Ya gotta love the moxie of the Slam label. They aren’t afraid to record the most adventurous music out there. But, they don’t do it for it’s own sake; much of the music has an importance to it. Carry on…
If you are a fan of The Gentle Side of John Coltrane, this trio of Paolo Cerboni Bajardi/sax, Bruno Cerboni Bajardi/perc and Mirco Ballabene/b is for you. The eight songs here feature Paolo in settings ranging from the mourning tenor on the somber “Sanson Ki Mala” and delicate “Kothbiro” (with Massimo Bonomo guesting on piano) to a changing soprano with hand percussion on the rumbling “Punay.” Flowing drapes in the wind on “Ninna Nanna” and the middle eastern “Amor Mi Fa Cantar” is as reflective as watching the red sun set. Wondrous!
The collective The Spirit Farm is comprised of Christophe De Bezenac/ts, Adam Fairhall/p, Anton Hunter/eg, Johnny Hunter/dr, Dave Kane/b and Corey Mwamba/vib-glock-fl. The songs are divided between two LONG jams of 15 and 18 minutes and more concise random spotlights. Of the former, you get lots of fluffy tenor and rumbling percussion that makes wonder when they’re going to get to the point on “All” while bowed bass, guitar tunings and random sax scales comprise “All Again.” Percussive effects and random guitar pickings make up “Anton, Christophe” while the glockenspiel and guitar team up for “Adam, Corey.” Was this the tuneup for a greater production?
Suite of Dreams is comprised of the trio George Haslam/bs-cl-tarogato, Richard Leigh Harris/p-key and steve Kershaw/b-elec. The ten tunes here create evocative moods, with some eerie keyboards on “Sostenuto” and plucky Asian piano chords on “Tenebrae.” Some slap tonguing by Haslam makes Somethingology” fairly percussive, whle sneezing sax reeds growl to electronic on the fuzzy “Dreaming in Spires.” Brooding reeds and bowed bass team up on “Under a Different Sky” and piano and bass make for some dark shadows on “Deja-Vu.” Jazz free impressionism.
SLAM PRODUCTIONS