Franco AMBROSETTI - The Wind: rec 2007  ENJA ∫ Franco Ambrosetti tp; Uri Caine p; Drew Gress b; Clarence Penn dr www.francoambrosetti.com ∫ 1. The Wind 06:00 | 2. Doxy 03:33 | 3. Otello 06:40 | 4. Stiletto 6:41 | 5. Frasi 06:34 | 6. I've Never Been In Love Before 07:01 | 7. Lyrical Sketches 03:31 | 8. Mike On Wings 05:02 | 9. African Breeze 03:03 ∫ reviews - Auftritt: 08.05.08, Moods Zürich / JazzThing 04.08, M. Laurentius: ... das Trio um Uri Caine liefert ein fest gefügtes Fundament für die Solo-Chorusse Ambrosettis ... und wer hätte das gedacht, dass der Pianist Caine nach all seinen Bach-, Mozart- und Mahler-Bearbeitungen noch so teuflisch gut zu swingen versteht / JazzThing 08.04 *** G. Diesing: ... kein Meilenstein, aber eine ehrliche und angenehme Platte, auf der sich alle Beteiligten wohlzufühlen   scheinen / Radio Magazin 02.08 F. von Niederhäusern ... strotzt vor Energie ... ein halbes Dutzend kraftvoller Originals / DRS2 Jazz aktuell 26.02.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Label: "The Wind", Franco Ambrosetti's thirteenth ENJA album as a leader, is named after its opener, an outstanding Russ Freeman composition that Chet Baker made famous in 1952. "I was then 11 years old", Ambrosetti says, "and ever since I thought of recording it one day. So here it is, played Latin style, not as a ballad." Other bows to fellow musicians include a new version of Sonny Rollins' 1954 classic "Doxy" and the leader's own "Mike On Wings", a re-working of his collaboration with the late Mike Brecker back in 1984. "He was a dear friend", Ambrosetti explains, "whose influence on my music has been and still is dominant in many ways." After three leader albums in a row featuring Franco's son Gianluca on soprano sax and Italian Dado Moroni on piano, "The Wind" presents the trumpeter in a new surrounding, accompanied by the current all-American trio of pianist Uri Caine who also contributed two great tunes to the album ("Otello" and "Stiletto"). For the first time in 10 years Ambrosetti is the only horn player on one of his albums. Concentrating on the trumpet (no fluegelhorn this time) and fuelled by the cooking energy of Uri Caine, Drew Gress and Clarence Penn, Ambrosetti's playing radiates a power and youthfulness that betray his age of 66.

Fanny ANDEREGG Quartet - Le 8ème Jour: rec 2007  CD  Altri Suoni ∫ Fanny Anderegg voc; Vincent Membrez p; Peter Gossweiler b; Luigi Galati dr∫ Label: Die junge aus Biel stammende Sängerin und Rezitatorin studierte in Basel bei Susanne Abbuehl. Ihre Songs entstanden während einer Reise nach Santiago de Compostela. Dem Charakter einer Pilgerfahrt angemessen sinnieren die Songs über den Sinn des Lebens, über Einsamkeit, über das Unterwegs-Sein. Stimmungsvoller Kammerjazz.

Gilad ATZMON & The Orient House Ensemble - Refuge: rec 2007 CD ENJA ∫ Gilad Atzmon as, ss, cl; Frank Harrison p, kb; Yaron Stavi b; Asaf Sirkis dr; Paul Jayasinha tp (2 tr) ∫ reviews - JazzThing 02.08, Reinhard Köchl: ... scheinbar zornig spielt der Saxofonist mit seiner israelisch-palästinensischen Combo wie im vorherigen Album "musiK" weiter gegen Krieg, Besatzung und religiösen Wahn an ... doch in Wahrheit hat er längt resigniert, vor Dummheit, Geldgier und Fanatismus ... "Refuge" gerät zu einer erstaunlich geradlinigen Momentaufnahme, die trotz optimistischer Aufwallungen stets eine gewisse Trauer in sich trägt ... ein starker Trost in Noten / Label: Über sein neues Album "Refuge" sagt Gilad Atzmon: "Frieden ist nirgendwo. Jeden zweiten Tag entsteht irgendwo ein neuer Konflikt. Die Welt wird immer feindlicher, die Musik ist unsere Zuflucht geworden. Musik ist kein Botschafter, sondern die Botschaft selbst." "Refuge", ein Album voller Wahrheit, Energie, Frieden, Weisheit und Schönheit, ist ein reifes und faszinierendes Statement, das zwischen orientalisch gefärbter Trauer und Jazzballaden-Melancholie changiert. Trotz spritziger Einsprengsel aus Fusion, Latin und Elektronik klangen die Musiker des Ensembles nie beseelter und ausdrucksvoller. Ein großer Wurf.

Will BERNARD - Party Hats: rec 2007  CD  Palmetto ∫ Will Bernard (g), Will Blades (org), Ryan Newman (b), Keith McArthur b; Jan Jackson (dr), Paul Spina (dr), Josh Jones (perc), Michael Bluestein org, el-p; Cochemea Gastelum as; Joe Cohen sax; Peter Apfelbaum ts, qarcabas, melodicy; Dave Ellis sax;  Mike Olmos tp; Adam Thies tb ∫ reviews - Billboard Magazine, Dan Ouellette "one of the best-kept jazz-guitar secrets on the planet." / JazzTimes Magazine  "one of the most potent, if under recognized, guitarists on the post-Frisell/post-Scofield scene" /  All About Jazz "a player who clearly deserves a wider audience for his imaginative genre-busting aesthetic."

Walt BLANTON, Tony BRANCO, John NASSHAN - Monuments: rec 2007  Origin Records ∫ Walt Blanton tp; Tony Branco p; John Nasshan dr ∫ reviews - Jazz Notes: "...an impressive display of musical virtuosity."/ From wide open free-jazz explorations to moments approaching classical chamber music, trumpeter Walt Blanton, pianist Tony Branco and drummer John Nasshan improvise their way through all manner of moods and soundscapes on their first recording as a trio. Long a dominant member of the Las Vegas jazz scene, Blanton has performed and recorded with Charlie Haden, Henry Mancini, Woody Herman, James Brown and the New World Brass Quintet among many others. ∫ sound

BraffOesterRohrer  - Walk About: rec 2006, release date April 08CD  Unit Records ∫ Malcolm Braff (p), Bänz Oester (b), Samuel Rohrer (dr) ∫ reviews -im April 08 erschien die Aufnahme; sie dürfte wieder ein Highlight im Bereich des dynamischen Power-Triojazz werden / Label: Das Seit 2001 bestehende Trio mit Malcolm Braff, Piano, Bänz Oester, Bass und Samuel Rohrer, Drums veröffentlicht im April 2008 die CD, «Walkabout» (Unit Records, UTR 4203), die dritte Publikation nach «The Tide Is In» aus dem Jahr 2002 (TCB 22192) und «Maximal Music» von 2005 (Unit Records, UTR 4147). Es ist eine ungeschnittene Live Aufnahme aus dem Jazzclub Karlsruhe vom 16. November 2006, 50 Minuten ununterbrochene, bedingungslose Hingabe an den Moment. / Diese formidablen Musiker gehen die langen Wege der Intuition, kreieren musikalische Bögen wie Kontinente aus Interaktion. Das ist Jazz aus dem Bauch mit Caudalieeffekt. Hier ein Basssound wie ein Meer aus Zärtlichkeiten, da ein Hauch von Highhat und dünnhäutiger Snare, die Gänsehaut verursachen. Das Piano eine Liebesschaukel zwischen Jazz und Pop, Afrika und analoger Elektronik. Die Energie des Kollektivs paart sich mit der Sensibilität des Individuums. Reibungsflächen sind neben eigenen Kompositionen melodische Klassiker aus Chanson und Pop. Da klingt Norwegian Wood nach Ebenholz. Die afrikanischen Spurenelemente [der Pianist Braff ist in Rio geboren und in Dakar (Senegal) aufgewachsen] fallen direkt ins Ohr hinein.

BRINK MAN SHIP Feat. Nils Petter MOLVAER - Willisau: rec 2007  CD  Unit Records ∫ Jan Galega Brönnimann ss, bcl, eltr: Nils Petter Molvaer tp; Nya voc, eltr; René Reimann g, eltr; Emanuel Schnyder b, el-b; Christoph Staudenmann dr, comp ∫ reviews -  Neue Luzerner Zeitung 09.07, Matthias Hael: schweizer miles - wäre miles davis noch unter den livehaftigen jazzern, er würde wohl musik machen wie jan galega brönnimann. der bläser und elektroniker bewies in willisau mit seiner brinkmanship-grupper, wie man jazzfans beine macht: mit groove, rhythmus, gebläse und elektronik. am puls der zeit, frisch und knackig. auch ab konserve ists mitreissen. / Der Bund 09.07: ohne hysterische kapriolen ging das konzert der elektro-akustischen schweizer combo brink man ship über die bühne: aus dem strom aus repetitiven melodien, sphärischen und urbanen sounds, schlaufen-grooves und knistergeräuschen tauchten nur hie und da sparsame solistische schlenker auf. die grundparameter waren durch die bewusst einfach gehaltenen stücke des leaders jan brönnimann vorgegeben - sie dienten als basis für kollektive prozesse. der als gast geladene trompeter nils petter molvaer fügte sich ohne starallüren in diesen rahmen ein - sein zwischen seufzender melancholie und kurzen, aber heftigen energieschüben oszillierendes spiel harmonierte sehr gut mit der brink man ship atmosphärik. ∫ soundclips: 1 | 2 | 3

James CARTER - Presenttense: CD  EmArCy ∫ James Carter as, ts, bs; ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 08.04.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli

Jacques DEMIERRE & Isabelle DUTHOIT - Avenues: rec 2007  Unit Records ∫ Jacques Demierre p; Isabelle Duthoit cl, voc ∫ reviews - Label: There is no easy comfort here, no nostalgia: the music is in situ. It writes itself and propagates in this privileged place of the moment. Both artists question the historical line-up of the clarinet and piano duo while sharing and retracing in each of their performances the immediacy of their own personal myths. At the piano, Jacques Demierre does not cease to redraw new sound topographies. The piano is no more just an instrument but also an object, making us forget its physical weight. Isabelle Duthoit's clarinet and voice are at work in this space which is opened up by the instrumental and vocal sound material: mutual filtering, unheard morphings and her breathing, being the underlying thread, travelling beyond its limits towards infinity. Together they recreate the physical and sound space of the instrumental duo and spread their respective virtuosity up to the borders of mastery and risk: the energy that composes their music is carnel and abstract. It is energy in movement, radical and enlightening.

DoppelMoppel - Outside This Area: rec 2007  CD  Intakt ∫ Conrad & Johannes Bauer tb; Uwe Kropinski & Joe Sachse g ∫ reviews: JazzThing 04.08 **** / Kommentar: Musik ist eine Kunst des Moments, improvisierte zumal, gleichwohl kann sie Geschichte schreiben wie die von Doppelmoppel. 25 Jahre alt ist das höchst ungewöhnlichen Quartetts aus zwei Gitarren und zwei Posaunen. Wer hätte 1982 gedacht, dass diese Besetzung von solcher Dauer wäre? Die Ad-Hoc-Band, die nach Lust und Laune immer wieder zusammenfindet, sollte sogar den Staat überleben, dem sie entsprang. Die dritte CD in der langen Geschichte der «Working-Band» wurde 2007 im Tonstudio des deutschen Filmorchester Babelberg eingespielt. «Outside This Aera» sind 11 phantastische Spaziergänge ins Freie, ein Hörvergüngen besonderer Qualität. Ulrich Stock, Redakteur der Wochenzeitung «Die Zeit», schreibt in den Liner Notes: «Bei Doppelmoppel geschah und geschieht soviel entgegen der Erwartung, dass dem Hörer als verlässliche Größe allein die Musik bleibt. Und wie schön ist das! Wenn die Kunst den Moment überwindet und sich der Zukunft in Erinnerung bringen kann, jenseits aller System- und Gebietsfragen, damals wie heute.»

EMPTY CAGE Quartet - Stratostrophic: rec 2007  CD  clean feed ∫ Ivan Johnson b; Jason Mears as; Kris Tiner tp; Paul Kikuchi dr ∫ reviews - Label: The Empty Cage Quartet consists of four musicians — saxophonist Jason Mears, trumpeter Kris Tiner, percussionist Paul Kikuchi and bassist Ivan Johnson — who have been praised consistently by critics as one of the most powerful and substantial new jazz groups to emerge from the American West Coast. Recorded during a hot summer in Los Angeles, Stratostrophic is a fiery set of original compositions that ranges from shuffle swing to free jazz blowouts, minimalist percussion loops to complex modernist gestures, funky stomps, odd-meter marches, robotic grooves, heavy rock, and nearly everything in between. The music is vigorous and methodic yet tender and reflective, dead-serious yet open to the occasional wry, sideways irony. As Wadada Leo Smith expresses in his liner notes, these young musicians are certainly on a path "to reach the whole truth of a creative music"

FANOE - Down To Heaven: rec 2007  CD  Fanoe ∫ Klaus Fanøe ∫  reviews - Aarg. Zeitung 22.02.08, Yves Lenzin: ... einige ihrer Songs sind gradlinig, rockig, andere eigenwillig, melodiös, mindestens einen mit Energie voll bebackten Höhepunkt erreichen alle zehn Stücke auf dem neuen Album ... zwischen den Extremen ... Fanøe gehören zu einer neuen Generation von Bands, für die es nicht mehr erstrebenswert ist, einen Vertrag in der Plattenindustrie zu ergattern ... Echtheit ist dem Bandgründer Klaus Fanøe ein Anliegen; als Musiker wird er angetrieben von einer melancholischer Grundstimmung und gesellschaftskritischen Gedanken

Scott FIELDS Freetet - Bitter Love Songs: rec 2007  CD  clean feed ∫  Scott Fields g; João Lobo dr; Sebastian Gramss b

fm trio – trio moment: rec  CD  Altri Suoni ∫ Fabian MÜLLER p; Kaspar von Grünigen b; Fabian Bürgi dr ∫ Label -  DRS2 Jazz aktuell 26.02.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Bereits im Jahr 2003 gaben die Musiker des FM TRIOs erste Konzerte. Iniziert durch Kaspar von Grünigen wurden damals spontane adhoc-Auftritte gegeben. Dieses Zusammentreffen verschiedener Musiker entsprach dem Wunsch von Fabian Müller, Pianist aus St.Gallen, ein eigenes Trio zu gründen. Grundlage für die Musik des Trios bilden Eigenkompositionen, vorwiegend von Fabian Müller. Doch die Interaktion und das Kollektiv, wie auch das Finden einer gemeinsamen Sprache, ist das Ziel der musikalischen Arbeit. Kaspar von Grünigen (Bass) und Fabian Bürgi (drums) verstehen es glänzend die Kompositionen auf einem hohen Niveau umzusetzen. Im Jahre 2006 wurde zu Promozwecken die Demo “Searching“ in einem Berner Tonstudio unter Eigenregie des Trios aufgenommen. Dieser Aufnahme waren viele Konzerte, wie auch das Privileg, im Radio DRS Studio Zürich das Debutalbum des FM TRIOs aufzunehmen, zu verdanken ∫ sounds 1 | 2 | 3

Max FRANKL Quintet - Sturmvogel: rec  2008  CD  Double Moon ∫ Max Frankl g; Ulrich Wangenheim ts, bcl, ss; Christian Elsässer p; Andreas Kurz b; Andy Haberl dr ∫ reviews - Auszug aus den Liner Notes von Wolfgang Muthspiel: "Der Sound, den Max Frankl am Instrument erzeugt ist tief getränkt vom Jazz. Die Kompositionen hingegen öffnen Fenster in andere Welten. Hier macht sich jemand auf eine lange Reise und wir dürfen zuhören. ∫ soundclips

Chris GALL Trio Feat. ENIK - Climbing Up: rec 2007  CD  ACT ∫ Chris Gall p; Marcel Krömker b; Peter Gall dr; Enik voc ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 26.02.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Label: Chris Gall laughed when he was congratulated on his debut album for ACT's Young German Jazz series. "Actually I'm not a pure jazz newcomer. There are a lot of other things that I like too." Hard to say what he meant by that. Perhaps he was referring to his schooling in classical piano that began in Germany when he was five, or his studies in Boston at the Berklee College of Music. Perhaps it's simply a music career in which jazz was always a starting point but never the end-all. It makes sense, then, that Chris Gall's alma mater Berklee has always been more than one of the world's best jazz factories - it has always considered itself a school for "contemporary music". Berklee's alumni and at the same time Gall's roll models include not only such jazz musicians as Joe Zawinul and Danilo Perez, but also rock star Melissa Etheridge, song writer John Mayer, and film composer Alan Silvestri. Gall's musical inspiration comes from every corner of the world: out of Boston's musical melting pot, out of Brazil exploring the Favelas of Sao Paolo, out of India where he and sitar star Shakir Khan proceeded to dust off Euro-Indian jazz. And you can include the loud rock stages in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, intimate jazz clubs, and theatre revues. And while Chris Gall would rather contemplate his music than genre borderlines, with Enik he has grabbed hold of a singer who for his part leaps over borders. The charismatic young singer gave his celebrated CD debut with "The Seasons in Between", a mixture of avant-garde pop and electronic rock with which he has already been able to fill the larger concert halls. But he also performs the songs of the well-known Austrian cabarettist Georg Kreisler on Munich's smaller stages. ∫ soundclips 1 | 2

Hans GLAWISCHNIG - Panorama: rec 2008  CD  Sunnyside ∫ Hans Glawischnig b; Miguel Zenon as; David Binney as; Luis Perdomo p; Jonathan Blake, Marcus Gilmore or Antonio Sanchez dr; Chick Corea p ∫ reviews - JazzThing 04.08, R. Thomas: diverse Kombinationen mit wechselnden Bläsern ... dazu der grossartige Gitarrist Ben Monder ... zusammengehalten wird das weitläufige "Panorama" vor allem von der Vision Glawischnigs und seinen wohltemperierten Eigenkompositionen ... alles klingt wie aus einem Guss

Danny GRISSETT - Encounters: rec 2007   CD  Criss Cross Jazz fmp∫ Danny Grissett p; Vincente Archer b; Kendrick Scott dr ∫ Toy Tune / It Could Happen To You / Never Let Me Go / & Originals by Grissett ∫ Label: Running the gamut from elegant balladry to grooving soul-jazz and unshakable swing, all with a modernistic approach to harmony, rhythm and composition, the Danny Grissett Trio ensures that modern acoustic jazz remains alive and moving forward. ∫ soundclip

HR-Bigband Feat. Jack BRUCE: rec 2007  CD  In + Out  ∫ Jasper Van't Hof kb; Bob Malach ts ∫ reviews - Jack Bruce(voc, eb, g, p; Peter Reiter p, kb;  Martin Scales g; Danny Gottlieb dr; Heinz Sauerborn as, cl; Andi Maile ts; Axel Schlosser tp; Wolf Schenk tb; a.o.

Grupa JANKE RANDALU - Live: rec 2007  CD  Jazz'n'Arts ∫ Kristjan Randalu p; Bodek Janke perc∫ reviews - Label: JazzThing 02.08, Angela Ballhorn: **** /  Kristjan Randalu, 2007 Preisträger des mit 15.000.- Euro höchstdotierten Jazzpreises in Deutschland, dem Baden-Württembergischen Landesjazzpreis, lebt und arbeitet in New York. Geboren und aufgewachsen in Tallinn (Estland), studierte klassisches und Jazzpiano in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Köln, London und New York bei Sontraud Speidel und Patrick O´Byrne, John Taylor, Geoff Keezer, Edward Simon, Komposition bei Iain Ballamy und Django Bates. Er studierte zudem am City College in New York und erhielt 2006 das „Master’s Degree“ der Manhatten School of Music, wo er u.a. bei Kenny Barron, Garry Dial und Phil Markowitz studierte. Seine Karriere als Komponist und Pianist ist als geradezu einzigartig zu bezeichnen, da er sowohl im klassischen (z.B. sein Mitwirken beim National Symphony Orchestra of Estonia, dem New Chamber Orchestra of Berlin oder dem Philharmonischen Orchester Stuttgart), als auch im Jazzbereich Höchstleistungen erbringt: so gewann er im Jahre 2002 den zweiten Preis beim Jazzfestival Montreux in der Kategorie Solo-Pianist – damals war Randalu gerade 24 Jahre alt. ∫ soundclips 1 | 2 | 3

Marcos JIMENEZ - I Thought About You: rec 2007  CD  Altri Suoni ∫ Marcos Jimenez piano solo ∫ But Beautiful / Alfonsina y el mar / Monk's Dream / a.o. ∫ Label: Der spanischstämmige, in Genf aufgewachsene Pianist spielte u.a. mit Erik Truffaz, Mathieu Michel
und Daniel Humair. Seine erste Soloeinspielung präsentiert Balladen von Jimmy van Heusen‘s ‚ But Beautiful‘ über Ariel Ramirez ‚Alfonsina y el mar‘ bis zu ‚Monk‘s Dream‘. Der Fokus liegt auf melodiösem Spiel, das harmonisch und rhythmisch subtil in Bewegung gehalten wird.

KAPSAMUN - Mania Ballkanike: rec 2007  CD  Brambus ∫ Arsim Leka sax; Marcel Zimmermann vio; Samuel Wettstein p, synth, Darbuka; Florian Abt b; Benjamin Brodbeck dr, darbuka ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 08.04.08 Empfehlung Peter Bürli

KELOMAT - Moscow And Elsewhere: rec 2007  CD  Jazzwerkstatt at/de ∫ Wolfgang Schiftner as, ss, fanfare; Bernd Satzinger b; Herbert Pirker dr; Special Guest: Clemens “Bumpfi” Wenger, voc ∫ reviews -  DRS2 Jazz aktuell 19.02.08, Empfehlung Jürg Solothurnmann

Steve LANTNER Trio - What You Can Throw: rec 2007 CD  hatOLOGY ∫ Steve Lantner p; Joe Morris b; Luther Gray dr ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 04.03.08, Empfehlung Jürg Solothurnmann

Brad LEALI / Claus RAIBLE Quartet - D.A.'s Time: rec 2007  CD TCB Home Page ∫ Brad Leali as; Claus Raible p; Giogos Antoniou b; Alvester Garnett dr ∫ I Guess I Hang My Tears Out To Dry / Manteca / I'll Keep Loving You / + Originals by Leali and Raible ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 15.04.08 / JazzLinks 04.08, Chan: Nichts, was nicht schon ähnlich zu hören war ... einfach guter, geschmackvoller Mainstream Jazz Marke "straight ahead", nicht mehr, aber auch nicht weniger ... Brad Leali gefällt mit seinem offenen Altsax-Sound (so etwas zwischen Adderley und McLean)

MAYBE MONDAY - Unsquare: rec 2004   CD  Intakt ∫ Fred Frith g, el-g; Gerry Hemingway dr, perc, voice; Carla Kihlstedt vio; Miya Masaoka koto, electr; Ikue Mori electronics; Larry Ochs ts, sopranino; Zeena Parkins el harp, electronics ∫ reviews - Eine All-Star-Band aus der New Yorker Avantgarde. Die delikate Verzahnung von Elektronik und Akustik, Ethnik und Urbanem, Tradition und Experiment bringt eine atemberaubende Intensität in die Musik./ Label: Fred Frith führt auf dieser zweiten CD auf Intakt Records – nach der wunderschönen Aufnahme mit Carla Kihlstedt und Stevie Wishart – seine Exkursionen in die Welt der Improvisation und in die Sphäre der Sounds und Klangexperimente weiter. Wiederum ein Fest der Saiteninstrumente, diesmal mit Gitarre und Piano. Chris Brown lehrt wie Fred Frith am Mills College in Kalifornien, wo er als Co-Direktor das “Center for Contemporary Music (CCM)” leitet. Cutter Head ist ein blues-getränkter freier Dialog zweier Klangforscher und passionierter Spieler.

Mitch PALIGA - Fall Night: rec 2007  Origin Records ∫ reviews - cadence: "Mitch Paliga may be the next great voice on the soprano sax." / New City. "Fall Night" is comprised of all original music by Chicago-based soprano saxophonist/composer Mitch Paliga. On this recording his quartet is augmented with the addition of fellow Origin artist, guitarist John McLean. The music goes from the melancholy "QP Doll" to the quasi-early electric Miles Davis sound on "Over and Over" to the old world natural minor tonality of "Blues for October". Also included are a selection of tunes that were inspired by childhood memories of small town Montana fall and winter nights. Paliga is a member of the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective and he regularly appears around the country with actor Gary Sinise's "Lt. Dan Band."

Evan PARKER  Transatlantic Art Ensemble - Boustrophedon: rec 2004 live at Muffathalle Munich, released 2008  CD  ECM ∫ Roscoe Mitchell ss; Evan Parker ss/ts; Anders Svanoe as/bars; John Rangecroft cl; Neil Metcalfe fl; Corey Wilkes trp/flh; Nils Bultmann vla; , Philipp Wachsmann vio; Marcio Mattos vlc; Craig Taborn p; Jaribu Shahid b; Barry Guy b; Tani Tabbal dr/perc; Paul Lytton dr/perc ∫ Label: Das von Roscoe Mitchell und Evan Parker zusammengestellte ‚Transatlantic Art Ensemble‘ vereinigt Musiker des progressiven Jazz aus den USA und England. ‚Boustrophedon‘ präsentiert den zweiten Teil des 2004 live in der Muffathalle München aufgenommenen Projekts. Stammten die Werke auf ‚Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1,2&3‘ von Roscoe Mitchell, hat sie diesmal  Evan Parker notiert. Dichte Tuttipassagen wechseln mit solistischen Abschnitten, atmosphärisch abstrakte Strukturen sind durchwirkt mit sanglichen Linien. Ein grossartiges Saxophon-Lamento entlädt sich nach ca. 46 Minuten über einem exzessiv ostinaten Taumel, bevor Kadenzen einzelner Instrumente das stündige Werk beschliessen.

PIERANUNZI / JOHNSON / BARON Feat. Kenny WHEELER - As Never Before: rec 2007  CD  CAM Jazz ∫ Enrico Pieranunzi p; Marc Johnson b; Joey Baron dr; Kenny Wheeler tp, flh ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 11.03.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Label: "Kenny and I met for the first time in 1997 on a concert stage-a dream come true! Now, with this CD, a dream within a dream becomes reality: an entire track list of my songs performed by Wheeler himself; not to mention the fact that the other two personnel, Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, are certainly not just any two musicians, but two extraordinary artists with whom, over the past two decades, I have shared some of the most emotional moments of my musical life. In brief, for various reasons this album is something absolutely unique-something that, as the title suggests, has never happened before." - Enrico Pieranunzi

Chris POTTER - Follow The Red Line - Live At The Village Vanguard: CD  Sunnyside Records ∫ Chris Potter ts; Adam Rogers g; Craig Taborn rhodes; Nate Smith dr∫ reviews - Jazz'N'More 11.07 ****

Chris POTTER 10 - Song For Anyone: CD  Sunnyside Records ∫ Chris Potter ts, bcl; Erica von Kleist fl; Greg Tardy cl; Michael Rabinowitz bassoon; Steve Cardenas g; Scott Colley b; Adam Cruz dr; & string-section (vio, vla, vcl) ∫ reviews - Jazz'N'More 11.07 ****

Mariana RAMOS - Mornador: rec 2007 CD  Lusafrica ∫ Mariana Ramos voc; Régis Gizavo acc; Thierry Faure p; Thierry Fanfant b; Valentino Ramos dr, perc; a.o. ∫ Kommentar: Mariana Ramos was born under the Dakar sun, although her parents were from the island of Sâo Vicente in Cape Verde. The music she bathed in from childhood had a Cape Verdean beat, since her father, Toy Ramos (aka Toy de Bibia), played guitar for the famous group "Voz de Cabo-Verde". For a few years, Mariana strayed from her native tradition in a search for other musical worlds, discovering everything from Nougaro to Jonasz, Piaf to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan to Rickie Lee Jones. However, she finally returned to her island roots when she met Teofilo Chantre and Nazalio Fortes, two young Cape Verdean songwriters. She naturally combined her newfound international influences with Cape Verdean tradition and this set her on the artistic course that would lead to her first album, "Di dor em or", released in April 2000. During this period, she regularly appeared in concert at the New Morning, the Bataclan, the Café de la Danse and on tour in Africa, Italy and Greece, also performing on stage with Tito Paris and Teofilo Chantre, and filling a support slot for Souad Massi. Her sensual voice and body language won her a special place in the rainbow of Cape Verdean music. Based on her hybrid heritage, her repertoire bridged tradition and modernity in a subtle blend of jazz notes, Brazilian music and African sounds.
Mariana celebrated morna (Cape Verdean blues), coladera, mazurka and funana (a highly original dance for couples locked tight in a torrid embrace) in her own individual fashion. Her stage presence won her a singing and acting role in the play "Oyé Luna", first performed in Cape Verde.∫ Querverweis: Mariana Ramos "Bibia" / Regis Gizavo "Samy Olombelo" (Label Bleu)

Hank ROBERTS - Green: rec 2007CD  Winter & Winter ∫ Hank Roberts cello, voices, class. 12-string g, jazz-a-phone fiddle; ∫ reviews - JazzThing 04.08, U. Langer: ... freie Improvisationen und experimentelle Musik im Gepäck ... ein Album, das ganz viel Amerika widerspiegelt: "Green" klingt nach Jazz und nach Jimi Hendrix, nach Lagerfeuer-Atmosphäre und Gospel ... das einfühlsame Werk verbindet hervorragend die Klangwelten von drei erfahrenen Musikern / Radio Magazin 04.08 Empfehlung Peter Bürli *****  / JazzThing 04.08 ****° / DRS2 Jazz aktuell 08.04.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Leipziger Volkszeitung: "Endlich zurück, macht [Hank Roberts] alles noch besser, und gerade deswegen ist diese CD so bemerkenswert." / Stereoplay 03.08: "Das Warten hat sich gelohnt, denn mit Verve zaubert [Hank Roberts] Klangflächen voller Brüche, in die Marc Ducret faszinierende Gitarren-Sounds und Jim Black sensible Beats weben. Keine leichte Kost, der Mix aus Folk, Jazz & Avantgarde, doch hinreißend in seiner Intensität." / Jazzthing 04.08: "… das einfühlsame Werk verbindet hervorragend die Klangwelten von drei erfahrenen Musikern."

John RUOCCO - Am I Asking Too Much?: rec 2007 CD  Pirouet Recordings ∫ John Ruocco cl; John Taylor p; Riccardo Del Fra b ∫ reviews - JazzThing 04.08, M. Stürm: ... kammermusikalisches Kleinod ... zumeist feingewobene Melodiengeschichten ... ein Trio-Album, das gekonnt Interaktion in den Dienst des Wohlklangs stellt / DRS2 Jazz aktuell 26.02.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Label: Innige Schönheit und stilistische Geschlossenheit: Das sind wesentliche Charakteristika der sechs Stücke auf dieser CD. Jeder Ton ist hier Understatement. Voller leiser Schönheit sind die Aufnahmen, atmosphärisch zart und berückend. Jazzstücke von besonderem Raffinement: nobel, zurückhaltend und fein in jeder Nuance. Musik mit großem Innenleben - eine, die keine Schreie nötig hat, weil schon ungemein leise so viel aus ihr spricht. Musik von John Ruocco. ∫ Querverweis: Abercrombie/Ruocco, CD "Tobics" (Challenge)

Catherine RUSSELL - Sentimental Streak: rec 2007  CD  World Village ∫ Catherine Russell voc; a.o. ∫ reviews - Label: The critical raves that greeted Catherine Russell's debut album on World Village (WV 468063); have understandably raised the bar for this, her sophomore CD.From track one, it's obvious that this impassioned and versatile vocalist is more thanequal to the challenge! Born in New York City, Ms. Russell's late father, Luis, was Louis Armstrong's longtime musical director while her mother, Carline Ray, a Julliard-trained bassist, sat in with Mary Lou Williams and Wynton Marsalis. Ms. Russell attended Music And Art High School and graduated with honors from the American Academy Of Dramatic Arts. A multi-instrumentalist (she plays percussion, mandolin, guitar, and keyboards) as well as a singer, she has performed with Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osbourne, Madonna, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Boz Skaggs, Michael McDonald, Phoebe Snow and Chuck Jackson, to name only a few.She also toured the world with a gospel group fronted by Carrie Smith, and sang with Jimmy Vivino's Little Big Band, the NY Rock N Soul Revue, plus an ensemble featuring legendary bassist Earl May. She has appeared at the Charlie Parker Festival and George Wein's JVC Festival and participated in several gold-and-platinum-selling recordings. Recently, she joined the faculty of Boston's Berklee College of Music as Associate Professor of Voice

Bernd SATZINGERS's Wurschtsemmerl:  rec 2007  CD  Jazzwerkstatt at/de ∫ Philipp Jagschitz (wurlitzer, keys), Christian Grobauer (dr), Bernd Satzinger (acoustic bass, bass-synth, voice); Gäste: Daniel Riegler (tb), Maria Augustin (fl, voc) Klingonen Chor: Viola Falb, Maiken Beer, Maria Augustin, Sophie Hassfurther, Daniel Riegler, Leo Riegler, Wolfgang Schiftner, Stefan Heckel, Clemens Wenger, Joe Steinböck, Florian Fennes, Werner Angerer, Philipp Jagschitz, Christian Grobauer, Bernd Satzinger ∫ reviews -  DRS2 Jazz aktuell 19.02.08, Empfehlung Jürg Solothurnmann ∫ soundclip

Daniel SCHNYDER - Da Skale: rec 2007  CD  TCB Home Page ∫ Daniel Schnyder sax; Kenn y Drew jr. p; Raetus Flisch b; Toni Renold dr; Gilad perc ∫ Originals by Schnyder

Diane SCHUUR - Some Other Time: rec 2007  CD  Heads Up ∫ Diane Schuur voc, p; Don Balmer g; Scott Steed b, Reggie Jackson dr ∫ reviews - Label: Vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur grew up at the intersection of two distinct worlds of music. On one hand, the radio of her youth telegraphed the sounds of Motown, the Beatles and other powerful forces of the '60s. On the other, her parents' home in Auburn, Washington, was filled with the likes of Dinah Washington, Nat King Cole and other luminaries of mid-20th century jazz. Out of this melting pot, Schuur developed a hybrid style that merges the best elements of the jazz and pop traditions. Since her recording career began in the early 1970s, she has scored two Grammy Awards and three additional Grammy nominations, and has performed and collaborated with artists as diverse as B.B. King, Ray Charles, Stan Getz and many more. On March 7, 2008, Schuur returns to her jazz roots - the music of her parents' generation, which includes some of the earliest and most enduring music in her creative consciousness - with the worldwide release of Some Other Time - Heads Up International. "This recording is a celebration of the fortieth anniversary of my mother's death," says Schuur, whose mother died at age 31 in January 1967, when the aspiring young vocalist and musician was only 13 years old. "This is a celebration of the music she introduced to me when I was growing up. After enough time goes by, everything your parents ever told you, everything they ever tried to teach you, starts to make sense. You find out how they grew up and how they looked at the world in the context of their generation and their times."genre: vocal Jazz

Jason SEIZER - Time Being: rec 2007 CD  Pirouet Recordings ∫ Jason Seizer ts), Marc Copland (p), Matthias Oichler (b), Tony Martucci (dr)∫ reviews - JazzThing 04.08 **** / Label: Jason Seizer is the master of the lean, sharply contoured tone - a sound that is nevertheless elastic and colourfully textured. You seldom find this mixture of introspection and strong presence - a combination that is intrinsic to Seizer's style. Music that concerns itself with substance and finely-sculpted tonal textures that will make you sit up and listen.

Elliott SHARP - Book One: rec 2007  CD  clean feed ∫ Elliott Sharp g ∫ reviews - Label: “Octal: Book One” is Sharp’s second solo recording for Clean Feed. The first was his all-acoustic take on Thelonious Monk. This time around, however, he tackles his own compositions and plays them on a custom-made electroacoustic “guitarbass,” which is a hollow-bodied electric guitar with two extra bass strings. Sharp has long worked with solid-bodied, double-necked guitar-basses, most notably in his noise-rich group Carbon. This new instrument is certainly more manageable than the earlier two-headed monsters, but its real advantage, and the one the Sharp exploits notably on this recording, is its acoustic qualities. He combines the acoustic and electric qualities of the Saul Koll guitar by placing one microphone close its sound hole, processing its built-in acoustic pickups, and running its magnetic pickup into a small amplifier and putting a microphone near that too. The result is a rich sound environment in which Sharp’s every snap, tap, pluck, wiggle, drone, and ebow activation feels completely organic. The eight notated, but spontaneously interpreted, Sharp originals on “Octal: Book One” sing as though they are alive.

Jason STEIN's Looksmith Isidore - A Calculus Of Loss: rec 2008  CD  clean feed ∫ Jason Stein bs, Kevin Davis cel, Mike Pride perc ∫ reviews - Label: Fan’s of the Chicago free jazz scene may recognize Jason Stein from his work in Ken Vandermark band Bridge 61, collaborations with Fred Lonberg-Holm and Jeff Parker, and featured roles in other Midwestern ensembles. Stein started his musical life as a blues-and-rock guitarist, but Eric Dolphy changed his life. After hearing the groundbreaking woodwind innovator, Stein replaced his guitar with a bass clarinet. He later studied with Charles Gayle and Milford Graves. A flexible performer, he can go “mainstream” in the post-bop and free traditions or exploit novel situations, as, for example his work oboist Kyle Bruckmann in the experimental chamber jazz ensemble Wrack. His hard-driving presence on sessions with Peter Brotzmann and Fredrik Ljungkvist and his nuanced pitch and color manipulations for Lonberg-Holm and Parker demonstrate his versatility. The trio’s name, Locksmith Isidore, comes from Stein’s grandfather, a master locksmith who didn’t trust banks and hid his money inside an old sofa in his attic. The “loss” in the title refers to the calculations he made for the costs and benefits not having a bank account.

Bill STEWART - Incandescence: rec 2007 (release 01.04.08) CD  Pirouet Recordings ∫ Bill Stewart dr; Larry Goldings hammond org, acc; Kevin Hays p ∫ reviews - JazzThing 04.08 ... Klavier und Orgel, eigentlich zwei inkompatible, sich gegenseitig neutralisierende Harmonieinstrumente, suchen einen gemeinsamen Weg ... ein sonderbares, fast schon abgehobenes Erlebnis ... stetes Auspendeln zwischen Avantgarde und Tradition, zwischen Free und Funk, manchmal sogar Gospel, zwischen Abenteuer und Heimat / JazzThing 04.08 ***° / DRS2 Jazz aktuell 26.02.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Label: Gewagt und voller Möglichkeiten: einmal Drums und zweimal Tasten. Das ist eine Kombination mit ganz vielen Facetten. Eine einzigartige Musik, die in jedem Stück eine neue Herausforderung darstellt. Hier sind drei Musiker am Werk, die mit spürbarer Hingabe bei der Sache sind. Jeder Takt vibriert und irisiert. Ein Trio für Liebhaber der jazzigen Horizont-Erweiterung. ∫ soundclips 1 | 2 | 3

Christoph STIEFEL Trio - Inner Language: rec 2007  CD  Neuklang ∫ Christoph Stiefel p; Patrice Moret b; Marcel Papaux dr ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 04.03.08, Empfehlung Jürg Solothurnmann ∫ soundclips => label

John SWANA - Bright Moments: rec 2007  CD  Criss Cross Jazz ∫ John Swana tp, flh; Eric Alexander ts; Grant Stewart ts; David Hazeltine p; Peter Washington b; Kenny Washington dr ∫ Everything I Have Is Yours / & Originals by Swana ∫ Label: The ever inventive Swana creates here challenging contexts for his sextet, with an emphasis on hard-swinging and refined balladry.

TINARIWEN - Aman Iman | Water Is Life: rec 2007  CD  Skycap Records ∫ Ibrahim AG Alhabib g, voc; Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni g, b, voc; Alhassane Ag Touhami voc, g, handclaps; Mohammaed Ag Itlale 'Japonais' voc, g, el-g; Eyadou Ag Leche b-g, backing voc, handclaps; Said Ag Ayad djembe, hi-hat, calabash, handclaps, backing voc; Elaga Ag Hamid rhythm-g, backing voc, handclabs; Abdallah AG Lamida 'indianao' rhythm-g, backing voc; Wonou Walet Sidati backing voc, handclaps;Kesa Walet Hamid backing voc, handclaps; Mama Livio & Manakji Diallo Yousyous; Justin Adams background g, lute, g; Salah Dawson Miller guellal, darbouka, shekere, cga, shekere ∫ Touareg-Blues

TRÉ - Karpfen in Wilhelmsdorf: rec 2007 CD  Double Moon ∫ Christian Niederer dr; Thomas Lüthi sax; Bernhard Bamert tb ∫ reviews - JazzLinks 04.08, Chan: 1. Höreindruck: aussergewöhnlich, spannend, innovativ / DRS2 Jazz aktuell 01.04.08, Empfehlung Jodok Hess / Jazz'N'More: Tré sind Faszination pur" /  Label: Wer es gern unkonventionell mag, wird sie lieben. Frech, eigensinnig und kreativ ist die Musik von "tré", denn die drei Kamikazemusiker kreieren zusammen einen Sound, der sich bim besten Willen nicht in irgendeine Schublade stecken lässt. / Whoever likes the unconventional will love it: The music from "tré" is sassy, obstinate and creative, because Bernhard Bamert (trombone), Christian Niederer (drums) and Thomas Lüthi (saxophone) create a sound together, which cannot be put into any pigeonhole no matter how hard you might try. Tré has found its own style, which appeals thanks to its humor and joy in improvisation: 'Mardi-Gras interludes alternate with Bebop lines, and free jazz elements dialog with folk music-like melodies. The three musicians get pleasure out of referring ironically to the (musical) past. "Our parents already rebelled in the movement the 60s, and consequently we can't rebel anymore. But to smash the existing to pieces and put it back together anew, that works! Seen superficially, this means that we can't do anything - or we can do everything." ∫ soundclips 1 | 2 | 3

Brad TURNER Quartet - Question The Answer: rec 2007  CD  Maximum Jazz ∫  Brad Turner p; Darren Radtke b; Bernie Arai dr ∫ Originals by Brad Turner ∫ reviews - John Kelman of All About Jazz writes: Canadian artist Brad Turner is a triple threat: a pianist, trumpeter and drummer, he has developed a significant reputation over the past eight years with artists including roots music specialists Zubot & Dawson, avant cellist Peggy Lee and the elastically-timed fusion group Metalwood. A two-time winner of the National Jazz Awards “Composer of the Year” as well as “Jazz Trumpeter of the Year,” he has also won numerous Juno awards, the Canadian version of the Grammy. For an artist to emerge in such a relatively short time and garner such critical acclaim would certainly suggest someone worth investigating. And while the piano trio featured on his latest release, Question the Answer , has been in existence for some seven years, this is its first recording and well worth the wait. Turner's first release under his own name featuring him strictly on piano, it demonstrates a player who is remarkably developed in conception, with influences from a variety of sources well-subsumed into a clearly personal style.∫ => Querverweis: Brad Turner Quarter "Small Wonder" (Brad Turner tp, flh) ∫ soundclips

McCoy TYNER - Quartet: rec live in 2006 at Yoshi's in Oakland Cal  CD  McCoy Tyner Music/HalfNote ∫ McCoy Tyner p; Joe Lovano ts; Christian McBride b; Jef 'Tain' Watts dr ∫ reviews - 29.04.08 Auftritt Basel, Stadtcasino / DRS2 Jazz aktuell 15.04.08, Empfehlung Beat Blaser / JazzThing 04.08, R. Thomas: ... ein selten exquisites Quartett ... die Rhythmus-Gruppe kocht ...  / coda 03.08, Ken Dryden: ... no doubt that he is still one of the modern masters of jazz piano / Label: This performances captures McCoy Tyner in the company of three self-processed acolytes, soon-to-be giants whose dedication to the cause virtually guarantees the evening's joyous uplift. Lovano, McBride and Watts are McCoy's heirs, their connection to all that jazz is and can be a validation of McCoy's continuing legacy." - Jeff Levenson

McCoy TYNER - Afro Blue: rec 2007  CD  Telarc ∫ McCoy Tyner (p), Gary Bartz (ts), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Terence Blanchard (tp), Christian McBride (b), Lewis Nash (dr), a.o.∫ Kommentar - "A lot of musicians made so many sacrifices just so I could do what I am doing today. It is like being handed a gift. I have tried to be the best I can. I have never rested on my laurels. I just feel fortunate that I am able to do what I am doing." - McCoy Tyner

UNART 4.0 - Neue Suiten: rec 2006, release date April 08 CD  Unit Records ∫ Robert Morgenthaler tb; Ewald Hügle ss, as, ts, bs; Urs Röllin g; Dieter Ulrich dr, signalhorn ∫ reviews -  DRS2 Jazz aktuell 15.04.08, Empfehlung Beat Blaser∫ Querverweis: unart 4.0 "3 Suiten" (rec 2000, Unit Records)

Gerald VEASLEY - Your Move: rec 2007  CD  Heads Up ∫ Gerald Veasley (eb), Chuck Loeb (g, b, keyb), Will Brock (keyb), Chris Farr (as), Joshn Dion (dr, perc), a.o. ∫ reviews - Label: Contemporary jazz bassist Gerald Veasley makes no claim to be a master chess player, but there are certain unmistakable parallels between his line of work and the small-scale war game that has challenged great minds for centuries. Like chess, Veasley sees music as a pursuit that involves a combination of strategy, quick thinking and even a bit of blind faith.
"There's a multiplicity of decision making in the game of chess, and there are consequences to every action," says Veasley. "In a lot of ways, making music is like that too. There are so many choices, especially in jazz, where the situation is never the same twice. That's always exciting to me. You're creating new scenarios at every turn - every time you step in front of an audience, or every time you step into the studio. That's what drew me to this kind of music in the first place - the idea that it was always fresh, there was always an opportunity and a new challenge. Unlike chess, though, winning in jazz doesn't mean someone else has to lose." ∫ sound

Gary VERSACE - Outside In: rec 2007  CD  Criss Cross Jazz ∫ Gary Versace org; Donny McCaslin ts, ss; Adam Rogers g; Clarence Penn dr ∫ Originals by Gary Versace ∫ reviews - Label: Versace guides his group of New York cutting-edgers through a program of eight originals with strong melodies, challenging harmonic structures, and intoxicating grooves. ∫ => Querverweise: Donny McCaslin "Give And Go" / Adam Rogers "Art Of The Invisible", "Allegory",  "Apparitions", "Time And The Infinite" / Clarence Penn "Penn's Landing", "Play-Penn"

Stewy VON WATTENWYL Trio - Wabash: rec 2007  CD  Bemsha Music ∫ Stewy von Wattenwyl hammond B3; Alex Hendriksen sax ; Daniel Woodtli tp; Pius Baschnagel dr
∫ reviews - Eine Sternstunde im CH-Jazz: Eine etwas ungewöhnliche Besetzung: Um den Bandleader und Hammond B-3-Organisten Stewy von Wattenwyl scharen sich zwei Bläser, Alex Hendriksen sax und Daniel Woodtli tp, sowie der Drummer Pius Baschnagel. Was hier abgeht ist eine Offenbarung. Kollektiv-und Solo-Improvisationen, angetrieben von swingenden Rhythmen, bluesgetränkt und eindringlich, dazu hervorragende Arrangements. (*****ausgezeichnet / Egischa / 04.03.2008)

Walt WEISKOPF Octet - Day In Night Out: rec 2007  CD  Criss Cross Jazz ∫ Walt Weiskopf ts, fl; Andy Fusco as, fl, cl; Gary Smulyan bs; Michael Leonhart tp, flh; John Mosca tb; Peter Zak p; Doug Weiss b; Kendrick Scott dr ∫ Heather On The Hill / I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good / & Originals by Weiskopf ∫ Label: Here he leads a hand-picked octet -- each of the five horns is a veteran section player with extraordinary improvisational skills, including Criss Cross veterans Andy Fusco and Gary Smulyan, propelled by a rhythm section comprising the extraordinary young drummer Kendrick Scott, best known as Terence Blanchard's drummer, and the harmonically informed pianist and bassist Peter Zak and Doug Weiss - through a suite of eight heady originals and a rearranged standard. ∫ soundclips 1 | 2 | 3

Randy WESTON - Zep Tepi: rec 2006  CD  Random Chance ∫ Randy Weston p; Alex Blake b; Neil Clarke african perc ∫ reviews - coda top ten 2006 / "When Randy Weston plays a combination of strength and gentleness virility and velvet emerges from the keys in an ebb and flow of sound seemingly as natural as the waves of the sea." Langston Hughes / Label: Jazz pianist Randy Weston will mark his 80th birthday in 2006. To celebrate, he has released Zep Tepi (the translation into English is "First Time," which is the name of the ancient Egyptian creation story). This CD is also Weston's first trio recording in decades.

Kenny WHEELER - Other People: rec 2005, released January 2008 CD  CAM Jazz ∫ Kenny Wheeler tp, flh; Hugo Wolf String Quartet; special guest: John Taylor p ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 11.03.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / JazzMan **** / Simon Spillett: This album marks the veteran musicians' first venture into recording with a string ensemble, in this instance the phenomenal Hugo Wolf String Quartet... Recorded in his 75th year, and with an instrumentation and rationale that leaves the soloist nowhere to hide, the only element of this recording left to discuss is Wheeler’s playing itself. It remains one of the most genuinely spine-tingling sounds in jazz, able to express abandoned joy one moment and the most desolate isolation the next. As has always been his way, on this recording in a new context for him, Kenny Wheeler has once again created music which stands as a personal testimony to his abiding individuality. / J. Kelman: "The entire program is exceptional in its refined beauty..."

WOLLNY / KRUSE / SCHAEFER - EM 3: rec 2007  CD  ACT ∫ Michael Wollny p;  Eva Kruse b; Eric Schaefer dr ∫ reviews - DRS2 Jazz aktuell 22.04.08, Empfehlung Peter Bürli / Südwestpresse: "Ein Glücksfall des modernen Jazz“ / Piano News: CD des Monats / JAZZMAN (FR): choc! / Label: The exciting Berlin trio Michael Wollny/Eva Kruse/Eric Schaefer present their third album: no easy task, after all of the last few years' critical praise that has accompanied the two previous albums they recorded for ACT, and the same critical acclaim has followed their live performances. "New European jazz" (Stereoplay) and saving "German jazz through excitement and humour"(Süddeutsche Zeitung) is what the critics were saying about "the most exciting piano trio in the world" (Die Zeit). The European critics were in virtually unanimous agreement: "This is the future sound of jazz" (Observer Music Monthly/UK). Along with the praise there have been prizes and awards, topped off perhaps by the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Award 2007 as "Most Promising Newcomer of the Year". Last year the trio played concerts in 13 countries and appeared at major festivals in France, Holland, Germany, Italy, and Canada. Their entrance onto the London stage was hailed as "one of the most assured UK debuts in recent years" (Jazzwise). ∫ soundclips 1 | 2

Jan ZEHRFELD's 'Panzerballett' - Starke Stücke: rec 2007  CD  ACT ∫ Jan Zehrfeld g; Andreas Dombert g; Gregor Bürger ts; Florian Schmidt b; Sebastian Lanser dr; special guests: Ngyuên Lê, Ulf Wakenius, Peter O'Mara g ∫ Pink Panther / Smoke On The Water / Birdland / a.o. ∫ reviews - Der Spiegel: „Die Band verbindet die rhythmischen Staccato-Attacken und wummernden Gitarren-Sounds des Metal mit jazzigen Grooves und mit Soli auf höchstem Niveau. Das klingt umwerfend.“ SPIEGEL / Label: The Young German Jazz concept of nurturing and promoting young talented up-and-coming German musicians and giving them a fair chance on the international scene had caught on. In 2008 ACT will be treading on another Young German Jazz borderline. The motto: crossing frontiers. As you can tell simply by its name that the band Panzerballett has a casual attitude towards its own history, an attitude that is reflected in how they approach the various musical genres. They both effortlessly transcend supposedly insurmountable barriers and transform that art form called jazz into something that is once again sexy and exciting - also for a young audience! Offhand it seems foolish to combine, of all things, jazz and heavy metal. But 30-year old Jan Zehrfeld, the compositional mastermind of Panzerballett, belongs to the generation of musicians now forcing themselves into the spotlight who grew up breathing in more than one musical style.