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Secret oyster - Vidunderlige kælling

March 11th, 2011

Secret Oyster - Vidunderlige KaellingSECRET OYSTER

  • Vidunderlige kælling
  • CBS
  • 1975
  • Denmark

Secret oyster was a short lived jazz-rock fusion supergroup from Denmark that was active only few years during the mid 1970s, but still released four albums. The group was basically a collaboration that emerged from the remnants of Danish prog, psych and fusion bands Burnin’ red Ivanhoe, Coronarias dans and Hurdy gurdy. Musically Secret Oyster was close to the fusion greats Mahavisnu orchestra, Nucleus and Return to forever. Vidunderlige kælling (wonderful bitch) was released in 1975 and was their third album. When Royal Danish Ballet asked them to provide the music for their forthcoming erotic ballet based on the poetry of Jens August Schade they accepted the offer. Besides being very controversial project due the nudity, the musical choice was also quite surprising. Jazz-rock fusion is not the first what comes to mind when thinking of ballet.

The album starts out calmly enough, with the orchestral “Intro” and the spacy “Stjernerne pa gaden.” Next up is “Sirenerne”, a funk-rock esque fusion track, that had some critics comparing them to Miles Davis‘ band at the time of Bitches Brew. “Astarte”, with its Middle Eastern vibes due the sitar work and quite hypnotic rhythm is also a great track. The best track can be found on the b-side however. “Bellevue” starts with a long break and continues as funk track with some fusion elements and two additional breaks in the middle and in the end. The rest of the b-side is again very calm and essential orchestrated material. The album ends with “Outro” that starts with an ominous Moog and string synths before climaxing to a fluttery finale. Weird but beautiful despite the slightly disturbing cover. Vidunderlige kælling was also released internationally with the same cover but under the name Astarte.


Sirenerne


Astarte


Bellevue

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under europe, fusion | No Comments »

Syrius - Széttört álmok

February 7th, 2011

Syrius - Széttört álmokSYRIUS

  • Széttört álmok
  • Pepita
  • 1976
  • Hungary

Syrius was a hungarian progressive jazz-rock band that was founded in 1962 by tenor saxophonist Baronits Zsolt. Their debut album Devil’s masquerade was released first in Australia in 1971 and a year later in Hungary under a name Az Ördög álarcosbálja. From 1970 to 1973 they were considered to be the most unique prog rock band in Hungary and one of the best from the whole Europe. Their second album Széttört álmok (Broken dreams) was released in 1976 and it was kind of reflecting the bands faith within its name. Only two members were left from the strong first album line-up and instead of the five players in Devil’s masquerade, there was total 15 musicians playing in this second album. It was not considered to be as good as the first one by Baronits Zsolt and he disbanded the band shortly after in 1977.

Despite being considered as a minor disappointment by Zsolt, I think this second album is more funky and grooving than the first album. There’s plenty of breaks and beats in addition to the jazz-rock fusion groove they got. Tracks vary from downtempo funky fusion jams like “Hol az az ember” (Where Is The Man) to ballads and uptempo funk-rock tracks. “A láz” (The Fever) is an uptempo funky fusion song with breaks and slightly disturbing rock guitars made famous by the late break dj Leacy. “Kinyújtom kezem” (I’m streching out my arms) starts with a break ja continues as a nice funky uptempo number with another long break in the middle. Title track “Széttört álmok” (Broken dreams) is a midtempo funk track with a break, guitars and some percussion work. Széttört álmok is one of the best albums that ever came out from the Hungarian national record company Pepita.


Hol az az ember


Széttört álmok


Kinyújtom kezem


A láz

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under europe, fusion | No Comments »

Big band Katowice - Music for my friends

January 15th, 2011

Big band Katowice - Music for my friendsBIG BAND KATOWICE

  • Music for my friends
  • Muza
  • 1977
  • Poland

Katowice is a relatively small city in Silesian voivodeship in southern Poland that has stood there since the 16th century. It has a colorful history between the kingdom of Prussia and the Russian federation, but most of all it has been an important effect on the jazz scene in the whole Poland. And of course it has produced one of the best jazz albums in Polish jazz history. This album - Music for my friends - presents Big band Katowice at its peak line-up with a variety of jazz-rock fusion tracks mixed with contemporary mainstream jazz. This line-up consists of students from Katowice Academy of Music and here you can find some of the brightest stars of the Polish jazz movement of the 1970s. After this album members of the band have played in many of the most important groups in Polish jazz, such as Extra ball, Sunship, Novi singers and Swing session. Some of the musicians also appear on various German library music records.

Music for my friends is a fine example of the sound widely known as the “Silesian sound”. It’s a selection from mellow downtempo tracks to grooving uptempo dancefloor fillers. It’s no doubt one of the finest moments in Polish jazz. Standouts in this album are the really funky uptempo jazzfunk number “Hey, man” with a little lazy horn and flute driven drum/percussion breakdown in the middle, the uptempo jazzfunker “Sorcerer” and the insane “Madrox” that starts with a hectic bboy break and continues with pitched up riffs lifted from Meters‘ classic “Cissy Strut”. Not too easy to find with a cheap price but not that rare either.


Hey, man


Sorcerer


Madrox

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Written by Mista Tibbz, at 18.00, filed under europe, jazz | No Comments »

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