Quick Review - several albums

John Zorn, Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron - Moonchild


The John Zorn I don't like. Or put differently : I don't understand this music. Lack of inspiration, loud, ... immature. I usually make the effort to listen to the whole CD, even if this requires hard and nerve-wracking concentration. I tried twice with this one and I failed.

William Parker Bass Quartet - Requiem


By comparison, William Parker's Requiem is a real adventure : four basses and the howling sax of Charles Gayle. The four basses keep within the same tonal register for the whole duration of the album, slowly mumbling in the background, mourning if you want, interspersed with screeching arco sounds. There is no melody on this CD, hardly any rhythm, you can't discern one bass from the other, you can't discern one song from the other, there are no bass solos, they keep rumbling and bowing, yet the total effect is devastating - keep listening. And then once in a while the sax soars above the basses : screeching, howling, crying. Keep listening : intently. This is sad music. Dedicated to the great bass player Peter Kowald and to the great bass player Wilber Morris. Keep listening.

Eric Vloeimans - Gatecrashin'

Eric Vloeimans is a more than capable Dutch trumpet player, yet this CD lacks unity of vision. What is it?Mainstream? Pop? Erik Truffaz? Electronics? Great musicians, no doubt, yet poor compositions.


Uri Caine & Paolo Fresu - Things


Again, by comparison, "Things" by Uri Caine (piano) and Paolo Fresu (trumpet, flugelhorn) is really a great piece of music. Classics and own compositions. Extremely well played. Very mainstream. Very emotional. Very respectful. For the quiet evening.


Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Stoa


This album also starts with an interesting piano band line-up, yet it's the opposite of Caine & Fresu : strange music, often hardly jazz, yet always rhythmic, very melodic, repetitive by moments, yet surprising, creative. Recommended.