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An AAJ Interview with Ben Allison
by AAJ Staff
This interview, conducted by Allen Huotari, was first published at All About Jazz in September 1999. As history has taught us, it's not enough to be gifted with talent, one must live up to the burden that “potential" brings. Paradoxically and ironically, the blessing of having one's abilities recognized in public forum is the ...
Azymuth: Telecommunication
by Glenn Astarita
This Brazilian trio had its roots in the 1960s but under different group monikers. They also recorded for the renowned jazz label Milestone Records, releasing several albums. To a considerable extent they were largely praised by critics via the musicians' tightknit but not over-cooked spin on jazz fusion, featuring indigenous percussion tinted with samba-like overtones. According ...
Soft Ffog: Soft Ffog
by Glenn Astarita
Guitarist Tom Hasslan (Krokofant) drummer, Axel Skalstad (Krokofant) bassist, Trond Frønes (Red Kite, Grand General) and keyboardist Vegard Lien Bjerkan (WIZRD) debut on this new sub-label (It It Jazz?) by the venerable Nordic prog rock label Karisma. The musicians formed this unit back in 2016 but for various reasons took some time getting it together. Respectively, ...
Big Bad Brötzmann Quintet: Bambule!
by Glenn Astarita
This set finds legendary free jazz innovator Peter Brotzmann leading his Big Bad Quintet, along with fellow German improvisational champions, keyboardist Oliver Schwerdt, drummer Christian Lillinger, bassist John Eckhardt and fabled British bassist John Edwards to round out a sweltering session, teeming with notions of turmoil, and enduring interchanges. Brotzmann is like a turbo-charged ...
Silvan Schmid: Augmented Space
by Glenn Astarita
Progressive Switzerland and Netherlands-based trumpeter Silvan Schmid (Gamut Kollektiv, KvG's Bottom Orchestra) delves into risky territory via these avant-garde solo performances. The good news is, that these are not cacophonous screeching, squealing and directionless free-form improvisations, although minor parts include oddball phrasings and upper-register plaintive cries. Yet the artist remarkably induces a polyphonic sound by often ...
Anthropods: Anthropods
by Glenn Astarita
American drummer/composer Mark Holub--currently residing in Vienna--is the founder of the ultra-hip jazz quintet, Led Bib. Yet he presents somewhat of a U-turn on his debut as a leader, which leans more toward progressive chamber, spiced with nouveau classical overtones and spunky rock grooves, all consummated by engaging improv among the performers. The musicians ...
Eric Plandé / Hasse Poulsen / Claude Tchamitchian: Beyond Dreams
by Glenn Astarita
Here, we can throw genre type discussions out the door, since this European trio transparently interconnects worldly motifs with tribal insinuations, classic free jazz interplay and asymmetrically improvised and structured song forms. In addition, the musicians artfully generate a magnetic field that also includes bluesy vamps with melodious contrasts and unison phrasings, often cast with ethereal ...
Various Artists: Black Lives - From Generation to Generation
by Glenn Astarita
Indeed, African Americans are the architects of several musical formations, hearkening back to Scott Joplin's development of 'ragged' rhythms i.e., Ragtime, along with blues, funk, jazz, and other genres, often evolving into various tangents and offshoots. And on this comprehensively entertaining set produced by Belgian Stefany Calembert with assistance from her husband and acclaimed bassist Reggie ...
Ruphus: Let Your Light Shine
by Glenn Astarita
In 2021, this Oslo-based progressive rock label reissued / remastered all of the Norwegian progressive rock unit's 1970s and early 1980s analog tapes of the original LPs. During its progression the band were especially popular in West Germany. However, the North American prog aficionados may have found it difficult to become aware of Ruphus unless they ...
Angelika Niescier: Soul In Plain Sight
by Glenn Astarita
Saxophonist Angelika Niescier (Poland) and pianist Alexander Hawkins (UK) share mutual admiration amid a meeting at the Berlin Jazz Fest. As we fast forward to this duet outing by these increasingly prominent Euro improvisers who recast their respective goods here, think of Language A communicating with Language B, simply using the emotive aspects and non-verbal interactions ...
