Jan Lundgren - Something To Live For

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:04
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Something To Live For
(4:44)  2. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:33)  3. Raincheck
(4:16)  4. Isfahan
(5:34)  5. Prelude To A Kiss
(3:16)  6. Azure
(3:57)  7. Caravan
(6:03)  8. Blood Count
(5:03)  9. Reminiscences Of A Duke; I. Pace
(5:58) 10. Reminiscences Of A Duke; II. Mood
(5:18) 11. Reminiscences Of A Duke, III. Speed
(3:40) 12. Looking Glass

"Reminiscences of a Duke," the highlight of this tribute to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, is a triumph for Lundgren and the 63-year-old Swedish composer Magnus Linden. Throughout the album, Lundgren plays with his usual clarity of touch and conception. Meeting considerable challenges offered by Linden in the composer's 15-minute suite, he surpasses himself. Building on hints at themes abstracted from Ellington tunes, Linden uses strings, woodwinds and French horn for settings that require the pianist's formidable technical command and stimulate his inventiveness. Linden manages to evoke Ellington's music, provide ideal settings for Lundgren and demonstrate virtuosity in orchestration. Some of his writing is reminiscent of Charles Ives (in the movement titled "Mood") and Eddie Sauter ("Pace"), but it has a pungent modernity all its own. His work is all the more impressive because Linden accomplishes impressive depth and texture using only 12 pieces, demonstrating a masterful command of resources.

Lundgren plays the fastest and most demanding passages ("Speed") without sacrificing a bit of the emotion that the music demands. Yet, he performs with the precision of a classical pianist playing a concerto, which this music resembles in some respects. Linden is not the only hero of this album who may be unfamiliar to most listeners. The other is Bo Sylven, 31 years old, a contemporary of Lundgren and a writer of great skill. He provides stimulating arrangements of "Something to Live For," "Prelude to a Kiss," "Blood Count" and other Ellington and Strayhorn pieces. Lundgren's trio with bassist Mattias Hjort and drummer Rasmus Kihlberg plays "Azure" and "Raincheck" without the orchestra. Lundgren is alone in a reflective performance of Ellington's barely known 1966 composition "Looking Glass." Tracking Lundgren's growth from one recording to the next over the past five years or so has been one of the rewarding listening experiences of the 1990s. If this album is an indication, his increasing individuality and expressiveness as a soloist will lead to important work in the new century. ~ Doug Ramsey  http://jazztimes.com/articles/10951-something-to-live-for-jan-lundgren

Personnel: Jan Lundgren (piano); Jakob Ruthberg (viola); Rasmus Kihlberg (drums)

Something To Live For

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Ralph Bowen - Soul Proprietor

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:34
Size: 161,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:27)  1. Invitation
( 6:57)  2. Soul Proprietor
( 8:50)  3. My Ideal
( 6:57)  4. Spikes
( 8:55)  5. Under A Cloud
( 8:22)  6. The First Stone
( 9:45)  7. Inner Urge
( 6:08)  8. Meltdown
( 4:10)  9. Peace

As revolutionary as the compact disc has been to the music industry, sometimes you really can have too much of a good thing. More specifically, I can’t help but echo what producer Michael Cuscuna once told me about new releases. He bemoaned the fact that many of today’s discs are just too long, wearing out their welcome way before concluding their run, and I can’t help but admit that after about 50 minutes or so my attention starts to wander. So what does all this have to do with saxophonist Ralph Bowen’s most recent Criss Cross session as a leader? Well, at just about 70 minutes in duration, Soul Proprietor is definitely on the long side, but it holds up extremely well thanks to a great program of standards and originals and a cohesive ensemble that locks in tight for the duration. Bowen first came to the fore as a member of the hard bop unit Out Of the Blue in the ‘80s. Since then the saxophonist has kept a low profile, active mainly as a college educator, yet his stature as a mature soloist has not diminished. Although he had previously recorded a set for Criss Cross many years ago, Soul Proprietor is a return to form and it features an outstanding rhythm section with organist Sam Yahel, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and drummer Brian Blade. As an added bonus, trumpeter John Swana fills out the front line on several tracks giving things an updated groove in the lineage of Larry Young’s Unity.


Bowen’s husky tone brings on “Invitation” with confidence, Swana quickly falling into the mix with his own distinctive voice. Things unfold in a relaxed manner, Bowen preferring to use space rather than cramming every beat with rapid flurries of notes. Peter Bernstein opens the title track and sings the melody in uncluttered fashion before stepping aside for Bowen to launch his initial gambit. “My Ideal” and “Peace” are spots where Bowen really gets to shine, the former a ballad feature and the latter a solo tour-de-force chock full of harmonics and over blowing. “Spikes” emerges as a cleverly disguised line built on Rhythm changes and at one point Swana and Bowen go at it without any accompaniment, their intertwined lines uniting in stimulating counterpoint. With a section in the odd meter of 7/2, Bowen’s “Meltdown” tackles Coltrane’s changes from “Countdown” but in a sage new way that offers a real challenge to all.  Of course, Yahel and Blade have worked together regularly, most recently as members of Josh Redman’s current trio, while the two joined forces with Bernstein on Yahel’s Criss Cross debut. Thankfully, Bowen and Swana have harnessed the power of this trio and the whole proves to be even greater than the sum of the individually gifted parts. ~ C.Hovan Andrew http://www.allaboutjazz.com/soul-proprietor-ralph-bowen-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Ralph Bowen (tenor sax), John Swana (trumpet), Peter Bernstein (guitar), Sam Yahel (organ), Brian Blade (drums).

Soul Proprietor

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