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Bob Washington Trio: Recollections of Darby Hicks
by Derek Taylor
Who is Bob Washington? The man’s anonymity is almost a certainty to listeners of creative improvised music. But hopefully that’s about to change with the release of this CIMP disc, his debut and an instant catalyst for the question “Where the hell has this guy been all these years?” Truth be told, Washington has worn many ...
Br: Balls
by Derek Taylor
Balls veritably screams Sixties-style counter-culture confrontationalism. Check Bennink's gaunt pale frame, shirtless and head shaven close, standing sternly with his mates on the front cover. Or Brötzmann's hunched visage on the reverse, tenor clutched tightly in vice-grip, caught in mid-renal shout. Then there's Van Hove, sleeves rolled up, bent over the innards of his piano, almost ...
Manfred Schoof: European Echoes
by Derek Taylor
The cast of European Echoes is incredibly formidable, representating a veritable dream orchestra populated by youthful incarnations of many of free improvisation's leading lights. But sadly the stilted sonics sometimes stand in the way of undiluted enjoyment of what’s transpiring. Bailey’s amplified and excoriating strings are at times the only individual voice discernable. Bennink and Favre ...
Hamid Drake & Sabir Mateen: Brothers Together
by Derek Taylor
Few drummers can tackle the stresses and challenges laid bare in a setting with reeds as sole partner and still hold onto their share of the proceedings. Perhaps the historical role of drums as time-keeper and rhythmic stanchion is the culprit, or possibly it’s the reluctance of most jazz percussionists to stray beyond the historical strictures ...
Evan Parker: Six of One
by Derek Taylor
Steve Lacy may hold the Gold for most solo soprano saxophone albums, but Evan Parker, his counterpart on the other side of the Atlantic, comes in a natural second in the fictional competition. Curiously enough the British improvisor’s tenor has been far less served in such a solitary settings, with only one entry thus far (see ...
John Lee Hooker: Live at Sugar Hill, Volume 2
by Derek Taylor
What gives a man justification to sing the blues? There have never been a staid set of credentials for such a pursuit, but if any one man had the proper pedigree custom plugged into his persona, it was John Lee Hooker. His voice could sway from gravel-grained bark to plaintive croon amidst lyrics of the most ...
Shelly Manne & His Men: Checkmate
by Derek Taylor
Jazz and television were an easy match in the Sixties, especially in the context of the cop, spy and detective shows that were Hollywood’s bread and butter of the era. Noirish blues and angular tempoed chase themes fit the action on these shows perfectly, as did the Cool connotations of West Coast Jazz. Among the more ...
Albert Ayler: The Copenhagen Tapes
by Derek Taylor
Albert Ayler's recorded legacy remains woefully scant, especially for a figure of his musical stature and reach. Coupled to this comparative paucity is the fact that the bulk of his recordings from live concert settings where the acoustics and engineering were often suspect. Prime culprits arose out of his iconoclastic reputation and the general stigma levied ...
Roy Haynes: Cymbalism
by Derek Taylor
Well into his septuagenarian years, Roy Haynes is still going strong as a leader behind his venerable drum kit. His sticks and brushes have stoked the fires on countless sessions from early work with Lester Young to later stints with likes of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. Only a handful of living drummers can claim such ...
Herbie Mann/ Bobby Jaspar: Flute Flight
by Derek Taylor
Concept albums were all the rage back in the late Fifties, and jazz music was no exception among genres. Popular within this certain niche was the notion of featuring instruments uncommonly featured in lead roles. The result was a flood of records fielded by everything from French horns to accordions to harps. One album cut for ...
