Review: Anouar Brahem - Thimar

On ‘Thimar’, Manfred Eicher’s ECM expands its umbrella of sound even further with a true east-meets-west. Anouar Brahem, the oud master, joins seasoned jazz-men John Surman, who here plays bass clarinet as well as his trademark saxes, and bassist Dave Holland, which instantly will lure many American purists to cite this as being not jazz (no blues, no swing, no standards…). Regardless there are distinctive elements of the genre here, with an abundance of originality and improvisation, both group and solo, on offer.

In truth though, it’s genuinely difficult to work out where the composition and arrangement ends, and where the improvisation starts, such is the skill and subtle spontaneity that each of trio plays with, despite the frequently complex and varied pieces. ‘Badhra’ opens with Surman’s beautifully delicate soprano, before Brahem and Holland introduce themselves slowly, showing a number of paths the record might take from there.

While for the most part uncategorizable, some of the pieces lean more toward the middle-eastern, with Brahem and Holland forming a strong unity, as Surmans sometimes mystical-sounding horns play over the top, while others have a distinctly night-time cityscape sound to them. Brahem’s native Tunisia is referenced enough without totally overwhelming the album, and each of the trio is able to solo comfortably and meditatively while the other two lock into some decidedly strong yet different rhythm, with Holland’s distinctive and richly deep sound perfectly placed everywhere on this album.

It’s remarkable that for three so unusually matched instruments, that the entire recording manages to remain so good, so welcoming, and so thoroughly absorbing throughout. Captivating in both a spiritual and musical sense, there’s a lot going on that is sure to reveal itself over repeated listens. You can’t put this in a genre, unless you want to use the catch-all phrase of ‘world’, but it is both beautiful and fresh, with a wide range and as usual brought out to their fullest by Manfred Eicher’s always pitch-perfect production.

‘Thimar’ is an impressive, and genuinely three-way, collaboration that superbly mixes the pieces of the jazz world, classical, and Arabian all into one melting point, without falling into the easy clichés that those descriptions might conjure up. Full of care, subtlety and originality, there is much to enjoy here in both the exotic and lyrical qualities that these three extraordinary performers create together. This really is a minor gem of world-fusion and is very possibly Anouar Brahem’s best work so far.

****

Review: Keith Jarrett - The Out Of Towners

By this point, together for almost twenty years, the trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette are easily the longest association and most constant group in jazz. All three masters of their individual craft, since first getting together their collective skill and interaction has resulted in an empathy and that almost no-one else can touch.

Preferring to avoid the more avant regions with which the members have individually sometimes gone to, either solo or with other groups, this Standards Trio have chosen instead to focus for the most part on original and sometimes surprising takes on classic jazz tunes. So, recorded at the Munich State Opera, ‘The Out Of Towners’ like all of the trios releases, comes with great anticipation. But, as some naysayers may enquire, what differentiates this from the many others in the trios’ catalogue?

To start, the sound recording here is absolutely pristine. I strongly doubt you’ll ever find a better live recording of a piano trio than you will here - the clarity of the sound is superb. But also just as importantly the song choices are more than just the usual standards.

Opening with a brief solo introduction, Jarrett makes ‘I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me’ a lovely and complex rendition. And the way the rhythm duo enters behind him is so smooth it should be used as textbook for any aspiring group out there. Later ‘You’ve Changed’ is a gorgeous ballad and is a perfect example of how this group takes a song you think you know and is able to just open it up – presenting it in a new way that somehow enhances the melody of the piece.

Gerry Mulligans ‘Five Brothers’ swings as it was meant to do and Cole Porters ‘I Love You’ is near-perfection, only just a tad marred by a frankly odd and unengaging cymbals-only solo. The best trio piece here though is the Jarrett original title track; a lengthy and funky blues-gospel, it benefits greatly from some inspired soloing by Peacock. For those that - understandably - bemoan Jarretts lack of composition more recently, here is a shining example of his compositional talents, but one that is undeniably improved by the intuition of the band.

As an encore we are given a tranquil yet moving ‘It’s All In the Game’, in which Jarrett performs solo – his first in this context for two years, and live for six years, since 1995s ‘La Scala’. Perfectly as in the moment as his famous solo recordings, he shows great restraint and stays true to the melodically-rich piece. Achingly beautiful, it is unreservedly a highlight of Jarretts career.

A good starter for anyone unfamiliar to the trio, it’s also be a great additional volume for fans of the trio and their other recordings, showing as it does an incredible raising of the art of interpretation to what is arguably an even higher level. The way they play these tunes is so fresh that each of them can sound like an entirely new piece each and every time they sit down to play it. The sheer breadth of material and playing here gives the impression of something very complete, and Jarretts final stirring playing is so heartfelt, you’d have to possess the stoniest of hearts not to be entirely transfixed. ‘The Out Of Towners’ is stellar Standards Trio, but more than that, it is stellar piano trio, and simply brilliant music.

*****

Review: Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There

Album number three on ECM for pianist Tord Gustavsen’s trio, and it’s his best yet. Still composing and playing in a sparse and stripped down manner, Gustavsen continues to favour quietly intense and introspectively cool in place of any ego-lead shows of virtuosity, or indeed anything above a mid-paced tempo, that in a way Gustavsen is perhaps the perfect artist and foil for label owner and producer Manfred Eicher, and his singular vision.

Here ‘Karmosin’ showcases a masterclass in rhythm and melody, all the while maintaining that uniquely strong Scandinavian atmosphere, where at the other end of the spectrum ‘Blessed Feet’ shows the trios own distinctive take on blues, and ‘Around You’ is just pure beauty. And yet, everything here maintains a fine and cohesive whole, such is the clarity of intent of the trio – less a piano payer backed by a rhythm section, and more three players all leading and exchanging ideas between each other.

Better still, of the many piano trios out there, Gustavsen’s is probably, alongside E.S.T., the most song focused, with ‘Being There’ being the best example of this. Thirteen tracks, with most falling under the five minute mark, each is a concise and full piece that lets its charms and strengths play out unrushed, yet without ever meandering or dragging.

For the fans of his earlier work, here Gustavsen rewards their loyalty with an even stronger effort, whilst newcomers should be well-served by this winning albums crystal-like sound and its langorous yet intense musical landscapes. Consistently beautiful, Tord Gustavsen has here created a new piano trio record that can sit proudly alongside the established classics of the genre.

*****

Review: Keith Jarrett - Vienna Concert

Keith Jarrett has been quoted, and repeated in the liner notes to this release, as saying “I have courted the fire for a very long time, and many sparks have flown in the past, but the music on this recording speaks, finally, the language of the flame itself” - typically modest and humble comments from the man himself, which admittedly don’t reach the level of self-belief of his ‘La Scala’ liner notes, but taken on their own terms, do speak the truth. Considered by Jarrett to be his most epic and simply best live improvisation, Vienna really is, from beginning to end, the most complete of his performances to date.

Part I is the centrepiece of the recording, and at forty-two minutes effectively divides itself into several movements. The first, at a dozen minutes, creates a simple and beautiful theme, and toys with it in various ways, slowly building the tension and creating a musical story. Beautiful, the music approaches an almost transcendant quality, before the second movement comes in, beginning quietly and then rising itself to a climactic crescendo. Seguing into another basic theme, Jarrett comes down in mood for the piece’s coda, quoting the theme from the earlier movement in a different manner, before ending with a truly sublime falling cascading motion of notes, allowing the listener a soft and satisfying conclusion to easily one of his most complete and ultimate performances.

One of the finest improvisations you will ever hear from Jarrett, or anyone, the way the themes are built into a tight narrative almost convinces you that the piece had to be composed. Possessing a devastatingly beautiful melody that builds into a soulful swagger and leads admittedly to a few of Jarrett’s trademark ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ as he knows he’s hit the right spots. Moments build and ease away, picquing the listeners’ interest and then drawing them in closer.

The second piece here starts with much more intensity than the first and overall doesn’t feel quite as varied, lacking the build and fall of the earlier piece. The prowess of Jarretts’ piano playing though is much on display as the music flows through a number of astounding movements and passages. Playing around a basic groove, it lacks perhaps the sophistication of Part I, and there is maybe a slight hint of Jarrett being tired after that gargantuan epic. More like a coda to the first part than a second individual performance, but as a stand alone it is an impressive piece.

The whole concert here is one of the most soulful and beautiful Jarrett has ever played. Even with the many wonderful works of beauty he has created spontaneously, this one glorious night in Vienna stands as his peak, with perhaps only his much-loved Koln concert to rival it. It is music of the highest calibre.

*****

Review: Gary Burton Chick Corea - Crystal Silence: The ECM Recordings 1972-79

Pianist Chick Corea and Vibraphonist Gary Burton had originally first attempted to play together in the 1960s, but had found that it didn’t really work. Playing in a quartet, with the piano and the vibraphone both being chordal instruments, the two had a habit of getting in the way of each other and not really being able to play side by side.

A few years later in 1972, both men happened to be performing at the Munich Festival as solo acts, and as fate would have it ended up being the two artists at an after hours jam. Without a rhythm section, and just having the other to play off, somehow there was an instant on-stage rapport between the two musicians – a rapport that immediately caught the attention of the then-present Manfred Eicher. His ECM label, still only a few years old, had already gathered a solid reputation for its strong releases and played host to a small number of Coreas solo piano works, and Eicher heard in the two players a potential new take on an intimate chamber jazz that would be a perfect fit for ECMs clear and pristine sound capturing and production.

What would eventually be released as ‘Crystal Silence’ a year later was in fact recorded in just one day in November of 1972 in a studio in Oslo. Despite the strong and passionate enthusiasm for the music they had all produced, Burton, Corea and Eicher had very low commercial expectations for the album, expecting the prospect of a piano-vibraphone duet album to entice just a relatively small audience. The album in fact though went on to garner superb reviews and eventually sell almost 500,000 copies.

Featuring material largely written by either Corea or Burton’s musical partner, bassist Steve Swallow, the sole exception is Michael Gibbs darkness-tinged ballad ‘Feelings And Things’. Coreas classic ‘Senor Mouse’ opens though and immediately sets high expectations, with the two instruments combining to form melody, harmony and rhythm, and then throwing the roles between the two. Despite the structured and detailed music, both men move responsibilities throughout, with at times electric spontaneity. Chamber jazz it may be, but here we see equal parts gentle music with at other times playing that has huge energy.

‘I’m Your Pal’ is a great ballad piece played to perfection, with more than a hint of gospel, and ‘Falling Grace’ is elegant and lively - elsewhere ‘Arise, Her Eyes’ is the only version you’ll ever need of arguably Swallows finest composition. Corea also brings two Return To Forever pieces to the party and they shine joyously, but nothing is as strong here as the title track. Nine minutes of beauty and nuance create an outstanding soundscape that highlights that although the two shine individually plenty, it is their subtle and brilliant interactions that both creates a kind of singular intent and sound that really raises the bar.

Obviously, the magic and beauty here was a huge personal success for the two friends, and luckily they happened to be entirely wrong about its commercial appeal. Six years though would pass before Corea and Burton would reconvene in the studio together, this time though without the presence of Eicher, and in Sheridan, Oregon. Corea in the interim had become a leader in the jazz-fusion world with the electric quartet version of Return To Forever, before ending the band and creating more orchestrated sounding solo works on the Polydor label. ‘Duet’ however signposted a definite return to more acoustic interests, which would in turn result in a line of further ECM albums focusing on his piano trio and solo ideas.

The ‘Duet Suite’ opens the album that in fifteen-minutes reveals a solid number of twisting melodies delivered in unison and the two virtuosos’ ability to play more than just mere notes from a page. Coreas Spanish percussive way of playing the piano too comes more to the fore.

This time Burton brings just two Swallow tunes, ‘Radio’ with its elegant swing and a solo piano section that is in this reviewers opinion the highlight of the album, and ‘Never’, a softer gentler tune that shows just how good a blend the dueting partners here can achieve. Corea, bringing the lions share of the tunes including the freshly written ‘Song For Gayle’, donates two more Return To Forever pieces, that best show how the chemistry between them had improved since their first meeting. It also fully demonstrates the duos ability to improvise and create both individually and together - Burton would later say playing with Corea was just like “having a conversation with your best friend”.

Almost a whole year later, the two would perform in Zurich, recording the show as ‘Zurich, October 28, 1979’. Opening with the same piece that opened ‘Crystal Silence’, ‘Senor Mouse’ has even more energy and virtuosity, helping quash any doubters’ thoughts about just how in the moment the two studio works were.

For too long only available as a single disc, a good portion of the performance was cut out. Thankfully here we again get the whole performance across two discs, which importantly allows us to hear both men play solo pieces and also more crucially gives us the proper flow of the concert. Proper and due consideration of track sequencing can often improve an album, especially with a concert performance, and ECM have always been incredibly aware and astute in terms of generating the right ‘narrative’, in large part to label head Manfred Eicher and his personal involvement and enthusiasm in everything his label produces. The earlier one disc version was good. The re-insertion of Burton taking on ‘I’m Your Pal’ and ‘Hullo, Bolinas’, and Coreas’ captivating fourteen minute version of his own ‘Love Castle’ (originally just five minutes long) though, returns it to undeniably great.

Interestingly, as testament to the pairs growing collective skill and fell for the music, all of the tunes from the studio works are different and arguably for the most part better. The already sublime ‘Crystal Silence’ is somehow enhanced further, benefitting from a more percussive Corea, who donates three new tunes; the bright sounding ‘Tweak’ and ‘Mirror, Mirror’, and the bebop-esque ‘Bud Powell’, which interestingly would later become a Corea favourite for his acoustic groups. What really sets it so high though is its impeccable sound and capture of the instruments on-stage - making ‘In Concert’ a great and vivid live document of a duo that can really generate a strong sense of atmosphere.

This superb 4-disc box-set from the always high-calibre ECM collects these three duo albums recorded for the label. 1983’s ‘Lyric Suite For Sextet’ also recorded by the two isn’t included, it not being a duet performance like the other three and therefore thematically being very different (in truth it is also nowhere near as stellar a work as any of the three here). The pair of studio albums are as good as they have always ever been, boasting tunes, atmosphere and crystal clear sound in spades. For most though, it is the live album where the real money is, feeding off the audience the live set is just incredible, and for a long time only available in truncated form, here it is restored to full and deserved double-disc glory. Corea transforming the previous electric group piece ‘Love Castle’ from his earlier ‘My Spanish Heart’ into a lengthy expanded what can only be described as tour-de-force alone is worth this new chunk of gold, but this whole package is compellingly good.

Gary Burton and Chick Corea continue today, individually and with respective groups, to play and record at an incredible and productive rate. As a duo, and with each other and other players, they play together every year, although recordings of the two duetting are still small in number. ‘Crystal Silence – The ECM Recordings’ is a very welcome release at a very appropriate time, helping to celebrate both Manfred Eichers labels historic 40^th birthday and also the musical pairing also nearing the same anniversary. Beautiful and daring, Burton and Coreas music is as fresh and moving today as it was on its original release.

*****

Review: Tomasz Stanko - Suspended Night

Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has been going from strength to strength in his traditionally referred-to as ‘autumn years’ with his return to ECM records in the mid-nineties. Having lost his teeth and had to completely start afresh with his technique, his work since has been characterised by a distinctive sound all his own, and with a daring and imaginative approach that players half his age would give their left arm for.

Playing with his hugely talented group of Polish teenagers through to their mid-twenties, his ‘The Soul Of Things’ was a great success in every way, and garnering the backing trio in particular especially good notices. Reconvening pianist Marci Masilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michael Miszkiewicz, two years of extensive touring between the two records having honed them further into arguably the strongest support Stanko has ever had, ‘Suspended Night’ is a work of art that perhaps betters his earlier album.

Opening piece ‘Song For Sarah’ showcases Wasilewski’s lyrical and cautiously longing piano to great effect. When Stanko’s rough-hued trumpet enters, they compliment each other perfectly, as they do throughout the recording over and over again. With the sole exception of ‘Song For Sarah’ the rest of the album follows the same path as the previous ‘The Soul Of Things’ with ten numbered ‘Suspended Variations’ on a theme.

Again, as before, most of the variations are of a slow-to-medium tempo, with rare exception. There is though perhaps a greater fieriness to the proceedings, with both parts 2 and 5 being of a faster pace, but still keeping with the dark hue and tone of the suite. A balancing act of tone variety comes in the positively optimistic – for Stanko – part 8, and the bleak sounding eulogy of the ending part 10, with many highlights coming along the way; Part 2 has an infectious melody and part 5 possesses a groove propelled by a surprisingly bouncy bass.

The players are of course all peak performance players here, with Stanko leading in his own unique brooding way. Interestingly the drums here aren’t used in their usual role to keep time at all, but more add colour and flourishes here and there, with the piano and trumpet dominating the atmospheric sound

An undeniably Tomasz Stanko record, ‘Suspended Night’ is a gentle and elegant record, displaying the best qualities of what has been called the ‘ECM aesthetic’ or ‘ECM sound’. Brooding, beautiful and haunting, it is another in a long line of triumphs for the Polish master.

****

Review: Keith Jarrett - Staircase

Aside from Keith Jarrett’s much, and justly, celebrated solo concert improvisations, such as the popular ‘Koln Concert’ and ‘La Scala’, he has also on a handful of occasions entered the studio with the intent of improvising purely in-the-moment music. The most famous of these is the first solo improvised effort he recorded for ECM records, the classic ‘Facing You’. A slightly less well-known but much more ambitious, much grander statement is his later double album package ‘Staircase’.

‘Staircase’ is of course a slightly misleading title, as only three of the pieces here are named as such, with the others being various parts or ‘movements’ under the banners of ‘Hourglass’, ‘Sundial’ and ‘Sand’ – not that the mood changes a great deal throughout to justify the differing names. Although on the original vinyl pressing, it would have made a neat set of titles for each LP side.

Taking a slightly different path from his usual solo studio albums, Jarrett avoids his usually favoured funkier and overtly gospel tones of his earlier sessions, and chooses instead a deeply introspective and reflective direction. It then manages to be simultaneously one of his best and his worst, and exemplifying both.

‘Staircase’ one through to three is beautifully played and showcases Jarrett’s perfect touch and sensitive handling, but it is ‘Hourglass’ that is the unquestionable peak here; lyrical and moving, part two is one of his most gorgeous moments of all time, and even the most ardent Jarrett critic will struggle not to love it.

The second half of the double-set then is where the let down comes. Still sensitively played, ‘Sundial’ and ‘Sand’, though with elegant highs, meander for notable periods, becoming repetitive and occasionally flat, almost as though the pianist is momentarily lost for ideas and comping whilst waiting for inspiration to again hit. Also in the mix is some unwelcome dissonance and atonalism, which while they have their place, tends here to upset the otherwise inward-looking and gently soulful mood.

It’s hard to find a bad Keith Jarrett album, and his pitch-perfect tone and exquisite touch are always there to both admire and be hypnotized by. Here he finds great beauty which can often take the listener to musical places never before felt, and yet there is a certain wasted space, with a sometimes directionless tinkling of the keys sounding free of any of the necessary inspiration that his usual live audience provides. ‘Staircase’ is mostly strong and an appealing lesser-known work from Jarrett’s vast catalogue that, though would have benefitted from some editing, comes with many highs and also a fair smattering of lows. Jarrett has produced much better and much more consistent, but on its own terms this ambitious sprawl remains a definite and stand-alone listening pleasure.

***

Review: Keith Jarrett - The Melody At Night With You

During the late 1990s, Keith Jarrett had started to feel ill; seriously ill. Having for over 30 years been touring and recording as a solo improviser, as an interpreter of the classical works, and with his trio, among countless other groups, he ended 1996, at just 50 years of age, with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Almost immediately he consigned himself to his house before attempting to rest and recover through an intense treatment program.

Two years of inactivity followed, with no new releases or performances, and almost certainly minimal contact with the piano. Then, faced with buying a Christmas present for his wife, and unable to leave the house, he miked his home piano and hit the record button. The results he gave to Rose Anne Jarrett. And now, much to our good fortune, he has given us ‘The Melody At Night, With You’.

If you’d followed Jarretts works chronologically up to this point, ‘The Melody At Night, With You’ would come somewhat as a surprise. Featuring only tiny occasional improvisation, this album is made up of just ten classic songs performed simply and disarmingly. Careful and thoughtful, Jarrett here removes any trace of technical elaboration or virtuosity, instead choosing to focus on the bare essentials of melody and harmony.

‘I Loves You Porgy’ is, despite its over-familiarity, sublime, while ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’ is the perfect example of Jarretts ability to make any record his own with his own delicate and light-as-a-feather touch. The same lightness of touch comes to the fore of the sad beauty of ‘Blame It On My Youth’ which moves into the only improvisation of any length here titled ‘Meditation’.

Elegant in its conception this is music to move Jarrett, and in moving Jarrett, music to move his fans. For those that have always enjoyed his more exploratory works, you may perhaps find this too spare, too simple. But for those who are put off by his vocalisations during his performances, which admittedly are at times surprisingly loud, they will find a record almost entirely absent of this distraction. A very much night record, the presentation here is almost ethereal, and yearns to be heard by everyone at least just once.

For all fans of solo piano, jazz or otherwise, this introspective recording is near perfect, with only the slightly lo-fi recording sound negatively impacting in any way – especially when compared with ECM’s usual pristine crystal clarity sound. Regardless of this, it is an astonishingly subtle musical statement. Jarret has said many times just how intensely proud of it he is. A beautiful listening experience, he has every right to feel so proud.

****

Review: Jan Garbarek - Visible World

Following on from his excellent ‘Twelve Moons’ album, Jan Garbarek returns with the unique elemental sounding melancholia of which he seemingly has become both the master and sole student. Creating something perhaps slightly less austere than this earlier works, this is in fact due to a good deal of the music here being based on work for various previous soundtracks. As such it isn't really comparable to previous Garbarek works, as there doesn't exist a common theme or unifying thread, and that in turn creates the biggest problem with ‘Visible World’.

At times it falls somewhere between ambient and minimalism, a chilled and relaxing listening experience, heard best on the album highlight ‘Desolate Mountains’. At other times we get spirit-lifting euphoric tunes such as ‘Red Wind’ or ‘The Healing Smoke’. We also however get pieces that border dangerously close to being contemporary background and dinner party music, with ‘Survivor’ giving us at times something akin to ‘Panpipe Moods – Volume 4”.

For a recording, and recording artist, that seems focused on creating a mood – either one defined mood, or an evolving and developing set – there is quite a juxtaposition here that means you never quite settle in. It’s pleasant and at times even interesting, suitable for background music to some late evening soiree, but it never really hits a stride and gets going. There are a number of good pieces here for sure, but as good as they are, they never come together as a whole, feeling overall like a badly programmed chill compilation.

Occasionally Garbarek gets unfairly generalised as ‘new age’, as much a result of his more ethereal sounds and the lack of easy classification for his music to fall into, as it is the laziness of his commentators. Here though, although a qualified success, he has stepped almost willingly into the genre - albeit while keeping some of the euro-jazz spirit he is known for. For fans, there’s good music here, but with its soft nature and overall lack of cohesion it’s one of Garbareks less important and more unessential items.

**

Review: Jan Garbarek - Dresden

Jan Garbarek has become a frustratingly slow recording artist of late, with his last few releases being punctuated by gaps of sometimes up to five years each. Now again some five years after his last album ‘In Praise Of Dreams’, and still touring every year, the Norweigan saxophonist releases what might arguably be his most anticipated recording ever. The first ‘Jan Garbarek Group’ work for sixteen years, having worked with much of the band, as well as newer players and the choral Hilliard Ensemble most recently, ‘Dresden’ is also surprisingly the much-admired reed mans first live album. Even better, it’s great.

Recorded in 2007, a largely new line-up plays here. Longtime under-rated piano and keyboard maestro Rainer Bruninghaus returns, but sadly usual bass sideman Eberhard Weber suffered a - thankfully not fatal - stroke shortly before this tour started. Fresh blood then comes in the form of Brazillian bassist Yuri Daniel and sometime Garbarek partner French drummer Manu Katche.

For anyone who thinks that Garbarek had become too ‘new age’ over the course of the preceeding years, here he shows just how capable he and his formidable sidemen are. A complete reinvention of violinist Shankar’s ‘Paper Nut’ opens the concert with a stunning driving and energetic drum shuffle from Katche, before Garbarek quickly enters the fray with a tense and building trademark ‘searching’ soprano sax riff. A better opener Garbarek could not have chosen.

Pieces are pulled and re-interpreted from all over the saxophonist’s bountiful discography, but with a surprisingly large chunk of material being released here for the first time. Daniel plays highly lyrical and very soulful sounding bass throughout, and Katche crucially gives everything a pulsing drive that some may have thought Garbarek previously was missing. Bruninghaus is the secret weapon here though, constantly filling in the gaps everywhere with complex and harmonic orchestral splashes and piano runs. At one point he even lays down a hot blast of a dancing salsa solo.

Three tracks are culled from his ‘Twelve Moons’, with ‘There Were Swallows’ sounding gentle and reflective, while ‘The Tall Tear Trees’ features a simply awesome crescendo. ‘Tao’ offers Daniel a showcase for his bass playing prowess, and its sublime; multi-layed rhythm and solo all laid down at one with his unique and beautiful sound. Elsewhere ‘Once I Wished A Tree Upside Down’ becomes a joyful and uplifting latin groover, but not before ‘Transformations’ gives Bruninghaus a long and skilful, yet moving solo spot to act as a tremendous segue. ‘Milagre Dos Pieces’ offers a more traditional sounding jazz, again with which Bruninghaus steals the show.

A thrilling and varied two-hour set, that offers plenty of room for all four players to shine, ends with a funky and uplifting extended take on ‘Voy Cantando’. Garbareks solo is typically economical, but sparkles with its clean tone and piercing quality. A live recording at last from a man who should by all rights have several to his name, ‘Dresden’ brings his and his groups improvisational prowess, as well as their own powerful yet elegant playing, to bear on some outstanding material. Everything here sounds better than any other previous version, and for any listeners who found Garbareks more recent works to be increasingly too ethereal and overly adhering to the so-called ‘ECM aesthetic’, here there is a real bite, edge and grit. A great live recording, ‘Dresden’ is also arguably Garbareks best album yet.

*****

Review: Tomasz Stanko - The Soul Of Things

Tomasz Stanko is the greatest living trumpet player of the moment. Fact.

Tomasz Stanko is a stand-out example of the artist, jazz or otherwise, who gets better with age. At sixty-years old and having had to re-learn the playing of the trumpet due to the loss of his natural teeth, Stanko developed a new darker yet rich tone that has drawn inevitable comparisons with the great masters, including the often (over) referenced Miles Davis. Like Davis, he is not one to rest on his past accomplishments and he continues to drive forward and progress with a passionate yet graceful fire in his playing.

‘The Soul Of Things’, featuring a young backing trio that Stanko has chosen to play with for many years – since they were teenagers in fact – truly is a work of both skill and art. Taking a single theme, Stanko and his extremely gifted musicians play out thirteen variations, creating a kind of jazz ‘suite’. Musically it is largely unhurried and sparse, but full of soulful variety, boasting broodiness one minute, sereness the next, we also get genuine power and bop as well.

As with all Stanko albums we get some free improvisation, but not at the expense of melody, most of which here has a languid and yearning feel to it. The trumpets tone too perfectly suits the the other instruments and the music laid down by the backing group. But what really strikes you is the perfection in the recording of this album – every cymbal brush, subtle piano chord, rumble of the bass and breath of the trumpet comes across with crystal clear clarity, almost as if you are in the same room as the quartet.

Nothing truly groundbreaking exists about the album, but the compositions and the variations are all done with such style, and restrained passion, that it has a charm all its own. A true album recording that needs to be played in its entirety to be fully-appreciated, this is complex music played with soul by exceptional and young musicians, the cohesive playing of the band evident everywhere throughout. Full of melody and soul, this is timeless, mood filled music that simply comes highly recommended.

****

Review: Tomasz Stanko - Dark Eyes

Tomasz Stanko is a highly impressive and richly expressive jazz trumpet player, with an equally richly varied discography. His trumpet tone is dark and husky, and yet everything he records is just gorgeous. For me personally he improves with age - not even letting new dentures and having to re-learn playing the trumpet slow him down. His absolute peak, for me, is 2009's haunting 'Dark Eyes'.

Sixty-seven years young and Polish trumpet master Tomasz Stanko, with itchy feet after a trio of outstanding releases, has chosen to debut a new quintet. As ever with his new release ‘Dark Eyes, he is still moving forward as he continues with his interest in the simmering tension between composed and improvised music. A moody and smoky set, it smoulders with a hazy and dark blend of beauty and mystery.

Known more recently for playing with his trio of strong and fiery younger Polish players (who on the strength of playing with Stanko have now formed their own trio), here Stanko revels in his new quintet – a mixture of Danish and Finnish musicians. Both guitarist Jakob Bro and bassist Anders Christensen choose to amp-up and bring their own style and some sharp bite to the use of electric instrumentation. Drummer Olavi Louhivuori and pianist Alexi Tuomarila sensibly here though both stay resolutely acoustic.

From the opening track ‘So Nice’ we are in firm film-noir territory, with Stanko’s darkness-hued tone perfectly suited to the soaring melody line. The drums here are subtle, while the main rhythm is laid down by the piano with the bass shadowing with Bro’s restrained guitar adding a tasteful and lyrical texture.

The pace on ‘Dark Eyes’ rarely goes above the one set on the opening number, choosing to be all about mood and atmosphere, where subtlety is key. ‘Terminal 7’ displays some highly inventive rhythms, while ‘Grand Central’ with its faster and pulsating tempo almost gives us a bop, albeit a noir-filled one. ‘Amsterdam Avenue’ chooses to take a break from the program by going for a warmer sound, and yet still fits in perfectly.

‘The Dark Eyes Of Martha Hirsch’, the longest piece here at just over ten minutes long, runs languorously over the variety of styles presented on the whole record. Starting as a thickly-hued slow burn, Stanko heads the melody, letting it gradually rise and fall, before Christensen’s bass comes in and leads the band on a full swing, with Stanko roaring out a surprising flurry of notes. As the melody mellows, the piece concludes, aided by some gentle yet dramatic swells from the dynamic group.

What really makes this such an impressive entry in Stanko’s discography is the variety on offer, but even more is that their playing manages to maintain a consistently strong thread throughout the whole recording, with atmospheric enhancing pieces like ‘Dirge For Europe’. The music breathes in a way so as to give plenty of room for each musician to shine, no matter how subtle and refined their playing, and creates a superbly cinematic feel. Stanko himself gives a brilliant performance, and the extra edge he brings to certain pieces only serves to increase the listenability. His previous groups were well-deserving of the good press they received, but the prospect of this quintet’s next step is an exciting and tantalising one. Whatever and wherever they choose, ‘Dark Eyes’, be it the start of something greater or a one-off, is enchanting, entrancing and out-standing.

*****

Review: Keith Jarrett - La Scala

Keith Jarrett is a name guaranteed to spark heated debate in the world of jazz. On one side, complaints range from the trivial to the genuinely legitimate, such as his physical movements when playing the piano (described most commonly as writhing, epileptic and gyrating) to his on-stage squawks, woops, grunts and ‘singing’ along, and his occasional confrontational attitude to ‘intrusive’ audiences. On the other side, praise runs high for his superb now 25-year old standards trio, his near peerless take on such classical heavyweights as Bach and Shostakovich, and of course his undeniably stunning improvised solo piano concerts.

Recorded live at the world famous Teatro Alla Scala opera house in Milan, Italy on the evening of February 13^th 1995, ‘La Scala’ is a solo piano set capturing the two lengthy Jarrett improvisations created that evening; a historical first for La Scala, being famous, up until this moment, for hosting solely classical and opera events.

Titled with the usual simplicity, ‘Part One’ the first piece begins slowly and delicately, Jarrett taking his time in pacing and progression, and gentle flourishes gradually giving way to more complex playing. Very subtlely this slowly emerges into a much darker and brooding theme that relentlessly refuses to give the listener a single uplifting note. Around the fifteen minute mark, when the pace begins to pick up, is when Jarrett’s wails and moans join the fray. Whether you can ignore these, or choose negatively to focus on these, is by the by, but the vocalisations are also accompanied with slow rhythmic foot-stomping which surprisingly only adds to the almost stirring foreboding atmosphere that emerges.

This darkness continues for some twenty minutes, with skillful improvisation running throughout, and just when it begins to seem as though it might outstay its welcome, a truly beautiful release begins to unfurl. Bringing a strong resolution to the piece, it is a gorgeous and lyrical conclusion that will defy any criticism of his ability to spontaneously create truly heart-string pulling music. Were the word beauty to ever be used for any moment in music, this would surely be that moment.

‘Part Two’ chooses to begin very differently from ‘Part One’, with fast and frenetic notes pouring from the piano almost as though Jarrett is playing a stream of his sub-conscious. This after five minutes emerges into a slower and quieter passage, but with light-fingered and fast dancing runs skipping over the top – Jarrett matching the pace with orgasmic sounding moans and wails.

Seven minutes in and the pace hits top gear, Jarrett exploring the whole keyboard and the energy levels never flagging. The thirteen minute mark though is where the money is; Jarrett winding his playing into a gorgeous ‘swimming’ section, the keys mimicking the sound of rippling water, on top of a quiet and gentle melody underneath. It is deeply moving music.

The music then picks up into an incredible whirlwind stride, getting faster and faster and then suddenly comes to a halt. And the reception from the audience is nothing short of enthusiastic, enthusiastic and grateful for being able to witness this one-off event, where one man is able to spontaneously create whole and complete music.

After the brooding and beautiful first piece, and the almost chaotic high energy emitting from the second piece, the rapturous applause gives way to an absolute delight of an encore in the form of the standard ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’. A luminous performance, Jarrett’s delicate touch makes the song, and happily for any dissenters, given the langorous pace, the loud vocalizations are completely absent, allowing us to focus solely on the quiet elegance of the piece.

A first-class addition to Jarretts solo piano work, ‘La Scala’ is a great slice of outstanding music. If you’re new to Keith Jarret, then this is a pretty good starting point to his solo ventures, sitting proudly up there with with his more famous ‘Koln’ and ‘Vienna’ concerts. The range here may be slightly less than those masterworks, occupying as it does a mostly dark ground, but you will still find much to savour. ‘La Scala’ continues Jarretts bold and beautiful inventions in music, and long may he continue.

*****

Review: Anouar Brahem - The Astounding Eyes Of Rita

Broadening my scope for jazz reviews, I give you a fine example of oud master Anouar Brahem and my personal favourite of his, the 2009 'The Astounding Eyes Of Rita'.

Since first playing on the ECM label in 1991 with his ‘Barzakh’ album, Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem has tread two very different paths. On one hand he showcases his more traditional sounding ‘classical’ works, while on the other he chooses more varied projects which attempt to meld his Middle Eastern sensibilities with that of equally strong and compelling western jazz players, highlighting a unique fusion of Brahem’s Tunisian heritage, contemporary classical and subtle European romanticism.

The exquisitely titled ‘The Astounding Eyes Of Rita’ showcases a new and decidedly international group for Brahem, one that brings in both new and old musical elements. The bass clarinet, heard best on his musical benchmark ‘Thimar’ with John Surman, is here again courtesy of the rich toned German player Klaus Gesing, while electric bass is supplied by Swede Bjorn Meyer, usually recognised more for his heavy groove-laden funk, and completing the line-up is Lebanese percussionist Khaled Yassine who brings some pulsing rhythms to the mix. Together they create an intriguing blend of tranquil, landscape-like chamber music full of the typical introspection that has made the Munich record label what it is today.

The group takes a traditional Middle Eastern approach against its strong and defined modern rhythm, with Meyer laying down an utterly pulsating groove on the brooding yet almost spiritual sounding ‘The Lover Of Beirut’, while he rises to a springier step for some almost transcendent joy on ‘For No Apparent Reason’. All this while Gesing plays surprisingly the most western element here, with the woodwind providing a darkly-coloured yet ethereal pairing with the similarly low sound of Brahem’s oud, making you wonder why it doesn’t appear in any of the worlds musical genres more often. The title-tracks melody in particular works a treat when channelled through this often-neglected instrument.

Yassine and his darbouka provide a thrilling drive to the whole album, that both infuses the world flavour just that bit extra, but also expands and increases the sound of the group to something much fuller and richer. His work on ‘Dances With Waves’ in particular is a subtle and understated highlight, and it’s this particularly successful grouping of electric bassist and eastern percussionist that makes this stellar recording what it is.

The music throughout is all about strong melody, with the three guest players all strong and creative foils to Brahems numerous and multi-faceted ideas. And after a period of sparer, more open music, it’s incredibly rewarding to see him back playing with stronger rhythms and, in Meyer, a pulsing and throbbing beat. Not that his music has lost that mysterious air that made Brahems such a unique talent before. The eight pieces that make up ‘The Astounding Eyes Of Rita’ are beautiful in just about every way, and grow with each subsequent listen. Possessing the high yet equal qualities of an ethereal atmosphere and a definite and beating rhythmic heart, with these three perfectly hand-picked musicians, this is Anouar Brahem’s most complete and fully-realised album to date, and ultimately his best.

****