Axis 01

Vignettes marks Crispell's solo piano debut with the label and, after listening through a couple of times, one wonders what took her so long. The pianist on this recording barely resembles the fiery player and improviser who accompanied Anthony Braxton for many years, or the musician who led her own intense ensembles or played hourlong improvised solos that had their roots in the physical approaches of Cecil Taylor and McCoy Tyner.
That said, Vignettes reflects another path of the simply startling development and change in Crispell's recent approach. Crispell has spent a great deal of time in Scandinavia listening to other artists who also record for ECM and other labels. This was first noted apparently when she heard bassist Anders Jormin, whose "less is more" approach also involved the use of folk music from the region in his playing…

Alice is one of the first generation of groups to have done progressive rock in France, even if their sound often came close to the blues rock, they mixed in some heavy psychedelic ideas and threw in a couple pinches of prog purée in their music and achieved a very interesting album, recorded in London and released in early 70. Clearly the leader was multi-instrumentalist and singer JP Auffredo and his style on flute was reminiscent of Jethro Tull, Traffic but sometimes the Yardbirds as well.
This re-mastered version of Alice’s auspicious BYG debut provides an opportunity to reassess a band that deserves wider recognition.

Born in Switzerland, Moraz studied music at an early age and would eventually join Yes for the Relayer album in 1974. From there he embarked on a solo career that would have him release some classic progressive albums in the 70s. When progressive music started on a downturn in the 1980s Moraz joined the Moody Blues for a few albums. His new album, Change of Space, is his first album in five years and fifteenth overall. Apparently Moraz wanted to show his progressive side with this album. The question is did he succeed?

He might have had a hand in some 19 albums, but Andrew Weatherall rarely works alone. From Keith Tenniswood (in Two Loneswordsmen) to Gary Burns and Jagz Koone (as Sabres of Paradise), the best chapters in this auteur's proud discography are results of collaborative partnerships. As The Asphodells, he pairs off with Timothy J Fairplay, a cohort from the near mythical Scrutton Street studio where the likes of fellow analogue alchemists Death in Vegas and Daniel Avery also do their dirty do. The resulting partnership gives rise to music that is a gauzy, coal-stained mesh of various guitar genres all married to a chugging electronic beat and dub-wise swagger…

The band comprises three members originally from South Africa and two from Switzerland. All critically-acclaimed in their own right, Skyjack’s sum is as great as its parts. Shane Cooper (double bass), Kyle Shepherd (piano) and Kesivan Naidoo (drums) have each received the coveted Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz award. Swiss musicians, Marc Stucki (saxophone) and Andreas Tschopp (trombone) are two of Switzerland’s most in-demand horn players who have attained dizzying creative and professional heights over the years. The sound of Skyjack is an absolute powerhouse, with all members bringing compositions written for the group. From deep African grooves, to heavy-hitting jazz rides and beautiful soundscapes, it’s all part of the incredible journey that is Skyjack.