- Della Mae - John Lee Hooker
- Funebre - Michael Wollny Trio
- Asta - Danish Radio Orchestra
- Fragile - Nils Langren - Rigmor Gustafssen
- The Global Soul - David Binney
- Shining on You - Viktoria Tolstoy
- Calima - Grarado Nunez
- Tennessee waltz - Norah Jones
- Down By the Old Well - Tomasz Stanko
- Dodge the Dodo - Esbjorn Svensson
- Massanicisse - Soriba Kouate
- Wade in the Water - Eddie Harris
- Walk Tall - Nils Langren funk Unit
- Mangustao - Nguyen Le
- Back is the Colour of my True Loves Hair
- Joachim Kuhn
- Tangos - Al Di Meola, Michael Brecker.
The ACT label has been a
remarkable success, this is remarkable, the
last 15 years have been extremely difficult
for anyone engaged in the jazz business. Most
successes in jazz are usually down to one
man, in this case proprietor "Siggi"
Loch, he has had the courage to sign fresh
young European Jazz talent for his label and
encouraged people to reach in new directions.
This record is a good example
of the artists he has worked with and their
various talents. Not all the musicians and
singers are from Europe however, Blues Man,
John Lee Hooker kicks things off in his inimitable
style! Track 2 is completely different with
pianist Michael Wollny playing a composition
of the drummer in his trio. Track 3 features
various guests with the renowned Danish radio
Orchestra.
Track 4 has two vocalists
performing a duet, from their album Sentimental
Journey, backed by a jazz trio. Very pleasant
listening. The Global Soul, a composition
of Dave Binney, Alto also features Chris Potter,
Tenor.
Viktoria Tolstoy has a very
pleasant voice which is heard to good effect
on Shining on You. Calima has a Latin flavour
and a most attractive theme.
It was a real pleasure for
me to hear Norah Jones again, she was surely
one of the most underrated singers of the
jazz world. Down By the Well is described
as Swedish Folk Jazz and like most fusion
attempts it ends up as neither fish nor foul!
Dodge the Dodo was not really
for me either, no real jazz feel, plenty of
strange sounds against a repetitive beat.
Eddie Harris with the WDR
Big Band on the other hand is for me, it gets
my vote as the best track on the album, the
track is called Wade in the Water. There is
also some fine trombone Nils Landgren. I know
this tune as something different but at the
moment I can’t think what!
Walk tall takes us in to
Funk Land and is very well played by all concerned.
Black is the colour includes Django Bates
and the NDR Radio Philharmonic, not a lot
of swing here. Tangos has Michael Brecker
on Tenor and is played with the WDR Big Band.
The piece has a Spanish flavour and it is
one of the oldest in the catalogue being released
in 1992, Michael Brecker rarely if ever disappointed
and it would have been nice if his solo had
have been longer, but this is a quality outfit
all round.
I recommend this sampler
album to all jazz fans, it makes you listen
to a lot of people who you have not heard
before, by it’s nature I doubt if anyone will
enjoy everything but the majority of people
will find more that they like than they might
expect.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
ACT
9470-2
