japanese avant-progsters Koenjihyakkei would make their own and it even has some fuzz bass at the beginning, until the track lycanthropically changes into another beast entirely, having a somewhat Spanish feel to it, with some odd percussion playing on toms toms I believe. Near the end, the Zeuhl-feel returns and reveals a wonderful flute outtro. However, the highlight track for me is The Hobbit, which is so catchy, I have had it stuck in my head for days before, even though the track is one of their most laid-back and ambient, as well as not their compositionally best attempt. It just has some allure to it that I cannot fathom. The Fancy Model is their most avant-jazz effort, reminding me of Nucleus or Graham Collier Sextet at their absolute finest. It is full of lots of noise, due to the fact that there are two saxes being blasted to bits and you even get the John Marshall (who was the drummer in Nucleus, Graham Collier Sextet and Soft Machine at various times) style drum solo. This is certainly another highlight of the album and some may feel this is the strongest track on the whole album. When She Flies Away is an odd synth track at the beginning that reminds me a bit of disco and 80s synth-pop that would later be very much in the publics faces and ears a few years later, except in this case, it works brilliantly and the jazzy overtones again make this track somehow unique and definitely unforgettable. Being as this is the longest track on the album, it cannot obviously stay the same throughout and it certainly does not, it changes throughout with many timing shifts and mood. The background vocals at one point strangely remind me of a moment from Jack Black's School of Rock and I can actually imagine him on stage singing this... whether that is a good thing, you will have to decide for yourself.
The entire album is full of character and cunning compositional brilliance at times and I find it difficult to find a poor track. I have always had an affinity to the trumpet style of Henry Lowther of Keef Hartley Band and the occasional jaunts of that style of this sound really pleases me, however it is a shame that the trumpet players (including the saxophonist(s) and flautist) are not listed. However, there are some lesser moments, including the not so enjoyable Survivin' Boogie and the 13 second Interlude. Also, some of the synth sounds, sound a bit twee at times, but with so much brilliant music on offer for the listener, it is very difficult to complain about such things and that is why I have given it 4 stars.
This is one of those rare gems that get discovered occasionally and it definitely deserves a re-mastering and reissue on CD so more people can hear its brilliance. Their next album In the Court of Catherina Squeezer would continue on in a similar vein (yet with many different nuances and an even more Canterburian sound) and I am hard pushed on which of the two I prefer at this juncture.
4.4 (rounded down to 4), for this lost relic.

:::Review by James:::

Kandahar - Long Live The Sliced Ham (1974)

1. Down at the Finckle's (4:28)
2. Eyes of Glass (5:37)
3. Outside of Reality (8:05)
4. Survivin' Boogie (3:20)
5. The Walkin' Piles (4:18)
6. The Hobbit (3:10)
7. The Fancy Model (5:40)
8. When She Flies Away (8:41)

Credits
- Jeff De Visscher (lead & acoustic guitar, sitar, vocals)
- Karel Bogard (piano, clavinet, Davoli & A.R.P."2701" synthezisers, gongs & bells, vocals)
- Jean Pierre Claeys (bass)
- Etienne Delaruye (drums, glochenspiel, tympani, cello, tambourine, vibes, piano, syntheziser, strings, clavinet, marimba, vocals)

Alas was one of the most amazing prog bands from Argentina, not only in the technical aspect (all three members were proficient performers) but also in the creative aspect - their style is based on a highly rich amalgam of jazz fusion a-la Return to Forever/Weather report, ELP-tinged prog pomposity, tango-based textures and academic flavours, all of them cohesively gathered in a powerful, original sound. Alas was, in many ways, a world of its own in their country's prog arena, yet their sound portrayed a distinct peculiarity that could only be emanated from the very heart of Buenos Aires' Creole folklore. Their debut album's repertoire consisted of two sidelong suites, both of them bearing a notable predominance of instrumental input. The first one, 'Buenos Aires es Solo Piedra', is the jazziest. The first and antepenultimate motifs sort of operate as the main centers of the whole sequence, providing an air of exuberant mystery for it. The 'Sueño' section is the only sung one, very ethereal indeed: the ethereal stuff is perpetuated in the immediate section, which turns to explore minimalistic places with its musique concrete-inspired tricks. There is another soft section before the arrival of the last one - 'Tanguito' brings some pleasant tango airs, like a dreamy sound that meanders in an unknown place of the listener's subconscious mind. The second suite is the most bombastic, meaning it is the most akin to progressive rock parameters. 'La Muerte Contó el Dinero' is a showcase for ELP's influence on Alas' style, but of course, Moretto's vision combined with the threesome's particular drive keeps them well away from any cloning temptation. The first section is a sung intro based on a delicate electric piano motif augmented by subtle touches of lead guitar and drum kit's cymbals. The lines are really powerful, as if predicting some sociopolitical disaster (which, sadly, came to be around the middle of that year 1976). Check this: "The sky crack up in crusts of lime / Pieces of the high seas cover the tombs / They sow animal birth pains / Children cry their wintertime hunger" - wow!, I understand Spanish and I can't stop my heart from shivering every time my ears listen to these lyrics in the 'Vidala' section. The three following sections determine the suite's nuclear motifs, and that is when things get electrifyingly ELP-ish, indeed: yet, like I said before, never getting to rip-off land. The organ and the synth paint amazing flourishes and leads all the way, while the rhythm section keeps an inventive pace in a most robust manner. After the first sung section is reprised in 'Vidala Again', a series of eerie sounds emanated from the synth, bass and percussive implements arrives like the birth of something new that gets in the landscape and spreads around. The sound of a storm announces a drum solo: what's the point of a drum solo after such an ethereal passage? Well, this drum solo serves as an anticipation of the final outburst, which is the resumed reprise of sections b, c & f: 'Final' brings an air of conclusive splendour to this suite, in this way providing a coherent closure. The bonus track comes from a single the band originally released the year before this album. While being less demanding, it is very neat, indeed, offering a candorous sample of jazzy 'joie de vivre'. If only it hadn't been placed after 'La Muerte.' - it somehow kills its climax.
Well, if you program your CD player by locating the bonus between the two suites, the experience will be more rewarding. But even if you don't, Alas' debut album is so good that it can only motivate an excellent emotional experience in the listener's soul: "Alas" is a master opus that any decent prog collector should have.

:::Review by Cesar Inca:::

Alas – Alas (1976)

1. Buenos Aires Solo es Piedra (15:48)
a) Tango
b) Sueño
c) Recuerdo
d) Trompetango
e) Tanguito
f) Soldó
2. La Muerte Contó el Dinero (17:36)
a) Vidala
b) Smog
c) Galope
d) Mal-ambo
e) Vidala Again
f) Amanecer - Tormenta
g) Final
3. Aire [bonus track] (4:35)

Credits
- Gustavo Moretto / keyboards, synthesizers, flute, trumpet, vocals
- Alex Zucker / bass, guitar
- Carlos Riganti / drums, percussion

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Out of  Focus - Four Letter Monday Afternoon (1972)

LP 1 (46:07)

1. L.S.B (17:37)
2. When I?m Sleeping (4:04)
3. Tsajama (9:23)
4. Black Cards (9:38)
5. Where Have You Been (5:35)

LP 2 (48:09)

6. A Huchen 55 (9:19)
7. Huchen 55, B (14:32)
8. Huchen 55, C (24:18)

Credits
- Remigius Drechsler / guitars, Tenor saxophone, flutes, stylophone, voice
- Hennse Hering / organ, piano
- Moran Neumüller / Soprano saxophone, vocals
- Klaus Spöri / drums
- Stephen Wishen / bass

+ Hermann Breuer / trombone
- Peter Dechant / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Grand Roman Langhaus / bongos
- Jimmy Polivka / trumpet
- Ingo Schmid-Neuhaus / Alto & Bariton saxes
- Michael Thatcher / organ

One of the most successful spinoff bands from iconic 90s rockers Blankey Jet City, LOSALIOS also has the distinction of being the most divergent from the original trio's style. The brainchild of Blankey drummer Nakamura Tatsuya, LOSALIOS plays a brand of hard rock and jazz with energy that can get downright feverish.
Nakamura Tatsuya and his traps fill the soul of this band, through a technical but recognizable groove around which the other instruments improvise, until inevitably all the members, in grand hard rock fashion, converge violenty into the respective song's theme. The style is accented by aggressive and highly complicated lines from bassist TOKIE and guitarist Katou. Not surprisingly, despite LOSALIOS' jazz-rock roots, the band has little in common with fusion stalwarts such as The Mahavishnu Orchestra or Weather Report. If anything, LOSALIOS is somewhat similar to Naked City, though opting for a more focused creative output over John Zorn's unpredictably chaotic songwriting.
Nakamura began LOSALIOS alone in 1996, shortly after Blankey Jet City's Skunk hit stores, under the name Love Shop Losalios. Word has it that the only recording produced, Gabiru, was recorded in an abandoned hotel. LOSALIOS lay dormant until 1999, when Nakamura (while performing with several other bands) teamed with eight other musicians, including his bandmates in Blankey Jet City and guitarist Katou Takashi of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra to create the first album under LOSALIOS proper, Sekai Chizu ha Chi no Ato, with a heavy emphasis on improvisation.
Two years after the breakup of Blankey Jet City, LOSALIOS became active again in its third incarnation, now including TOKIE on bass (from rap-rock group RIZE and Blankey frontman Asai's supergroup AJICO) and Takeda Shinji on saxophone. Katou returned on guitar to round out the band. LOSALIOS' second album, the cryptically titled Colorado Shit Dog, cemented the band's trademark combination of hard rock and jazz.
Within the year following Colorado Shit Dog, LOSALIOS contined to grow into a more aggressive sound, releasing another album and their first live recording, School of High Sense. Though the core members remained the same, in true jazz band fashion, a literal revolving door of guest talent filled out the band on a variety of instruments. Since 2003, LOSALIOS continued to tour sporadically (at times with Blankey spinoff Rosso), while members pursued other musical interests, with Nakamura himself playing with the likes of John Zorn and Bill Laswell. In May, LOSALIOS will released its first recording in a year and a half, (aside from 2004's live DVD Aurora Madturn) Yuurei Senchou ga Hanashitekureta Koto, before taking their live show on the road to the summer festival circuit.

:::Review by James Route:::

Losalios - School of High Sense (2002)

1. Anaconda
2. Coganemushi
3. Hit Man
4. Colorado Shit Dog
5. Wanna Wanna Jesus
6. Snake and Steak
7. IQ 69
8. Funkey Tockey

Credits
Nakamura Tatsuya – Drums, Trumpet
TOKIE - Bass
Katou Takashi - Guitar
Takeda Shinichi - Saxophone

The band Sun Ra had at the end of the '70s was surely the funkiest he ever had, with electric bassist Steve Clarke (in tandem with upright player Richard Williams) and the twin guitars of Taylor Richardson and Skeeter McFarland. This is the band that recorded the infamous On Jupiter album, and the slightly different band lineup for Sleeping Beauty (recorded just two weeks later) suggests that Strange Celestial Road was recorded between the two, based on the hybrid band lineup. "Celestial Road" kicks things off, where electric bass, arco bass and wah-wah guitar set the stage for a great June Tyson vocal and then solos from John Gilmore, Michael Ray, Sun Ra, and Damon Choice on vibes. "Say" has a great electric bassline and joyous horn charts, and swings mightily with a vaguely Latin rhythm. There's a fine electric guitar solo, as well as some more fantastic playing from Gilmore. Ra's keyboard sounds and soloing are particularly deranged on this album, but never get into the purely noisy realm. "I'll Wait for You" is the real treat of this album, featuring a great mellow groove and wonderful ensemble vocals led by the beautiful June Tyson. There's plenty of fine soloing on this track as well, but the main attraction is the mix by Ra and Michael Ray. There's a dub-like element to the way the instruments and voices are treated and mixed in and out, but this is dub by way of Saturn, and the mix is at least as weird and wonderful as anything Lee Perry has done. This is an overlooked album in an unwieldy discography, but it's a real gem and the fact that it's on the Rounder label should make it easier to find than many of the Arkestra's other albums. Recommended.

:::Review by Sean Westergaard:::

Sun Ra - Strange Celestial Road (1980)

1. Celestial Road 7:03
2. Say 12:10
3. I'll Wait For You 16:05

Credits
Bass - Richard Williams, Steve Clarke
Drums - Luqman Ali , Reg McDonald
French Horn - Vincent Chancey
Guitar - Skeeter McFarland , Taylor Richardson
Keyboards - Sun Ra
Percussion - Artaukatune
Reeds - Danny Ray Thompson , Eloe Omoe , Hutch Jones , James Jacson , John Gilmore , Kenny Williams , Marshall Allen , Noel Scott , Sylvester Baton
Trombone - Craig Harris, Tony Bethel
Trumpet - Curt Pulliam , Michael Ray , Walter Miller
Vibraphone [Vibes] - Damon Choice , Harry Wilson
Vocals - June Tyson , Rhoda Blount

Lard Free's debut is stunning , full of energy and deeply enjoyable. If you can picture Sabbath's Geezer Butler (first two albums) playing with King Fripp, Brian Eno and maybe a less virtuoso Bruford making an album , you might have an idea of what this album sounds like! Sometimes the Eno/Fripp influences are overpowering the rest of the influences but this is relatively minor. Those long instumental tracks rolling around a superb bass and repetitive drumming is simply fascinating, may sound to some as jams but not quite as this is more to do with minimalism (Terry Riley style).
Hartman's group is along with Heldon one of main bands that drew heavily on Krautrock to the point that they are often categorized as such although both bands/projects are French. So if you are into Krautrock , you know what you have to do!

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Lard Free - Lard Free (1973)

1. Warindbaril (3:52)
2. 12 ou 13 juillet que je sais d'elle (8:54)
3. Honfleur écarlate (4:53)
4. Acide framboise (6:43)
5. Livarot respiration (7:45)
6. Culturez-vous vous-mêmes (4:21)

Credits
- Gilbert Artman / piano, drums
- Hervé Eyhani / bass
- Francois Mativet / guitar
- Philippe Bolliet / saxophone

Bill Frisell has long been one of the most unique guitarists around. Able to switch on a moment's notice from sounding like a Nashville studio player to heavy metal, several styles of jazz, and just pure noise, Frisell can get a remarkable variety of sounds and tones out of his instrument. This set features Frisell in a quintet with Don Byron (on clarinet and bass clarinet), Guy Klucevsek on accordion, bassist Kermit Driscoll, and drummer Joey Baron. To call the repertoire wide-ranging would be an understatement. In addition to eight melodies from Aaron Copland's Billy the Kid, Frisell and company explore (and often reinvent) pieces written by Charles Ives, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Madonna, Sonny Rollins, Stephen Foster, and John Phillip Sousa. This is one of the most inventive recordings of the 1990s and should delight most listeners from any genre.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Bill Frisell - Have a Little Faith (1993)

1. Billy the Kid: The Open Prairie 3:11
2. Billy the Kid: Street Scene in a Frontier Town 1:45
3. Billy the Kid: Mexican Dance and Finale 3:44
4. Billy the Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game at Night) / Gun Battle 5:02
5. Billy the Kid: Celebration After Billy's Capture 2:17
6. Billy the Kid: Billy in Prison 1:33
7. Billy the Kid: The Open Prairie Again 2:34
8. The "Saint-Gaudens" in Boston Common (excerpt #1) 0:42
9. Just Like a Woman 4:49
10. I Can't Be Satisfied 3:00
11. Live to Tell 10:10
12. The "Saint-Gaudens" in Boston Common (excerpt #2) 3:05
13. No Moe 2:37
14. Washington Post March 2:05
15. When I Fall in Love 3:26
16. Little Jenny Dow 3:30
17. Have a Little Faith in Me 5:42
18. Billy Boy 1:38

Credits
Accordion - Guy Klucevsek
Bass - Kermit Driscoll
Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] - Don Byron
Drums - Joey Baron
Guitar - Bill Frisell