M Base

Despite a strong critical reputation and high-profile work with Jack DeJohnette and Pat Metheney, Gary Thomas somehow got left out when '80s M-Base contemporaries Cassandra Wilson, Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, and Geri Allen found some sort of limelight. German producer Steven Winter has by far been the most consistent documenter of the tenor saxophonist's brawny playing and writing and Pariah's Pariah finds Thomas working in a no-nonsense post-bop quartet with Osby as his front-line foil. The nice harmonies on the extended melody of "Who's in Control?" are an early sign of how well Thomas and Osby complement each other. But the loping, quasi-blues groove of "Only Hearsay" really sets the compositional tone, with both saxes playing off Michael Formanek's bass counterpoint lines.

The music on this "M-Base" recording, despite the difference in instrumentation, does not sound radically different than Ornette Coleman's harmelodic music of the 1980s. Altoist Steve Coleman is the lead voice throughout most of his originals and his solo style (often relying heavily on whole-tone runs and unexpected interval jumps) is intriguing, but it would be surprising if his rhythm section did not get bored playing the funky (although eccentric) rhythms after awhile.

It’s impossible to have a conversation about the power metal revival of the early millennial era without Freedom Call receiving at least a passing mention. They stood apart from the pack of German speed metal informed acts by taking the lighter elements of Helloween’s Keepers Of The Seven Keys sound to their logical conclusion, almost to the point of coming off as AOR with an occasional Gospel flavor played at a faster tempo. The magic that made their unique take on the style so auspicious laid mostly in guitarist/vocalist Chris Bay’s prowess as a studio engineer (he simultaneously gave Saxon’s 1999 smash album Metalhead an upgrade with his capability on the keyboards) and his uniquely light and airy voice, though the driving fury of Dan Zimmerman’s kit work and his then ongoing stints with Gamma Ray and Iron Savior definitely helped to promote the Freedom Call brand from the get go…

As a leader, saxophonist and composer Gary Thomas is wildly ambitious. Throughout the 1980s and into the '90s, Thomas experimented with everything from free jazz and funk to heavy metal and hip-hop. Exile's Gate is another such exercise. There are two distinct bands accompanying him here. One is made up of Thomas on tenor with drummer Jack DeJohnette and guitarist Paul Bollenback with organist Tim Murphy and bassist Ed Howard. The other features the latter two musicians, Marvin Sewell on guitar and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. The first band plays Thomas' free-spirited and aggressive originals while the second plays standards for the most part. Only Thomas would think of putting the two approaches together on one record on alternate cuts.

This CD is well worth the wait. Carrington is joined by a number of jazz greats–pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Gary Thomas, guitarists Kevin Eubanks and Paul Bollenback, and trumpeters Wallace Roney and Terence Blanchard. Stylistically, Carrington's drumming is a brilliant blend of Tony Williams's power, Billy Higgins's finesse, and Elvin Jones's African syncopations. She knows that she does not need to blow everybody away with loud solos, so she leads by driving her band mates. She wrote most of the music, which has a '60s, Miles Davis feel. "Jazz Is" is a spectral opus featuring actor Malcolm Jamal Warner on spoken word and bass. "Lost Star" swings with a Live at the Plugged Nickel vibe, while her take on Wayne Shorter's classic "Witch Hunt" is a melodically recombinant version for this century.

Avec 'Essentiel et plus…', toutes les compétences de base sont renforcées: la lecture, l'utilisation des technologies de l'information et de la communication, le raisonnement logique et la créativité, le développement de la perdonnalité et l'esprit citoyen, l'encouragement à l'autonomie.

'Avec Essentiel et plus'…, toutes les compétences de base sont renforcées: la lecture, l'utilisation des technologies de l'information et de la communication, le raisonnement logique et la créativité, le développement de la perdonnalité et l'esprit citoyen, l'encouragement à l'autonomie. …