Jazz Archives

This one's one of my all time favourites from the entire MPS catalogue. Progressive, pathfinding, still very catchy modern jazz - not quite in avantgarde - like but something of their own. For the owners of this album I'd like to recommend their two albums on Bulgarian Balkanton label. Maybe even more harder to find but worth it. They contain earlier versions of songs featured on this German LP and much more. Confusing enough they both have almost the same cover and the same title "Quartet Jazz Focus 65" with only the LP numbers different BTA 1006 and BTA 1098. From 1967 and 1968 respectively.
The pianist Milcho Levyev from the quartet soon defected from Bulgaria to USA to join the forces of the Don Ellis Big Band and probably gave a lot of original ideas for this original band with such gems as Bulgarian Bulge.
Not to be missed!

:::Review by mellow:::

Bulgarian Jazz Quartet - Jazz Focus '65 – (1968)

01 - Blues In 10 (Milcho Leviev)
02 - Monday Morning (Milcho Leviev)
03 - Yesterday (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
04 - Billie's Bounce (Charlie Parker)
05 - Autumn Sun (Milcho Leviev)
06 - Blues In 12 (Milcho Leviev)
07 - Badinerie Aus Der H-Moll-Suite (Joh. Seb. Bach/arr.: Milcho Leviev)

Credits
Milcho Leviev - piano & leader
Simeon Shterev - flute
Lyubomir Mitrov - bass
Peter Slavov – drums

Notes
Recorded June 9th, 1968 at Tonstudio Walldorf/Frankfurt

The Billy Cobham's FUNK-BRASS Album
Right from the start, Billy Cobham's jazz fusion take was mainly funk inflected, so it's no surprise that with time he would play even funkier stuff than before. Now Billy is accompanied with a whole set of brass players, among them there's the famous saxophonist Michael Brecker, so the keyboards and guitar that were in his debut an important part of the music, now they're simply another part of the big picture.
The music is rather accessible, but not yet mainstream jazz funk as you would have thought. The brass players support the main melodies and various solos throughout, and the tempo throughout is rather rapid, unlike the more tranquil and jazzier Crosswinds.
The first five tunes are all excellent straight-forward jazz funk tunes with all the aspects I mentioned before. The sixth track however, entitled wrongly 'A Funky Kind of Thing', is a 9 minute drum performance, ultra-boring if you're not fond of out-of-place drum soloing. The last track though, called 'Moody Modes', introducing itself with Milcho Leviev's elegant keyboards, is by all means the best composition in this album, lasting 12 minutes, the trumpet playing is simply gorgeous and how the composition develops, it's incredible, probably one of Cobham's greatest arrangements.
Despite the last grandiose composition, the album overall is simply good brass-led jazz funk that is fun and all, but not the most rewarding of Cobham releases neither of fusion in general, actually, any of Cobham's previous efforts are better than this and so is the following one, Life & Times.
3 stars: solid album, still not repeating ol' formulas, but yet not quite there as some of Billy's other works. Get this after you've listened to the four previous albums, including the live Shabazz. If you're fond of jazz funk though, I highly recommend you this.

:::Review by The Quiet One:::

Billy Cobham - A Funky Thide Of Sings (1975)

1.1. Solo 0:16
1.2. Panhandler 3:50
Written-By - Billy Cobham
2. Sorcery 2:26
Written-By - Keith Jarrett
3.1. Solo 0:17
3.2. A Funky Thide Of Sings 3:23
Written-By - Billy Cobham
4.1. Solo 0:11
4.2. Thinking Of You 4:12
Written-By - Alex Blake
5. Some Skunk Funk 5:07
Written-By - Randy Brecker
6. Light At The End Of The Tunnel 3:37
Written-By - Billy Cobham
7. A Funky Kind Of Thing 9:24
Written-By - Billy Cobham
8. Moody Modes 12:16
Written-By - Milcho Leviev

Credits
Arranged By - Alex Blake (tracks: 4.2) , Billy Cobham (tracks: 1.2, 3.2, 5 to 7) , Milcho Leviev (tracks: 2, 8) , Randy Brecker (tracks: 5)
Bass - Alex Blake
Congas - "Rebop" Kwaku Baah (tracks: 1.2, 3.2)
Guitar - John Scofield
Keyboards - Milcho Leviev
Percussion, Synthesizer - Billy Cobham
Saxophone - Larry Schneider (tracks: 3.2) , Michael Brecker (tracks: 1.2, 2, 4.2 to 8)
Trombone - Glenn Ferris (tracks: 3.2)
Trombone [Piccolo] - Glenn Ferris (tracks: 1.2, 2, 4.2 to 8)
Trumpet - Randy Brecker (tracks: 1.2, 2, 4.2 to 8) , Walt Fowler (tracks: 3.2)