Posts Tagged Free Jazz
Archive
February 1, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Daniel Carter, Matthew Shipp: Dark Matrix
Daniel Carter, Matthew Shipp Dark Matrix Not Two Records You find Daniel Carter and his saxophone in a variety of places. A free-jazz player, he’s made dozens of albums on his own or as bandleader, several at the side of William Parker and he’s sat in on sessions from the indie-rock, dance and hip-hop communities […]Archive
November 5, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Mat Maneri Quartet: Dust
Mat Maneri Quartet Dust Sunnyside Mat Maneri, son of saxophonist Joe, is a composer and violin/viola player. Under his own name he’s released some 30 albums in around about as many years and he’s been a sideman for a great range of avant-garde jazzers including several records with his old man and, I guess most […]Archive
April 6, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
David S. Ware New Quartet: Théâtre Garonne, 2008
David S. Ware New Quartet Théâtre Garonne, 2008 Aum Fidelity David S. Ware lost his battle with kidney failure in 2012 – it was a blood infection that got him following on from his 2009 transplant. He played in pain and without many people knowing for the last two decades of his career. Including here […]Archive
July 25, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Masayuki Takayanagi New Direction Unit: April is The Cruellest Month
Masayuki Takayanagi New Direction Unit April is The Cruellest Month Blank Forms Editions Japanese guitarist Masayuki “Jojo” Takayanagi (1932-1991) was a jazzer – playing cool jazz in the late 50s, a disciple of Lennie Tristano. He turned his back on the movement after hearing the late-60s classic, Free Form Guitar by Chicago Transit Authority. After that all Takayangi wanted to do was make noise. He formed […]Archive
April 6, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Cecil Taylor
Cecil Taylor has died. The legendary pianist recently celebrated his 89th birthday. What a legend. What a legacy. He took what Art Tatum started and freed it. That’s a simple description – but it’s how I’ve always heard him. Taylor – along with Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler and John Coltrane was one of the towering […]Archive
February 6, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Jazz Right In Your Face: Ten Important Jazz Albums In My Life
You know the drill by now – here’s the catch-all blurb/explanation I’ve created for these sorts of lists We all know that lists are subjective – that is the point of them. So I’ve decided to do a series of top 10 albums across genres. They’ll appear sporadically. And rather than call them “Top 10” I […]Archive
December 9, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Sunny Murray
Sunny Murray has died. He was 81. The American free-jazz drummer was born James Marcellus Arthur “Sunny” Murray. His influence on free-jazz drumming – on the very idea of liberating the rhythmic constraints, of exploring textures as a drummer/percussionist – is profound. Murray made records under his own name and with a variety of groups […]Archive
August 7, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Skjold/Højensgård Project (feat. Tyshawn Sorey): Human Maybe EP
Skjold/Højensgård Project (feat. Tyshawn Sorey) Human Maybe (ep) (Independent) Claus Højensgård (trumpet and keys) and Jeppe Skjold (saxophone) – from the extended line-up of the Danish collective, Hess Is More, breakaway here for a two-track ep featuring American free-jazz wunderkind Tyshawn Sorey.Archive
June 13, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Gig Review: Wayne Shorter (June 8, Wgtn)
Wayne Shorter Opera House, Wellington Wednesday, June 8 Joining the legendary saxophonist were three virtuoso talents, the incredible Brian Blade (drums), the sublime John Patitucci (bass) and the thoughtful Danilo Perez (piano). This quartet has been performing together across the last few years as Shorter leaves his reputation as a composer to the side and […]Archive
June 11, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman has died of cardiac arrest. He was 85. Only Charlie Parker and John Coltrane could have meant as much to the saxophone; Coleman set about learning all of the rules first. And then smashing them down, breaking through, tearing them apart. As a composer and improviser he was fearsome and he came to be […]Archive
November 28, 2014 by Simon Sweetman