Monday, June 12, 2017

Ahmad Jamal - Marseille (JAZZ VILLAGE MUSIC 2017)


Miles Davis was, famously, a fan of the pianist Ahmad Jamal, inviting his own pianists – such as Red Garland and Bill Evans – to replicate Jamal’s spacious, hesitant, quietly modernist style. Now aged 87, Jamal is still on top form, his terse, space-filled improvisations punctuated by the trance-like ostinato bass lines of James Cammack and the clattering polyrhythms of drummer Herlin Riley and percussionist Manolo Badrena.

This album features three very different versions of Jamal’s title track: the first a modal instrumental punctuated by meditative arpeggios; the second featuring declamatory poetry by rapper Abd Al Malik; the third a dazzling, coruscating ballad featuring singer Mina Agossi. Elsewhere, there’s plenty of puckish wit: a jerky, Afro Cuban version of Autumn Leaves is interspersed with glancing references to other standards (including chunks of Oliver Nelson’s Stolen Moments), while the groove-based Baalbeck sounds like an acoustic take on the Temptations’ Papa Was a Rolling Stone. At once frisky, funny and funky as hell.


1. Marseille (Instrumental) 8:34
2. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child 5:47
3. Pots En Verre 8:29
4. Marseille (feat. Abd al Malik) 7:23
5. Autumn Leaves 8:48
6. I Came to See You / You Were Not There 5:55
7. Baalbeck 6:23
8. Marseille (feat. Mina Agossi) 8:14

James Cammack : Double Bass
Herlin Riley : Drums
Manolo Badrena : Percussions
Mina Agossi : Vocals
Abd Al Malik : Vocals

Adam Pieronczyk / Miroslav Vitous - Ad-Lib Orbits (PAO RECORDS 2017)


1. Radio Telescope 4:31
2. Little Tower 2:57
3. Einstein 1:54
4. The Freedom To Rotate 5:11
5. The Train Stations 2:12
6. The Ants 2:41
7. Cyprian, The Weightless Monk 5:36
8. Favourite Robots 4:38
9. Two Clowns 1:54
10. Open Range 3:57
11. Flamenco Spell 2:39
12. Movement 2:37
13. Puppet 3:02
14. The Moroccan Blue Note 2:47
15. Short Stroll 2:40
16. Oriental Nights 4:07


Miroslav Vitous double bass

Hubert Dupont - Golan / Al Joulan Vol​.​2 (2017)



« À la fois haut plateau et zone d'occupation. Le Golan se rêve en terrain de jeu, en lieu d'échanges, en carrefour des modernités… Nous lui imaginons un avenir poétique. » HD

Hubert Dupont poursuit depuis plusieurs années cette esthétique d’un jazz nourri à la source de musiques venues d’ailleurs. Compositeur passionné et sans frontières, il arpente les chemins aventureux des musiques créatives et improvisées, offrant un voyage stupéfiant sans cesse renouvelé. C’est à partir de la tournée du trio Sabil (Ahmad Al Khatib,Youssef Hbeisch et Hubert Dupont) dont le premier concert fût donné à l’Institut du Monde Arabe qu’est née l’idée de Golan. Invitant des musiciens parmi les plus créatifs du monde arabe, ils vous entraînent dans une échappée musicale en terre du “Golan”.


1. Tusi 10:48
2. Accept the changes 09:25
3. Furatain 12:27
4. Midday Promise 08:41

Hubert Dupont – contrebasse 
Ahmad Al Khatib - oud 
Youssef Hbeisch – percussions 
Naïssam Jalal – flûte 
Matthieu Donarier - clarinette 
Zied Zouari – violon

Pol Belardi's Force - Creation / Evolution (DOUBLE MOON RECORDS 2017)

Luxembourg has no longer been a tax haven for the nouveau rich or a dwarf state for quite some time. The President of the European Commission is currently from the Grand Duchy with its only 115,000 citizens and also has one of the most vital jazz scenes in Europe.

The multi-instrumentalist Pol Belardi plays a major role in this and also attracts international attention to the amazingly creative biotope that has developed there in the triangle between Germany, FRance and Belgium over the past 15 years. Belardi is representative of his fellow countrymen without any musical blinkers and his curious interest in all styles and influences, with which he was more or less predestined to see beyond his own horizon.

The fact that the 17 year-old electric bass player, who can also play piano, vibraphone and drums, also applies this attitude to jazz helps this genre to develop a fresh, modern, international and future-oriented perspective, especially in times of increasing self-confinement and withdrawing into a shell. Actually Pol Belardi, David Fettman, Jérôme Klein and Niels Engel should in no way produce a jazz album in the classic sense given their seemingly diametric interests.

The four advance with such wide-open ears through the world that you could expect all sorts of things. Their listening interest starts at the most with classic jazz, but extends to classical music and has at least elements of pop, rock, hip hop and electronic music on an equal basis. However, the fact that 'Creation/Evolution is so close to experimental, modern jazz is still surprising. The pieces are charged in a concentrated manner, supposedly quiet and not at all extroverted on a subliminal, tingling level that breatehs the great psirit of jazz through every note with its improvisational daring.

The typical Luxembourg cosmopolitanism outlook characterizes the ten characteristic original pieces, which Belardi naturally also adapts to his complex arrangements. Scents of the great composers of classical music shine through as well as the lyrical touch of a singer-songwriter, the groove of funk, the infectious virus of catchy pop hits and the xperimental breadth of experiemental avant-garde and create a delightful contrast in every respect. 

As guests, the guitarist Riaz Khabirpour and the Kaiser Quartet juggling with elegant virtuosity between late romanticism and contemporary music refine the colorful range of sounds. And the best thing is: a whole range of presentation options exist life for the new program, either with the Kaiser string players, the guitarist Khabirpour of just pure Force.


1 Prayer  04:07
2 Evolver  06:13
3 Plankton  10:27
4 The Secret Lives of Deep Sea Creatures  04:52
5 Snow  04:57
6 A Cold Night during a Warm Summer  07:00
7 Toothgrinder  05:25
8 Convergence a.k.a. Tri(e)ste  05:27
9 Circles  04:56
10 Natural Selection  07:24

Pol Belardi's Force with Riaz Khabirpour and Kaiser Quartett

David Fettmann - saxophone
Jerome Klein - piano
Niels Engel - drums
Pol Belardi - bass, compositions, vibes

Riaz Khabirpour - guitar

Kaiser Quartett - string quartet