ICELANDIC STRING SWING

KURAN SWING  (Iceland, 1992)

I'm always curious about music from exotic places, especially if it is jazz-oriented.  I've posted Jazz albums from Fiji Islands, Mauritius, Faroes, New Zealand ... This one is from Iceland.  I found the CD in the discount bin of a second-hand records shop in Brussels in the 90s.  I must confess that I did not know anything about the Icelandic jazz scene.  

I was intrigued by this album. Moreover I ‘m always drawn to albums by musicians with unpronounceable names.  If you want to impress your mates in any conversation about obscure musicians  just drop the names of Bjorn Thoroddsen or Olafur Poroarson between some dithyrambic ravings about Zbyniew Namyloswski or Joel Vandroogenbroeck.(an easy one if you're flemish or brusseleir).

There isn’t anything revolutionary about the music, jazzy folk rather than straight jazz.  I wouldn’t call it Gypsy Jazz (although the influence is obvious). Still it’s fairly original within the genre as it avoids the usual clichés of gypsy swing and the “look how fast I can play” syndrome.

The overall feel is often closer to country jazz than gypsy jazz as the band uses instruments more commonly heard in country / western swing (mandolin, dobro, banjo) than in jazz.

All the songs are original composition by the band members.  It gives the album a “fraicheur” and originality not always found in a style too often plagued by clichés and a repetitive repertoire (If I want to hear Minor Swing, I listen to Django ... who need another version?).

Jazzy, folksy with country and eastern European flavors.  If that's your cup of tea, give it a try.

NORTH ATLANTIC JAZZ

Jazz I Føroyum 3

LP Tutl – HJF 9, Faroe Islands, 1982

This album is the third in a three LP series documenting the Faroese Jazz scene in the 80s.  It caught my attention because of its origin. The Faroe Islands is not a place usually associated with Jazz.  As a matter of fact I realize I know very little about the Faroe Islands, I’m much more familiar with islands in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific than with those in the Northern Atlantic.  The other thing that caught my interest was the presence of two better known musicians:  Eero Koivistoinen on two tracks and Karsten Vogel (Burning Red Ivanhoe / Secret Oyster) on one.

The Koivistoinen tracks are duos with guitarist Olavur Oster.

The track with Karsten Vogel is somewhat prog rock oriented and should be of interest to fans of Scandinavian fusion / prog.  The title “Grindadrap” refers to the traditional whaling practiced in the Faroes.

Pianist Kristian Blak (Yggdrasil) appears also on three tracks.

Tracklist

A1       Wolf    4:30

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Soprano Saxophone – Eero Koivistoinen

A2       And Then        3:09

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Tenor Saxophone – Eero Koivistoinen

A3       Bollabossa      3:02

Bass – Kolbein Simonsen

Drums – Jan Jacobsen

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Piano – Kristian Blak

A4       Andvekur       2:45

Bass – Kolbein Simonsen

Drums – Jan Jacobsen

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Piano – Kristian Blak

B1       Fotalag                       4:03

Bass – J. Á Rógvu Joensen*

Drums – Poul Strøm

Guitar – Hans Bøgh Andersen

Piano – Kjeld Køngerskov

Tenor Saxophone – Olaf Sørensen

B2       Pigen I 3d       5:17

Bass – J. Á Rógvu Joensen*

Drums – Poul Strøm

Guitar – Hans Bøgh Andersen

Piano – Torben Kjær

Tenor Saxophone – Olaf Sørensen

B3       Grindadrap    10:35

Alto Saxophone – Karsten Vogel

Bass – J. Á Rógvu Joensen*

Drums – Poul Strøm

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Piano – Torben Kjær

Recorded between 1978 - 81, Tórshavns Jazz Club, Faroe Islands.

Jazz I Føroyum 3 is the third in a series of joint releases by Havnar Jazz-Felag and Platufelagid Tutl. The Jazz I Føroyum recordings provide the listener with a sampling of music played in Havnar Jazzfelag by both local artists and visiting musicians.

I have volumes 1 and 2 also which I may post later on when I get a chance to digitalize them.

Très rare ! Another extremely rare Belgian LP

THE CLOUDS
Nederlandse Pocketplaat - NPP 6006, Belgium – 1966

“Très très rare.  Un guitariste à découvrir sur ce disque introuvable, des compositions très intéressantes.  Fortement recommandé.” (website of Paris Jazz Corner)

An album I found some 40 years ago on Brussels’ Vieux Marché (Flea Market).  The Clouds (not to be confused with the UK prog-folk band that recorded a couple of LPs on Island) was an off-shoot of the BRT Jazz Orkest.  They recorded this obscure LP and an even rarer 45 rpm EP

This LP sees the band exploring a repertoire of traditional Flemish and Afrikaans folksongs and re-arranging them for jazz interpretation.  It could be called Chamber Jazz but some arrangements are fairly advanced and the result is strangely compelling.  It doesn’t sound like anything else I’ve heard.  Frans L’Eglise displays a strong influence of Paul Desmond but then a song like “Nooi van die velde” (an Afrikkans traditional song) would not be out of place on a compilation of obscure spiritual jazz.  In a country – and time – that produced records such as those of the Brussels Art Quintet, Babs Robert & the Love Planet or Raphael, everything was possible.

Brussels ' s Flea Market - Place du Jeu de Balles / Vossenplein

And then, there is the great Freddy Sunder on guitar, another unsung hero of Belgian Jazz, better known as a TV variety shows entertainer in the 60s and a pioneer of Belgian novelty Boogie / pre-Rock & Roll in the 50s (on the legendary Ronnex label).

Freddy Sunder

Probably because of his rarity outside of Belgium, this record seems to have escaped the radar of most collectors.  Is it because all the titles are in Dutch or Afrikaans?

Be adventurous and give this strange but beautiful album a listen. 

Tracks

A1.  Cecilia

A2.  Schoon lief

A3.  Twee koningskinderen

A4.  Nooi van die velde

B1.  Vier weverkens

B2.  Sneewwit vogeltje

B3.  Island bedroefde kust

B4.  Heer Halewijn

Muzikanten:

Armand Van De Walle (drums, klokkenspel)

Clem De Maeyer (contrabas)

Frans L'Eglise (altsaxofoon)

Freddy Sunder (gitaar)

Jean Evans (piano)

Johnny Scott (fluit)

Techniek / opname: Paul Leponce

The Clouds discography:

• The Clouds - Vinyl LP album – 1966 - Nederlandse Pocketplaat - NPP 6006

• The Clouds EP - Vinyl 7'' EP – Year ? - BRT - 10 136

n.b. the personnel is slightly different on the EP :

 Armand Van De Walle (drums)

 Charlie Knegtel (trompet)

 Clem De Maeyer (contrabas)

 Freddy Sunder (gitaar)

 Herman Sandy (trompet)

 Willy Albimoor (klavecimbel)

If anyone has this EP, I’d be very interested in getting and posting a rip

(info on the EP comes from here)

WHATEVER

Danny Thompson – WHATEVER (UK, 1987?)

  What is jazz?  I’ve spent countless evenings arguing with other jazz fans about the very nature of jazz while guzzling unreasonable quantities of beer, wine, Scotch , rum or whatever else was on the table, with as sole result a serious hangover the next morning.  I still can’t define Jazz.  This album is a case in point but, who cares eventually? The Duke waved off these academic arguments about jazz with the breezy statement that there is only good music and bad music.   And believe me, WHATEVER is of the good category.

Danny Thompson, one of UK’s leading bass player, does not need any introduction. If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you are already familiar with this outstanding musician.  Pentangle was among my favourite band in the late sixties and I still listen to their albums with as much pleasure as when I first heard them some forty years ago.

Named after his touring band at the time, Whatever, it features Thompson on his trademark double bass, reedman Tony Roberts on all manner of saxes, flutes and clarinets, and guitar from Bernie Holland.

The music falls well within the territory that Pentangle explored in the late 1960s / early 70s, albeit without the twin modal guitars of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and without the vocals.  This trio produces a thick and complex palette of sound, driven by the amazing power of Danny's acoustic double bass, which functions alternately as melody, bottom and rhythm section (no drums), and sometimes all three simultaneously. As to whether it is jazz - well, it's Euro-jazz. Tony's sax calls to mind Norwegian Jan Garbarek, a standard-bearer in that sub-genre. These guys are very adept jazz players, but the music is much more deeply rooted in European folk traditions and it's looking through the folk lens that brings this music into sharpest and sweetest focus. But forget the genres - when you're in the middle of that swirl of emotions that only the finest music can bring, you really won't notice that what you are hearing might be a blend of jazz, Scottish pipes and flameco, as it is on "Lovely Joan".

There is some confusion about the original release date of this album as there isn’t any date in the credits and sleeve notes. . According to AMG, this was originally released in 1974 but according to Wikipedia, it was released in 1987. Could anybody confirm?

Track Listings

1. Idle Monday

2. Till Minne Av Jan (For Jan Johansson)

3. Yucateca

4. Lovely Joan

5. Swedish Dance

6. Lament For Alex (For Alex Campbell)

7. Crusader

8. Minor Escapade