Jazzis Web Shop News 06/2007

I start this month's new addition with another wonderful Moody Blues remaster, also on SACD, which continues the reissue series of their early albums:

MOODY BLUES ~ EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOR (EXPANDED EDITION)
THRESHOLD 9845506 (Barcode: 602498455067) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2007
7th album by Moody Blues and their 6th opus in four years, which means they were able to produce a new masterpiece every 9 months in addition to almost non-stop touring, surely a most grueling task, which was already creating many internal pressures and conflicts between the band members. However, on the outside everything seemed to be perfect and the Moody Blues managed to sustain the image of a perfect and unstoppable music-making machine. With five songwriters in the band there was never a shortage of new material and the flow of creative powers was simply outstanding. The band also looked constantly to improve and extend their (already magnificent) sound, using newly available versions of the Mellotron and Moog synthesizers. The overall sound becomes even denser, with vocal harmonies and overdubbed instrumental parts creating layers of sound with a dramatic effect matched by no other contemporary group. The material is, as usual, a mixture of beautiful ballads and rocky numbers, all perfectly executed, which withstand the test of time beautifully and remain a classic. The new edition adds never previously heard bonus tracks and a crystal clear remastered sound, including the SACD 5.1 mix. Essential!

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102302

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I offer a bonus CD for every order of 4 or more items made until the end of June.

Massive re-stocking with many any items returning back to stock, so please check your Waiting List.

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Today's new addition is the much-anticipated reissue of Carmen's 3rd album previously released in US only and an out of print, sought after collector's item:

CARMEN ~ THE GYPSIES / WIDESCREEN
ANGEL AIR 225 (Barcode: 5055011702257) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 - 1995 Released: 2007
Recording their 3rd album - The Gypsies - was just about the last thing Carmen managed to accomplish before the band disintegrated. In spite of their phenomenal stage act and two highly regarded albums, the band was so ahead of its time musically that their path to stardom never happened. Lack of support by their record label and mismanagement brought them to a dead end following their US tour, where they opened for many famous Rock groups including Jethro Tull. The album was released in US only and disappeared from the shelves almost immediately, remaining completely unknown to their fans for many years. As it turns out the album was every bit as strong as the two predecessors were and in many ways even superior, especially due to the strong compositions and more Prog oriented approach. The avant-garde (at the time) marriage between Rock and Flamenco is particularly strong on this album and the close relationship with Jethro Tull (Carmen's bassist John Glascock joined JT after the band folded) evidently inspired the many Prog elements. In retrospect this is one of those lost musical treasures, which finally get the deserved attention. The second album in this set brings the band's history up to date with the release of Carmen's leader David Allen solo album, recorded over a period of 10 years with two other musicians. This instrumental material complements the Carmen legacy beautifully, as it is also based on the Flamenco motifs. Great stuff!

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102304

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I offer a bonus CD for every order of 4 or more items made until the end of June.

Massive re-stocking with many any items returning back to stock, so please check your Waiting List.

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Have Fun!

Today's addition is the brilliant new album by the Polish Jazz Superstar Anna Maria Jopek, who is one of the most important singers on the scene today:

JOPEK, ANNA MARIA ~ ID (POLISH EDITION)
UNIVERSAL POLAND 173484 (Barcode: 602517348424) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2006 - 2007 Released: 2007
12 brilliant albums in just 10 years are surely an awe-inspiring record for even a most accomplished musician. Polish singer / composer / lyricist extraordinare Anna Maria Jopek (AMJ) seems to be unstoppable in her continuous path towards a secure position in the Pantheon of contemporary Jazz vocal achievements. Classically trained (at The Warsaw Music Academy) as a concert pianist, her Jazz singing was a second career opportunity, inspired by her stint at the Manhattan School of Music. The world of Jazz opened an entire new universe, which she embraced wholeheartedly and never looked back. Stars certainly smiled upon her as her career in her native Poland literally exploded, with her albums reaching Gold and Platinum sales one after another. Her big international break happened when Pat Metheny agreed to record an album with AMJ entitled Upojenie (note also Metheny's memorable cooperation with Israeli singer Noa - Achinoam Nini). This opened a gate for AMJ to cooperate with many more world-class musicians, as demonstrated on this album. AMJ sings mostly songs she either wrote herself or were written by her husband / musical soul mate Marcin Kydrynski. Over the years the couple created a vast songbook, which deserves praise and admiration for it's consistent quality. This album is in many respects a glorious expansion of AMJ's already remarkable accomplishments. The creative process took over a year until fruition, with recordings in studios located across Poland, Paris and New York, with tragic personal events lurking in the background, which inevitably had a momentous influence on the outcome. The list of participating musicians is very impressive and includes such renowned Jazz and World Music artists as saxophonist Branford Marsalis (his solos are a sweet reminder of his fabulous work alongside Sting), percussionist Mino Cinelu, bassist Christian McBride, bassist Richard Bona, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef, singer and guitarist Oscar Castro Neves and percussionist Manu Katché. Top Polish players like Robert Majewski (flugelhorn) and Leszek Mozdzer (piano) also participate, alongside AMJ's regulars: Pawel Bzim Zarecki (keyboards), Marcin Kydrynski (guitar) and Marek Napiórkowski (guitar). The music (as already mentioned) is an extension of AMJ's existing repertoire, with the usual deeply lyrical / melancholic ballads and highly expressive vocal improvisations beautifully spiced with World Music elements. Vocal duets with the African / Middle-Eastern motifs sung by Youssef are among the best of the kind ever attempted. Although profoundly melodic, AMJ's music is full of surprises, with ever changing rhythm patterns, unusual harmonies and intelligent instrumentation. Songs are often multi-layered and complex technically, but the overall effect is easy on the ear and goes straight into the listener's heart. This fantastic talent to weave this musical tapestry is something I admire in AMJ above all her many virtues. Of course her outstanding delivery is right on the money time after time. Regardless of the mood, tempo or harmony, her deep voice modulating between whisper and shout remains clear, expressive, sexy and enchanting. The entire album is very skillfully put together, with exceptional sound quality and superb recording. Definitely a masterpiece of contemporary Jazz-World Fusion and an essential piece of evidence pointing to the fact that music (and Art in general) know no bounds, no borders and no limits. 100 % Brilliant!
Side Note: This is a Polish edition of the album. Apparently an international edition (with different contents) is due to be released later this year. Well, I can't wait to put my hands on that. BTW the album went Platinum in Poland just 3 weeks after its release - apparently I'm not the only person who loves this stuff.

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102306

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The 6th Anniversary Sale is in full swing - 10 % discount on all items (no exceptions).

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Today's addition is the first album documenting the Annual "White Night" Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel's Mecca of improvised music and Free Jazz:

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ WHITE NIGHT FESTIVAL 2006
KADIMA COLLECTIVE 11 (Barcode: 634479549090) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007
The Annual "White Night" Festival in Tel Aviv is Israel's only cultural event dedicated to Improvised Music and Free Jazz. It is a twelve-hour musical marathon promoting creative, improvised music and facilitating collaborations between Israeli Artists and artists from abroad. It also fosters the development of young musicians, exposing their work to the world. The 2006 event was the second year this beautiful event took place and hopefully the tradition will continue in the years to come. This album presents a selection of magic moments captured live during the festival's performances, all quite different from each other but all fascinating and worthy of preserving for posterity. The participants include all the important Israeli improvisers active on the local scene: Harold Rubin, Jean-Claude Jones, Steve Horenstein, Ariel Shibolet, Slava Ganelin, Albert Beger and the Spheres Duo. Visiting musicians from Europe and US include John Tchicai, Kinetic Trio (Poland) and others. This is an extremely important document of the Israeli Improvised Music scene and anybody open-minded enough to expose himself to some challenging musical experiences should enjoy this music immensely.

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102308

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The 6th Anniversary Sale is in full swing - 10 % discount on all items (no exceptions).

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Today's addition is the next in a series of new items from the splendid French Musea label, which is an infinite source of great music for over a decade now:

ZAO ~ KAWANA
MUSEA 4039 (Barcode: 3426300040398) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1976 Released: 2001
4th album by the superb French ensemble Zao. By the time this album was recorded the two leaders, Yochk`o Seffer and François Cahen, decided to change the musical direction of the group and move further into Jazz-Rock. They invited the French violin prodigy Didier Lockwood (the third world-famous French Jazz violinist after Stephane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty), who was a member of Magma at the time, to join Zao. The resulting quintet (with Gerard Prevost on bass and Jean-My Truong on drums) was one of the strongest Jazz-Rock groups at the time. Lockwood's exceptional improvisational abilities are the highlight of the album, but as usual the superb compositions by the two leaders and the overall level of musicianship make this album another masterpiece and a prime example of European Jazz-Rock. Unfortunately this was to be the last album recorded by the original Zao lineup as Yochk`o Seffer left the group shortly after the recording, leaving François Cahen to lead the new version of the group. Of course they would join forces later on during the group's reunions. The bonus track is one of the three tracks recorded in December 1973 by Yochk`o Seffer and François Cahen with visiting Canadian musicians.

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102310

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The 6th Anniversary Sale is in full swing - 20 % discount on all items (no exceptions).

Massive restocking - check your Waiting List.

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Today's addition is the next in a series of new items from the splendid French Musea label, which is an infinite source of great music for over a decade now:

OUTER LIMITS ~ STROMATOLITE
MUSEA 4719 (Barcode: 3426300047199) ~ JAPAN ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007
After leading the Japanese Prog scene for many years in the 1980s and releasing several excellent albums, Outer Limits disappeared from the scene only to be reunited and to record a new album 20 years after their last studio effort. Keyboards player Shusei Tsukamoto, who writes most of the music for the band, now leads the quintet. Violinist Takashi Kawaguchi is the most impressive player in the band with truly virtuoso ability. His lyrical parts are deeply moving but he also swings on the up-tempo pieces. The music is extremely impressive, with evident links to contemporary Classical music and at times touching upon late King Crimson's legacy. The vocals (sung in English) are sparse and bear little effect on the mostly instrumental material. This is definitely not the kind of material a casual Prog listener might enjoy, as the music requires intensive contemplation and repeated savoring. The overall atmosphere is rather somber and overwhelming, but the music is eventually deeply rewarding. Absolutely brilliant!

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102312

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The 6th Anniversary Sale is in full swing - 20 % discount on all items (no exceptions).

Massive restocking - check your Waiting List.

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Today's addition is the first in a series of new items from South America, which is always a source of great music:

PROJECTO B ~ A NOITE
EDITIO PRINCEPS 12 (Barcode: 7898901556121) ~ BRAZIL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007
2nd album by Brazilian Jazz ensemble Projecto B. This sensational sextet, led by guitarist and main composer Yvo Ursini, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting contemporary Jazz groups. Although playing completely original music, the group is clearly influenced by a variety of (all excellent) sources such as 20th Century Classical music (Igor Stravinsky and Oliver Messiaen) and the avant-garde Jazz and Rock tradition of Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Bill Frisell and John Zorn. The composed music leaves plenty of space for group improvisation and considering the amazing talents by all the group members this works like a dream. The album is a continuous suite portraying a night in a modern megalopolis (like São Paulo where thy come from). The music flows through a variety of moods and tempos, quiet subdued passages and eruptions of frenzy, blending into one unbelievably beautiful piece of modern music. Anything I might be able to say about this music will be completely inadequate in comparison to the lofty experience of listening to the music itself; therefore I'll only say that every serious music lover on this planet will surely enjoy this magnificent opus. Absolutely essential!

https://www.jazzis.com/shop/default.asp?item=102314

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The 6th Anniversary Sale is in full swing - 20 % discount on all items (no exceptions).

Massive restocking - check your Waiting List.

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Have Fun!