Jazz Archives

Over the years Pink Freud gained such a reputation on Polish jazz scene that their every record is impatiently awaited and immediately recognized. New Monster Of Jazz album that came to shops in May is no exception as it again totally surprises all admirers of Pink Freud's music and it proves that their creativity is truly unbounded.
What is really so unique as far as music on this album is concerned? Opposite to their last album titled Alchemia, which was purely acoustical venture in the field of fusion jazz, this album is using all kinds of electronic, experimental and recording tools to strengthen, enliven and stretch the body of modern version of fusion music in order to what? Yes, the idea is really breathtaking!. In order to contain in its language not only jazz but also rock, punk, nu jazz and other musical genres. This is in fact what Monster Of Jazz is all about: melting in one pot all music streams that musicians are dedicated to and draw out of this pot something new and unprecedented as far as jazz, as far as music is concerned. In this attitude towards jazz they are clearly traveling the razor's edge between courage similar in style to the one that was once displayed by Miles Davis and debauchery of such modern artist as Steven Bernstein and his colleagues from Sex Mob and other bands similar.
Because of such a ambiguity that is innate in this music which is both so creative and simultaneously so close to kitsch, I believe it must cause strong and diversified response from the listeners starting from shock and disgust and ending in awe and admiration. I am clearly on the other end and that is why I shall encourage you with all my heart to listen to this record. Before I present you a small sample of music from this CD let me add that when compared to their above mentioned Alchemia album two new musicians reinforced the band in persons of Adam Baron (flugelhorn, tenor horn, trombone) and Jerzy Rogiewicz (vibraphone). With this addition the personnel of the band amounted to six people matching the other Polish excellent new and young band Contemporary Noise Sextet, probably the only other one that should be and could be compared to Pink Freud in terms of artistic impact on Polish jazz scene and similarities of its style.

:::Review by Maciej Nowotny, KochamJazz.Blogspot:::

Pink Freud - Monster Of Jazz (2010)

1. Pink Fruits
2. Warsaw
3. Little Monster
4. Polanski
5. Bald Inquisitor
6. Red Eyes, Blue Sea and Sand
7. Pierun
8. Goz Quarter
9. Braxton
10. Diamond Way
11. Spreading the Sound of Emptiness
12. Monster of Jazz

Credits
Wojtek Mazolewski - bass
Tomek Duda - sax
Adam Milwiw-Baron - trumpet
Jerzy Rogiewicz - drums

Yuji Ohno is a Japanese jazz musician. Ohno is principally known for his musical scoring of Japanese anime television series, of which Lupin III, specifically the 1977 series 'Shin Rupan Sansei' and the feature film 'The Castle of Cagliostro' are his most well known works. Later anime series scored by Ohno include 'Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars' and the 1979 Toei series 'Captain Future'. He has composed scored for live-action films namely the Toei's Japanese tokusatsu series Seiun Kamen Machineman, his only work on this genre to date. Ohno is also a member of a jazz trio with Czech bassist Miroslav Vitous and American drummer Lenny White.

:::Review from wikipedia:::

Yuji Ohno - Cosmos (1981)

01. Prologue
02. Sunset
03. Living Satellite X of Jupiter
04. Sailing
05. Crystal Lullaby I
06. Take it to the Sky
07. Over the Galaxy
08. Saturn - Pierrot in the Heaven
09. Andromeda Smile
10. Landing on the Surface of Venus
11. Crystal Lullaby II
12. Epilogue - Sunrise

Credits
Yuji Ohno (keyboards)
Masami Nakagawa (flute)
Keiko Yamakawa (harp)
Jake H. Concepcion, Takeru Muraoka (saxophone)
Kobayashi Group (strings)
Isao Kaneyama (timpani)
Harumi Mita, Sumio Okada, Yasuo Hirauchi (trombone)
Shin Kasuhara, Toshio Araki, Yoshikazu Kishi (trumpet)
Hiroharu Yamanouchi, Michiru Maki (voice)
Tadaomi Anai (percussion)
Hideo Yamaki, Kiyoshi Tanaka, Yasushi Ichihara (drums)

Guitarist and composer Yoshie Fruchter is another of John Zorn's recent musical discoveries who works in the increasingly audible and visible world of Radical Jewish Culture. Like Koby Isrealite, Shanir Blumenkranz, Jamie Saft, Jon Madof & Rashanim, Eyal Maoz, and several others on the Tzadik roster, Fruchter's dynamic, highly original music is more aptly described as a sort of avant-garde instrumental rock that draws its inspiration from Jewish traditional themes and forms. Though artists such as Sonic Youth, Masada, Bill Laswell, and Frank Zappa are name-checked in Pitom's press packet, the actual result also bears some resemblance to the great mid-1970s Fripp / Bruford / David Cross / John Wetton incarnation of King Crimson that produced over-the-top prog classics such as Lark's Tongues In Aspic,  Red, USA, and Starless and Bible Black. Though the similarity is partly due to both groups having the same instrumental lineup, the overall sound concept of the two bands is also similar. Both Fruchter and bassist Shanir Blumenkranz like to play fast and loud, and both use a lot of fuzzy distortion. Violinist / violist Jeremy Brown like David Cross - prefers a very natural, effects-free tone. Unlike Cross, Brown plays his instruments like a mad Gypsy with his pants on fire. Kevin Zubek's flowing, jazzy, polyrhythmic drumming provides a palpable link to the world of modern jazz, much like Bill Bruford did for King Crimson. Finally, like mid-70s Crimson, Pitom's music is concise, hard-edged, tuneful, dynamic, and surprisingly free of the excesses often associated with experimental rock.
The CD kicks off in a lighthearted manner with the Judaeo-surf rocker Skin and Bones. On paper this looks improbable, but it works. 'Go Go Golem' is, as its name suggests, an ultra-heavy Crimsoid anthem replete with distorted guitars, pounding drums, and fuzz-bass. Blumenkranz gets a gloriously noisy solo in before Fruchter and Brown take the tune completely out into heavy-metal heaven. Like the other heavy-rockin' tracks - 'Minim' (Parts 1 & 2), and 'Robe of Priestly Proportions (Part 1)' 'Go Go Golem' is blessed with a strong melody, and an interesting non-linear structure. The fact that these guys are superb improvisers only adds to the excitement. Not content to be pigeonholed, Fruchter and his band delve into all sorts of other sounds and rhythms on itom.'Robe of Priestly Proportions (Part 2)' alternates lyrical Klezmer-like passages with holwling slabs of fuzzed sludge, and Zubek gets to flash his formidable jazz chops on 'Davita', a swift, jazzy, Masada-like tune with a bounding 6/8 meter. On the other end of the spectrum, both 'The Binding of Burning Books' and 'Shikora' have a super-chilled late-night vibe that wouldn't be out of place on one of Tom Verlaine's instrumental CDs. 'Minim (Parts 1 & 2)' explores a variety of rhythms and time signatures at breakneck skate-punk tempos the duet between Brown's violin and Fruchter's violently shredding guitar is refreshingly visceral. The CD's lone ballad, the bittersweet 'Sadie's Splinter' closes "Pitom" on a gentle, thoughtful note.
Pitom is a first-rate debut CD by an incredibly creative, remarkably capable, and gutsy band that takes musical risk-taking in stride. This CD is a must-have for Tzadik fans and fans of instrumental progressive rock, as well as for those who simply enjoy intense music in general.

1. Skin And Bones 4:31

2. Go Go Golem 5:22

3. The Robe Of Priestly Proportions : Part I 5:10

4. The Robe Of Priestly Proportions : Part II 3:43

5. Freigel Rock 4:45

6. Lungs And Spleen 4:41

7. Shikora 5:05

8. Minim : Part I 1:02

9. Minim : Part II 2:47

10. The Dregs 4:51

11. The Binding Of The Burning Books 5:05

12. Davita 5:33

13. Sadie's Splinter 5:17

Arranged By - Pitom , Yoshie Fruchter

Bass - Shanir Blumenkranz

Drums - Kevin Zubek

Executive Producer - John Zorn

Guitar, Composed By, Producer - Yoshie Fruchter

Violin, Viola - Jeremy Brown

A first aural encounter with Elliot Bergman's transcultural NOMO ensemble from Ann Arbor, MI, will undoubtedly and correctly stir the soul and move the feet in the same direction as Fela Kuti's Afro-beat orchestra music of the 1960s-1980s. Bergman, the leader and composer, has assembled a large band around the sound of reeds and brass -- and the occasional woodwind -- and a myriad of percussion instruments from a trap kit to all manner of hand drums and small instruments. Also prevalent in the mix are B-3, Fender Rhodes, bass, guitar, and textural instruments like the harp. What it adds up to is a music that indeed uses Kuti's notions of rhythm and melody, but it certainly doesn't stop there. Over the course of these ten cuts, one can hear the deep resonance of the harmony employed in John Coltrane's Africa Brass sessions and the modal notions employed on the Olé Coltrane album as well. There's a deep dub reggae and funk here, too, where King Tubby meets the JB's. With Warn Defever in the producer's chair, Bergman makes sure it's not all dark bubbly groove and vibe -- though they are present on every selection. Bergman is a highly developed, sophisticated composer. His charts reveal a canny knowledge of song forms that come from jazz, soul, and blues and employ a keen, elegant sense of dynamic and texture. There isn't a weak moment on this set, but a couple of the true burners here do stand out. 

"Discontinued," with its spacey funk guitar line, minor groove horn charts coming at the mix deep dubwise, rough-and-ready Rhodes solo, fueled by a rippling, propulsive backbeat, opens the set cooking on high. "Better Than That," with its Afro-Cuban percussion intro and Yoruba-meets-Nigeria modality, is underscored by a knotty melody colored by African thumb piano and a driving B-3. "Moving in Circles" opens with a tough tenor and baritone horn line that gives way to a shimmering yet edgy funk tune with vocals that come out as a perfect, seamless meld of spaced-out soul, Afro-beat, and hard, mid-'70s groove wrapped in post-bop jazz. As the recording continues, it becomes slippery, moving through time while seemingly displacing it. The intoxicating brew of rhythms emerge and disappear only to be replaced with others that push beautifully constructed harmonics and melodic invention through the listener's space, engaging the body as well as the mind. This is one hell of a debut album that uses the past to push righteously into the future.

:::Review by Thom Jurek:::

Nomo - Nomo (2004)

1. Discontinued 8:03
2. Better Than That 6:31
3. Not Wisely ... 0:41
4. Moving In Circles 6:25
5. ... Too Well 2:03
6. Busy 8:42
7. Untitled 0:28
8. Hourglass 7:15
9. The Seams 2:41
10. La La La 3:25

Credits
Congas - Nicole Turney
Djembe, Drums [Kpanlogo] - Antoinette Kudoto
Drums, Percussion - Dan Piccolo , Mike Gabelman
Flute, Saxophone [Tenor] - Leah Paul
Guitar [Fuzz], Percussion - Fred Thomas
Harp - Chilali Hugo
Mixed By, Guitar - Erik Hall
Organ, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] - Alex Chadsey
Producer, Mixed By, Guitar [Wah] - Warn Defever
Saxophone [Alto, Tenor] - Dann Friedman
Saxophone [Baritone] - Dan Bennett
Saxophone [Tenor] - Michael Herbst

Trombone - G. Scott Jones
Trumpet - Ingrid Racine
Vocals, Bass - Jamie Register
Vocals, Composed By, Written By, Mixed By, Saxophone [Tenor], Piano [Electric Mbira], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] - Elliot Bergman
Written-By - Segun Bucknor (tracks: 10)

Pianist Nik Bärtsch's Ronin has traveled a long way since its formation in 2001, through its early albums on Ronin Rhythm Records, its signing with ECM, and the three discs that label has so far released. Mid-decade, the Swiss band was forging its reputation with a relentlessly beat-centric style which Bärtsch dubbed "Zen funk" and "ritual groove music"—a blend of minimalism and James Brown which gave P-funkster George Clinton's maxim "free your ass and your mind will follow" a new millennial spin. The beats are still present, but are tempered now by other dimensions.
The three ECM discs—Llyrìa follows Stoa (2006) and Holon (2008)—have tracked Ronin's music as, via a series of incremental changes, it has evolved into something richer in content. With Llyrìa, standalone melodic top lines—that is, melodies not generated by the layering of instruments—show signs of becoming almost as important as uplifting rhythms. And throughout the suite of tunes, Bärtsch demonstrates a deeper concern with the nuances of light and shade. The new emphases are welcome: even the most dedicated trance junkies can only surrender to repetitive rhythms, however sophisticated their execution, for a finite length of time, without being buried by them—something which Bärtsch, who intends his music as something other than narcotic, would find abhorrent.
What has remained constant throughout this evolution is Bärtsch's insistence on through-composition: practically every note Ronin plays has been written in advance, with only subtle interpretive deviations permitted to the musicians. We have to take Bärtsch's word for this, because the performances of drummer Kaspar Rast and reed player Sha, in particular, frequently sound so of-the-moment that you'd never guess they're not improvised.
The 2010 edition of Ronin's music is well described by the title of this album. The llyria is a recently discovered luminescent creature of the deep ocean.
The opening track, "Modul 48," captures the picture as vividly as any hi-tech deepwater camera, as exquisite little melodic fragments drift in and out of the frame. Passages like this reoccur throughout the disc. So too, rather less frequently, do the ensemble polyrhythms of the band's first releases—"Modul 52" and "Modul 4" keep the faith and will give Ronin's longtime followers a familiar shot in the arm.
Ronin's growth has been made possible as much by the group's stability as it has by Bärtsch's inquiring aesthetic. In October 2010, the band will play its 300th hometown performance, at the Zurich club where it has maintained a Monday night residency since 2004. Such commitment, to each other and to the demands of live performance, makes for a continuing engine of change. Ronin may have traveled a long way since 2001, but it's a near certainty that the journey is far from finished.

:::Review by Chris May:::

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Llyrìa (2010)

01. Modul 48
02. Modul 52
03. Modul 55
04. Modul 47
05. Modul 53
06. Modul 51
07. Modul 49_44

Credits
Nik Bärtsch - (piano)
Sha - (alto saxophone, bass clarinet)
Björn Meyer - (bass)
Kaspar Rast - (drums)
Andi Pupato - (percussion)

:::Review from dripaudio.com:::

Inhabitants - The Furniture Moves Underneath (2007)

1. Kurt's Dirt 8:00
2. Sad Friend 4:56
3. Remember 7:25
4. The Rancher 5:49
5. Phototropism 6:18
6. A Part Of You 5:18
7. Drop Descender 9:03

Credits
Bass - Pete Schmitt
Drums - Skye Brooks
Guitar - Dave Sikula
Trumpet - JP Carter

Something was brewing in the lower east side of New York City in the spring of `66. Released on New Year`s Day 1967 this relic is probably the coolest, hippest and farthest out and overlooked recording of the `60s bar none. These cats ventured where no one dared tread in 1966, blowing every band away in their path with their galvanizing psychedelic performances that contained an uncanny concoction of blues, rock,folk, East Indian and be-bop. Considered by afficiados to be the first jazz-rock recording ever The Free Spirits`Out Of Sight An Out Of Sound was exactly as the title implied, radical stuff, as guitarist Larry Coryell would recall years later.
The band consisted of players who were mostly weaned on more traditional jazz stylings started out playing just that before being swayed by mastermind Coryell more in the direction of rock with his affections for the music of Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Reluctant at first, the other members which included Jim Pepper on woodwinds, Chris Hills on bass, Bob Moses on drums and second guitarist Columbus Baker, the only member with no jazz backround, eventually took his cues and consolidated their individual virtuosic musical abilities to create hybrid music that wasn`t heard until several years later by such groups as Tony Williams`Lifetime, Weather Report or during Miles Davis`Bitches Brew Sessions. Even so, at the time these young aspiring musicians could not be considered musical visionaries in the least, they were just five cats who hooked up and were just doing their thing much in the same way as many bands were doing back in the free thinking latter half of the sixties.
After a scant two month`s tenure at one of New York City`s east end`s grooviest clubs, The Scene, they were invited to cut a record for ABC records with veteran engineer Bob Theile who had previously worked with the likes of jazzmen John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. Unfortunately, Theile didn`t hold rock musicians in the same regard and the recording didn`t come off as most of the band expected and was hurriedly completed with none of the original compositions exceeding much more than 3 minutes which didn`t allow for much freaking out instrumentally. The album didn`t compare to the intensity of their live performances which , according to many who witnessed them, were full of improvisation and flair. Notwithstanding the shortsightedness of corporate types the album featured competent musicians who could hold their own in any jazz ensemble of the day while at the same time playing music which was socially and culturally in tune with the hippie generation, singing about peace and love which could be compared to The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas and The Beatles complete with stoned out vocals and twangy guitar by Coryell who even played sitar on a couple of tracks. What really made the music jive was the inclusion of Peppers avant crazed tenor sax and flute cries on tracks like the acid soaked Don`t Look Now, the hippie anthem I`m Gonna Be Free and Storm which was certainly one of the first pop songs to feature the flute. Bob Moses` pertinacious be-bop tendencies on the drum kit, which are in evidece throughout, also gave their sound a certain smoothness which gave the record even more groovy hip feel.
Don`t expect any of the improvisational guitar wizardry of Larry Coryell here ( he hardly solos ), but it`s interesting to hear this early marriage of different musical sensibilities from a group of cutting edge musicians which just grooves and moves. One of the few examples of psychedelic jazz from the sixties. Imagine John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery meets The Beatles and Hendrix. Those who think Miles invented fusion should definitely give this gem a spin. A veritable unsung artifact of rock 'n roll history.

:::Review by Vibrationbaby:::

The Free Spirits - Out Of Sight And Sound (1967) (2006)

1. Don`t Look Now ( But Your Head Is Turned Around ) 2:19
2. I`m Gonna Be Free 3:30
3. Lbod 3:05
4. Sunday Telephone 2:57
5. Blue Water Mother 2:46
6. Girl Of The Mountain 2:42
7. Cosmic Daddy Dancer 2:36
8. Bad News Cat 3:26
9. Storm 2:15
10. Early Mornin`Fear 2:39
11. Angels Can`t Be True 2:43
12. Tattoo Man 2:59
13. I Feel A Song 2:36

Credits
- Larry Coryell / guitar, sitar, vocals
- Jim Pepper / saxophone, flute
- Columbus Baker / bass
- Bob Moses / drums

:::Review by Michael G. Nastos :::

Mikrokolektyw - Revisit (2010)

1. Revisit 5:34
2. Rocket Street 2:52
3. Running Without Effort 5:45
4. Tiring Holiday 5:40
5. Almost a Good Mood 2:06
6. Attention! 2:13
7. Lupiko 5:08
8. Casio 4:56
9. Tar Man 4:14
10. Watermelon From the 80s 2:16
11. Gift 1:35

Credits
Jakub Suchar: drums
Artur Majewski: trumpet

Elvis Schoenberg's Orchestre Surreal is a "twenty-five-piece group of daring top Los Angeles studio musicians, that fuse classical, jazz, rock hip hop, world music and just about anything else," founded in 1997. "Elvis Schoenberg" is the persona of Los Angeles-based composer Ross Wright, who has been described as "either a musical madman or an eclectic genius." The group has marched in the Pasadena Doo-Dah Parade. In a 2003 review of a performance at the Ford Amphitheater, the Los Angeles Times wrote that:

Not merely content to perform shotgun marriages between the likes of Wagner and Nancy Sinatra, Mussorgsky and Santana, etc., [Ross Wright] (er, [Elvis Schoenberg]) took on a more ambitious task Friday night at the Ford Amphitheatre -- a "book musical" of a sort called "Symphony of the Absurd!" It was, as Ed Sullivan would have said, "a really big shew" in which Wright incorporated many of his set pieces and some newer numbers into a hellzapoppin' revue, with an eclectic assortment of dancers, sexy girls, pulp novel narrations, lighting effects, dry ice.

Ross Wright AKA Elvis Schoenberg received a Masters of Music degree from California State University Los Angeles in addition to a variety of other degrees and certifications.

The Orchestre Surréal was created by Elvis Schoenberg AKA Ross Wright who Derived the name from Classical Music Icon Arnold Schoenberg and Pop Icon Elvis Aaron Presley. The name summarizes the spirit and content of the group much of the groups material are modern classical arrangements of Classic Rock Songs.
As if Arnold Schoenberg were hired to write arrangements for Elvis Presley.
The Group’s size and configuration was designed to (as efficiently as possible) be able to perform classical orchestral music, Big Band Jazz music and Rock and Roll all simultaneously. So for this task the ensemble consists of three woodwinds players who all double: ww1. Piccolo, Flute, Soprano and Alto Saxophone, ww2. Flue and Tenor Sax, ww3 Clarinet, Bass clarinet, Baritone Saxophone, Two French Horns, Two Trumpets, Trombone, Tuba, Electric Guitar player who also plays sitar, Pipa, and almost anything with strings and frets. Keyboards, Electric Bass, 2 Percussionists playing mallets, timpani and a wide assortment of hand percussion. Violin 1, violin 2, viola, Cello, and Contra Bass, The size of the string section varies from 6 to 1 on a part.
Elvis Schoenberg, writes all the music for the group and is the group’s conductor. Fronting the group are a variety of singers and performance artists.
Angela Carole Brown AKA The Fabulous Miss Thing, Dan O’Callaghan AKA Dangerous Dan, April Fissell AKA Diva Lynn, Susan Asbjornson AKA High-D, Jason Paige, Becky Baeling. The musicians are working studio musicians who perform regularly on Hollywood soundtracks of major feature films.
Schoenberg and company have made a name for themselves locally in Los Angeles over the last several seasons both as superb musicians and as performance artists who bring a robust theatricality and strong visual elements to the stage, while their music fuses traditional classical music with rock classics. Jim Morrison meets Stravinsky. Prokofiev mixes it up with John Fogerty. The Allman Brothers merge with Rossini. Mick Jagger encounters Ravel and Copeland. No genre is off-limits to Schoenberg and crew, equally adept at playing classical music, rock, jazz, hip-hop, samba, TV theme music and hard-driving rock-and-roll.
The Orchestre Surréal’s mission is to “boldly go where no orchestra has gone before.” The purpose is to blend musical styles and thereby blend cultures together equally. Demonstrating that if all musical styles can co-exist harmoniously then so can all people.
1998 and was immediately recognized by Music Connection Magazine as one of LA top unsigned bands two years in a row. The group earned: Best Rock Opera Of The Year, Best Orchestral Arranger, and Outstanding Performance Award by the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2003 and 2004. The group has written and produced three fully staged musicals. The first: “Dismembering the Classics” a Shakespearian twist that connected Classic rock tunes together in a The Next one was “Symphony Of the Absurd” Which ran one night at the John Anson Ford Theater “ Concerto For the Committed” Jon Pepper Music Connection Magazine Elvis Schoenbergs Orchestre Surréal plays an odd, yet entertaining musical blend of rock, classical, big band jazz, lounge, and just about every other type of music. Most of the lyrics are from rock songs like Purple Haze and Ramblin man, but the arrangements by Schoenberg are what set this band apart. Philosophical and humorous, this is music that while remaining entertaining, does not take itself too seriously.

:::Review by wikipedia:::

Elvis Schoenberg's Orchestre Surreal - It´s Alive! (2004)

1- these boots are made for walking (hazelwood / strauss)
2- interlude
3- live and let die (paul & linda mccartney / carl orff)
4- interlude
5- evil ways (clarence henry / modest mussorgsky)
6- interlude
7- nessun dorma (giacomo puccini)
8- interlude
9- blue suede shoes (carl perkins)
10- interlude
11- takin' care of business (randy bachman / georges bizet)
12- interlude
13- little wing (jimi hendrix)
14- interlude
15- jive talking (barry gibb, robin gibb, maurice gibb)
16- interlude
17- the stompin' five (ludwig von beethoven)

Credits
ross wright as "elvis schoenberg": conductor, arranger, vocals
angela carole brown as "the fabulous miss thing": vocals
daniel o'callaghan as "dangerous dan": vocals
chantelle louise krenn: soprano vocalist
tom vos: violin
ted falcon: cioling
elizabeth chorley: violin
rosio arron: violin
patrick morgan: violin
caroline buckman: viola
alma lisa fernandez: viola
sara rilling: viola
john krovoza: cello
david takahashi: cello
jean marinelli: french horn
danielle ondarza: french horn
ron king: trumpet
tim wendt: trumpet
larry williams: trumpet
john grab: trombone
brent fischer: electric bass
mike faue: percussion
chris wabich: drums and percussion
ken rosser: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pipa
terry landrey: flute and tenor saxophone
robert kyle: flute and tenor saxophone
david arana: piano and keyboards
jennifer hall: piccolo, flute, alto and bartitone saxophone
mike nelson: clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone

Well, I've been banging on about these chaps for months now and I've finally gotten round to adding them so I suppose a review is in order.
This album (to date the only one I've heard by the group) is just irresistable. Often complex, endlessly quirky and inventive yet accessible enough to play to just about anyone on one condition: That they possess a sense of humor. For, ladies and gents, I can think of few artists other than the great Zappa himself who are quite as relentlessly silly, whimsical and playful in their approach to music than Eskimo.
Right from the off you know you're in for a pretty crazy time of it as the first song "Bones of the Saints" leaps from style to style at least five times in just over two minutes. From its quirky avant-prog opening strains through metal to tribal beats and nonsensical a capella lyrics, it's a positively bewildering opener. And it doesn't get much more predictable through the rest of the album, either.
Really, there's little point me attempting to describe the myriad of sounds and styles showcased on this album, save to say that Eskimo still manage to build up an impressively distinct character by instrumentation alone - the dominant trombone and marimba call to mind the Magic Band (particularly around about the Shiny Beast era) and basically nobody else. As I mentioned in my the biography page, most of the stylistic changes are borderline-pastiche rather than a serious attempt to fuse countless genres. However, the album is none the worse for this playful attitude towards composition.
It's hard to pick favorite songs as most of their tracks are quite short and they simply allow the album to ebb and flow from one idea to the next. It's both a fragmented and deeply unified piece of work. However, if I'm forced to, I'd say the borderline jazz-hop/patriotic pomp of "Bughead", the out-and-out avant-funk of "Dado Peru" and the silly, mystical and at times even unsettling "Kill the Great Raven" are all stand-out tracks.
In conclusion, if you're anything like me then the terms I've used to describe Eskimo (such as quirky, complex, bewildering, playful) will have already got you salivating at the mere thought of this album. If those words do nothing for you, stay well clear. You'd simply be wasting everybody's time.

:::Review by The Hemulen:::

Eskimo - The Further Adventures of der Shrimpkin (1995)

1. Bones Of The Saints (2:04)
2. Bughead (3:18)
3. Count Rock(u-ass)ula (1:07)
4. The You're So Slender (1:30)
5. Dado Peru (5:46)
6. O Those Eyes (1:24)
7. Pumpkins (1:11)
8. Babykins (1:04)
9. Kill The Great Raven (2:57)
10. Young Mr. Plum (1:48)
11. Schmeknicolor (1:22)
12. McDung Lung Tongue (1:08)
13. (The Assassination Of) Principal Poop (1:10)
14. Ribbit (5:42)
15. Bellyup (0:53)
16. Buttplug (1:13)
17. Blue Pepper (Far East Of The Blues) (2:53)
18. Lil' Surfari Girl (0:53)
19. Oops (1:28)
20. Wooden Shoes (0:30)
21. Colonel Plank (0:14)
22. The Ho Chi Minh Trail (0:16)
23. Mammy, Cold And Clammy (0:43)
24. Electric Acid Pancake House (plus bonus track) (15:00)

Credits
- Eric Bonerz / drums
- David Cooper / vocals, marimba, vibes
- Mark Landsman / bass
- John Shiurba / guitar, vocals
- Tom Yoder / trombone

Guest appearances
- Ralph Carney / reeds
- John Yi / reeds
- Angela Coon / vocals
- Damien Rasmussen / vocals
- Lars Fox / vocals
- Arline Klatte / vocals

Claudia Heuermann's "A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: Twelve Stories About John Zorn" is not quite what it seems. Expectations ran high, a documentary about John Zorn, the man who rarely grants interviews and when he does, seems to say everything and not say anything at all, whose music jumps genre to genre in a matter of seconds, captivates some, horrifies others, and has a strange sway over its fan.
What Heuermann did though was quite a bit different-- she told the story about her trying to make the movie, about her relationship with Zorn, from the moment she first discovered him (a friend playing her Naked City's "Torture Garden") to her meeting him for the first time, travelling to New York and deciding to make a movie about Zorn. It's really a piece about self-discovery, about learning to be one's "own parent".
Along the way, we get snippets of interviews with Zorn, brilliant statements, footage of rehearsals, recording sessions, remastering of "The Big Gundown" and live performances from Naked City, Painkiller, Masada, Bar Kokhba, Emergency, and "Rituals". We also get a brief explanation of game pieces and a picture of a frustrated artist who can't stop looking, who views music as problem solving, and who does it not for listeners, but for himself and the musicians.
This is the second time I've watched this-- the first time was when it first came out, and I was still in the process of discovering Zorn's work through a chance encounter at an independent movie theater (Naked City was the house music before the show, and somehow I knew who it was). Three months and a dozen or so Zorn CDs later and this came out to guide my way, to help put the pieces together.
A year after that and my Zorn collection is bordering on obscene and the piece still holds weight. It still is entertaining, and yeah, its not a lot of revelatory stuff, but it's a worthwhile viewing. Truth to be told, in many ways, the piece gave validity to my own view on my choice of career and my great passions. And I keep thinking that maybe when my coworkers ask why I'm making the four hour trip to New York City yet again to see some obscure musician who they've never heard of (and who if they did hear, they'd probably dislike), maybe in those situations I should let them borrow this and certainly Heuermann's experience isn't really that much different from mine. Isn't that powerful enough to merit a recommendation to someone else?
If you're just learning about Zorn, get this, it's critical. If you're already initiated, you probably already have it. It's got its flaw, but invariably, it's a deeply personal expression, how could it not? Either way, it's a fun film to watch. Recommended.

:::Review from amazon.com:::

John Zorn - A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: 12 Stories about John Zorn, DVD (2004)

Credits
- Cyro Baptista
- Joey Baron
- Stefan Blum
- Anna Carewe
- Jennifer Choi
- Greg Cohen
- Anthony Coleman
- Ariadne Daskalakis
- Uwe Dierksen
- Dave Douglas
- Mark Dresser
- Yamataka Eye
- Mark Feldman
- Erik Friedlander
- Bill Frisell
- Fred Frith
- Mihoko Fujimura
- Joyce Hammann
- Wayne Horvitz
- Susie Ibarra
- Matthias Kaul
- Otis Klöber
- Briggan Krauss
- Bill Laswell
- Hartmut Leistritz
- Dave Lombardo
- John Medeski
- Ikue Mori
- Nele B. Nelle
- Mike Patton
- Jim Pugliese
- Marc Ribot
- Roberto Rodriguez
- Josh Roseman
- Jamie Saft
- Astrid Schmeling
- Michael Schröder
- Stefan Schäfer
- David Shea
- Chris Speed
- Jim Staley
- Mason Wendell
- William Winant
- Kenny Wollesen
- John Zorn

Releases information
DVD Tzadik (TZ 3001), Mar 2004

Top jazz rock ensemble with one of Germany's leading guitarists (Toto Blanke) and great jazz musicians in the band (Charlie Mariano, Joachim Kühn and others). The only drawback: it lacks originality. This could be a John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra record.

Amazingly excellent heavy fusion or instrumental hard rock. Charlie Mariano is underutilized.  Great grooving playing from Blanke, John Lee on bass, Joachim Kühn on keys and Gerry Brown on drums. Very heavy.

Elegant prog fusion laced with latin touches. Recommended.

:::Reviews from rateyourmusic:::

Toto Blanke - Spider's Dance (1975)

A1. Lady's Bicycle Seat Smeller 7:00
A2. Intermission 6:58
A3. Rocbaron 2:45
A4. Toto 6:22
B1. Spider's Dance 4:33
B2. Prelude 0:58
B3. Slight Touch Of Hepatitis 14:28

Credits
Bass - John Lee

Drums - Gerry Brown
Guitar - Toto Blanke
Piano - Joachim Kühn
Saxophone, Flute - Charly Mariano

For decades, Crimsonheads around the world, if you wanted to know what the second-era KC sounded like, you either had to buy the USA live album with its rather muddy sound or had to rely on diverse quality bootlegs. One may understand that bootleggers are ripping off the artistes, but in Crimson's case, the fact that the only live albums available were rather poor quality (listen to Earthbound to dig what I mean), and the many improvisations that the group was experimenting on stage were excuses enough for fans dishing out money for pirated tapes. In the mid-90's, some groups became well aware that those bootlegs were of extreme quality and there was not reason for them to bootleg the bootlegs and making money of those now-finally legal tapes. ELP, Tangerine Dream and Crimson are three of the groups in progressive rock that have adopted this strategy, and are we not so happy they just jumped the gun?
But now Crimsonheads are faced with a dilemma: Which of the three main releases to get? The four CD box-set being reviewed here, the single concert release of The Nightwatch or the finally re-released (and improved sound wise and great bonus tracks) USA Live? Clearly on of the main criteria of selection will be the sound, which would almost automatically dismiss the third potion if it was not for the fantastically superb and superlative improv Asbury Park still not available elsewhere. Another criteria will be the price for a single Cd (USA), a double set (Nightwatch) and this heavy box-set (probably a limited edition too and a hefty price) and in this case the first eliminated in the previous criteria is the clear winner.
The first Cd from this set is made up of one concert in Providence (stretching on to the second Cd) where the sound is as pristine as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, but the track list contains absolutely awesome and one of the two improv Cosmos is simply astounding (and maybe the closest sounding to Asbury Park from USA), only two tracks for the patchy SABB album, a superb rendition of Easy Money and icing on the cake a version of Starless with David Cross on violin: fabulous. The Providence improv is much more entertaining than on the studio album too.
The second 2 finishes the Providence concert, gives a piece of a Penn State Uni concert (with a superb improv to closer off the disc) but is mostly concentrating on a Glaswegian concert ending with a rare Cat Food and the Peace theme from the Poseidon album. Even with those minor surprise and many improvs, this second disc is not as brilliant as the first one, partly because the track selection is less successful, but the continuity is broken by three separate entities. Only one declared improv but another four are just as well improvised.
The third disc is a bit less disjointed, but another piece of the Penn State concert ends it. A whopping four improvs (most of them average quality - which means they develop into nothing special - but great to hear anyway) grace this disc and one strange Doctor Diamond, which is (as far as I know) a full composition never available anywhere else - and a worthy one too. The closing improv is one hell of a scorcher too!!!
The last disc is certainly not the least of the four is also split in two concerts, one at Toronto's Massey Hall (I am just sick thinking I was only 10 when this gig happened around my turf) and a Swiss show. The Canadian gig has a demented improv and a calmer based on Trio. The Swiss has some rather unusual improvs on the No Pussyfooting theme but also another two part improv and a definitive version of Talking Drum as a closer.
As far as repeats arte concerned, throughout the four Cds, the only track you will hear more than twice is Easy Money (3.5 times) and Night Watch (three times), which out of 47 tracks total is rather fair.
But life is never that simple, and soon or later, the Crimsonhead will want the other releases, which is another debate altogether, is it not?
In my case, I consider this box-set indispensable and even more than absolutely essential (it has a superb booklet and tons of improvs), and I still like the USA live album for historical reasons, so The Nightwatch might just be the odd one out. Any takers for my copy of it? ;-)

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

King Crimson - The Great Deceiver Live 1973 – 1974 (1992)

CD ONE

Palace Theatre, Providence, RI

June 30th 1974

1. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting (0:49)
2. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two (6:24)
3. Lament (4:39)
4. Exiles (8:57)
5. Improv: A Voyage to the Centre of the Cosmos (15:03)
6. Easy Money (7:13)
7. Improv: Providence (10:19)
8. Fracture (11:14)
9. Starless (12:04)

CD TWO

Providence ... continued (encore)

1. 21st Century Schizoid Man (8:27)
2. Walk Off From Providence ... No Pussyfooting (1:21)

Walk On to Glasgow ... Glasgow Apollo

October 23rd 1973

3. Sharks' Lungs in Lemsip (3:22)
4. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One (7:50)
5. Book of Saturday (3:03)
6. Easy Money (6:41)
7. We'll Let You Know (4:55)
8. The Night Watch (5:17)
9. Improv: Tight Scrummy (8:58)
10. Peace - A Theme (1:01)
11. Cat Food (4:36)

Penn State University

June 29th 1974

12. Easy Money... (2:20)
13. ...It Is for You, But Not for Us (9:12)

CD THREE

Pittsburgh, PA - Stanley Warner Theatre

April 29th 1974

1. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting (0:59)
2. The Great Deceiver (4:27)
3. Improv: Bartley Butsford (3:12)
4. Exiles (7:19)
5. Improv: Daniel Dust (4:09)
6. The Night Watch (4:40)
7. Doctor Diamond (5:12)
8. Starless (12:26)
9. Improv: Wilton Carpet (5:53)
10. The Talking Drum (5:29)
11. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two (abbreviated) (4:08)

Penn State University

June 29th 1974

12. Applause & Announcement (2:12)
13. Improv: Is There Life Out There? (14:51)

CD FOUR

Toronto, Massey Hall

June 24th 1974

1. Improv: The Golden Walnut (11:47)
2. The Night Watch (4:27)
3. Fracture (11:53)
4. Improv: Clueless and Slightly Slack (8:12)

Zurich Volkshaus

November 15th 1973

5. Walk On ... No Pussyfooting (0:53)
6. Improv: Some Pussyfooting (2:27)
7. Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part One (8:16)
8. Improv: The Law of Maximum Distress, Part One (6:32)
9. Improv: The Law of Maximum Distress, Part Two (2:33)
10. Easy Money (7:32)
11. Improv: Some More Pussyfooting (5:53)
12. The Talking Drum (6:04)

Credits
- David Cross / violin, mellotron, electric piano
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric piano
- John Wetton / bass guitar, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Hi Jazzlovers!

I have decided to suspend my blog. 

Bringing up my child have become more fun and responsibility, obviously.

Literally, It does not give me much time for my 'free time' projects at the moment. 

Another thing is, that I have moved to another place leaving my CD collection in hometown.

Sadly, my music backup HD broke down.

Links will be active for month or so.

After that time I am going to cancel my blog.

Hope you enjoyed my music experience.

Keep it real!

Peace!

jazzlover

Aside from the first disc of BBC radio sessions (with Wyatt still in the line-ups), much of the BBC sessions that the Machine played are present on this double disc and the four live radio sessions are spawned over four different line-ups and five studio albums released in the meantime. The first three tracks of the first disc are taken from previous 5 album with Phil Howard on drums and you can feel the man's free jazz tendencies, but they are not obtrusive and the tracks played have much more energy than the cold studio versions of 4 and 5, rendering a whole new light on them. The next track is a medley of four tracks from the 6 album, sporting Marshall and Hopper, but also Karl Jenkins (ex-Nucleus like Marshall), this sticking much more with the spirit of the then-current (and half-live I must say) album. The next two tracks are from a year later (and the 7 album) with another ex-Nucleus (Babbington) having replaced Hopper and again show them in particular fine form giving their instrument a full fitness workout!
The second disc starts with two tracks of the same session than on that finishing off the first disc but shows them in a vastly different mood. The short but impressive Babbington bass-droned track leads into a frenzied 6-sounding with Jenkins even blowing shortly into a flute. The rest of the disc is the same musos but augmented by guitarist Allan Holdsworth (yet another Nucleus refugee - this making Ratledge the only non-Nucleus alumni in the Machine at that time) that will make the Bundles album. The first 3 min track is a weird abstract music (noise?) that sorts of ruin the general ambiance, but the following two tracks more than makes up for it especially the multi-movement suite Hazard Profile.
The ting about this double BBC sessions record that makes it very worthwhile is the fact that the tracks from the 4 and 5 albums are so much warmer and livelier. It also has the benefit of shedding a little light on the oft-shunned (forgotten) 7 album.
Like all posthumous Soft machine release , this album is really of interest to confirmed Machinists , but if you are reading this review , you are probably very concerned , right?

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Soft Machine - BBC Radio 1971-1974 (2003)

Disc 1 (44:56)

1. As If (7:45)
2. Drop (6:56)
3. Welcome To Frillsville (10:33)
4. Fanfare/All White/MC/Drop (11:13)
5. Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album (3:33)
6. Hazard Profile Part 1 (4:56)

Disc 2 (34:59)

1. Sinepost (1:47)
2. Down The Road (7:34)
3. North Point (3:00)
4. The Man Who Waved At Trains (5:41)
5. Hazard Profile Parts 1-4 (16:57)

Credits
- Mike Ratledge / keyboards
- Hugh Hopper / bass (tracks 1-4, CD1)
- Elton Dean / saxophone (tracks 1-3, CD 1)
- Karl Jenkins / oboe, saxophone, recorder, keyboards (tracks 4-6, CD1; all tracks CD 2)
- John Marshall / drums (tracks 4-6, CD1; all tracks CD 2)
- Roy Babbington / bass (tracks 5-6, CD1; all tracks CD 2)
- Allan Holdsworth / guitars (tracks 3-5, CD 2)
- Phil Howard / drums (tracks 1-3, CD 1)

In just two double discs Hux records will release the numerous radio sessions done for the BBC, this one ranging from the Halcyon days of 67 - where the Machine was still a psychedelic caterpillar - until 71 with the most classic line-up including Dean, Hopper, Wyatt and Ratledge. These are just the studio radio sessions but there are two others BBC live concerts available also and as usual with BBC archives the sound is pristine and the interest of them is invaluable.
On disc 1, the first five tracks are due to the line-up that recorded the debut album with Kevin Ayers singing and playing bass and this is maybe the best sounding live recording from that period. With Hope For Happiness and Strangest Scene as showcase for their dynamic qualities, that session may just be the most interesting of all the ones on the two double discs set. The next session is one of the definitive ones showing on how the tracks from Volume 2 have evolved to lead into the famous and seminal Third album. Four tracks from that album are meddled into one suite while the second track from the session is a first version (pre-album) of Moon In June where Wyatt recommends Ayers, Caravan Pink Floyd and thanks the BBC and its orchestra while singing. Du grand art, monsieur!!! This session is also invaluable because those tracks are much more often played as a foursome (with Elton Dean), but more rarely as a trio.
Then comes a strange UFO in the name of Instant Pussy (that should be more at home on a Matching Mole record although it does not sound anything like the latter MM version) that was strangely separated from the rest of the session, which closes the second disc. This anti-chronological order is due to Robert Wyatt, but it is the only one of a kind on this release! Then we jump to the mid 70 session the now classic quartet doing a medley of tracks that are present on the Third album.
Disc 2 starts with an early 71 session the band presenting the rather cold fusion (sometimes right into free jazz thanks to Elton dean's influences) of their album 4, this one not being quite interesting as there are tons of other recordings available on those tracks, although maybe not of this caliber! The next session of the same year but in June and also being of lesser interest if you have any live BBC recordings or anything on Cuneiform records. Do not get me wrong, these two sessions are absolutely essential to the unconditional fan, but again if one is of that category he will already own one or two live version of these tracks. Another strange "gift" on here is another Wyatt vocal improve playing with echoes but this is messy and like the Instant Pussy does not really belong here!
Finally comes the session from late 69 and another invaluable one as this is a rare version of the Machine as a septet before recording the third album. The lengthy medley produced here is an interesting version the machine sounding a bit like a jazzier Chicago Transit Authority with a four-man brass session as they had stripped the Keith Tippett Group from most of its collaborators, but Charig and Evans leaving relatively quickly and Dobson hanging around for just a while longer!
Apart from the two odd choices Monsieur Wyatt chose to include (I would tend to say ill- advisedly as they sort of ruin a bit the record), we have another superb Hux record release that is essential to Soft Machineheads. And apart from the parti-pris (anti-jazz rock attitude) of the liner notes from some writer, the presentation and luxurious booklet make this release hard to resist.

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Soft Machine - BBC Radio 1967-1971 (2003)

Disc 1 (66:45)

1. Clarence In Wonderland (2:57)
2. We Know What You Mean (3:11)
3. Certain Kind (3:38)
4. Hope For Happiness (4:37)
5. Strangest Scene Recorded (aka Lullaby Letter) (4:55)
6. Facelift / Mousetrap / Noisette / Backwards / Mousetrap Reprise (11:54)
7. The Moon In June (13:02)
8. Instant Pussy (3:19)
9. Slightly All The Time / Out Bloody Rageous / Eamonn Andrews (19:12)

Disc 2 (60:51)

1. Virtually (9:58)
2. Fletcher's Blemish (12:11)
3. Neo-Caliban Grides (7:34)
4. Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening (2:46)
5. Eamonn Andrews / All White (7:11)
6. Mousetrap / Noisette / Backwards / Mousetrap Reprise / Esther's Nose Job (21:11)

Credits
- Kevin Ayers / bass, guitar, voice (tracks 1-5 CD1)
- Robert Wyatt / drums, voice
- Mike Ratledge / keyboards
- Hugh Hopper / bass (tracks 6-9 CD1, CD2)
- Brian Hopper saxophone, flute (track 6 CD1)
- Elton Dean / axophone (track 9 CD1, CD2)
- Marc Charig / trumpet (track 6 CD2)
- Lyn Dobson / saxophone, flute (track 6 CD2)
- Nick Evans / trombone (track 6 CD2)

IMHO, it was during their Zamla Mammaz Manna era that the combo extraordinaire Samla Mammas Manna delivered their best stuff - go figure, surpass the SMM material! "Familjesprickor" was their farewell album, so you can say that the Swedish band left the stage with flying colours (in fact momentarily, since a brief reunion took place a few years later). Apparently, this final phase was not easy to carry on: drummer Hans Bruniusson left soon after the recording sessions had started, and had to be replaced by Vilsot Hansson, while the curtain call ambience was clearly felt in the air during the time spent in the studio, performing, rearranging and mixing the new repertoire. Yet, you can tell that this ambience, so inconvenient in terms of emotional stability, proved to be fruitful in terms of musical merits and energetic performing. By this time, new guitarist Enio Haapala (Apetrea's replacement) had instilled an enhanced drive into the guitar parts making them more powerful and psychedelic, in this way, affecting the band's overall sound, which is now more sophisticated, more charged, more aggressive. The band themselves claim that the music in this album is not "as optimistic and happy as it used to be", but the listener should not expect mournful and/or languid music. Everything remains as colourful and exciting as always, only more tense, and as I already stated, more aggressive and more charged - that's where the inner tension comes from, mainly. There is also a decreased number of folly chanting, and that may be another hint of the lack of happiness in the album, a lessened desire to sing and hum. Regarding the repertoire itself, it's perfectly even in its richness and sense of surprise, all the time demanding a lucid awareness from the listener. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the opening track displays an impressive mixture of polka and jazz rock, with some Frippian guitar and Zappaesque extravagant chord progressions in the keyboard parts. A great opener, indeed. Track 2 is more remarkably melodic, with guitarist Haapala assuming the leading role, except for a brief piano solo by Hollmer. 'The Forge' includes some disturbing guitar soundscapes and some delicious circus-like accordion chords on a funky-rock basis: something the listener needs to hear before the ultra-dadaist genius nonsense displayed in 'The Thrall' - Henry Cow fan membership required to enjoy this one. A bit less deconstructive but more intensely aggressive is 'The Panting Short Story', mostly due to the guitar parts: the odd tempos and bizarre chord progressions on keyboards keep things standing firmly on SMM's typical jazzy ground, but the hard rocking vibes in Haapala's riffs and picks remains prominent right until the end of the song. I feel the fade-out comes too soon - I wish this particular fave of mine would have been a bit longer. The nest two numbers bring some extra colours in ZMM's pallet: the reggae cadence in 'Pappa' comes pretty handy in order to convey some jolly, healthy sarcasm; the subtly added touches of Latin jazz in 'The Farmhand' helps to reduce the tension that has been predominant for most of the album. And finally, 'Kernel in Short and Long Castling' starts as typical SMM (burlesque + jazz complexity + folkish nuances), but it won't take long before the tension starts to show again, in this way providing a proper ending for the album. Overall rating: 5 stars, no less for this masterpiece.

:::Review by Cesar Inca:::

Zamla Mammas Manna - Familjesprickor (Family Cracks) (1980)

1. Five Single Combats (5:52)
2. Ventilation Calculation (5:05)
3. The Forge (5:04)
4. The Thrall (5:05)
5. The Panting Short Story (3:52)
6. Pappa (with right of veto) (4:27)
7. The Farmhand (7:33)
8. Kernel in Short and Long Castling (5:40)

Credits
- Lars Hollmer / keyboards, accordion, song
- Eino Haapala / guitar, song
- Lars Krantz / bass, song
- Vilgot Hansson / drums, percussion
- Hans Bruniusson / drums, and some percussion on "Pappa"

Some wouldn´t consider this the best Ian Carr or Nucleus album, but there´s plenty to enjoy. Sure, it´s not exactly on a par with the first two Nucleus albums "Elastic Rock" and "We´ll Talk About It Later", but it´s a nice example of the tunes, riffs, rhythms, and improvisation style of the band under Ian Carr´s leadership. And I happen to like the album art. A bit strange for Nucleus, and not totally fitting with the music, but it´s quite nice.
"Belladonna is maybe less complete overall than Solar Plexus but is most definitely the most elusive and sought after of Ian Carr's Vertigo label vinyl releases. By the time this record was recorded only Brian Smith remained of the Solar Plexus line-up, but in the new blood recruited, Carr was able to instill that same kind of energy and spirit that had made the previous Nucleus recordings such critical (if not commercial) successes.
The title track in particular has that rhythmic quality not dissimilar to Snakehips' Dream, a kind of irisistable foot tapping almost danceable beat that is totally and hypnotically infectious from its percussive Ian Carr led intro to it's pure jazz rock electric mid section.
The piece Suspension is apparently Ian Carr's most satisfying studio track; one of those single takes that only happen once or twice in a career ... do I have to say more?"

:::Review by Mr. Paul D. Curtis:::

Ian Carr's Nucleus - Belladonna (1972)

1. Belladonna (Carr) 13.37
2. Summer Rain (Carr) 6.11
3. Remadione (Smith) 3.48
4. Mayday (Carr) 5.40
5. Suspension (Carr) 6.15
6. Hector´s House (Smith) 4.34

Credits
Roy Babbington (bass)
Gordon Beck (piano)
Ian Carr (trumpet, flugelhorn)
Allan Holdsworth (guitar)
Dave MacRae (piano)
Brian Smith (saxophone, flute)
Clive Thacker (drums)
Trevor Tomkins (percussion on 01., 03 - 04.)

Being one of the most relevant bands in the seminal age of French prog, Moving Gelatine Plates was a peculiar musical force influenced by "Third"-era Soft Machine and Supersister, in this way anticipating (to a certain degree) the kind of sophisticated folly that Gong will turn into an essential part of its signature sound. The progressive element abundantly instilled with jazzy overtones, the touch of psychedelia and the patent humor are the three core aspects of MGP's sound: their sophomore effort "The World of Genius Hans" is really worthy of the word genius that appears in the title. Because of the flamboyant styles provided by Helminger on sax and Thobault on bass we can appreciate the influences from Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper, which makes for the powerful SM element in MGP. All in all, it would be unfair to label this band as a mere clone of Ratledge, Wyatt & co., since the ensemble manages to create a refreshing proposal in a global level. The band really knows how to approach the complexity of the musical arrangements with precision and sobriety. Some guitar inputs by Bertram together with some vocal passages remind me of yet another icon of experimental rock on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean - that is, Frank Zappa (big band era). With its 14 minute span, the namesake track stands out as a well- ordained mini-epic that goes fluidly through its various motifs.
'Funny Doll' finds the band going for more candid ambiences: despite the fact that the sax and lead guitar lines are noticeable dissonant, this piece is predominantly gracious, closer to Hatfield & the North than to Soft Machine, with an extra touch of Zappaesque humor. 'Astromonster' bears a more mysterious feel, not in a creepy sense, but ethereal: the initial lines on flute and distorted bass are a pertinent initiation to the elaboration of the intricate passages that emerge from minute 3, creating a combination of jolly and hypnotic vibes. 'Moving Theme' digs deeper in the band's extroverted side, and so does 'Cauchemar': comparing both, I feel that the former is more aggressive. 'We Were Loving Her' is based on a series of monochromatic organ layers upon which various effects and ornaments on sax, guitar and bass go floating by. The emergence of a sung section is a pretext for the elaboration of a cohesive arrangement. This particular piece is closer to late 60s psychedelia than to standard Canterbury (if there is such thing, I mean.). The closing track 'Un Jour...' works as a brief epilogue on soprano sax that bears a very lyrical feel: I wouldn't have minded if it had been a bit longer, at least. Anyway, this is all there is and it is fine by me - actually, more than fine, since this albums is a real prog masterpiece in my book. This gem should not be missing in any good prog collection, regardless of the collector's pet sub-genre(s).

:::Review by Cesar Inca:::

Moving Gelatine Plates - The World Of Genius Hans (1972)

1. The World of Genius Hans (14:00)
2. Funny Doll (4:25)
3. Astromonster (6:15)
4. Moving Theme (3:46)
5. Cauchemar (3:46)
6. We Were Loving Her (3:28)
7. Un Jour... (1:25)
8. Synthème (Bonus-Track CD) (3:28)
9. L'Alchimiste (Bonus-Track CD) (3:20)
10. Les êtres d'or (Bonus-Track CD) (5:50)
11. Ombres (Bonus-Track CD) (3:30)
12. Rire de peine (Bonus-Track CD) (7:07)

Credits
- Maurice Hemlinger / organ, trumpet, soprano and tenor saxophone, flute
- Gerard Bertram / electric guitar, vocals acoustic guitar
- Didier Thibault / bass, vocals, 12-string guitar
- Gerard Pons / drums, percussion