From: mcgonig@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca (Gordon McGonigal)
Subject: Reviews of a Few Jazz CDs
Organization: Dept. of Elect. & Comp. Engineering, U of Manitoba
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 05:19:15 GMT

Here are reviews of a few CDs lying around my player these days.

Reviewed are:
  Either/Orchestra -- THE CALCULUS OF PLEASURE    Accurate 3252
  Don Thompson (vib) 4tet -- WINTER MIST    Jazz Alliance 10004
  Jan Kaspersen 7tet -- SPACE AND RHYTHM JAZZ    Olufsen 5060
  Kirk MacDonald (ts) -- THE REVELLERS     Unity 121
  Lotte Anker (ss)/Mette Petersen (p) 4tet  -- BEYOND THE MIST   Stunt 18908
  Willem Breuker Kollektief  --  HEIBEL    BVHaast 9102
  Claudio Morenghi -- SKY GATES    Splasc(h) 347
                             * * *
Either/Orchestra -- THE CALCULUS OF PLEASURE    Accurate 3252
Quite a few nods to the past, but as strong as any of their other albums.
Some fine arrangements of Golson, Moten, Silver, Hemphill,  and a tribute
(or two?) to Miles ("Miles Away" seems derived from a bass vamp off PANGEA).

Don Thompson (vib) 4tet -- WINTER MIST    Jazz Alliance 10004
w/ Barry Elmes (d); Reg Schwager (g); Pat Collins (b).
The bassist and pianist is also one of the few masters of the vibraphone,
which he sticks to <groan> exclusively here.  74 minutes of gorgeous swinging
with the lush backing of Schwager and the attentive drumming of Elmes.  The
intimate live recording at George's in Toronto also lends to the smokey
<cough> atmosphere.   A keeper for sure.

Jan Kaspersen 7tet -- SPACE AND RHYTHM JAZZ    Olufsen 5060
Very swinging Monkish group with strong soloists.   Sounds like they've been
playing together for awhile.  Features Anders Bergcrantz on trumpet.
Some excellent originals.

Kirk MacDonald (ts) -- THE REVELLERS     Unity 121
w/ Sam Noto (tp), Jerry Fuller (d), Mark Eisenman (p), and Steve Wallace (b).
Few first albums are memorable, but this is certainly one of them.  Every
note counts in this hard bop/Coltrane 4tet inspired set.  A nice mix of
standards and strong originals.  Sam Noto is in fine form too!  75 mins.

Lotte Anker (ss)/Mette Petersen (p) 4tet  -- BEYOND THE MIST   Stunt 18908
w/ Jesper Lundgaard (b), and Jesper Elen (d).
Another excellent album in the vein outlined for Kirk MacDonald above,
although this one is a bit more reflective, but no less carefully crafted.
Tunes are all originals except a worthwhile reading of Syeeda's Song Flute.

Willem Breuker Kollektief  --  HEIBEL    BVHaast 9102
w/ Greetje Bijma (voc), and Lorre Lynn Trytten (violin)
This was my first exposure to the Kollektief.  I found it to be much more
accessible, and less slapstick, than I has been led to expect.  Perhaps the
coherence was a result of the suite and mini-opera that span the album. The
vocals in the opera are a bit off-the-wall at times, but as a whole the album
is very enjoyable.

Claudio Morenghi -- SKY GATES    Splasc(h) 347
Saxophonist Morenghi sounds rather tentative, and at times just filling
space.   A good band, but the leader is not yet a strong enough soloist to
carry the show.   Cadence readers may find it amusing to compare my opinion
with Milo Fine's review (May 92, pg. 89).
--
                                   * * *
Gord McGonigal                                  mcgonig@eeserv.ee.UManitoba.ca
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, CANADA (R3T 2N2)       phone: (204) 474-6295
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote