Jazz Articles

Ami Yoshida / Toshimaru Nakamura: Soba to Bara

by John Eyles
June 26, 2009

Over the past decade Japanese Onkyo musicians such as vocalist Ami Yoshida, no-input mixing board player Toshimaru Nakamura, Sachiko M, Taku Unami and Otomo Yoshihide have had a profound effect on improvisers outside Japan, as far away as London, Berlin and USA. Albums by such musicians and their collaborators have been common among the releases from Erstwhile, so it is hardly surprising that the label's latest offering has a distinctly Japanese look to it, including sleeve notes in Japanese by ...

Ami Yoshida / Christof Kurzmann: ASO

by John Eyles
February 20, 2007

Two years in the making, this album arrived at about the same time as First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Quincunx), in which Christof Kurzmann also plays a central role. Comparisons between the two are instructive; both albums feature clarinet, electronics and voice--in the case of the Quincunx album, the recorded voices of Roberta Flack and an (unnamed) Chinese singer, here Ami Yoshida.

The role of the voices is the main (huge!) difference between the two. Unlike the pop ...

Keith Rowe / Toshimaru Nakamura: Between

by John Eyles
October 14, 2006

Although it was released some six months ago, there has been a reluctance to rush into print with judgments of this album. In common with other Erstwhile releases, this is music that takes time to properly percolate into the brain and leave its mark.

Together and separately, Rowe and Nakamura are Erstwhile's most recorded artists and, with this album, the first grouping to have a second release on the label. Their first, Weather Sky was recorded and released in 2001. ...

4g: cloud

by John Eyles
June 21, 2006

4g (four gentlemen of the guitar) cloud Erstwhile 2005 Hmmm... Four gentlemen of the guitar? Whatever sound image that description conjures up in your head, it is probably a long way from the actual music here. Based on immediate aural evidence, one could more easily believe these were four gentlemen of the tone generator. But listen on and all sorts of subtleties are revealed.... Remarkably, it is now over ...

Thomas Lehn & Gerry Hemingway: Tom & Gerry

by Glenn Astarita
January 1, 2001

Drummer/composer and noteworthy modern jazz group leader, Gerry Hemingway and synthesizer expert Thomas Lehn take the listener on a sinuous path down dark alley’s and surreal soundscapes on this cleverly articulated 2 CD set, simply titled, Tom & Gerry.

On pieces such as “W2” and “W3” the duo produces enigmatic sounds and temporal themes in this electro-acoustic potpourri of odd metered rhythmic sequences, counterbalancing motifs and contrasting tonalities as Lehn’s meaty analogue synths lay the foundation for curiously interesting dialogue ...

Earl Howard / Denman MAroney: Fire Song

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 2000

Fire Song represents yet another intriguing effort brought to us by “Erstwhile Records” as hyperpiano specialist Denman Maroney and alto saxophonist, synth performer Earl Howard match wits in a series of ambitious duets that might spark a glowing light within the listener’s subliminal self. Here, the duo challenges our imaginative powers as Maroney works the innards of his piano in concert with Howard’s delicate utilization of synths and highly charged performances on sax, most notably on the final track and ...