Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Steve Lacy, complete with original artwork and liner notes.
“Soprano Sax”; “Reflections - Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk” “The Straight Horn Of Steve Lacy”; and “Evidence”.
Born in New York City, Steven Norman Lackritz (better known to jazz fans as Steve Lacy ) was one of a rare breed of jazz men to play the soprano sax, almost exclusively. Other famously few players include Sidney Bechet, Johnny Hodges and occasionally John Coltrane. For a musician starting life in a Dixieland jazz band playing alongside such greats as Henry “Red” Allen and Pee Wee Russell, Steve Lacys jazz journey may look an unexpected one…
This double-CD reissues the nine numbers from a former double LP, adding three previously unreleased tunes from the same Switzerland concert. The Steve Lacy Five (the leader on soprano, Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Irene Aebi on cello, violin and vocals, bassist Kent Carter and drummer Oliver Johnson) is at its best on scalar-based instrumentals such as the near-classic "Blinks." Some tunes utilize the voices of Aebi and Lacy, and these are often quite eccentric and for more selective tastes. But the many strong solos by Lacy and the highly underrated altoist Potts makes this two-fer of interest for followers of advanced jazz. This was always a well-organized and highly original group.
Celebrating 40 years as a performing ensemble, the West Coast saxophone quartet ROVA of Bruce Ackley on soprano saxophone, Steve Adams on alto & sopranino saxophones, Jon Raskin on baritone saxophone, and Larry Ochs on tenor saxophone, reworked compositions from all members transversing their past 34 years, in an absolutely impressive and diverse album.
Albert Beger's 5's Listening, released in 2004 on the Earsay label and following on from his trio album Hevel Havalim sees Beger in the relative safety and comfort of a quintet. In addition to Beger on tenor and soprano, the double frontline sees him teamed up with Yoni Silver - a long time collaborator of Israeli free jazz legendary pioneer Harold Rubin - on alto and bass clarinet (and organ). The rhythm section comprises guitarist Yiftach Kadan, Bass stalwart Gabriel Meyer and drummer Hagai Fershtman. The latter two are left from the previous trio.
BL!NDMAN’s approach to early music using modern instrumentation seeks to achieve a reformative transformation, rather than an exact imitation. For the past 20 years, BL!NDMAN has been constantly engaged in the search for a saxophone sound that throws new light on old music. Central to this is timbre, as is the way in which the tone can be consciously influenced by the whole body, even the voice box. This 7-CD set charts their extraordinary journey.