Ornette Coleman - Ornette! (1962)

Ornette Coleman - Ornette! (1962)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 380MB

Atlantic

Allmusic:
Recorded a little over a month after his groundbreaking work Free Jazz, this album found Coleman perhaps retrenching from that idea conceptually, but nonetheless plumbing his quartet music to ever greater heights of richness and creativity. Ornette! was the first time bassist Scott LaFaro recorded with Coleman, and the difference in approach between LaFaro and Charlie Haden is apparent from the opening notes of "W.R.U." There is a more direct propulsion and limberness to his playing, and he can be heard driving Coleman and Don Cherry actively and more aggressively than Haden's warm, languid phrasing. The cuts, with titles derived from the works of Sigmund Freud, are all gems and serve as wonderful launching pads for the musicians' improvisations. Coleman, by this time, was very comfortable in extended pieces, and he and his partners have no trouble filling in the time, never coming close to running out of ideas. Special mention should be made of Ed Blackwell, with one of his finest performances. Ornette! is a superb release and a must for all fans of Coleman and creative improvised music in general.

Tracks
-1. "W.R.U." — 16:25 (Coleman)
-2. "T.&T." — 4:35 (Coleman)
-3. "C.&D." — 13:10 (Coleman)
-4. "R.P.D.D." — 9:39 (Coleman)

Personnel
* Ornette Coleman — alto saxophone
* Scott LaFaro — bass
* Don Cherry — trumpet
* Ed Blackwell — drums

sample & buy: Ornette

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Bach (2002)

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Bach (2002)

jazz, classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 325MB

Kind Of Blue

Allmusic:
The Classical Jazz Quartet -- with pianist Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris (vibes and marimba), bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lewis Nash -- interpret the music of Johann Sebastian Bach as arranged by Bob Belden. One of the strengths of this date is the wealth of solo opportunities for each musician, instead of focusing the spotlight excessively on any one or two musicians. Beginning with the brisk treatment of the normally legato choral prelude "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," it's clear that the quartet is ready to swing. Less familiar to the casual fan of Baroque music is Bach's "Oboe Concerto in A major, 2nd Movement," a piece recast by Belden with a samba-like flavor. The group turns on the afterburners in a boppish romp through the normally laid-back "Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major, 2nd Movement," as Harris literally wails along with his vibes. It's not surprising that these four superb musicians finished their work on this CD during just one session; it's obvious that they enjoyed themselves immensely.

Tracks
-1. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" - Bach - 8:37
-2. "2nd Movement" - Bach - 5:43
-3. "Allegro" - Bach - 8:10
-4. "Two-Part Invention, for keyboard No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775 (BC L45)" - Bach - 8:01
-5. "Allegro assai" - Bach - 5:55
-6. "2. Air" - Bach - 7:55

Personnel
* Kenny Barron - piano
* Ron Carter - bass
* Stefon Harris - vibes & marimba
* Lewis Nash - drums

sample & buy: The Classical Jazz Quartet Plays Bach

 

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
This first release from the New Klezmer Trio is rocking, energetic, and young. Not quite as developed as the later Melt Zonk Rewire, it is nevertheless an invigorating and fun listen. After all, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Dan Seamans, and drummer Kenny Wolleson are terrific musicians, and Masks and Faces is a restructuring and resurrection of traditional Jewish music melted into rock, with a good amount of improvisation. But don't let the improv element deter you -- this raucous, bursting, and somewhat disjointed music sustains a groove that's not so hard to hang on to. Almost an hour in length, New Klezmer Trio's first release ebbs and flows, relentlessly packed with high quality tunes.

Tracks
-01. "Cardboard Factory" - Goldberg - 5:06
-02. "Hot and Cold" - Traditional - 3:44
-03. "Rebbe's Meal" - Traditional - 7:36
-04. "Up" - Black Oak Arkansas, Seamas - 4:19
-05. "Washing Machine Song" - Traditional - 2:59
-06. "Galicain" - Beckerman - 5:18
-07. "Masks and Faces" - Goldberg - 6:33
-08. "Haphazard" - Kramtweiss - 4:03
-09. "Bitonal Song" - Kramtweiss - 3:06
-10. "The Gate" - Goldberg - 10:33

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: New Klezmer Trio: Masks & Faces

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Tchaikovsky (2001)

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Tchaikovsky (2001)

jazz, classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 380MB

Kind Of Blue | rem: 2006

Allmusic:
A jazz quartet plays eight selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker on this CD. Some of the melodies are familiar but usually reinvented in the arrangements of Bob Belden. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris (who doubles on marimba) is joined by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lewis Nash for this enjoyable outing. Harris and Barron make for a particularly stimulating team as they perform such numbers as "The Swingin' Nut," "Groove of the Sugar Plum Fairy," and "Vaunce of the Flowers."

Tracks
1. The Swingin' Nut
2. Marche Touche
3. Groove Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
4. Blues A La Russe
5. Bedouin Dreams
6. Oriental Rhythm
7. Mirlitonova
8. Vaunce Of The Flowers

Personnel
*Kenny Barron - piano
*Ron Carter - bass
*Stefon Harris - vibes & marimba
*Lewis Nash - drums

sample & buy: Play Tchaikovsky

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Rachmaninov (2002) (eac-log-cover)

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Rachmaninov (2002)

jazz, classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 400MB

Kind Of Blue | rel: 2006

Allmusic:
One of a series of sessions featuring Bob Belden's arrangements for the Classical Jazz Quartet, this volume focuses exclusively on one piece, Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. As a result, this is by far the most ambitious project tackled by the quartet, though Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash are more than up to the task. Belden subdivides each movement into several parts. For example, the first movement is initially played in a fairly straight-ahead manner, followed by a brisk post-bop segment, a slow blues, a quiet ballad, and finally, a mid-tempo bop setting. The musicians never allow themselves to get stuck in a rut, thanks to their ability to flesh out Belden's conception. In any case, the crossover effect of this recording is more likely to get jazz fans not already familiar with Rachmaninov's original work to investigate it versus classical fans seeking out this extensive revision of his landmark piece.

Tracks
Piano Concerto #2 in C minor
-1. "Movement 1. Part 1." - Rachmaninov - 0:54
-2. "Movement 1. Part 2." - Rachmaninov - 8:44
-3. "Movement 1. Part 3." - Rachmaninov - 6:41
-4. "Movement 1. Part 4." - Rachmaninov - 4:09
-5. "Movement 1. Part 5." - Rachmaninov - 4:47
-6. "Movement 2. Part 1." - Rachmaninov - 5:55
-7. "Movement 2. Part 2. Cadenza ver" - Rachmaninov - 5:38
-8. "Movement 3. Part 1." - Rachmaninov - 6:12
-9. "Movement 3. Part 2." - Rachmaninov - 6:09

Personnel
*Kenny Barron - piano
*Ron Carter - bass
*Stefon Harris - vibes & marimba
*Lewis Nash - drums

sample & buy: Classical Jazz Quartet Play Rachmaninov