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Henry P. Warner / Earl Freeman / Philip Spigner: Freestyle Band
by John Sharpe
The Lithuania-based No Business label might seem an unlikely champion for the loft jazz of late '70s/early '80s New York City, but its track record speaks for itself. Rescued from obscurity, Freestyle Band follows on from 2010's acclaimed Muntu Recordings Box, Commitment: The Complete Recordings 1980-1983 and 2011's splendid Black Man's Blues / New York Collage. ...
Roscoe Mitchell: Numbers
by John Sharpe
What's the difference between composition and improvisation once the music has been committed to disc? At that point even the wildest flights of fancy become fixed and immutable, able to be reheated and pored over at leisure. One difference may lie in the notation-defying musical characteristics integral to the finest improvisations: continual variation of tone and ...
Joe McPhee's Survival Unit III with Evan Parker: London, England, March 23, 2012
by John Sharpe
Joe McPhee's Survival Unit III with Evan ParkerCafé OtoLondonMarch 23, 2012Over the past three years north London's Cafe Oto has built a solid, predominantly young audience for adventurous music. Part of the secret has been programming world class talent over multiple nights and pairing them with the cream of the capital's ...
Mockūno NuClear: Drop It
by John Sharpe
In its enterprising catalogue of modern day masters and loft jazz rarities, the Lithuanian No Business imprint also documents local musicians. Chief among them is one of the country's premier improvisers, saxophonist Liudas Mockūnas. Previous appearances on the label have placed him in a Peter Brotzmann-like trio on Live at 11:20 (2010) and in an impromptu ...
Ran Blake: Vilnius Noir
by John Sharpe
Although recorded in concert in a church in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius Noir has the feel of eavesdropping on a late night conversation between two old friends who don't need to say very much for the other to grasp the intended meaning. Although guitarist David “Knife" Fabris hails from a different generation than pianist composer Ran ...
Nobuyasu Furuya Quintet: The Major
by John Sharpe
Japanese born reedman Nobuyasu Furuya splits his time between his native country and Portugal, where The Major was captured. Furuya first came to prominence in the free jazz big band, Shibusa-Shirazu Orchestra, before moving to Lisbon, where he recorded two previous sets with musicians from his current band: the well-received Bendowa (Clean Feed, 2009) and Stunde ...
Kidd Jordan: On Fire
by John Sharpe
Incendiary similes have always proven popular as descriptors of free jazz. Indeed, Fire Music," has been used as a label for the whole genre. New Orleans-based saxophonist Kidd Jordan's 2006 outing, the superb Palm of Soul (AUM Fidelity), essayed a meditative calm, music which couldn't be more different from the accurately named 50-minute studio session On ...
Darius Jones Quartet: Book Of Mae'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise)
by John Sharpe
Saxophonist Darius Jones has rung the changes on each of his widely acclaimed leadership dates. Book Of Mae'bul subverts expectations again with an all new quartet drawn from NYC's finest, who shift between intricate script and flowing invention in the blink of an eye. Together they navigate eight of Jones' compositions, which tend towards order rather ...
Eri Yamamoto Trio: The Next Page
by John Sharpe
It is arguable whether a bar is the right venue for jazz in the 21st century. On any given night most of the punters are there for a chat with friends over drinks, maybe to pick someone up, and just perhaps to appreciate the music. For the last decade, Japanese pianist Eri Yamamoto and her trio ...
Kyoko Kitamura: Armadillo In Sunset Park
by John Sharpe
In a genre-defying debut, vocalist/pianist Kyoko Kitamura releases what she terms a mini album, collecting nine pieces, many written for a dance collaboration. It might be termed a solo effort, except that the electronics and sound effects provided by George Walker Petit play such an integral role. A former journalist with a Gulf War stint on ...


