Free Jazz Music

simpatico . whoever selected the musicians for this date took great care . i purchased this session outright after hearing MS. WILSON'S work on STEVE COLEMAN'S "SINE DIE" . MULGREW MILLER is a tremendously inventive soloist with tasteful comping troughout . similarly LONNIE PLAXICO is a very solid and distinctive voice on bass . MS. CARRINGTON sounds as splendid as she ever has (contributing excellent work on a couple of tracks on JOHN SCOFIELD'S "FLAT OUT" within these several years) on drums . after the first two songs i knew i was hearing a true female vocal jazz interpreter of ELLA or SARAH'S ability , but of my generation . true , CASSANDRA would go on to make even greater recordings after this one . this is where she collected my heart though . what an exceptional woman and what a sensuous group . the transition from M-BASE collective to singular song-stress sure seemed effortless .

Cassandra Wilson singing jazz standards is kind of appealing on the surface, but a closer listen will reveal that this is actually not what she's good at doing. I wouldn't call her a "jazz" singer anyway, because for me, Shirley Horn was the best female jazz vocalist of all-time.

Wilson does show an impressive range with these selections, but again, I don't think this is her forte at all. The musicians are great: Mulgrew Miller, Lonnie Plexico, and Terri Lynne Carrington. They are all fantastic, but Wilson's voice simply does not fit into this kind of setting.

I think anyone interested in Cassandra Wilson should check out "New Moon Daughter," which as far as I'm concerned is her best recording.

It's easy to think of Cassandra Wilson as a "young" singer, although she's now on the north side of 50. Ms Wilson is always in transition - the fact that you liked her last album is no guarantee that you'll like her next. With "Blue Skies," Ms Wilson left M-Base funk, made a hard right turn, and produced an album of standards. If you like Ms Wilson's voice, but can't stand her durge-like pacing, afro-cuban instrumentation and eclectic song selection, "Blue Skies" is the album for you. Recorded in 1988, in front of an excellent trio, (Mulgrew Miller, piano; Lonnie Plaxico, base; and Terri Carrington, drums), "Blue Skies" showcases Ms Wilson's deep, burnished alto voice on cuts like "Shall We Dance," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," and, of course, "Blue Skies." If you have any doubt that Ms Wilson can sing "conventional" jazz, "Blue Skies" will put an end to it. And unfortunately, if this album gets your motor running, (as it does mine), you'll have to look hard to find her doing anything like it since. The "Sings Standards" album, released in 2002, includes four of the "Blue Skies" songs, along with standards culled from other later albums, but that's about it. Nobody doesn't have an opinion about Ms Wilson. She either intrigues you, or makes you crazy. If you like her voice and love the standards repertoire, "Blue Skies" is for you.

I once read an interview with Cassandra Wilson where she said that she didn't want to be a traditional jazz singer because she associated this with wearing gowns and being all ladylike and proper. I read that so long ago that I don't remember the exact words, but that's the gist of her objection. That interview took place years after she recorded Blue Skies, an album of jazz standards. As much as I appreciate the way Ms. Wilson draws upon a variety of influences such that her work now transcends categorization, I would love to hear her do more CDs like this one -- straight up jazz.

I stumbled across Blue Skies in the used Jazz section at Kemp Mill. I can't help but wonder who in the world parted with this gem and why? This early work, released in 1988, proves that Ms. Wilson can hold her own in traditional jazz vocals. She more than covers these standards, she claims them as her own. She even scats! Ms. Wilson's version of "My One and Only Love," is my favorite selection. I would recommend this CD to all the Cassandra Wilson fans, particularly those who have only recently discovered her work.

This is a Hidden Gem.You Don't Hear Cassandra Wilson Sing in a Straight-Up Jazz Style ANymore&that's A Shame.cuz Her VOice Here Showcases The Depth&Many talents this Lady Has.The Music is Great as is The playing.I Love Her 90's&Up Albums but this One Is Incredible.

If you go through the series of String Quartet tributes to various artists you really wonder if the compiler was a psycho, there is no logic at all, one would expect either giving more relevance to intrinsic artistic value or simply choosing the most successful artists in a hope to sell well. On the contrary you have a random selection which leave you bemused. However, there are a few interesting ones and by this I mean when the sheer beauty of the songs should be matched, one thinks, by the adaptability to a String Quartet format. The Jimi Hendrix one was obviously one of the more interesting on paper, if only to prove once again that he wasn't merely the greatest rock guitar of all times but also a rather dignified musician who could have given the world other masterpieces had he not succumbed to excessive drug use. Especially interesting for those familiar with the relatively famous jazz "treatment" given to some of his songs by Gil Evans, an experiment in some cases very successful. The problem with both is that, of course, you can't help but miss Jimi's guitar and you are sometimes frustrated by thinking what could have been The String Quartet WITH Jimi Hendrix or, in the other case, what were like the endless jams that Jimi played with John McLaughlin or what could have been the much-talked collaboration with Miles Davis. But I'm beating about the bush, so to talk about this album I'll just say that the choice of tracks is inevitably good, even if I resent the absence of any tracks from Electric Ladyland, that the playing is good and at times inspired, that the songs that translate better are the ones originally less centered around Jimi's solo (the standout for me is Bold as love) and that the arrangements are a little bit sedate. All in all, not a must for Jimi's fans but a tasteful addition to a slim discography (that is if you take out the posthumous albums).

If your like me, your music tastes run the gamut. I can listen to opera, jazz, funk, rap and then rock without missing a beat. I just plain love music.

I especially love Jimi Hendrix. I saw this CD in a used bin and I thought I'd give it a whirl. Wow. This isnt some warmed over version of Jimi's music. It is a string quartet interpretation of Jimi's music. While an ardent fan will of course recognize the songs, my friends who have not been, ahem, musically educated think that this is a new classical album. When they are confronted with his Jiminess they are surprised and often pleasantly so.

Highlights for me include "Manic Depression", "Purple Haze" and "The Wind Cries Mary (I think the it is the standout track)."
Overall, if you like classical music, and Jimi Hendrix, I think you will like this collection. It is imaginative to say the least, and stands as a fine work of classical style art. Also, it confirms to me that Jimi Hendrix was a fine music composer who stands with the all time greats!

WARNING! YOU MAY FIND THIS REVIEW TO HAVE SOME SPOILERS--I HIGHLY RECCOMEND YOU LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM!!!

Believe it or not, this album is truly a masterpiece! It was very maturely, and innovatively done, and will be appreciated by both lovers of classical and Jimi Hendrix (and, of course, good music!) It is by far one of the greatest albums I've ever listened to. The album is a mix of acoustic and electric string instruments (traditional, no adulterating guitar) and it has a very classical/asian sound overall. The whole album has a very full, robust, bassy tone, unlike the Led Zeppelin tribute (which sucks! Both of them--DON'T SUBJECT YOURSELF TO THEM!) which is all-acoustic and nothing but weak, squeaky, violin. This album has both cello and double bass (bowed, of course) I believe. Their are three highlights, and they are:

1.) Third Stone From the Sun
2.) Bold As Love
3.) Castles Made of Sand

Third Stone From the Sun is, by far, the most classical sounding, and, at the same time, mind-blowing, track (it will leave you in a stupor). The original track, which is largely trippy sound-effects, is rendered well. This is also, without question, the most electric track on the album, as, not long into the song, there emerges an unreal slur of distortion from the bowed electric instruments...sigh...and what a glorious ending...

Let's move on to my next favorite...Bold As Love...

This track immediately follows Third Stone (that track placement is just beautiful!) Throughout the song, there's one guy in the backround who, as my friend described it, is just sawing away on the violin. Eventually it bursts into a screeching electric solo. The rendition of the "fireworks" ending is not only note-for-note, but the sound is bent and distorted exactly the way it is in the original. It's the icing on top of the cake my friends, and it's a real treat!

Castle's Made of Sand is, as are the previous two, amazing. It has a very unique, asian-sound to it. Everything is adapted, including the psychedelic intro and outro (and it just sounds so mind-bending when done on the violin!) It sounds like they're using an esraj or dilruba (two exotic, unconventional indian instruments, which are like bowed sitars--both are very similar to each other) for the little solo in the middle and on the five/ten second intro/outro. It's definitely not a violin, and it sounds very, very asian. They also add a little twist to the end by hitting the notes really high (you'll hear what I'm talking about!)

Those are, in my opinion, the three most profound adaptations. That's not to say the others aren't! They extend Little Wing, making it almost six minutes long--adding some really warped string effects! There's a cry-baby violin at the end of up-from the skies. Stone Free is definitely one of the heaviest (sounds like someone's striking and bowing the the electric cello or double-bass every few seconds in the backround!), especially with the elctric violin solo!

I do, however, have one bone to pick. Manic Depression was completely changed! They took away the sound and made it sound like some tribal Native American dance--which isn't bad, but it's not upbeat like the original. I wish they'd done as good a job on this song as they did the others as it's one of my top picks for Hendrix songs. Don't be afraid of this album, it's not a disgrace to Jimi Hendrix. The opposite in fact. It's worth your money, and it deserves five big stars. It's surprisingly unpopular, which is a shame...Ironicaly I didn't even buy this album. A guy I knew burned it for me, but I like it so much that I'm gonna order it tonight! Heh. Well, happy listening!

(...)

fred anderson is one more tenorist playing free jazz superbly and with much energy as attested by the length of 2 of the 4 pieces, mte 47 taking up an entire disc at nearly 45 minutes and mte 48 II coming in over 38 minutes. considering that this was a live recording and how anderson's musical ideas don't flag, you're in for a musical experience.

and you can't go wrong with hamid drake on drums and william parker on bass, who on mte 48 III picks up the classical south indian wind instrument, the nadaswaram, said to be the world's loudest non-brass acoustic reed instrument, to blow in conjunction with anderson on tenor.

i'm surprised blue winter isn't finding space on free jazz lists.

I can't begin to adequately describe this music. It's on another plane, far removed from any earthly matters. It is another example of musical brilliance caught on tape. Fred is in fine form, displaying power, endurance, and passion while spinning line after line of lyrical improvisation. William Parker is, as usual, brilliant. His bass is well recorded and is much more natural sounding than on some of his other recordings. Hamid Drake is perfect here...in sound and execution...a truly phenomenal drummer. The three musicians work together as one on this compelling performance, caught on tape at Johnson State college in Vermont.

Fred Anderson fans will want this 2 cd set. Parker and Drake fans will be lining up for it too. It will probably make those "best of 2005" lists that are all over the place now. It might even get some airplay on your local college radio stations. It's a set of outstanding music that puts major label releases to shame....get this one as soon as you can!!!

A welcome reissue of the 1968 album. Lateef was able to round up some excellent sidemen for the session including Kenny Burrell on guitar, Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Cecil McBee on Bass. Lateef gets to blow all kinds of instruments including several different kinds of flute, a Taiwan koto and scratcher, as well as tenor sax.He also persuaded The Sweet inspirations to add vocal backing to two tracks ( "Juba Juba" and "Back Home").Most of the tracks survive the test of time. Favourites are "Like it is" on which there's the addition of a string quartet, "Get Over get off and get on", and "Six Miles next door". Also worth the price of admission are the sleeve notes, which are VERY 1968, and include some Lateef poetry. The mystery still resolves around the track "Moon Cup". I bought the album when it was originally released and was somewhat skeptical about Lateef singing.... I thought way back then that there was an element of tongue-in -cheek when he declares in the sleeve notes that its " a tagalog chant. The lyrics are derived from a dialect of the Phillipine Islands". Oh yeh? If there's anybody out there who can confirm or deny whether this is so, you'd make a middle aged man very happy.Me? I think he's making it up as he goes along - but I'd love to be proved wrong!

A welcome reissue of the 1968 album. Lateef was able to round up some excellent sidemen for the session including Kenny Burrell on guitar, Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Cecil McBee on Bass. Lateef gets to blow all kinds of instruments including several different kinds of flute, a Taiwan koto and scratcher, as well as tenor sax.He also persuaded The Sweet inspirations to add vocal backing to two tracks ( "Juba Juba" and "Back Home").Most of the tracks survive the test of time. Favourites are "Like it is" on which there's the addition of a string quartet, "Get Over get off and get on", and "Six Miles next door". Also worth the price of admission are the sleeve notes, which are VERY 1968, and include some Lateef poetry. The mystery still resolves around the track "Moon Cup". I bought the album when it was originally released and was somewhat skeptical about Lateef singing.... I thought way back then that there was an element of tongue-in -cheek when he declares in the sleeve notes that its " a tagalog chant. The lyrics are derived from a dialect of the Phillipine Islands". Oh yeh? If there's anybody out there who can confirm or deny whether this is so, you'd make a middle aged man very happy.Me? I think he's making it up as he goes along - but I'd love to be proved wrong!

A welcome reissue of the 1968 album. Lateef was able to round up some excellent sidemen for the session including Kenny Burrell on guitar, Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Cecil McBee on Bass. Lateef gets to blow all kinds of instruments including several different kinds of flute, a Taiwan koto and scratcher, as well as tenor sax.He also persuaded The Sweet inspirations to add vocal backing to two tracks ( "Juba Juba" and "Back Home").Most of the tracks survive the test of time. Favourites are "Like it is" on which there's the addition of a string quartet, "Get Over get off and get on", and "Six Miles next door". Also worth the price of admission are the sleeve notes, which are VERY 1968, and include some Lateef poetry. The mystery still resolves around the track "Moon Cup". I bought the album when it was originally released and was somewhat skeptical about Lateef singing.... I thought way back then that there was an element of tongue-in -cheek when he declares in the sleeve notes that its " a tagalog chant. The lyrics are derived from a dialect of the Phillipine Islands". Oh yeh? If there's anybody out there who can confirm or deny whether this is so, you'd make a middle aged man very happy.Me? I think he's making it up as he goes along - but I'd love to be proved wrong!

A welcome reissue of the 1968 album. Lateef was able to round up some excellent sidemen for the session including Kenny Burrell on guitar, Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Cecil McBee on Bass. Lateef gets to blow all kinds of instruments including several different kinds of flute, a Taiwan koto and scratcher, as well as tenor sax.He also persuaded The Sweet inspirations to add vocal backing to two tracks ( "Juba Juba" and "Back Home").Most of the tracks survive the test of time. Favourites are "Like it is" on which there's the addition of a string quartet, "Get Over get off and get on", and "Six Miles next door". Also worth the price of admission are the sleeve notes, which are VERY 1968, and include some Lateef poetry. The mystery still resolves around the track "Moon Cup". I bought the album when it was originally released and was somewhat skeptical about Lateef singing.... I thought way back then that there was an element of tongue-in -cheek when he declares in the sleeve notes that its " a tagalog chant. The lyrics are derived from a dialect of the Phillipine Islands". Oh yeh? If there's anybody out there who can confirm or deny whether this is so, you'd make a middle aged man very happy.Me? I think he's making it up as he goes along - but I'd love to be proved wrong!