Kerkko Koskinen - Agatha

I reluctantly joined Facebook recently. My myspace lasted about 10 days before I got bored of all the ego rubbing. I’m as ‘Hurrah-for-me’ as the next guy with a podcast/blog/keen sense of irony, but I don’t need to collect ‘friends’. But I digress.

So there I was, naked in front of the computer, counting all my facebook friends, when I staggered on a list of groups that are out there. The list is ..well, I don’t actually know how long really, I got as far as ‘A’. Agatha Christe Appreciation Group. I must investigate. (Snigger snigger)

It was trolling through this group that I spotted the album Agatha. Finnish Composer / musician Kerkko Koskinen has scored a soundtrack to imagination. And it’s right up my street – I love it. UMO Jazz Orchestra lead by Verneri Pohjola  deliver an album that is instantly pleasing but also something much deeper. Repeated listens reveal different avenues to explore, different leads to follow. With each listen you find a different candle stick in the drawing room, as it were.

If I ever hold a murder mystery night at my house, hope to be the corpse, because you get to listen to this whole album laying in a pool of warm fake blood. Is there a greater joy I ask?

THINK: The perfect soundtrack to a who dunnit.
READ: Kerkko Koskinen’s myspace and homepage
WATCH: Agatha Teaser  on YouTube
BUY: Agatha at Ricky Tick Records

Green Day (12 Inch Mix) - Mo’ Horizons
Just thought I’d get us all in the mood for
the long weekend ( in Oz ) with a little Friday Funk.
This Jazzy Funky number is the perfect mood setter for a long and sunny weekend at the beach.
Enjoy,
G

Tord Gustavsen Trio – Being There

While things are quite mellow, I thought it a good time to introduce you to Tord Gustavsen Trio’s latest – ‘Being There’. Some of you may be aware of them because they featured in the very popular jazz edition of Borrowed Beats. Well, now they’ve made it to _wednesday_weview.

It’s very difficult to understand the achievement of ‘Being There’ with out comparing it to the two previous long players the trio have released, so you’ll have to excuse some unusual analogies. I’ll also assume that you all don’t read allaboutjazz, and I’ll spare you talk of tension, committing to a progression or metre. Talk about making it difficult for myself ! Review jazz with no jazz-speak or artist context. Riiiiiiiiight.

Tord Gustavsen Trio have carved a niche not through virtuosity but through restraint. That’s unusual in jazz. ‘Being There’ is bereft of money-shot phrases. It grows on you with each listen, and the power of anticipation becomes a strong factor. With each listen you gain a sense of how a melody is superficially recognisable, and as fleeting as a flirtatious smile. (I did warn you!)

During a wonderfully light and funky groove the trio will anticipate your expectation and subvert it by shifting into minor chords. This deft, and dare I say cerebral craft pleases more with familiarity. And in my mind, this displays virtuosity above simple noodling. “Blessed Feet” illustrates this point perfectly, and the Spanish tinged “Where we went” simply delights.
This album is a worthy addition of any collection, even those devoid of Jazz.

THINK: A jazz album for intellighent jazz haters
READ: The Trio’s homepage or myspace
WATCH: A medley of medolies
BUY: Being there on iClassics

R.I.P. Max Roach (10/01/’24 - 16/08/’07)

Last week saw the passing of one of the greatest drummers of all time.
I first became aware of Max Roach through the Miles Davis album “Birth of the cool”, the recording sessions which later were credited with creating the style known as ‘cool jazz’. Roach was at the forefront of many of the great movements in jazz music and played with all the greats: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and Clifford Brown.

What I love about Roach’s playing is that he solos, but doesn’t showboat. The restraint and clarity of his cymbal work many consider to be peerless. He played with not only a great number of jazz musicians, but also in a wide variety of styles, colaborating with jazz, soul and rap artists.

I have selected two tracks that I think give a snap shot of Roach’s genius. The first, a Thelonious Monk track,  Hornin’ In, showcases Roachs cymbal and snare work beautifully.
‘A little Max’,with Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, showcases the ease with which Roach handles difficult time signatures.

If you want to hear more, I suggest the following albums where you can hear soem amazing drumming by Max Roach:

Miles Davis - Birth of Cool - 1950
Max Roach - Drums Unlimited - 1966
Max Roach & Anthony Braxton - Birth and Rebirth - 1978

Manafactur - Flambitres
Bleeping space-music, laid back rock drumming, sophisticated bass playing, Jazz, virtuoso trumpet babble, modernistic electronics, blended into a cinematic soundscape. Manufactur, a Swiss 4 piece manages to navigate this Jazz Electro crossover safely around the cliffs of the cliché. Manufactur are never, ever lounge.

Monotony and free flow, repetition and action in perpetual change. Dominik Burkhalter’s distinct, complex drumming grooves and thumps in along in steady dialogue with Oli Kuster’s electronic noodling, while bassplayer Urban Lienert is drawing dots and dashes between them.

‘Cliché’ sounds like it came from the pen of Laurent Garnier,  the bass lines pulls you onward  and is punctuated by dissonant cymbal crashes. Keys and brass form a call and response with discordant beauty. ‘Funn Manzini’ is a post rock like a triumphant scene from Donnie Darko – it makes you want to turn and walk away with a knowing smile on your face.

“Flambitres” is full of dense and multi-layered songs that require countless listens (preferably with headphones on some of those) and manage to find the right balance between experiment and convention.

THINK: Tord Gustavson Trio meets Laurent Garnier
READ: Thier hompage or myspace
BUY: Flambitres from their label Rent-a-dog