Soft Machine – ‘Høvikodden 1971’ (2024)
Soft Machine’s peak roster playing at peak performance is reason enough to plunk down for ‘Høvikodden 1971’ if this boundary-pushing style of jazz-rock is your thing.
Soft Machine’s peak roster playing at peak performance is reason enough to plunk down for ‘Høvikodden 1971’ if this boundary-pushing style of jazz-rock is your thing.
‘Live at the 188 Club’ from Aurora Nealand, Mark Helias and Tim Berne underscore the three-way interplay between sax, accordion and bass, and proves the concept works nicely when the right musicians are executing it.
‘Old Main Chapel’ is a fitting epilogue in the rich, under-heralded output from the gently poignant brilliance of Ron Miles.
Chick Corea’s rejiggering the fusion jazz formula toward the jazz direction with generally sharper songwriting has made his Elektric Band II’s ‘Paint The World’ hold up well over the years.
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Here we are well into the 21st century and Sun Ra’s music from these mid-70s performances is in some ways, still ahead of the present time.
Released on 55 years ago this week, ‘Crosby Stills and Nash’ brought together guys whose average work shames most rock composers. Then they upped the ante.
Pianist John Escreet took his great L.A. group and made it even better for the epicenter of your dreams.’ Call it addition by sweet addition.