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John Hébert: Sounds Of Love
by Mark Corroto
In sport, they talk about 'horses for courses,' to describe a parcour suited for particular athletes. That same language can be used to decide an ensemble's lineup for a particular category of music. Bassist and bandleader John Hébert made careful choices to create the quintet to perform music in the spirit of Charles Mingus. In the early 1960s, Mingus toured with saxophonist Eric Dolphy, trumpeter Johnny Coles, pianist Jaki Byard, and drummer Dannie Richmond. For Hébert's touring ensemble from 2011 ...
read moreSatoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Entity
by Neri Pollastri
Undicesimo album per l'Orchestra New York di Satoko Fujii, qui composta di tredici elementi, dei quali ben nove già presenti nel primo lavoro, South Wind, risalente al lontano 1997. Il disco è registrato nel maggio del 2019 ed è uscito già lo scorso anno, ma merita egualmente grande attenzione, in quanto si tratta di un lavoro di primissimo livello. Né poteva essere diversamente, considerando non solo la qualità media, altissima, delle produzioni della musicista giapponese, ma anche l'organico straordinario della ...
read moreFrom An Island: Ches Smith & We All Break and Dominican Jazz Project
by Mark Sullivan
Haiti and the Dominican Republic both occupy the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. But the two nations could hardly be more different. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere; the Dominican Republic has the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central America. Haiti was occupied by France in colonial times, famously winning its independence in the only successful slave revolt in history; the Dominican Republic was occupied by Spain, winning its independence much later (which is a ...
read moreChes Smith / We All Break: Path of Seven Colors
by Jerome Wilson
In his group We All Break, drummer Ches Smith puts together a robust hybrid of the rhythms of Haitian Voudou music and the free- flowing impulsiveness of modern jazz. The basic music and lyrics of the songs here are based on traditional Haitian melodies. The group builds from that foundation, starting with the tangled interplay of Smith and three Haitian drummers, Daniel Brevil, Markus Schwartz, and Fanfan Jean-Guy Rene. Jazz improvisation is stirred into the mix by alto saxophonist Miguel ...
read moreAksel Rönning Trio, Blue Reality Quartet & Ches Smith’s We All Break
by Maurice Hogue
Like Haitian-drums? Drummer Ches Smith does and he taps into the Voudo rhythm and spirit of Haiti on his new Path Of Seven Colors. Like Bob Dylan's music? The German quartet Absolutely Sweet Marie tackles nothing but; their third volume, Wherever You Roam, is just out and there are a some tunes from that featured. What about something new, like the Norwegian Trio led by saxophonist, Aksel Rönning? He shows he has chops and ideas on his new ART. There's ...
read moreChes Smith’s We All Break: Path of Seven Colors
by Vic Albani
Il fatto che da qualche anno la produzione discografica non sia più nelle strette mani delle multinazionali sta man mano aprendo infinite possibilità per gli artisti più creativi e, quantomeno in questo caso, ai nomi collegabili all'avanguardia. Oramai la situazione è chiarissima per i fruitori della stessa (in breve, a noi ascoltatori). Si brindi dunque e innanzitutto alla pianista-compositrice canadese Kris Davis che ha fondato la Pyroclastic Records nel 2016 (al tempo per trovare sbocco alle sue registrazioni ...
read moreChes Smith / We All Break: Path of Seven Colors
by Karl Ackermann
For some time, drummer/composer Ches Smith kept his interest in the Voudou music of Haiti at bay. Recognizing himself as an outsider in that world, he researched, listened, studied, and after years brought a project to fruition. Smith's group We All Break released their self-titled, self-produced debut in 2017 and received less attention than deserved. Now on Kris Davis' Pyroclastic Records, the outstanding Path of Seven Colors should produce wide recognition. Path of Seven Colors is a two-disc ...
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