Search - Jazzanova, Gilles Peterson :: Kings of Jazz

Dusting off those heavyweight jazz obsure classics....

joemacktheknife | East Hampton, NY | 03/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gilles Peterson digs out obscure gems from well-known jazz masters and Jazzanova get to play with contemporary forces.

If there is any danger of exhaustion from being asked to dig in those crates so often and for so many labels, there is no sign of it here. Gilles has chosen this time to favour the bigger names over the more obscure artists and chosen tracks from Coltrane, Blakey, Evans, Mingus and more.

His side opens with the ephemeral "Christo Redentor" from soul jazz supreme Donald Byrd. Avant-garde gospel meets Ennio Morricone.

We appear to be on more familiar ground with the next track: a mid-sixties Blue Note groover. Except that it isn't, it's Clifford Brown and Max Roach back in 1955, laying down some funky grooves that would turn out to be years ahead of their time.

Gilles has dusted off those Dingwalls jazz sides (or does anyone remember those Saturday afternoon shows on Jazz FM?) and this time filtered off some of the best known names in modern jazz for his contribution to the Kings of... series.

Expect crashing piano solos, crackling percussion and all the accoutrements of a damn fine jazz dance selection. And being jazz dance, there is an obligatory nod to Mark Murphy "My Favourite Things" and a higher than usual incidence of jazz vocal tracks that make the cut.

The thought of Gilles' less jazz-literate fans coming across giants like Coltrane (here represented by the heavyweight choice "Equinox"), Mingus ("Moves") and Bill Evans ("Peace Piece") is an exciting one.



Jazzanova landed the task of choosing from more contemporary sources; a baker's dozen of tracks representing these more broken times. Current big noises like The Matthew Herbert Big Band are there, as are long-time big names on the scene: Two Banks of Four and 4 Hero.

Jazzanova had the luxury of being able to call on many of the artists and elicit exclusive remixes and interpretations of tracks. They have chosen wisely and widely. Their choices cross continents (all populated ones at least) and genres effortlessly demonstrating once again that jazz is not dead, it has just moved house.

Although I am not averse to a spot of nostalgia (like hearing UFO's "Loud Minority" again, it is the fresh Afro-tinged jazz tracks that grabbed me most including possibly the definitive vocal version of "Afro Blue" by Jeffrey Smith - an epic track boldly re-interpreted."

From classic true jazz to jazz-infuenced futurisms...

Jennifer Warner | Raves.com, CA United States | 04/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here's what my reviewer Kris had to say for DJfix.com/Raves.com:

From classic true jazz to jazz-infuenced futurisms, this two disc set brings us "The History" and "The Present" of jazz. Helping to filter out some worthy tracks from jazz's extensive history is Gilles Peterson, whose selections on "The History" disc include Rashaan Roland Kirk's "Spirits Up Above," a kind of funky sung jazz band number that halfway makes me think of the "Hair" musical; lonely, rainy night brass jazz with delicious vocals both male and female on Charles Mingus' "Moves"; the jazz classicism of Mark Murphy's "My Favorite Things," putting to shame Julie Andrew's version; the hip smoothness of John coltrane on "Equinox." Others on disc one include Roy Haynes, Randy Weston, Art Blakely, The Jazz Crusaders, Eric Dolphy and Bill Evans. The second disc explores more modernistic modes, touching on music that may not seem like jazz - in some cases - but is definitely endowed with roots in jazz. Examine the sexy soul jazz-it-up of Nikki O's "Butterflies" or the funktified kickalong of "Mother of the Future" by Bembe Segue. You can immerse yourself in the dark, almost foreboding sound of Two Banks of Four performing "Two Miles Before Dawn." You can even enter electronic chillout territory with "At Les" by the Innerzone Orchestra. Others on this disc are 4 Hero, The Matthew Herbert Big Band feat. Jamie Lidell, Pavel Kostiuk feat. Vanessa Freeman, Rima feat. Ian O'Brien, Carlo Fashion and Hedvig Hanson. These "Present" selections were made by the Jazzanova collective. All told this is a wonderful exploration of jazz and jazz offshoots, boasting an eclectic (for sure) batch of tracks, a selection of smart, alluring music to drift through for a while."

A tour through jazz

C. W. Hall | Atlanta, GA USA | 01/25/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Kings of Jazz is a study in jazz musicology. Jazzanova picks out some of their favorite jazz-infused contemporary material for one disc and Gilles Peterson time travels from the `50s to the `80s chronicling some of his classic jazz favorites for the other. Jazzanova essentially shows us where jazz is while Gilles shows us a bit about where it's come from.



Perhaps surprisingly for the guy who recently did the Digs America compilation, Gilles doesn't make any incredibly obscure choices. His disc consists of mostly familiar names doing mostly familiar material.



There's the well-known rhythm of "Quiet Fire" by Roy Haynes. There's the moving hymnal sound of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Spirits Up Above." There's Coltrane's sax getting a case of the blues on "Equinox." There's Blakey, Mingus, The Jazz Crusaders, and more. The most obscure name is a personal favorite of Gilles. And Mark Murphy's version of "My Favorite Things" hangs right in there with the more exalted names on this side. Gilles provides a beautiful primer on historic jazz.



Jazzanova on the other hand take a look at the various incarnations which jazz is morphing into today. There are fairly straightforward modern jazz songs like Nikki O's "Butterfly" and "Everything's Changed" by The Matthew Herbert Big Band. There are milestone songs that have carved out new niches in the jazz landscape such as 4 Hero's "Spirits in Transit". And then there is my personal favorite, a live version of Bembe Segue's "Mother of the Future."



As you get into the second half of Jazzanova's selections, the disc gets a more electronic feel. Before getting to the latin flavor of Hedvig Hanson's "Afro White", the last four tunes by Two Banks of Four, Rima, Innerzone Orchestra, and Carlo Fashion respectively are all heavily electro-jazz.



As a whole, The Kings of Jazz gives you a wonderful look at the vibrant progression of a genre that many mainstream listeners think of as dying. Gilles and Jazzanova succeed in showing that while jazz is changing, it is very much alive."