Jazz Articles
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Bill Laswell and Sacred System: Imaginary Cuba: Deconstructing Havana
by Jack Bowers
This is “piecemeal” music, spliced together in a studio by Bill Laswell to present a sound–picture of modern–day Havana, Cuba. It’s world music, not Jazz, and how well the enterprise succeeds is, we presume, in the ear of the beholder. Laswell has been called (by Billboard magazine) “way ahead of his time.” He may be well ahead of mine too. Laswell painted his Cuban portrait by organizing a series of location recordings in the studios, streets and back rooms of ...
Continue ReadingJuan Carlos Formell: Songs from a Little Blue House
by Jack Bowers
Wicklow records says Juan Carlos Formell's debut recording is solo (except for one or more guest appearances by guitarist Mark Whitfield). If so, he's either doing a lot of programming or he has more than two hands (and one voice). There's a rhythm section on most numbers, a vocal group on others, a muted trumpet on three, even a trombone on “La Vaquita," Of course, nowadays most of that can be sequenced (even the trombone and trumpet, I suppose), so ...
Continue ReadingLaurel Macdonald: Chroma
by Jack Bowers
Hey, give me a break, please! I’m a JAZZ reviewer! I don’t know why labels and/or distributors bother to send me recordings like this. As far as I know, Laurel Macdonald may be tops in her field — trouble is, I don’t know what or where that field is. I can’t pretend to review music about which I know nothing. What I hear is a lot of sound and fury signifying, if not nothing, at least something that I’m unqualified ...
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