Stone Quartet (Leandre / Campbell / Crispell / Maneri) - Live at Vision Festival [Ayler]

Stone Quartet:
Joelle Leandre - double bass, voice
Roy Campbell - trumpet, flutes
Marilyn Crispell - piano
Mat Maneri - viola

Ayler Records 2011

The jazz community has been painfully experienced last week with some sad news, the echo of which reverbed through jazz sites, blogs, social networks etc. This post is an echo, dedicated to Roy Campbell, but also Amiri Baraka and Izumi Uchida who passed away almost at the same time.

Roy Campbell appeared on the blog just twice, on the occasion of his duo cd with Ehran Elisha, and a concert with Nu Band. Fortunately I had a chance to see him play on a few occasions in Krakow, always in top form on stage, his playing filled with blues infusions, spirited and joyfull. His trio cd with Hamid Drake and William Parker "Ethnic, Stew and Brew" remains one of my favourites, a perfect introduction to the free jazz music.

Jean-Luc Cappozzo & Geraldine Keller - Air Prints [Ayler]

Jean-Luc Cappozzo - trumpet, horns, objects
Geraldine Keller - voice, flutes, objects


Ayler Records 2013

Of the four elements, as writes in his liner notes Joel Pagier, the air is the most volatile, therefore open to the most beautiful transformations. And that's what Jean-Luc Cappozzo and Geraldine Keller are doing - they transform the air, trying to impose their will over its nature.

Sleeping In Vilna - Why Waste Time [Ayler]

Sleeping In Vilna:
Dave Randall - guitar
Dirk Rothbrust - drums & percussion
Carol Robinson - clarinets & voice
Mike Ladd - voice and & synth

Ayler Records 2012

Sleeping In Vilna "Why Waste Time" is one of those recordings that caught me by surprise. Even no expectations whatsover can't prepare you for the music on this album. The cd juggles styles and moods without any regard for genres, musical labels or cohesity. 

Marc Ducret - Tower, vol. 2 [Ayler]

Tim Berne - alto saxophone
Dominique Pifarely - violin
Tom Rainey - drums
Marc Ducret - electric guitar

Ayler Records 2011

The second volume of what is Marc Ducret's compositional effort inspired by Vladimir Nabokov's "Ada or Ardor" brings together a group of long time musical partners - Berne, Ducret and Rainey were playing together as Big Satan trio while Ducret and/or Rainey would also play in various Berne's group of the 90's and 00's (Bloodcount, Paraphrase, Science Friction, Hard Cell), Ducret played also in the Dominique Pifarely / Louis Sclavis Quartet as long ago as in 1992. Which is to say that those musicians are no strangers to each other and to the listeners alike.

Szilard Mezei Wind Quartet - Innen [Ayler]

Szilard Mezei - viola
Bogdan Rankovic - alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet
Branislaw Aksin - trombone
Kornel Papista - tuba

Ayler Records 2011

Szilard Mezei has been tremendously active in recent years, dividing his time between small ensembles, and large groups (among his bands' most recent releases you will find a trio and a 10-piece orchestra on Not Two, Szabad Quartet on NoBusiness, an octet on Slam Productions, plus two solo albums). Not only he's a terrific performer and improviser on an instrument that's rarely to be found in jazz music, nonetheless it yelds tremendous expressive possiblities, but he's composing (whether for a trio or the orchestra) gives an unique,  personal stamp to the music as he's draws inspiration from modern improvised music, jazz, folk melodies and both historic and avant-guarde strategies of (for lack of a better term) classical music.