Bill Sheehan, John Novello and Dennis Chambers took eight years time for their new album, but the wait was worth it. As All About Jazz once wrote (about the album "Organik"): "...for those who like it in-your-face, unrepentant, and hyper-kinetic, Niacin is just the ticket." That's just the way it is.
The young pianist Kai Schumacher has now thrown himself into a fantastic adventure; he transcribed the mega hits of the secret heroes of his youth – Rage Against the Machine, Slayer, Megadeth, Nirvana, The Prodigy, among others – and composed variations on them.
When Markus Stockhausen composes, he creates a multi-dimensional cosmos from sounds. He succeeds in doing that even with compositions for small ensembles. However, when he does this for a large orchestra as here, then he has an almost inexhaustible range at his disposal.
A lush, lavish celebration of music, full of beauty, grace and finesse. Now the double CD of the pioneers of the uncharted territory has been rereleased again.
It took seven long years, now a milestone of the Ethno-Jazz-Crossover has been rereleased again. "Heavy Cairo Traffic": a fascinating reverence to the Egyptian folk music. And at the same time a reflection by the trio Koch-Schütz-Studer of musical and non musical impressions of Cairo.
Riessler describes his approach to music as follows: "I could never sit down and just compose a piece. To find a language for composition at all, I need a completely different, arcane grammar. I want to hear the unknown, grab something out of the air and put it together while continually surprising myself at the result." He has succeeded with the album "Big Circle", not only to surprise himself, but always to provide a pleasant surprise for us.
Great things can be created in art when diligence and effort meets passion and skill. In "Toka Incognita", all ingredients are combined to create something great.
"The music on this disc is pure and consequently a pleasure: not one note too many and not one too few. You can let your thoughts drift into a dream with a few pieces, while others let you feel their inescapable power and even get your pulse racing." (Vincent Klink, starred chef and author of the liner notes)
The term legend is used exceedingly in our prosaic times. But it is appropriate in every respect when we talk about the South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Then this giant of a man, who has not lost anything of his eagle-like sharpness despite being in the middle of his 70s, not only tells stories with his music, he also embodies living history. Abdullah Ibrahim emanates an aura of impregnable eternity.
Ekaya 2010 is more economical and minimalist than previous recordings of the band. The fight is finished; now it is a question of preserving memories and making something new out of them. The exuberant poetry of the songs has remained, but they have been set in a new historical context.
The CD "Big Circle" of the jazz legend Michael Riessler has been awarded with the Annual Awards 2012 of the German Record Critics' Award. (photo: Thomas Radlwimmer)
She was bassist, live electronic player, composer and one of the leading Theremin-players of the world. It is with great regret that we learned of the death of this extraordinary artist.
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