Chick Corea & Stefano Bollani-Orvieto (2011)

Chick Corea & Stefano Bollani-Orvieto (2011)

Track Listings

1. Part I. Orvieto Improvisation No. 1

2. Portrait In Black And White

3. If I Should Lose You

4. Doralice

5. Jitterbug Waltz

6. A Valsa da Paula

7. Part II. Orvieto Improvisation No. 2 / Nardis

8. Este Seu Olhar

9. Darn That Dream

10. Tirititran

11. Armando's Rhumba

12. Blues In F

Chick Corea (b. 1941) and Stefano Bollani (b. 1972), the master and the new talent, the American of Sicilian and Spanish descent on one piano, the Italian from Tuscany on the other piano, recorded live in concert at Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto, on December 30, 2010. 

A travel into jazz in 75 minutes, from free improvised moments to well-know standards, from original compositions to the blues. Excluding two free improvisations (Orvieto Improvisation N.1 and Orvieto Improvisation N.2) that work as introductory pieces, tempi are mostly fast. Still, there is a sort of laidback approach, with the music coming out very naturally, without any apparent effort. Both pianists have huge technical abilities, yet their virtuosity is here always focused to just one goal, produce beautiful, lyrical, stylish and sophisticated as well as entertaining music, and never as a show off to impress the listener. If you are after special effects and keyboards on fire, you will be disappointed. If you are after jazz piano music to discover and enjoy more and more at every listening session, then this work should definitely deserve your attention.

The recording quality is excellent as usual from ECM. Not only the two pianos, but all noises during the concert were recorded as well. The first time I was listening this CD on my hi-fi system at a realistic volume I was thinking someone was punching the floor of my apartment from downstairs... luckily that was just the pianists stomping their feet on the stage. Impressing indeed. 

Stefano Bollani: Les Fleurs Bleues (2004)

Stefano Bollani: Les Fleurs Bleues (2004)

Stefano Bollani (Piano)

Scott Colley (Bass)

Clarence Penn (Drums)

This is some of the better jazz out there today! What a great trio! With Stefano Bollani on piano, Scott Colley on bass, and Clarence Penn on drums, you can't go wrong. These musicians are locked tight in the groove for the duration of this recording. Bollani is on top of his game, as he plays incredibly fast licks and incredibly original chord voicings that sound like fire from his fingertips, especially on the tracks which feature solo piano. There are a few well placed ballads on which the group really makes sound tender and delicate, and Bollani even sings on "Si Tu T'Imagines"! Scott Colley and Clarence Penn are world-class musicians, and accompany Bollani beautifully on this set. This is a highly recommended album, too bad it is only available through import. If you are lucky, you'll find it in a bargain bin like I did! Happy Listening...

01 – L’Histoire Qui Avance

02 – Rever et Reveler

03 – Cidrolin

04 – Il Duca

05 – Se Non Avessi Più Te

06 – L’Arca

07 – Bar Biturico

08 – Chippie

09 – Si Tu T’Imagines

10 – Dans Mon Ile

11 – It Could Happen to Queneau

12 – Un Giorno dopo l’Altro

Tord Gustavsen Trio: The Ground (2005)

Tord Gustavsen Trio: The Ground (2005)

Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen became something of a rock star in his own country after Changing Places (ECM, 2003) came out two years ago. The fact that a jazz record—particularly such a mellow, understated one—could rise above a mess of mass-market pop came as a surprise to just about everyone involved, but I guess it's a sign that the Norwegians have pretty good taste in music after all. The rest of the world caught on a little more slowly, but Gustavsen ended up doing quite well internationally with his debut, now well over the 60,000 mark.

Thus The Ground, his sophomore trio release, aroused some pretty high expectations (and rocketed to the top of the Norwegian charts in its second week). Fortunately, Gustavsen and his trio grew wiser and stronger in the two-year interval between these recordings, aided by quite a bit of touring along the way. The relaxed, confident playing on this record is evidence that Gustavsen is here to stay. The mellowness is back, and many listeners will relish the way themes unfold without calling much attention to themselves, but this is serious stuff that rewards careful attention and involvement.

What's most striking about the way Gustavsen plays is the liquid, flowing quality of his motion. The pianist places careful emphasis on timing and dynamics, which means you can often catch a ripple or a glint of sun along the way, but the melody is always moving forward. It's never in a hurry, never surging like surf over a waterfall, just flowing like a river—around curves, through passages narrow and wide. Together with regular bluesy colorations and gospelly phrasing, there's something spiritual about this collection of brief meditations. It's hard not to be swept away.

Bassist Harald Johnsen and drummer Jarle Vespestad are very much in tune with Gustavsen's vision, interacting in the moment to flesh out the greens and blues that color this recording. But the pianist is really the center of the action, and you'll find yourself anticipating his moves—often successfully, because the inner logic is quite intuitive, but never predictably so. That's the sort of clever balance Gustavsen crafts and it's what draws me most magnetically to his music. I suspect it will take many spins before this record ever grows tired.

Track Listing: Tears Transforming; Being There; Twins; Curtains Aside; Colours of Mercy; Sentiment; Kneeling Down; Reach Out and Touch It; Edges of Happiness; Interlude; Token of Tango; The Ground.

Personnel: Tord Gustavsen: piano; Harald Johnsen: bass; Jarle Vespestad: drums.

Luis Salinas: Ahi Va (2003)

AHI VA highlights the Latin fusion of guitarist Luis Salinas and includes performances by Daniel Maza, Facundo Guevara, Sebastian Peycere, Jose Reynoso, and Reynald Colom.

2003 release from the Argentinean guitar virtuoso/vocalist who delivers the concept of jazz with his native folk music, funk, bossa, blues, bolero and candombe in his own style. 13 tracks. DBN.

Personnel: Raynald Colom (trumpet); Jose Reinoso & Repique (piano); Facundo Guevara (percussion).

Recording information: Estudios Ion (2003).

Arranger: Raynald Colom.

Track List

    1    Dulce           
    2    Funky en Si Menor          
    3    Ahi Va          
    4    Alla Lejos          
    5    Bolero           
    6    Salsita          
    7    Estrella del Fin, La          
    8    Amanece          
    9    Noche          
    10    Candombes           
    11    Contigo En La Distancia           
    12    Latin Beeboop          
    13    RTM Blues

Danilo Rea: Lost in Europe-Piano Solo (2000)

Danilo Rea - Piano Solo - Lost in Europe (2000) 

1. Sospensione 1 (D. Rea) (02:27)

. Burrqua) (05:00)

2. Tico Tico (Abreu) (05:45)

3. Isogni son desideri (David/Hoffman/Livingston) (05:02)

4. Autumn lives (Cosma/Prevert/Mercer) (10:29)

5. Sospensione... (D. Rea) (03:50)

6. What a wonderful world (Thiele/Weiss) (03:50)

. Pc. (Coltrane) (02:35)

7. America (L. Bernstein) (00:50)

. Debussy) (00:50)

. Rea) (01:00)

. Tenco) (03:00)

8. Stella by starling (Young/Washington) (02:27)

Flora Purim: Open Your Eyes You Can Fly (1976)

Flora Purim: Open Your Eyes You Can Fly (1976)

As an original member of Chick Corea's group Return to Forever, Purim subsequently drew praise as a solo act. Recording for the jazz label Milestone since 1973, Purim's sensual and strong voice was singular enough to withstand the pitfalls that hampered the work of many Latin jazz fusion artists. Open Your Eyes You Can Fly represents a commercial breakthrough, and has the artist again supplemented by adventurous players and top-notch songwriting. The best of the three Chick Corea tracks is the title song. With it's emotive and stinging guitar solo from David Amaro, it features Purim at her most accessible and charming. The remake of "Sometime Ago" has one of Corea's more accessible melodies, as Purim turns in one of her more sweet and fulfilling vocals. The melodic and soothing "San Francisco River" has the artist writing solely with frequent Corea collaborator Neville Potter on the evocative track. Despite the great work here, Open Your Eyes You Can Fly, lacks consistency. But with the great talents assembled and great voice, it's easy to overlook that fact. Hermeto Pascoal's "Andei (I Walked)" has a great synthesizer solo from George Duke and a flute solo from Pascoal. "Ina's Song (Trip to Bahia)" features Purim singing in Portuguese, starting off slow but then enlivened by her passion filled vocalizations. Produced by jazz producer Orrin Keepnews, this features the artist more lucid and joyful than some of her other work. For the reason it is recommended. ~ Jason Elias

Recorded at Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California in 1976. Originally released on Fantasy Records. Includes liner notes by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel includes: Flora Purim (vocals); Hermeto Pascoal (flute, electric piano, harpsichord, percussion, background vocals); George Duke (electric piano, Arp & Moog synthesizers, background vocals); David Amaro (acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars); Egberto Gismonti (acoustic guitar); Alphonso Johnson (acoustic & electric basses); Ron Carter (acoustic bass).

1- Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly (Chick Corea-Neville Potter)
2-Time's Lie (Chick Corea-Neville Potter)
3- Sometime Ago (Chick Corea-NevillePotter)
4-San Francisco River (Airto Moreira-Purim Purim)
5-Andei "I Walked" (Hermeto Pascoal)
6-Ina's Song "Trip to Bahia" (Flora Purim)
7-Conversation (Hermeto Pascoal)
8-Medley: White Wing/Blank Wing (Hermeto Pascoal-Flora Purim)

Chick Corea: Return to Forever (1972)

Chick Corea: Return to Forever (1972)

Amazon.com essential recording

The soul of fusion lies not in the barrage of note clusters played through overdriven amplifiers but in the arresting beauty of Return to Forever's lucid vision of music without boundaries. The stunningly virtuosic pianist Chick Corea had already gone through an exploration of free jazz with Circle, tutelage in the Miles Davis Academy of New Electric Music and the soul-searching of "Piano Improvisations" when he arrived at his most brilliant conception. Corea and bassist Stanley Clarke fly through the proceedings, supporting Joe Farrell's flute and soprano sax playing in what may have been the performance of his life. Flora Purim's vocals and Airto Moreira's drums and percussion work discretely in service of the music's serenity. --John Swenson


Corea was at his peak with this '70s release, which brought together his Latin-flavored compositions and writing for singer Flora Purim with his liquid electric piano, Airto's varied gifts on percussion, and the late great Joe Farrell's facility on flute and sax.

One of the approaches to jazz that has unfortunately seemed to pass by the boards is what I'll call extended comp/improv, a blend of formal composition, passages for improvisation and sections that allow for free group interaction. Sonny Rollins and Max Roach were modernists who plowed early ground in this area, and they were followed by, among others, McCoy Tyner, John Handy, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Jack DeJonette, and of course, the master of the form, Charles Mingus. Corea makes a fine contribution to the informal canon with "Sometime Ago/La Fiesta," a hypnotic 23-minute excursion.

For the extended comp/improv to work, all the musicians have to be headed in the same direction without ever losing the sense that there are many paths toward the same goal. "Sometime Ago/La Fiesta" illustrates the beauty of this ideal. Corea, Farrell, and bassist Stanley Clarke all prove their mettle in long, lyrical passages in which they both play and respond to one another. Farrell is particularly inspired on flute and soprano sax, but Clarke will startle you as well with the sounds he gets from his bass.

The rest of the CD? Fine as well, although you might find Purim's vocals an acquired taste. For me, a little generally goes a long way, but on this CD, her voice is tightly interwoven into the compositions and is an asset rather than a distraction.

Those who think of Return to Forever as a rock band will find this record a surprise -- one way or the other. For me, it's vastly superior to the fusion records Corea turned out later in the '70s.

1-Return to Forever
2-Crystal Silence
3-What game shall we play Today
4-Sometime Ago-La Fiesta

Chick Corea: electric piano
Joe Farrell: flutes, soprano saxophone
Flora Purim: vocal, percussion
Stanley Clarke: bass
Airto Moreira: drums, percussion

John Scofield : Uberjam (2002)

John Scofield: Uberjam (2002)


Like his most famous employer, Miles Davis, John Scofield has had his own classic band eras. With Bill Stewart, Marc Johnson, and Joe Lovano he used his distinctive playing and compositional skills to bring a freshness to the sound of the straight-ahead jazz quartet; and on his 1987 Pick Hits Live, he and cohorts Dennis Chambers, Gary Grainger, and Robert Aries used a piercing intelligence to temper fusion's athletics. His more recent funk efforts have suffered; some from the sensitive but "grease"-deficient work of Larry Goldings and some from a general excess of politeness. Bump was an interesting, if tepid, foray into modern hip-hop grooves, but hitting the road in front of the Phish/MMW crowd has forged that sound and his road band into something to be reckoned with. It is no accident that Uberjam is credited to the John Scofield Band; the title tune was created by the members over three years of road dates. Far from being a pastiche, it demonstrates the cohesive unit that this group has become. Whether it is rhythm-guitar wiz Avi Bortnick adding Indian samples to Jesse Murphy's dub bass on "Acidhead," or former Average White Band drummer Adam Deitch laying in the phat-ist of phat grooves, it is apparent that Scofield has come up with another classic ensemble--one well equipped to take jazz into the 21st century. --Michael Ross

Track Listings
1. Acidhead
2. Ideofunk
3. Jungle Fiction
4. I Brake 4 Monster Booty
5. Animal Farm
6. Offspring
7. Tomorrow Land
8. uberjam
9. Polo Towers
10. Snap Crackle Pop

    John Scofield - electric guitar
    Avi Bortnick - rhythm guitar and samples
    Jesse Murphy - electric bass
    Adam Deitch - drums
    John Medeski - B3 Organ (tracks 1,2,5,9), clavinet (tracks 1,5,) and mellotron (tracks 1,9)
    Karl Denson - flute (track 2) and saxophone (track 9)

Kith Jarrett Trio: Somewhere Before (1968)

Kith Jarrett Trio: Somewhere Before (1968)

While still a member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet, Keith Jarrett did some occasional moonlighting with a trio, anchored by two future members of Jarrett's classic quartet, Charlie Haden (bass) and Paul Motian (drums). On this CD, Jarrett turns in a very eclectic set at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, careening through a variety of idioms where his emerging individuality comes through in flashes. He covers Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages" -- which actually came out as a single on the Vortex label -- in an attractive, semi-funky style reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi. "Pretty Ballad" delivers a strong reflective dose of Bill Evans, while "Moving Soon" is chaotic free jazz. By the time we reach "New Rag," we begin to hear the distinctive Jarrett idiom of the later trios, but then, "Old Rag" is knockabout stride without the stride. As an example of early, unfocused Jarrett, this is fascinating material.

KEITH JARRETT, piano
CHARLIE HADEN, bass
PAUL MOTIAN, drums

My Back Pages
Pretty Ballad
Moving Soon
Somewhere Before
New Rag
A Moment For Tears
Pout’s over (And The Day’s Not Trought)
Dedicated To You
Old Rag

Recorded at Shelly’s Manne-Hole, Hollywook, USA, 30th 31st August 1968

Keith Jarrett: Staircase (1976)

Keith Jarrett: Staircase (1976)

keith Jarrett (solo piano)

The fourth of Keith Jarrett's solo piano albums turns inward, away from the funky, pulsating melodic inventions of its predecessors toward a more reflective, scattered, never-despairing romanticism well removed from the pulse of jazz. As such, it is paradoxically his weakest solo piano album of the '70s and also the most influential, for here is the blueprint for sensitive meandering that the New Age piano crowd took off upon in the 1980s. A studio session, Staircase is actually only one of four separately titled improvisations on this double album (now on one CD) -- the others are "Hourglass," "Sundial" and "Sand" -- but their overall moods of repose are so similar that it hardly matters what they are called. One can always admire Jarrett's lovely tone and flexible touch, yet when he gets stuck for ideas, the repetitions finally begin to grate. Maybe he really needs the stimulus of a live audience in order to get the creative and rhythmic juices flowing when flying solo.

Tracks

Staircase:

    "Part 1" - 6:57
    "Part 2" - 7:58
    "Part 3" - 1:25

Hourglass:

    "Part 1" - 4:42
    "Part 2" - 14:03

Sundial:

    "Part 1" - 8:57
    "Part 2" - 4:55
    "Part 3" - 6:27

Sand:

    "Part 1" - 6:54
    "Part 2" - 8:48
    "Part 3" - 3:21

    All compositions by Keith Jarrett

Enrico Rava and Dino Saluzzi Quintet: Volver

Enrico Rava and Dino Saluzzi Quintet: Volver

Trumpeter Enrico Rava and his quartet (with guitarist Harry Pepl, bassist Furio Di Castri and drummer Bruce Ditmas) meet the Argentinian bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi on six group originals. Rava's introverted yet inwardly passionate playing matches well with Saluzzi's modern tangos, and the results are fairly accessible yet still exploratory. An intriguing set. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Enrico Rava: trumpet

Dino Saluzzi: bandoneon

Harry Pepl: guitar

Furio Di Castri: bass

Bruce Ditmas: drums

Dino Saluzzi: Cite de la Musique (1997)

Dino Saluzzi: Cite de la Musique (1997)

It seems pointless writing a review for this album. It's almost as if you will either come across it in the journey of your life or you will not. If the timing isn't right it will just waft past you like the scent of a beautiful flower that you pass walking along a darkened path that you can never find again.

I was lucky enough to come across this album in late 1999 and I have a funny feeling that it will remain on my top-five-most-beautiful-albums list for a long time to come.

It's not as if there's a particular person or event in my life that this album reminds me of, it's a sort of a collage of everything beautiful and tragic that has ever happened in my 42 years of living. It's a medium to a whole collection of memory-feelings all bundled up together.

More than once I have dozed off (stone cold sober) while listening to this album and have "come to" sensing the most vivid yet indescribable feelings, particularly during the last two tracks.

I agree with the other reviews of this album - each of which is personal. Unlike other reviewers I can't put any visual images to the music on this album. I can't even tell my closest friends what I feel some times when I listen to this album. I just feel it.

This beautifully dark and sensual album is mood altering if you can allow it to get in.

Marc Johnson Double Bass

Dino Saluzzi Bandoneon

José Maria Saluzzi Guitar (Acoustic)

01. Cité de la Musique

02. Introducción y Milonga del Ausente

03. El Rio y el Abuelo

04. Zurdo

05. Romance

06. Winter

07. How My Heart Sings

08. Gorrión

09. Coral Para Mi Pequeño y Lejano Pueblo