Reading Time: 5 minutesFebruary 26, 2022

Pre-Release Review: “Time To Mind the Mystics” (Dan Bruce’s :beta collective)

This time I am reviewing an upcoming album release. The releases date of “Time To Mind the Mystics” is set for April 29, 2022. Because it has not been released yet, it also has not been made fully public to listen. At present time only 2 tracks can be listened to: “Time To Mind the Mystics” and “The Walk”.

Now, two tracks is not enough to judge the whole album with, so I will call this article a “pre-release review” instead of an “album review”. Just listening to these two tracks I could make some reasonable assumptions though, I think.

The Jazz sub-genre this album could be labeled with would be Jazz-Fusion or “Jazz-Rock”. And with “Jazz-Rock” I do not mean the Funk/Soul/R&B/Pop influenced Jazzrock of the late 70s, 80s and 90s but the earlier (late 60s / 70s) fusion between Jazz and Rock, like the band Brand X (for example a track like Nuclear Burn, 1976) or Tribal Tech (from the 80s) … to just name a few of my favorites from this “Rock-Based Jazz-Fusion” sub-genre.

The overall impression from the two tracks is that they are well played, well recorded and well mixed and mastered. The tracks have a “traditional” Rock-based Jazz-Fusion sound. The low-end (basses/kicks) sound is mixed as is common for Rock music, less “heavy” (phat) then with Funk/Soul/R&B based Jazz-Fusion. In this way the tracks actually also sound more “mainstream Jazz”, acoustic Jazz bands traditionally used Double Bass that – in general – also would not have a “heavy” low-end in the mix.

The founder/band leader of this formation from Minneapolis (Minnesota, USA) is guitarist Dan Bruce. I read in the line-up information about the musicians participating on this album: “Dan Bruce – Ableton Live programming“. In general – with a band that uses Ableton Live for it’s performance – it is used for real-time playing of loops, soundscapes or even electronic beats. In the two audible tracks I did not notice such things, just the musicians doing “their thing”, so perhaps the “programming” is something that was used on the at this moment still non-playable tracks? Perhaps once the album has been released and made public fully I will get the answer to that question.

As former performing saxophonist – but saxophone lover for life – I always pay special attention to what goes on with wind instrumentalists / horn sections. On this album the horn section is 3-man strong: Chris Coles (alto/tenor saxophones), Brad Wagner (soprano/tenor saxophones, bass clarinet) and Caleb Smith (trombone). These guys definitely can play, the sound of their instruments “blends” well together. The horn arrangements are nice, modern, contemporary.

As mentioned before there are only 2 tracks I could comment on, so I’ll not restrain myself in my writing:

“Time To Mind the Mystics”

This track starts very Rock-like, with Dan Bruce “doing his thing” on electric guitar. A nice “touch” is the effect he uses that “digitalizes” his sound, some sort of “modulator” effect. Bit by bit other band members “join in” … Fender Rhodes (Theron Brown), what sounds like alto sax to me (thus Chris Coles), drums (Anthony Taddeo), electric bass (Aidan Plank) … all “free-style” …

Then Taddeo starts with a “old school” Drum ‘n Bass groove followed by what sounds like tenor sax (Brad Wagner) and trombone (Caleb Smith) completing the horn section. Taddeo hitting some latin-like cow bell pattern adds to the grooviness. I like the horn arrangement and “themes” of this piece a lot. Around 03:15 the groove changes and a very tasteful “special chorus” starts: an interaction between between alto sax (Chris Coles) doubled by vibraphone (Will Wedmedyk) with synthesizers (Joel Negus). The groove changes again at the end of this “special chorus” into what sounds to me a bit like a Broken-Beat-Latin-ish Groove.

Dan Bruce comes in with the first solo on this piece, a nice Rock-like guitar solo with warm distortion. A tenor sax solo – from I presume Wagner since Coles plays the alto on this track (if I heard it correctly?) – follows. A nice touch is that he is accompanied only by drums (Taddeo) and electric bass (Plank). That gives it a more traditional Jazz sound, sax – bass – drum trios are not uncommon in Jazz, and even though different of style I directly had to think about the Odean Pope Trio. At the end of the sax solo the rest of the band comes in and they return to the theme, followed by some piano improvisation and Dan Bruce “closing” the piece with some more of that that special effected guitar …

Even though the track is 10:48 minutes long it actually feels short, I think the track could have easily continued a few minutes longer. It is lovely to listen to a track where the musicians have taken the time to “develop” it and a solo can be longer then just taking the chord progression for only a “cycle” or two, as nowadays is common for “radio play formatted” tracks. Thankfully no such formats here!

“The Walk”

This track doesn’t have the Rock infused sound and feel of the albums’ title track. If I need to compare it to anything, then my first thought would be the Charlie Hunter Quartet or perhaps the Jazz-Fusion music by my all time favorite guitarist John Scofield. It starts of with a somewhat “funky” Jazz groove with an “irregular feel” to it. Dan Bruce’s somewhat muted guitar lick sounds “Scofield-ish”.

This piece also has nice horn arrangements and themes. What makes the themes sounds different is that it is played unison by saxophone and melodica (Theron Brown), while Caleb Smith plays a “counterpoint melody” on trombone. It has been mixed and mastered the same way as the title track – a good thing to have a consistent sound throughout an album of course – but personally I would not have minded a little fatter sounding bass and kick. But hé, I’m a sucker for juicy phat basses, so what do you expect?! As with the title track this piece is full of themes, bridges, “special choruses” and what not. You won’t have time to get bored, that is for certain.

The piece has a trombone solo, while in the background saxophones (one panned left, the other panned right) and melodica create “soundscapes”, making it at first sound a little “chaotic”, but if you have listened to it a few times and recognize the various motives, it sort of falls in place. After a guitar-bridge, a tenor sax solo picks up, I think – but I am guessing (nothing is written about who plays what sax solo where on this album) – it’s Coles. The style sound and timing seems a bit different from the title track, where I presumed Wagner played the tenor solo. Coles (I presume for now) style seems a little more “Free-Jazz” like in comparison with the tenor sax solo of the title track. At the end the others come in, as was with the trombone solo. After a short chill full bridge the track “picks up” once more for a short climax-like moment before it breaks down and ends kind of “Scofield-ish”.

I have enjoyed listening to these 2 tracks and I am looking forward to hear what else the album has to offer. If it’s anything like what I heard so far it will be enjoyable too, I’m sure!

For more information about about this album visit one of the sites / profiles linked to below:

• Link
• Bandcamp
• Soundcloud
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Reading Time: 4 minutesFebruary 23, 2022

ARTIST “IMPRESSION” (REVIEW): COLEMAN HAWKINS

An article about Coleman Hawkins for my blog is an absolute must. My wish to learn to play the saxophone all started with him … I was 12 or 13 or something in between, I am not certain anymore. It could not have been long after I had quit playing the violin …

FYI: When I was around 5 years young I really wanted to learn to play the violin after I heard a record (vinyl – still have it in my collection) a of a Hungarian Gypsy group called “The Lakatos Dinasty“. I practically bagged my parents if I could have a violin too, and when I was six I got my first lessons. The reason I quit at the age of 12 wasn’t even so much the instrument, but the “old school” teachings and choice of repertoire that spoiled the pleasure of it all.

I was “blown away” by what I heard … I had instantly fallen in love with the sound of the tenor saxophone and Coleman Hawkins was my new “hero”. It wasn’t long before I had “overcome” my “violin-trauma” and asked my parents if I could learn to play the saxophone. They promised they would think about it, but for a while I didn’t hear anything about it anymore. Buying an instrument for me again wasn’t something they could decided to do “just like that”, I was born and raised in a family that had several periods you could call “strapped”.

Even though “The Hawk” was my “hero” back in the days, I mostly frequently listened to two of his albums. I did buy a few more, but hardly ever listened to those, only those two albums (mentioned in this article) made a life-changing impression on me. Me being a “Coleman Hawkins admirer” is primarily fueled by these two albums. A few times a year I really like to listen to those albums, but just once, before they go back on the shelf again. Instead I started listening to Hard Bop tenor saxophonists like Hank Mobley, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Eddie Harris, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball (alto) and during my Conservatory time moved on to Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, Joshua Redman, Bob Berg …

But … back to Hawkins … So, what do I think about these albums?

“Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster” was the very first ever Jazz album I consciously listened to. It starts with “Blues for Yolande”, still one of my all time favorite Swing-Blues tracks ever. What is great about this album and those two tenor titans is that their sound and playing style is on opposite sides of the “Swing-spectrum”. “The Hawk” has a raw, somewhat “throaty” sound, played with almost “cocky” carelessness, while Webster has a warm, soothing sound, lots of “breathiness”, vibrato’s that end with just air, very characteristic for Webster. These two gentlemen were accompanied by Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (double bass) and Alvin Stoller (drums), a pretty impressive line-up, except for Stoller that has not become as “legendary” as the others. Besides “Blues for Yolande” the track “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” is another one of my favorites from this album. “Shine on Harvest Moon” I like very much to, mostly because of the warm “throaty” sound of Coleman Hawkins that sounds almost a bit “nasal” but has a very “unique” quality to it.

“Very Saxy” is a whole different “ballgame” all together. The album really kicks-off with Shirley Scott’s “crunchy” Hammond. She is accompanied by George Duvivier (bass) and Arthur Edgehill (drums). The 4 tenor titans (Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins and Arnett Cobb) take turns soloing on every track. The great thing about this Swing album is – besides the fun to listen to it – also that it provides excellent “study material”, to listen and analyze how those 4 great Swingers “deal” with the harmonic progressions of each piece in their own style. Unlike with the “Encounters” album, there is less big of a difference sound-wise between the 4 gentlemen though. The track “Lester Leaps In” was on my jam-session repertoire list for quite a while during the time I studied at the Conservatory. I really like the theme arrangement (voicings) of the track “Light and Lovely”, an arrangement much like for Jazz Big Bands.

So, you could say that my “baptism” in Jazz really Swung!

Reading Time: 3 minutesFebruary 22, 2022

EP Review: “lil’ Blue Hat” (Jim Lang)

The 5-track EP is tastefully recorded and mixed by Jim Lang himself. The EP features 4 musicians: Mark Leggett (guitarist, composer – track 1), Nick Kirgo (guitarist, composer – track 2), Sam Gendel (saxophonist, composer, producer, mulit-instrumentalist – track 3 & 5) and Noren Schmitt (guitarist and multi-instrumentalist – track 4).

Lang likes to describe himself as: “Composer, tinkerer with computers, synthesizers and wood and wire. Seeker of the simple melody.” He does seem to know himself pretty well, it describes this release pretty accurate. And I am glad it does … another great example that less is definitely more!

“Traction Master” (feat. Mark Leggett)

The EP starts with “Traction Master”, a “cinematic-like” Jazzbient (fusion between Jazz and Ambient) track with synths sounding like a “warning signal” that would fit perfectly well in a Sci-Fi movie soundtrack. An Organic sounding “Trip-Hop” groove comes in, accompanied by an “minimalistic” sounding reverb’d Grand Piano … Around 03:25 a “bendy” synth gives me the feeling I hear wales “converse” in an underwater world, the reverb’d piano and “bell-like” synths give it all a mystical ambiance. At approx. 04:40 a different “crunchy” sounding beat comes in, very cool “tinkering” with synths, and what sounds to me like delayed and reverb’d saxophone (I presume Sam Gendel, even though not mentioned featuring for this track) leads the track out.

“Groove Remote Confession Mix” (feat. Nick Kirgo)

This track has a soulful “R&B vibe” to it … Juicy Fender Rhodes, a Hammond with a “crunchy edge”… and – if you like the music of Ronny Jordan or George Benson – you will enjoy the soulful guitar playing by Nick Kirgo. The beat has a nice “lo-fi” sound to it, characteristic for some of the 90’s mellow “Jazz-Hop” tracks.

“Why Not Now” (feat. Sam Gendel)

This is my favorite track of the EP. The contrast during the intro between the “old school” synths – alike what early electronic music pioneers did – and the “woody” saxophone sound of, and “floaty” flute (I presume) by Sam Gendel sets a lovely atmosphere. I like Sam Gendel’s participation in this track very much, it really “lifts” the track to another level, jazz-wise. Lovely melodic “interaction” between saxophone and piano. The “trippy” drum groove is very organic sounding and jazzy.

“VOOMs” (feat. Noren Schmitt)

The “fluttery” Fender Rhodes feel like a “warm blanket” … the vinyl “crackle” gives you the feeling your are sitting near a cozy fire, accompanied by the warm transparent sounding acoustic guitar of Noren Schmitt. The reverb’d Rhodes feel like thoughts floating freely into the starry sky. Like with “Groove Remote Confession Mix” the beat has a mellow “lo-fi” feel, setting the track to an easy going pace. I could easily picture myself here chillin’ outdoors with friends during an autumn evening / night.

“Gauloises” (feat. Sam Gendel)

“Gauloises” starts “mysteriously” … the verb’d piano sounds like smoke spiraling up from a lit Gauloise cigarette. During my time studying at the Conservatory (1998-2000) I still smoked and had a period Gauloises (Blondes Blue) was my brand. Gendel’s playing is hard to describe … it sounds very “fragile”, almost “shy” … with lots of “breathiness” in his sound. “Suspire” would be a way to describe it, a deep audible breath expressing relief, tiredness … but very beautiful and quite unique. I haven’t heard many saxophone recordings like that, the closest that comes to mind would be some recordings of Jan Garbarek, but what Gendel does is even much gentler.

Below some links to the website of Jim Lang and various online profiles. I hope you enjoy listening to this EP as much as I did.

• Link
• Bandcamp
• Soundcloud
• Facebook
• YouTube

Reading Time: 4 minutesFebruary 21, 2022

Album Review: “The Space Between” (Alexander Flood)

When I clicked on the album link to check it out (to satisfy my curiosity) it was directly clear by the artist profile photo that it was in fact Alexander Flood himself on the cover. So … what to expect? I pressed the play button and started listening … “Damn! those tracks are wicked!“. When you “dig” for new music online, you always hope to find a “hidden gem” somewhere … well, this one is one for sure!.

The whole albums sounds great, very, very wel played, recorded, mixed and mastered. Flood played the drums and percussion (congas, djembe, kenkeni, sangban, dununba, dunun bells, ogene bells, cowbell, agogo, tama, tabla, nagara, kanjira, darbuka, frame drums, riq, krakebs, hand claps, auxiliary percussion) and did the keyboards, programming & production on all tracks himself.

He is supported on this release by in total 13 musicians/vocalists whom I am not going to mention all now … I just like to mention Dylan Paul (electric bass & synth bass) and Jack Strempel (Frender Rhodes, piano & synths) because the 3 of them together sound “as tight as a tick”. Damn, those dudes groove! I also like to mention Josh Chenoweth who played the trumpet on track 2, 5 and 9. I really enjoyed his playing and the effects he used. For the rest of the line-up please do check the credits at the bottom of the info block on bandcamp.

The album itself has a variety of grooves, from the more R&B / Hip Hop style grooves of track 1: “All For The Pocket” and track 6: “Starseed”, via a Nu-Latin Samba groove in “LDN” (track 2) to even a rock-like groove at approx. 03:30 in “Weighing of the Heart Ceremony” (track 10). “Umoja” (track 7) even goes “clubby” (House). Some of the tracks not mentioned yet have grooves that are even more original, I am not sure how to “label” them style wise, so I won’t even try. In several tracks Flood uses ethnic percussion (track 4: “Pathways”, track 6: “Starseed”, track 7: “Umoja”, track 8: “Kantra” and track 10: “Weighing of the Heart Ceremony”) and with it he adds more “color”, even “cinematic qualities” to his music and stimulates the imagination of the listener. You can “picture” yourself as an Indiana-Jones-kind-of-character “out on adventure” with those tracks, if you get my drift.

I can honestly say this is one of the nicest new albums I have listened to in a while. Now, I could write a lot of nice things about each and every track on this album, but that would turn this article in to an essay rather then a review. So I will restrain myself and pick my favorite 3 track of the album. Not an easy task …

“LDN” (track 2)

The reason I picked this track to write about, is because of the progression it makes from start to finish. Imagine this: you start the evening chillin’ on a tropical beach … and end up at a big party in a house club? Are you with me? Well, here we go:

“LDN” starts with a wonderful mellow intro with Fender Rhodes (Jack Strempel) and trumpet (Josh Chenoweth) – you feel the last warmth of the sunset on your skin – then “things” turns into a pulsating “Nu-Samba” groove when Flood and Dylan Paul “kick in”. I use to love hanging out in Lounge clubs years ago, well, the girls there would have been dancing on the bar with a groove like that! At 01:30 the Nu-Latin feel is dropped and is replaced by a “Nu-Disco” groove with a trumpet-feature that – after a break (02:05) – turns into something like “Broken Beat” (02:18) to “return” to a “Nu-Disco” groove again – around (02:56) – leading to a “Rhodes break” (at 03:30) where the “Nu-Samba” groove from the beginning of the track returns. A drum solo by Flood builds up to an “all out” return of the “Nu-Samba” groove (05:35) … and just when you think they can’t take it any further the track turns “clubby” at (06:07) … what a trip!

“Re-Wired” (track 5)

I totally dig this groove … Great choice of – the some what “mysterious” – synths, there is an overall “rawness” to the track that I like, with Josh Chenoweth “screeming” with his trumpet in the background … and then a surprising “mellow” ending of the track, that could (should?) have continued another minute or two if it was up to me …

“Goodmorning (for Alden)” (track 9)

I end this review with “Goodmorning (for Alden)” … it starts as a lovely ballad … losts of juicy Fender Rhodes, synths, some percussion, a pretty melody … then suddenly some wicked sounding percussion motif (kind of like a motif one plays with a Quiro, but then electronic sounding) coming in at 01:36 … Josh Chenoweth joins in with his trumpet routed through a Wah (tasteful choice of effect). Flood and Dylan Paul lay down a cool gently pulsating groove. The tracks ends like it began, with lovely Rhodes, percussion and synths … super chill!

I hope you enjoyed the music as much as I did? You should definitely check the whole album, it is a gem!

You can find links o the complete album (bandcamp), website and social meda below:

• Link
• Bandcamp
• Soundcloud
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Facebook
• Instagram

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Banner artwork by Dimitar Traychev

February 20, 2022

Artist “Impression” (Review): Miles Davis

To be an admirer of the music and musicianship of Miles Davis does not make me unique, rather the opposite, in many polls Miles Davis is the most popular and most influential Jazz musician of all times, or the least a top 3 contender. Naturally a lot has been written and said about Miles, from heavy music theoretical analytical essays to stories and anecdotes. I think I would be wasting my time trying to do so as well, so instead I’ll just write about my personal experiences with and opinions about his music. That might not be what you’re “used to” from Roel’s World, but isn’t that what a “blog” supposed to be, something personal?

The first time …

The first recording I was aware listening Miles Davis play was on the track “Autumn Leaves” from the Cannonball Adderley album “Somethin’ Else“. And indeed, something else it was.

I had purchased the “Somethin’ Else” album because I had become a fan of Cannonball. After primarily listening to “old swingers” (like “The Hawk“, Webster and Hodges), some Jazz-Rock (like David Sanborn) and Funk legend Maceo Parker during my teenage years, I had just began “checking out” Charlie Parker (a friend who also plays the saxophone was a die-hard Parker fan) and I consequently ended up with Cannonball Adderley (my all time favorite alto saxophonist) whom I felt more “connected” with musically then with Charlie Parker, I have always preferred Hard bop over Bebop.

Back to Miles …

Up to “Somethin’ Else” I always preferred listening to Jazz recordings of saxophonists. I wasn’t too fond of brass, woodwind instruments were most pleasing to my ears. Miles changed that. His playing on “Somethin’ Else” made me aware brass instruments didn’t have to sound brass band like “Ra-Ta-Taaaa” or somewhat “clownish” (sorry, I’m not into entertainment “shows”) the way Louis Armstrong performed, it could also be played very gentle, almost “silky-soft” sounding (FYI: I had also not heard Chet Baker play yet back then).

One of the next albums I came home with was Kind of Blue, naturally a “must have” album for anyone with a Jazz albums collection. That album became my introduction to John Coltrane as well, as I mentioned already in my “Impressions” article about Coltrane.

His “out of the box” thinking, crossing “borders” between genres, always looking for “something else” … trying to reinvent himself … I just loved it, and still do of course. He belonged to a relative small group of “visionaries” (Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, to name a few) that changed Jazz.

Even more so then my saxophone “heroes” John Coltrane and Michael Brecker, Miles Davis influenced the way I started composing music.

Now, I don’t have any illusions about my own compositions / productions, they are “Miles Away” from what Miles Davis created. And I am totally fine with “scribbling in the sidelines” … I am grateful I “discovered” the music of Miles Davis years ago, what I created myself would not have sounded the way it does without.

I will finish this article by sharing a few of my favorite tracks by Miles Davis, besides the ones already shared in this article.

Reading Time: 4 minutesFebruary 19, 2022

Artist “Impression” (Review): “Guru’s Jazzmatazz”

My very first experience with Hip Hop was around my 8th year. At school there was a “Lip Sync Battle” for kids once a year, where kids could get on stage pretending they were their favorite artist.

In my teenage years I had a couple of schoolmates that were Hip Hop fans, one of them even wrote rhymes and rapped himself. At that time I didn’t have a very positive impression from Hip Hop … I didn’t like the drum machine generated beats and the “synthetic” sound of the music. Obviously I had been hearing the “wrong kind of Hip Hop”, or perhaps it’s better to say Hip Hop from the wrong coast: the West Coast.

West Coast Hip Hop generally uses lots of synthesizers, drum machines, synth bass-lines, funky keys and sometimes some Wah ‘d guitars). We talk about Hip Hop from Rappers like: 2Pac, Snoop Dog & Dr. Dre …

You can imagine that for someone who loves and listens Jazz and other instrumental music, West Coast Hip Hop “did not impress”. Fortunately my buddy was a real Hip Hop lover and told me that East Coast Hip Hop would be “just the right thing” for me then. And he was right …

East Coast Hip Hop uses lots of Jazz samples and because of that it has more “organic” sounding beats. Some well known East Coast Hip Hop groups / rappers I like are: De La Soul (NY), A Tribe Called Quest (NY), The Roots (Philadelphia), Busta Rhymes (NY), Afrika Bambaataa (NY) … and … *roll the drums* … Guru & DJ Premier a.k.a. Gang Starr (Boston). The East Coast is where Jazz-Hop (also written Jazzhop, Jazz Hip Hop, Jazz-Rap, Jazzrap) was created first. Personally I prefer “Jazz-Hop” over “Jazz-Rap” because this genre is more then just raps over from jazz sampled beats.

So, what do I like so much about Jazzmatazz?

Well, Guru’s voice, flow and rhymes were Jazzy, uttered with calmness, confidence and self-awareness. Well chosen words, a real message to share. The beats by DJ Premier were “phat”, a great choice and usage of Jazz samples. The featuring Jazz musicians lifted the beats up to another level, “bridging” Jazz and Hip Hop, two of America’s most important cultural forms of expression in the Afro-American community and trendsetting in the world. If you like Hiphop, phat beats and/or Jazz, how can you not like Jazzmatazz?

Besides Jazzmatazz I started listening to Hip Hop groups like A Tribe Called Quest (fav. track: “The Jam“), De La Soul, Common, Smif-N-Wessun (specially loved the track “Bucktown” with a juicy little sax sample), a.o. Even though I did like those Hip Hop groups too, none of them were as Jazzy als Jazzmatazz. So, I started “digging around” for “Jazz-Rap” and “Jazz-Hop” releases at record stores … I got just what I was looking.

Jazzmatazz was not the first ever Jazz-Hop album released, Easy Mo Bee & Miles Davis as well as Ronny Jordan had preceded Jazzmatazz with albums the year before (1992) … but …

You might wonder now, if “Words I Manifest” was the 2nd real Jazz-hop track ever released, what was the first then? Well, the year before (1988) the Stetsasonic (NY) released “Talkin’ All That Jazz” (sampling Lonnie Liston Smith‘s track Expansions). That is by most considered the first real Jazz-Hop track ever released.

In my quest to find more Jazz-Hop albums (like Jazzmatazz) I came across: “Doo-Bop” (1992, Miles Davis & Easy Mo Bee), “The Antidote” (1992, Ronny Jordan), “Buckshot Le Fonque” (1994, by saxophonist Branford Marsalis – featuring DJ Premier, a.o.), Urbanator (1994, by saxophonist/violinist Michał Urbaniak – featuring: The Brecker Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, a.o.) and “SFeQ Plays Nunks Pays” (1995, Dutch group SFeQ).

I already had started composing music with sequencers in 1994 (using Steinberg’s Cubase DAW) and these Jazz-hop projects mentioned above became my main source of inspiration to start producing my own beats and starting my own Jazz-hop project in 1998 called “High Selected Squad” – renamed to DJazz .OrgOnite after my emigration to Bulgaria (in 2000) – and later with Nu-Jazz project JazzProfilactika as well.

But that all started for me with Guru’s Jazzmatazz … a major influence in my life as composer / producer.

I will end this article now with some of my favorite tracks of Jazzmatazz and Gang Starr to circle back to what this article was about in the first place.

Reading Time: 2 minutesFebruary 18, 2022

EP Review: “Guardians Of The Most Cosmic Shrine” (Sneed & Kondo)

The title of this EP (released on February 4, 2022) might make you think it’s a “Hippy” or “New Age” release, but it is far from that. I would say it’s “DJ Krush meets Nils Petter Molvær“. It has a raw, somewhat dark “feel” to it (thus my reference to Krush), but due to Toshinori Kondo‘s trumpet playing it has a similar “floatiness” as Molvær. “Guardians Of The Most Cosmic Shrine” is though more “abstract” then those referred to … with intriguing soundscapes … moods and atmospheres … deep subby basses … crunchy beats … made by (bassist/producer) Jason Wayne Sneed. I think if you had to put a “label” onto this EP, one could call it “Jazzbient” (a term I started using to describe a fusion between Jazz and Ambient).

Side note: I have explored “Jazzbient” as well in the past with a project called “UFONIX“, so doing this review is a bit like sharing my opinion about the music of “colleagues”, rather then a “critic” from some Electronic Music blog or magazine.

Even though there are 6 tracks in this EP worth listening to, I like to share my thoughts and feelings on two of the tracks of this release. The other 4 are nice as well, but mostly Ambient and I feel I just have less to say about them then the following two:

“Interstellar”

The track starts with a “Molværian” intro … atmospheric synths pads, little “crackles” and “blips” and the “floaty” trumpet of Kondo. A fat subby bass comes in (most enjoyable if you have a powerful sound system that handles subby basses well) and percussive elements start slowly building up to a gently pulsating Trip-hop beat … While the track progresses Kondo uses a Wah effect for his trumpet, giving it an odd “funkiness”. Around 4 minutes there is something resembling a “fade-out”, you think the track is finished, but it fades back in … around the 5th minute the track “breaks down” until it ends. Personally I feel the track could have continue a few minutes more, once you “dove” into the groove, it feels like floating in a warm water spring … or perhaps a hot tub would be a nice way to describe it … with Kondo blowing “bubbles” (Wah’d trumpet) *grin*. Anyway, you know the feeling of being so comfy you don’t want to get out of the tub?

“The Different Dimension”

“The Different Dimension” starts with “gongs” resonating and ethnic percussion, presumably Japanese (Kondo is Japanese after all). A voice comes in talking about (you guessed it) the different dimension … some squeaky sounds like “digital bats and bugs” come and go in the background, giving it all a touch of “spookiness”. Slowly the beat builds up … and after a trumpet “lead in” by Kondo a Hip Hop beat comes in. The deep “whoomy” bass lays below it like thick fog. More “floaty” trumpet by Kondo bring the track to it’s “climax” where soon after it breaks down and comes to it’s end. I can’t say if you have actually traveled to a different dimension after hearing this track, but I can’t deny that possibility either. I have to come back on that once I am certain.

The other 4 (more ambient) tracks you can listen at bandcamp, see link below.

• Bandcamp
• Facebook
• Instagram
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Reading Time: 3 minutesFebruary 18, 2022

EP Review: “Climax” (INK)

From time to time I “explore” the latest releases on bandcamp.com … and that is where I came across this EP. I directly liked what I heard!

This French formation is led by drummer Victor Gachet. Often with drummer-led formations you hear a strong groove and rhythmic foundation in their music and this release is no less so. Victor Gachet lays down some tight jazzy, Drum ‘n Bass and “Trippy” grooves. His drum setup has a Jazzy sound, making the normally electronic produced beats in Drum ‘n Bass and Trip Hop sound very “organic” even “soulful”.

Who also “stands out” is saxophonist Leonard Kretz. As (former) saxophonist I always pay special attention whenever I hear another sax player do his/her “thing”. Many saxophone players have the tendency to “utter” a never ending “waterfall” of tones (perhaps inspired by masters like John Coltrane or Michael Brecker – some of my personal all time heros). Unlike those masters not everyone “spilling” their musical “guts” has actually that much to share of real relevance (unlike Coltrane and Brecker). I was thus very pleased to hear what Leonard Kretz does on this EP. Even though I am sure he could “blast” the listener away too with uptempo licks, he chooses to stick with the fundamentals, the “core” in his playing, almost “minimalistic”. Less really is more! He has a nice warm, somewhat melancholic sound, that at moments reminded me a little of Jan Garbarek.

Last, but not least bassist Lionel Ehrhart and the man behind the keys, Sebastien Valle … Ehrhart lays down a solid foundation on bass with a warm jazzy sound, aligning just as easily with the drum patterns of Gachet as to laying down a dubby pedal / drone bass. While sound-wise Ehrhart is the “core”, Valle creates the “space” and “scenery” in which Kretz can take flight … The choice of the synths by Valle is excellent and really “lifts” the music.

The EP is very well played, recorded, mixed and mastered. For anyone into semi-electronic groove-based Jazz this EP is for sure one to check out. Now a short impressions (review) of the tracks:

“Antimatière” (feat. Ena Eno)

This track starts of with keys and saxophone … slowly building up … till Gatchet comes in with an “old-school” Drum ‘n Bass groove. Kretz keeps playing mostly long tones (very Jan Garbarek like) and the track slowly continues developing till the first break where Valle plays his Fender Rhodes, it’s bell-like sound creating an atmosphere of mystery and anticipation. Kretz joins in, adding to the tension build-up, they suddenly taking it down again, “looping” back to the “build-up” as in the beginning of the track. After the next break the piece enter’s it’s “climax stage” ending all together playing the same motif.

What exact role the featuring Ena Eno played on this track I am not sure of, but he is a French composer, musician, sound designer, visual artist and – if his Soundcloud profile is correct – also a “space invader”.

Side note: Back in the 90s I played myself with a Drum ‘n Bass formation (GNA – Genius Needs Attention) from Amsterdam and spend a lot of time in Jungle and Drum ‘n Bass clubs. In 2017 I also released a Broken Beat / Drum ‘n Bass inspired Nu-Jazz track called “Pod Race” with JazzProfilactika. INK’s track “Antimatière” is thus “right up my alley” so to say.

If you like music of well know groups like the Xaver Fischer Trio, Kneebody, Daedalus and (one of my favorites) State of Monc, then you will like this track “Antimatière” as well.

“Obsession”

This track with an “irregular feel” is my favorite of this EP. I like the build-up, taking you into different musical “spheres”, from parts with rock-like power (with distortion infused Fender Rhodes) to on other moments a “Waltzy”, “Latin-like” or jazzy D’nB feel. I like the “simplicty” of the theme, mostly long tones (something I also love about Giant Steps by John Coltrane). If I am not mistaken Kretz uses a Wah-like effect on his saxophone during his solo, a nice touch. Some of the key hits by Valle feel a bit “dubby” as does the bass by Ehrhart. This track is like a “short movie” soundtrack … it takes you to various scenes within the story.

“Angel” (Massive Attack Cover)

This cover version of “Angel” (from Britisch Trip-Hop formation “Massive Attack“) is very well done, in fact, so well done that I like it even better then the original. This INK version sounds more jazzy and more dynamic due to Gatchet’s drums and the melody by Kretz on saxophone – even though mellow of tone – has a more “haunting quality” to it then vocal melody of the original.

I really enjoyed listening to this EP, I hope you did too. Below some links to INK’s site and online profiles.

• Link
• Bandcamp
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook

Reading Time: 3 minutesFebruary 18, 2022

Album Review: “Past & Present” (Atlantic Groove Society)

In this article I am reviewing a album release (January 8, 2022) by a former colleague, (Los Angeles based) Dutch trumpetist (and composer/arranger) Alexander Hartgers. About Alexander in (very) short: born 1973 in The Netherlands, received his Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies in 1999 as a cum-laude graduate at Artez Music University in Zwolle, The Netherlands. For more informaton about Alexander do visit his website.

Side notes: I met Alexander during my study time at the Constantijn Huigens Conservatory (Artez). I had founded a Jazz-Hop project (called “High Selected Squad” (HSS), later renamed DJazz .OrgOnite) and during the presentation (first ever gig) of this project Alexander joined in. He was already then a highly skilled musician and lifted the concert with his participation. Guitarist Guy Nikkels – who features on the “Past & Present” album – and I use to play in the same funk band “Funk-A-Tac”, from Deventer, The Netherlands. It’s always a great pleasure to see and hear what old colleagues are “up to”.

About Atlantic Groove Society …

Atlantic Groove Society is a project forefronted by trumpetist Alexander Hartgers and Dutch keyboardist Raymond Kaitjily. The band/project name “Atlantic Groove Society” is a reference to the Atlantic (ocean) – which divides the continents between Alexander (USA) & Ray (Netherlands) – their Groove based compositions and their colleages/friends their Society. For a full line-up of their society visit the project’s website.

What does “Past & Present” sounds like?

The album is a tasteful collection of medium and down tempo tracks, ranging from Jazz-Fusion, to Funk, R&B and a few “smooth” ballads. I am a fan of 70s/80s Jazz-rock and Jazz-Fusion (David Sanborn, Spiro Gyra, Lee Ritenour, Yellowjackets, et cetera), so it is always fun to check out new releases of these Jazz sub-genres.

When listening to “Past & Present” words that popped-up first were “easy going”. That was to be expected, Alexander, Raymond Kaitjily and their “society” are all highly skilled and experienced musicians. Recording their album must have been “a walk in the part”, at least, that is how it sounds. That is partially why I do have”mixed” feeling about this album. Don’t get me wrong, the “average” listener would not share that feeling with me, the album is well played and recorded, has a “classic” 80s/90s sound and fits perfectly well on the shelf with other Jazz-rock/Jazz-Fusion, R&B and “Smooth” releases. But, knowing the talent and skills of Alexander and “his society”, I had expected that they would “challenge” themselves a little more, it almost sounds “too easy going”. But, perhaps that was their intention. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable to listen to the album.

I will write below a little about some of the tracks … and leave the rest up to you to explore on your own …

“Happy go Lucky”

The album starts with a track with a well chosen title … it truly has a happy, easy going vibe to it. One can imagine chilling on a cruise ship at the Atlantic ocean … with a lovely women (or man, what ever you prefer) … I don’t know how many readers of this article remember the TV series “The Love Boat“? Well, this track would have worked well for it’s soundtrack. If I recall correctly, Alexander did play on cruise ships for a while in the beginning of his career, perhaps – but I am speculating here – this track reflects that period (Past) of his life? It was fun to listen to, it triggered some nice memories of my own experiences at cruise ships many years ago.

“Sahara Dream”

This is one of the “smooth” tracks on the album. For those who know me personally, I generally am “allergic” to Smooth Jazz music, gives me an “itch” at the most uncomfortable places, but I actually liked this piece. It did not have that “cheesiness” or “droolyness” many Smooth Jazz tracks have nowadays. In sound and style it reminded me a bit of the music by “Sade”. I always like muted trumpet and Alexander sounds well playing it. I also enjoyed the solo “conversation” between Alexander and Raymond Kaitjily (on synth) and that is where the earlier comparison with Sade ends and it becomes a Jazz-Fusion piece. When listening to the groove – and with a little imagination – you could picture yourself riding a Camel calmly through the Sahara towards a lush oasis.

This track is my favorite from this album. It has a R&B-like “feel” to it. The combination of the more transparent and “edgy” sound of Alexander’s muted trumpet creates a nice contrast with the warm, “juicy” Fender Rhodes played by Raymond Kaitjily. Their interaction sounds like a “romantic conversation” between lovers. I also like the electronics rhythmic elements in the background of Alexander’s solo (starting 02:30). To my taste though they could have been a little more prominent in the mix and could have been present in other parts of the track too. Those elements give the track a bit more “modern” sound.

You can listen the rest of the tracks and/or purchase the album at various online sites (like Apple Music / iTunes, Pandora (US only) & Deezer) and:

• Link
• Spotify
• Amazon
• Soundcloud
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook