Music reviews

Kill Bill, vol. 1

CD, Maverick 2003

Track list: Nancy Sinatra: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Charlie Feathers: That Certain Female - Luis Bacalov: The Grand Duel (Parte Prima) - Bernard Herrmann: Twisted Nerve - Queen of the Crime Council - The RZA: Ode to Oren Ishii - Isaac Hayes: Run Fay Run - Al Hirt: Green Hornet - Tomoyasu Hotei: Battle Without Honor or Humanity - Santa Esmeralda: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - The 5, 6, 7, 8's: Woo Hoo - The RZ / Charles Bernstein: Crane / White Lightning - Meiko Kaji: The Flower of Carnage - Zamfir: The Lonely Shepherd - You're My Wicked Life - Quincy Jones: Ironside (Excerpt) - Neu!: Super 16 (Excerpt)

Kill Bill, vol. 1 was a decent movie. Style worked, but it lacked substance. Part of that style was the music, which was very well done. That seems to be case with Tarantino movies, all of which have rather good soundtracks. Kill Bill is certainly no different in that aspect. The soundtrack is full of interesting tracks. The compilation works without the context of the movie (and as with Tarantino soundtracks before, there are some dialog clips to bring that context). *****

Najponk Trio: Autumn in New York

CD, Cube / Metier 2003

Track list: Mr. Beautiful - Back at the Chicken Shack - If I Fell - Dreaming - Dream for Two - Nine Eleven 2001 - Harlem Waltz - Autumn in New York - Girl of My Dreams - In the Groove - I'll Remember 21st May

Najponk Trio is an award-winning Czech jazz trio (piano, bass, drums). Their latest album is a tribute to post-911 New York, which is usually enough to make me sick, but fortunately as this is instrumental jazz, I don't have to listen to corny lyrics. Instead I can focus on their smooth sounds and good groove. This isn't groundbreaking stuff, but should please anybody looking for good and easy jazz. ***

Shostakovich, Dimitri: The Missing Symphony

CD, V/Vm Test Records 2003

This album is a curious beast. At the same time it's the best piece of classical music I've heard in ages. As some might know, Dimitri Shostakovich created 15 symphonies during his career. Well, this is the 16th. The process of creation was simple: all fifteen symphonies were stretched or compressed to the average length and then layered on top of each other. The result is not the noise one might expect. Instead it makes surprising amount of sense. The result is very intensive and exciting - there's not a dull moment. Fans of classical music will be shocked, but I'd say this one's well worth checking out. *****

Sorb-i-tol: The Flight

CD-R, Muovi 111 2003

Track list: Bossachutney - Al Dente - Tomodachi - Bluenoir

This is the third release from Sorb-i-tol and the second one to include vocals by Lotta Rytkönen. Her presence is definitely a good thing, even though I liked the first album a lot as well. Anyway, there's nothing really new about this four track EP. There's cool and jazzy music by Jukka Sillanpää, with even cooler vocals by Lotta. I kind of wish there'd be more Barry Adamson to it, but it's all right as it is. ***

Adamson, Barry: Moss Side Story

CD, Mute 1989

Track list: On The Wrong Side of Relaxation - Under Wraps - Central Control - Round Up the Usual Suspects - Sounds From the Big House - Everything Happens to Me - The Swinging Detective - Autodestruction - Intensive Cre - The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - Free at Last - Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Chocolate Milk Shake - The Man With the Golden Arm

Barry Adamson's debut starts with a haunting contribution from the women with the most blood-curdling voice I've ever heard: Diamanda Galas. She sets the black-and-white tone of the album. Someone was killed, and Barry Adamson will provide the sound track. And what an excellent, dark world it is. I'm not sure, if I want to enter the world Barry Adamson paints a picture of here. ****

Adamson, Barry: The King of Nothing Hill

CD, Mute 2002

Track list: Cinematic Soul - Whispering Streets - Black Amour - When Darkness Calls - The Second Stain - Twisted Smile - Le Matin Des Noire - That Fool Was Me - The Crime Scene - Cold Comfort

Barry Adamson is the king of cool. His music has definite movie soundtrack quality. There's traces of jazz, funk, rock and who knows what else, all mixed up to one shady and smooth album. If you're looking for something really cool, try this one. The package is complete with very good-looking digipak cover. Just listen to the first track, "Cinematic Soul" and you'll know what I'm talking about. ****

Sanchez, Yvonne: Invitation

CD, Cube/Metier 2002

Track list: Old Devil Moon - The Way You Look Tonight - In a Mellow Tone - Feitico de Irena - My Romance - Invitation - Nica's Dream - All of Me - I'll Remember April - Lover Man - Well You Needn't - Dindi - Autumn Leaves

Yvonne Sanchez is a Czech jazz lady with a very nice voice. She's backed up by the Robert Balzar Trio, whose work I've enjoyed before. This one is no different. Sanchez performs cover songs and does that well. I think she's a good vocalist and the band is also very good. If you're looking for atmospheric and easy jazz music with vocals, here you go! ****

U-Street All Stars: Helsinki Sessions

CD, EMI 2002

Track list: Expander - Dancehall - Final Cut - Happiness in C - Mobility - Surma-Travels - Straight - Balance - U-turn

Helsinki Sessions is the fourth Finnish album released on the Blue Note label. I bought it after reading lots of good about it, mostly about how strong and energetic album it was. I can agree. After one listening to, I like it - the lead trio of alto and tenor saxophones and guitar plays with passion and feeling, while the background trio of drums, bass and guitar (so it's a quintet) keeps the beat moving with a firm grip. No wonder these boys have won a few prizes during their (still) short career. ****

Davis, Miles: Nefertiti

CD, Columbia 1990 (1968)

Track list: Nefertiti - Fall - Hand Jive - Madness - Riot - Pinocchio

Nefertiti is an album of tunes composed mostly by Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, but with a distinct Miles Davis sound. The quintet (Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams) play well together. Even when they play long solos, you don't get the feeling that they're just showing off their skills. But if you want to hear some nice, explosive drumming, check out "Hand Jive", composed by the drummer Tony Williams. "Explosive" is, in general, a good term to describe the album; "restless" would be fine, too. Wonderful work. ****

Ahvenlahti, Olli: Bandstand

CD, Siboney 2001 (Love 1975)

Track list: Breeze - Countenance - The Daughter - Cadenza for Christina - Sandy - Havana Two

My image of Olli Ahvenlahti is the smiling man behind the piano in TV shows - but he's done much more than just showtunes for entertainment. Bandstand starts with somewhat unnoticeable "Breeze". However, you can't miss the next track: "Countenance" is the definite peak moment of the album and alone is enough to justify it's existance. It's very groovy jazzfunk tune and would be a killer on the dancefloor. Rest of the album falls only a bit short of that. ****

Six Months Later:
Don't know about the rest of the songs, really, but "Countenance" is a wonderful track. Thus, I'll drop one star: one excellent track doesn't make an excellent album. ***

Coleman, Ornette: Change of the Century

CD, Atlantic 1992 (1960)

Track list: Ramblin' - Free - The Face of the Bass - Forerunner - Bird Food - Una Muy Bonita - Change of the Century

Ornette might be free, but not out of reach. I find Change of the Century quite easy to "get". And why should one care about whether the music is understood in all detail? There's groove and energy in it and it doesn't sound boring and academical. What else do you want from any music? Try songs like "Ramblin'" and "Una Muy Bonita", for example. ****

Six Months Later:
Change of the Century hasn't been visiting my cd player very actively. Perhaps I should drop one star off... Can't really say if it's worse or better than the other Coleman albums I have, but at least it's less tempting. ***

Coltrane, John: Soultrane

CD, Prestige 1987 (1958)

Track list: Good Bait - I Want to Talk About You - You Say You Care - Theme for Ernie - Russian Lullaby

Tempo of the tunes on this album goes from break-neck to mid-tempo to slow ballads. Little bit of something for everyone. From the intro of "Russian Lullaby", you might indeed expect a lullaby - but you'd be wrong! When Arthur Taylor's drums and Coltrane's sax kick in, the tune is nothing but sleepy. Gentler touch can be found in melancholic "Theme for Ernie", a composition dedicated to a deceased saxophonist. John Coltrane, an excellent musician on his own, is backed up with talented musicians (already mentioned Arthur Taylor, Paul Chambers on bass and Red Garland on piano) - the result is excellent, soulful jazz. ****

Six Months Later:
I guess Soultrane is one of my favourites of what I've heard from Coltrane. "Russian Lullaby" is the brightest star on the album, I think. The conflict between the title and the tempo is delicious. ****

Davis, Miles: Milestones

CD, Columbia 1991 (1958)

Track list: Dr. Jekyll - Sid's Ahead - Two Bass Hit - Miles - Billy Boy - Straight, No Chaser

Milestones features Miles Davis Sextet, full of very talented musicians. Therefore it's no wonder they get the songs swinging very nicely. Tunes differ from each other a lot, most notable being "Billy Boy" with it's clinking piano. Two of the six songs are written by Miles. Wonderful playing (for example some very nice bowed bass), good songs, great swing, what else do you want? ****

Six Months Later:
I like Miles Davis' work and Milestones doesn't make an exception. Thoroughly recommended for fans of creative music. ****

Coleman, Ornette: The Shape of Jazz to Come

CD, Atlantic ?? (1959)

Track list: Lonely Woman - Eventually - Peace - Focus on Sanity - Congeniality - Chronology

Ornette Coleman presents us his vision of the shape of jazz to come on this album. It's a pleasant vision. Especially the best tracks, which include the somber opening "Lonely Woman" and "Congeniality", are simply brilliant. Coleman's quartet plays well, the songs have a definite jazz groove in them, despite being avant-garde and free of extraneous rules and structures. *****

Davis, Miles: Bitches Brew

2xCD, Columbia 1999 (1970)

Track list: Pharaoh's Dance - Bitches Brew - Spanish Key - John McLaughlin - Miles Runs the Voodoo Down - Sanctuary - Feio

Bitches Brew is, they say, one of the finest masterpieces of jazz music. I don't know about that, but it is definitely a great album. There's not a single poor track on it and plenty of great ones. Miles Davis used a large group of musicians on this album and you can hear it - the sound is very rich and full of action. The music is mostly fast and groovy, while "Sanctuary" for example has slower and softer parts too. It all works out wonderfully. I haven't heard any jazz better than this, simply put. *****

Robert Balzar Trio: Alone

CD, Cube/Metier 2000

Track list: Alone - Vinohradska Street 32 - Someday My Prince Will Come - Moon River - Quiet Now - Una Noche Con Francis - There Is No Greater Love - They Can't Take That Away From Me - Kenny - Nardis - Black Nile - In Your Own Sweet Way - Rob-in - My One And Only Love - Christiania

I admit my pretty much complete ignorance of everything about jazz. However, I've decided to embark on a journey to figure it out. So, here I am, interested of jazz and visiting Czech Republic, famous of it's great jazz bands. What could be a better souvenir, then, than an album of Czech jazz? The guy at the record store recommended few albums to me, of which I enjoyed this one most. And I do... I feel that I really can't say anything about it because I don't have the words for it. Therefore I just say that it's good. The trio (bass, piano, drums) plays smoothly, I especially enjoy the work of the drummer. One third of the songs are written by Robert Balzar, the rest are on loan. ****

Six Months Later:
After this came my summer of jazz, which mostly concentrated on more un-traditional sounds (Coltrane, Coleman) - still, Alone is one of my favourite jazz albums and one I've listened to most, I believe. ****