Issue #24 Extra!: New Releases

Roy Campbell Quartet - "Its Krunch Time"
Graham Collier - "The Third Colour"
Di'Anno - "Nomad"
Andrew Downes - “Concerto for Two Guitars”
John Greaves - "On the Street Where You Live"
Jean-Luc Ponty – “Life Enigma”
Remember Shakti - "The Believer"
Natsuki Tamura - "White and Blue"

Andrew Downes - "Concerto for Two Guitars"

 (Classicprint, CPVP013CD, 2000, CD)

Commissioned by the Birmingham Conservatoire for live performance in 2000, "Concerto for Two Guitars is the work of noted composer Andrew Downes. In contrast to Downes vocal works, this collection of two pieces relies on classical guitar and electric bass with orchestral support. Simon Dinnigan handles the nylon string chores on the album having come from a studied background and he's also known as a child prodigy. Fred Thelonius Baker (a member of the tutorial staff of the Compositional & Creative Studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire as well as Phil Miller's In Cahoots) handles the bass duties in parallel to Dinnigan's spirited playing. The initial movement of the concerto was broken into three parts with the remaining five pieces including two solo performances from Dinnigan and Baker. Downes other original song, "Cool Largo" is a morose statement between the two players that follows one descending counterpart line that intersects later on in the song. "Usher Waltz" is a solo Russian piece that depends on a brutal motif and appears to be included in the mix as a contrast piece. Two Bach compositions are also rendered on the disc including Baker's take on the famous "Flute Sonata" and Dinnigan's performance of "Fugue from Violin Partita". Overall the disc will appeal to fans of the classical pieces by Steve Howe and Steve Morse as well as the European semi-classical community. It's also great to hear Baker in a formal setting which only complements his jazz endeavors. - Jeff Melton

Di'Anno - "Nomad"

 (The Store for Music, SFMCD012CD, 2001, CD)

Occasionally metal acts use small progressive rock embellishments to add a slight sophistication to their sound. From short synth introductions, the bands will break into a fierce riff with guitars blazing and lead singers screeching at the top of their lungs. Paul Di'Anno is the leader of a self-titled five-piece band that features blistering songs very much in the vein of Di'Anno's old mainstay, Iron Maiden. Paulo Turin handles all the songwriting as well as the searing guitar leads and turns in a solid performance on many tracks including the opener, "Mad Man in the Attic". The best track on the disc is the title song, which is a more fully developed piece and builds on a slower paced guitar passage. "The Living Dead" is the only power ballad on the disc with Fabrizio De Sarno adding backing piano to the beginning of the piece. Themes on the eleven tracks are of the sort relegated to the metal crowd: dark and aggressive with demonic overtones, in other words: par for the course. Drummer, Aquiles Priester is blended up-front in the mix and sounds to much like Cozy Powell in his glory days with Jeff Beck and later period Black Sabbath. Overall, this work should appeal to fans of Dio and other Deep Purple offshoots. Still, you have to be wary of any poser who lists Calvera Streatwear apparel in their album credits. - Jeff Melton

Jean-Luc Ponty – “Life Enigma”

 (JLP Productions JLP-001, 2001, CD)

I’m probably not unique in my history with Jean-Luc Ponty. I discovered his inventive, melodic jazz-fusion violin playing with his albums of the seventies like Enigmatic Ocean and Imaginary Voyage, then lost track of him during the eighties. I was aware that he kept working, but his New Age direction did not interest me much. So it was with great interest that I decided to check out this new CD, which was billed as a synthesis of all of Ponty’s styles, including the fusion of the earlier days. I am sad to report that there is actually fairly little of the old style present on this release. Ponty’s beautiful tone on the electric violin is readily recognizable, and there are some hints of those lushly voiced unison parts we loved, but they are for the most part backed by sterile drum machine programming and emotionless digital keyboards. A few tracks do feature musicians other than Ponty: bassist Guy Nsangué Akwa appears frequently, Thierry Arpino and Moustapha Cissé provide some drums and percussion from time to time, and William Lecomte plays piano on two cuts. Unfortunately, these accomplices appear on a series of mellow tracks that fuse Lite Jazz, New Age, and World Beat. The lack of energy really detracts from some decent writing. I have nothing against drum machines categorically. Like any other piece of musical technology, it’s what you do with them that counts. Unfortunately, Ponty’s brilliance on the violin does not carry over to electronic drum programming. - Jon Davis/I>
[www.ponty.com]

Natsuki Tamura - "White and Blue"

 (Buzz Records, ZZ-76011, 1999, CD)

Relying on a minimalist instrumentation (trumpet, sundry percussion and drums) composer, Natsuki Tamura is interested in filling space not only with free jazz excursions but also with textural sound bytes. The dividing line between these ten tracks is the utilization of two different drummers to create alternative surroundings. Jim Black plays on the first five pieces and provides cymbals, high-pitched metallics, rattles and loose rhythmic accompaniment; Jamie Muir and Nana Vasconcellos come to mind as comparison players. Piece #2 allows Tamura to introduce a melodic theme that incorporates Jon Hassell's valve technique as well as a raspy intonation to murk this tone poem. Each drummer challenges the soloist to interject and establish chirpy conversations atop shifting tempos. Interplay between the two duos relies on some telepathic direction, otherwise complete chaos would be an improvisation goal. Aaron Alexander sits in on the remaining cuts and contrasts well with Black by being partial to more consistent time keeping. Part #7 is their best interaction where Tamura's lead displays a less contrary dimension. The longest piece on the disc is the closing track Part #10 that searches a question and answer dialogue. In summary, the disc is strictly in experimental territory and will also appeal to free jazz enthusiasts. - Jeff Melton

John Greaves - "On the Street Where You Live"

 (Blueprint, BP346CD, 2001, CD)

With this collection of seventeen tracks, John Greaves forgoes his skill for obtuse arrangements and bawdy bass playing for a strictly vocal pass through late night torch singer terrain. Assisted by pianist Marcel Ballot and fine guitarist Patrice Meyer (ex-Hugh Hopper band), Greaves tours a select set of well known American songbook standards and comes up with a work which will both befuddle and amuse longtime supporters. Ballot carries the instrumental load and whimsy on the album by displaying a keen sense of the material. Meyer's prowess is used sparingly on "She's Funny that Way" where he interjects a short lead intro and acoustic rhythm on "On a Slow Boat to China". The album is close in concept to recent projects attempted by Slapp Happy alumni and Daevid Allen's recent overlooked disc of jazz standards. Tracks such as "Cry Me a River" and "Paper Moon" are rendered with a careful sense of smoky back room time and place. Although this seems a bit of the curve for the noted composer, and ex-Henry Cow member, returning to jazz roots is not an uncommon activity for artists to gather inspiration for new material (e.g. Bryan Ferry). Whether viewed as an amusing twist or in-joke for friends, "On the Street Where You Live" allows for another outlook on a unique talent who continues to find inspiration in uncommon places. - Jeff Melton

Graham Collier - "The Third Colour"

 (ASC, ASCCD28, 1999, CD)

Graham Collier has been a consistent fixture on the UK jazz scene as composer, player and young talent advocate since the early 1960's. Being the first British jazz player to be awarded a grant for his songwriting was just the beginning of a defining trend in a country that overall didn't view the genre with enough respect. On the outset of Collier's 60th birthday celebration in 1997, another commission had been granted by the British Arts Council for him to compose and record three big band concerts. These in turn would become a four part, two CD set of arranged and improvisational impressions. The personnel on the album mixed newer and established players who display a sense of both structural and textural improvising, terms coined by the composer to identify varying backdrop techniques. The mood of the pieces ranges from mildly disquieting to pastoral, but with a defined purpose that is not readily discernable - and that's a good thing. John Marshall (who in 1967 played with Collier and ex-Soft Machine member Karl Jenkins) is an important contributor to the project. By holding down the pulse, he can inject embellishment onto a solo or hold firm on a groove. Keyboardist, Roger Dean is also prominent on the disk providing both foundation piano and bursts of frenzy. Veteran guitarist Ed Speight lends aggressive weight and passionate leads to the last portion of the opening cut, "Three Simple Pieces". For further information on Collier, please consult the Jazz Continuum website which has both discographies and workshop details: www.jazzcontinuum.com - Jeff Melton

Remember Shakti - "The Believer"

 (Universal/Verve, 314 549 044-2, 2000, CD)

The travels of John McLaughlin return to a path of Indian influence and spontaneous combustion with Remember Shakti, a new version of the group he formed after disbanding the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This quartet version sees McLaughlin injecting the same amount of serious passion that has peppered his vast forty plus year career. Along for the ride this time again is acclaimed percussionist Zakir Hussain and two new members including U. Shrinivas on mandolin. The rookie in the quartet is V. Selvaganesh who has also performed with latter day Mahavishnu alumnus, Jonas Hellborg. In a live forum, McLaughlin's electric leads pulsate with a message blindly clear, blurring melodic interjection and answer with telepathic improvisation. What sets this project apart from the previous incarnation of Shakti is that the electric jazz inflections with a tabla percussion base are subtler than the group's last version. Time has worn well on these performers to allow inspiration as well as a unified continuity in the dialogues. Unisons between McLaughlin and Shrinivas are the high points of each piece. "Lotus Feet" also returns in slower sensitive form with Shrinivas giving a sensitive reading solo. Hussain's compositions include, "Ma No Pa" where McLaughlin restrains himself admirably from starting to rock. McLaughlin's "Finding My Way" closes the over sixty minute long set with a pulsating solo. Don't hesitate to capture a live performance of the group since they are still touring internationally with additional players performing new studio material. - Jeff Melton

Roy Campbell Quartet - "It's Krunch Time"

 (Thirsty Ear, This 57107.2, 2001, CD)

Roy Campbell gets the royal treatment with his first Thirsty Ear release featuring Khan Jamal on vibes and Guillermo E. Brown (also producer Mathew Shipp's new resident drummer). Upright bassist Wilber Morris injects a little "reverie" into the opening cut, "Tenderness of Spring" before Campbell joins in for a somber seasonal introduction. Since there are keyboards or guitars to help establish the chordal reference for the ensemble, it's up to Jamal to fill that landscape. The testament to a leader's confidence is how well he shares the spotlight with his soloists and Jamal really shakes it up as heard on the title track. "Bemsha Swing" is the most memorable track on the disc with Jamal and Campbell strutting a memorable melody line into a cool swing mode. At times Campbell gets a bit free, his tone somewhere between Miles and Freddie Hubbard, but most of the time's he's locked into a style of delivery which meshes the small combo configuration especially on "New Groes for the New Millennium", a slow blues. The introduction to "Khanducing" reminds me of Bill Bruford's first solo album with Jamal's wide range free style attack. The bandleader's ode to the newest president closes out the disc as a free take on the "Star Spangled Banner", where the trumpeter makes a bit of a political statement. Overall the quartet lends further credence to the New York jazz scene and it's inspiring viability. - Jeff Melton