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ECM's New :Rarums, Part 3: The Guitarists
by AAJ Staff
As much as any other instrument, the guitar has been instrumental in defining the reach and depth of ECM Records. It's captured in full glow on three releases from the label's Rarum series, featuring Pat Metheny, Egberto Gismonti, and John Abercrombie. While the sure-fire star power from that list comes in the form of ...
West Africa: Frikyiwa's Mix of Ancient and Modern
by AAJ Staff
When you've heard (and seen) enough music, you get pretty good at judging a CD by the cover. Sure, the process incurs a lot of failure along the way, but its successes can be dramatic. Such was the case with the tiny French label known as Frikyiwa, which I first encountered in an overflowing bin at ...
Various Artists: No W... Now!
by AAJ Staff
In the interests of full disclosure, it should be stated that No W... Now! is an expressly political CD. It is subtitled “A Musical Petition Against George W. Bush," and proceeds from its sale go to the liberal organization Not In Our Name. While this reviewer has liberal politics, it is fair and appropriate that this ...
Various Artists: Modern Wild Dub
by AAJ Staff
Modern Wild Dub begs attention from the get-go, which is basically good for a collection that aims for positive energy on the dance floor. Subtitled “Dread Meets Disco Punkrocker Downtown," this record leaves the door wide open to a collection of styles. Unfortunately I don't recognize most of the artists on the record, so this review ...
ECM's New :Rarums, Part 2: The Drummers
by AAJ Staff
This, the second of three installments on the subject of ECM Records' latest set of Rarum artist collections, focuses on the drummers. The three represented here include Jack DeJohnette and Paul Motian, two players who have shared the same company at critical junctures (eg. Bill Evans; Keith Jarrett) but share very little in common in terms ...
The :Rarum Series: New Artist Compilations from ECM Records
by AAJ Staff
Artist compilations are as old as recording technology itself. They have proven themselves reliable as a way for listeners to collect hits without collecting records, and for record labels to cash in on their big stars. (The greatest selling record of all time, interestingly enough, is a greatest hits release from The Eagles.) ECM ...
ECM's New :Rarums, Part 1: The Bassists
by AAJ Staff
After almost two years, ECM Records has returned to its :Rarum series with twelve new compilations. The ideas that have distinguished the series are threefold:give the artist total freedom to select every track on each compilation present extended notes and performance photographs as fresh documentation remaster the recordings for clearer ...
Island Music from the Caribbean
by AAJ Staff
We're almost forty releases down the road in Nonesuch's Explorer reissue series, devoted to traditional and folk music from around the globe. Africa, Indonesia, and Latin America have seen broad coverage; much still lies ahead. But each record is a living document of musical tradition and culture that are sometimes millennia old. Field recordings are rarely ...
Various Artists: Zen: A Ninja Tune Retrospective
by AAJ Staff
Back in the day, my very first exposure to the electronic/chillout label known as Ninja Tune came in the form of Coldcut, a duo of Jonathan More and Matt Black. Let Us Play (1998) was a discovery of the highest order, an audio CD matched with an interactive CD-ROM. More and Black, the founders of Ninja ...
Various Artists: Ultimate Mancini
by Jim Santella
Who hasn't been touched by the familiar songs of Henry Mancini? Preferring to release interpretations that forge ahead and don't simply imitate the originals, Concord has invited several guests to make this album something special. No one can perform 'Moon River' like Stevie Wonder, for example. His appearance here, with Take 6 providing a ...
