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LP
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ENJ 20481LP
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Restocked. "Pianist-composer Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly known as Dollar Brand) has long ranked among South Africa's giants alongside Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and the late Kippie Mokoetsi. A master of improvisation with a distinctive African edge, the exiled Cape Town musician has developed a musical style over the past 30 years that defies categorization. Rather, it is a fascinating mosaic of diverse traditions including African rutal and township rhythms, classical jazz, and gospel. South African folk melodies are enriched with Western harmonies, coalescing into a gracefully fluid and intensely spiritual whole. Best known for his hypnotic and introspective stream-of-consciousness compositions and his innovative interpretations of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Billy Strayhorn classics, Ibrahim's music is at once accessible and complex, intriguing and lyrical. He has indefatigably explored and fused classical jazz with the multitude of influences that make up traditional and contemporary South Afrian music."
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LP
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ENJ 60201LP
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"Reissue of the last recording of legendary trumpeter Chet Baker, from April 28th, 1988. The producer of NDR radio in Hamburg had asked Chet what his favorite project would be, carte blanche. Well, he answered that he would love to record with a quintet of good friends, a jazz big band and a symphonic orchestra. All were provided and the result is a breath-taking event indeed."
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LP
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ENJ 90591LP
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"Arabian Waltz is the pinnacle of Rabih Abou-Khalil's achievement as a composer and arranger. It is a sublime fusion of jazz, Middle Eastern traditional music, and Western classical. In addition to Abou-Khalil on oud (the Arabic lute), Michel Godard on the tuba and the serpent (the tuba's antique kinsman), and Nabil Khaiat on frame drums, the album also features the Balanescu String Quartet instead of the usual trumpet or sax. The presence of the Balanescu might seem to pose a dilemma for the composer: traditional Middle Eastern music uses no harmony but a string quartet is all about harmony. Abou-Khalil achieves a compromise by generally writing the string parts in unison (or in octaves), in effect using the quartet as a single voice, but also letting the quartet split up to play parts in unison with the other instruments or to provide ornamentation. Without surrendering jazziness at all, the presence of the strings makes possible a wondrous atmosphere, almost as if one is listening to the soundtrack of a classy movie set in Beirut or Damascus during the '40s. This feeling is greatest on 'Dreams of a Dying City' with its brooding tuba and cello motifs and grave, repeated rhythms. 'The Pain After' starts with an impressive tuba solo that turns into a long interlude for tuba and string quartet; sad, slow music that sounds like one of Beethoven's late quartets. Then Abou-Khalil finally enters on oud, bringing a sustained note of wistfulness. Fortunately, beside the darker numbers lie the propulsive drama of 'Arabian Waltz' and the bobbing and weaving quirkiness of 'Ornette Never Sleeps.' Abou-Khalil is known for experimenting with the possibilities his guest musicians bring to his style. In this case, the guests have inspired the host to reach a new height and maybe even a new style. This recording suits every fan of world music, jazz, classical, or just good music." --Kurt Keefner
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CD
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ENJ 98452CD
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"Celebrating the life-giving power of light, the Lux Quartet is an exploratory new quartet co-led by two of the most celebrated and visionary artists in modern improvised music: pianist Myra Melford and drummer Allison Miller. Drawing on a shared passion for the preservation of nature and a boundary-stretching approach to music, the two innovative composers and bandleaders are joined by saxophonist Dayna Stephens and bassist Scott Colley, together crafting a sonic environment that glows with its own intense yet nurturing radiance. Melford and Miller have long embraced the natural world in their individual work. Melford often combines her passion for the outdoors with poetic and philosophical imagery in bands like Snowy Egret, Fire and Water, or The Same River, Twice. Miller's captivating work Rivers in Our Veins is a multi-media journey into the cultural and ecological life of rivers. The two have worked together for several years in the drummer's ensemble Boom Tic Boom, a recent touring version of which also featured Stephens and Colley. Both musicians are renowned for incisive playing across the entirety of the jazz spectrum. The saxophonist has worked with Kenny Barron, Ambrose Akinmusire, Julian Lage, and Gerald Clayton, among others; while Colley is a deeply respected bassist who has enjoyed extensive collaborations with Joshua Redman, John Scofield, Herbie Hancock, and Chris Potter to name a few. The quartet developed such profound chemistry that it evolved into its own singular entity. The name Lux Quartet was inspired by the role of light in the panoply of life on Earth, from the vitality of the sun's ray to the bioluminescence of creatures in the deepest oceans - a suggestive indication of the heights and depths that the band endeavors to explore."
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LP
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ENJ 98531LP
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"Ballads have a way of comforting us. When imbued with real emotive powers, they have the capacity to elevate and transport. This second orchestral collaboration between iconic Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti and two-time, Grammy-winning arranger Alan Broadbent takes listeners there. The album title is an apt description of Franco's approach to each golden note he plays on flugelhorn. Backed by an all-star group of pianist Broadbent, guitarist John Scofield, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Peter Erskine, along with a 29-piece orchestra arranged and conducted by Broadbent, Ambrosetti pulls heartstrings on a program of four originals and four well-chosen covers."
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