Rondellus - Sabbatum (A Medieval Tribute To Black Sabbath)

Veikko Kiiver - organistrum and vocals
Miriam Andersén - Gothic Harp on #7: Magus (The Wizard) and #2: Oculi filioli (Junior's Eyes)
Maria Staak - hurdy-gurdy on #2: Oculi filioli (Junior's Eyes) and organistrum on #4: Symptoma mundi (Symptom of the Universe)
Robert Staak - lute on #12: Architectus urbis caelestis (Spiral Architect) and #10: Planetarum vagatio (Planet Caravan)
Cätlin Jaago - the bagpipe on #11: Via gravis (A Hard Road)
Tuule Kann - psaltery on #10: Planetarum vagatio (Planet Caravan
Marju Riisikamp - positive organ on #8 Solitudo (Solitude)
Tõnu Jõesaar - fiddle on #7: Magus (The Wizard), #5: Post murum somnii (Behind the Wall of Sleep), #2: Oculi filioli (Junior's Eyes) and #3: Funambulus domesticus (A National Acrobat)
Robert Staak - frame drum on #1: Verres militares (War Pigs), #9: Rotae confusionis (Wheels of Confusion), #5: Post murum somnii (Behind the Wall of Sleep), #2: Oculi filioli (Junior's Eyes), #3: Funambulus domesticus (A National Acrobat) and #11: Via gravis (A Hard Road)


*

01. Verres militares (War Pigs) [03:27]
02. Oculi Filioli (Junior's Eyes) [05:33]
03. Funambulus domesticus (A National Acrobat) [06:13]
04. Symptoma Mundi (Symptom of the Universe) [04:44]
05. Post murum somnii (Behind the Wall of Sleep) [05:00]
06. Post aeternitatem (After Forever) [03:42]
07. Magus (The Wizard) [03:51]
08. Solitudo (Solitude) [03:50]
09. Rotae confusionis (Wheels of Confusion) [03:05]
10. Planetarum vagatio (Planet Caravan) [03:57]
11. Via gravis (A Hard Road) [05:20]
12. Architectus urbis caelestis (Spiral Architect) [04:52]

Recorded at the Tallin Merchant Guild (2002)
Beg the Bug Records (2002)
Monsters of rock Records(2003)

*

“Sabbatum” is a tribute album like no other – 12 Black Sabbath classic songs played by early music band Rondellus and sung in Latin language.
Can You imagine what Black Sabbath would have sounded like if Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward would have formed the band in the 14th century? Would “War Pigs” or “The Wizard” have been as powerful if played on medieval instruments like lute, fiddle and harp?

Rondellus are a gathering of 3-5 musicians who hail from Estonia and play music based in the 14th century using only instruments and vocal techniques from that time. Maria Staak is the brains behind this project and did all of the arrangements. So what exactly is this???? Well, this is Black Sabbath songs sung in Latin and played with only ancient instruments. Pretty strange you say? well it is, but is it good? YES........ If you like Black Sabbath then you must hear this. Put this on late at night and just relax and imagine.. Most of the songs you will recognize right away like War Pigs, Solitude, Planet Caravan, as the arrangements are nearly the same as the original. War pigs starts off the CD and is basically all vocals and a drum. Very eerie and cool.. Some songs have a hurdy gurdy, gothic harp, organsitrum, fiddle, and bells. Some of the other songs played are After Forever, Behind the Walls of Sleep, the Wizard, A hard Road, Juniors Eyes, Symptom of the Universe and A Spiral Architect. I think it is pretty amazing stuff and a great project. Congratulations on a success.
Reviewed by Scott Heller (from Aural Innovations #19 (April 2002)

*

The story of Sabbatum
Interview with producer Mihkel Raud.

How did You meet Rondellus?

When I first came to the idea of recording Black Sabbath songs as if they were written and performed during the middle ages, I started to ask around in order to find an early music band that would turn my "crazy idea" into reality. One name kept coming up - Rondellus. So I approached them and explained what I had in mind. It didn't take much time at all to convince them. They are the most open-minded people I have met during my entire life. More open-minded than the majority of rock musicians I have seen. I've been blessed by having the opportunity to work with Rondellus. They are very creative and talented.

How did You come to the idea of recording a "medieval" Black Sabbath album?

I guess for me the whole Sabbatum thing started a very long time ago. I've been a dedicated Black Sabbath maniac for as long as I can remember. My older brother used to listen to them a lot in the seventies. I was a child back then but I can definitely remember I was caught by Sabbath immediately.

I formed my very own Black Sabbath tribute band at the age of 13. I used to sing and play the guitar at the same time. I was kind of Ozzy and Tony Iommi in one person. So in a way "Sabbatum" is an extension of something I started in my early teens. However, this time around I decided to explore a totally different angle in Black Sabbath music.

Which is?

Well, people tend to believe that the main foundation for Black Sabbath were the riffs. Even though I can agree with that to a great extent, I still think it's not 100 % so. Obviously, no-one could imagine Sabbath without Tony Iommi and his killer riffs. And fantastic solos of course. Still, there is so much more in Black Sabbath.

"Sabbatum" is a Black Sabbath cover album that isn't built around riffs only. We have used some of them ( "A National Acrobat" and " Behind the Wall of Sleep" for example) but basically we were focused on melodies and lyrics. And with medieval instruments and arrangements we tried to re-create them in a totally different enviroment. A few tracks on "Sabbatum" are really minimalistic - just a'capella singing and medieval percussion. Others are with full instrumentation.

Why medieval music?

Normally bands would cover classic rock songs in order to make them sound modern, to give them something they belive wasn't possible to achive back when the originals were recorded. We were determined to have it the other way round. We were kind of playing with the idea that our versions were the originals, some unknown songs from the middle-ages that Black Sabbath found and recorded centuries later.

The other goal was to explore connections between rock and early music. In fact they are not as different as many would expect. By taking these Black Sabbath songs back in time we wanted to prove that the word "power" is very often misunderstood. It's not always a massive wall of sound that makes music powerful. There can be a lot of energy in just one person singing.

All songs are sung in Latin on "Sabbatum". Why?

Medieval music sounds more authentic in Latin. I guess this is one of the main stereotypes of early music but we didn't see any substantial reason to have it any other way. Our goal was to keep the whole thing as true to the early music principles as possible

How did You choose songs for "Sabbatum"?

I had my own "wish list" and Rondellus had theirs. By combining the two of them we came to a collection of songs that in my opinion represents Black Sabbath at their very best. Unfortunately, there are so many great songs we just couldn't do this time. Some of them didn't work with medieval arrangements and some had lyrics which might have been misunderstood.

I was sure of not having "Paranoid" or "Iron Man" on the album. Both of them are brilliant but it's so predictable to have these titles on a Black Sabbath tribute album. We wanted to include some of these "under-rated" songs as well. I'm not sure if I have heard a cover of "Junior's Eyes" before. I have now and to my biggest surprise it turned out to be one of the key songs on "Sabbatum".

You mentioned lyrical content as the reason for not covering some of the Black Sabbath songs. Could You be more specific?

Well, I would be lying if I said that the issue of widely misunderstood image of Black Sabbath didn't come up. Most of the musicians involved in "Sabbatum" are religious. Unfortunaltely, the misconstruction of Black Sabbath being the founders of "dark" and "satanic" rock music is massive. I have no idea where it came from. Just look at the lyrics - there is nothing whatsoever "satanic" in them. Sabbath used black magic only as a reference, their darker lyrics were in fact warnings against Satanism.

Like I said, Rondellus is a group of very open-minded people and they didn't have a problem with Black Sabbath lyrics or music. Still I felt that asking them to sing "my name is Lucifer, please take my hand" would have been too much. Regardless of what the true meaning of these lines was.

I'm convinced that "Sabbatum" is an album of love and faith. It has been a privilege to be a part of such a project. Working on my all time favourite songs was a dream come true. Rondellus is by far the most intelligent and talented band I've ever had the pleasure to work with.
http://www.sabbatum.com/story

Prewiew:
#12:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjjm_46mF3s&
#10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz0tYD_vVIo&
#1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2y51ixsu8

George Mraz - Morava

George Mraz - bass;
Emil Viklicky - piano;
Zuzana Lapcikova - vocals, cymbalom;
Billy Hart - drums;



*


01. Aspen Leaf (Na Osicce) [05:48]
02. Oh, Mountain (Ej, hora, hora) [04:42]
03. Gray Pigeon (Videla jsem meho holubka siveho) [04:51
04. Up in a Fir Tree (Na kosatej jedli) [03:45]
05. Myjava [06:17]
06. She Walks in a Meadow (Chodila po roli) [04:55]
07. Little Black Swallow (Lastovenka, cerny ptak) [02:46]
08. Desire (Touha) [04:54]
09. Wine, Oh Wine (Vink, Vinko) [06:37]
10. Gray Falcon (Zalet sokol, sivy ptak) [02:05]
11. The Sun Goes Down (Slunecko sa nizi) [06:17]
12. Jurenko, Jurenko [03:51]

Recorded at The Studio, NYC on June 09-11,2000

**
Although George Mraz is listed as the leader here, the session really belongs to pianist-arranger Emil Viklicky and vocalist-cymbalomist Zuzana Lapcikova. These are songs based on or inspired by Moravian (eastern Czech) folk music. But this music is given a definite jazz spin by Viklicky's outstanding arrangements and the solid rhythm section of Mraz and drummer Billy Hart.
Lapcikova has a beautiful, somewhat plaintive voice that sounds like it would also do well with more traditional settings of this music. Here she's backed by an empathetic jazz trio, and it works. This reminds me a lot of John Taylor and Norma Winstone's Azimuth project, maybe with Miroslav Vitous subbing for Kenny Wheeler. Viklicky is an accomplished pianist, handling a range of material from sensitive ballads to up-tempo swingers, although the average tempo seems to be somewhere around medium to medium-slow. The occasional appearances by Lepcikova's cymbalom add a strange and interesting tinge to a familiar sound-world. There aren't any real avant-garde elements here, but the combination of ingredients adds up to an unusual and delightful CD. - Joe Grossman

*

In the 20th century, jazz artists were influenced by a wide variety of world music everything from Brazilian samba (Stan Getz) to Middle Eastern and Indian music (John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef) to Swedish folk (Jan Johansson). Jazz/world fusion still offers endless possibilities; regrettably, too many of hard bop's unimaginative "Young Lions" are too busy playing the same old Tin Pan Alley standards the same old way to try anything new. But if you're seeking something fresh from jazz, George Mraz's Morava is well worth exploring. Recorded in 2000, this gem finds the Czech bassist successfully combining jazz with traditional Moravian folk. Some of the songs are instrumental, but most of them feature Czech singer Zuzana Lapcíková -- a soulful, charming artist who is also known for playing the cymbalom (a dulcimer that is used in Eastern Europe). All of the lyrics are in Czech, although Milestone/Fantasy provides English translations. It isn't every day that you hear Czech lyrics and jazz rhythms at the same time, but the two prove to be quite compatible. Morava isn't the first example of a jazz artist looking to Eastern Europe for inspiration Swedish pianist Jan Johansson recorded an album of Russian folk songs (Jazz in Russian), and in 1999, Helen Merrill incorporated Croatian elements on Ana Jelena Milcetic, aka Helen Merrill (which employed Mraz on double bass). But even so, it's safe to say that post-bop/Moravian fusion isn't something that the jazz world has been inundated with. Consistently risk-taking and exploratory, Morava is among Mraz's finest accomplishments. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

*

George Mraz's "Morava" is an ambitious project which yielded gorgeous results. A native of Czechoslovakia, and one of jazz's great bassists, he decided to meld the folk music of his native land (Moravia) with the jazz music of his adopted country (the U.S).

Some musical experiments succeed, while others fail, but "Morava" is definitely in the former category. This is just a gorgeous album, full of beautiful tunes, wondrous playing, and the ethereal vocals of Zuzana Lapcíková.

Mraz's bass playing is a marvel. It is muscular, yet sensuous and delicate and wondrously melodic at the same time. He is one of those gifted musicians who just seems to exude musical perfection, always hitting exactly the right note with exactly the right phrasing.

The other musicians (Billy Hart on drums, Emil Viklicky on piano and Lapcikova occasionally on cymbalom) perform beautifully as well. To say that they are all on the same page is an understatement. The interplay is positively telepathic. Though on the quiet side, the music is propulsive and consistently engaging. Your foot will be tapping while your ears drink in the melodies.

I wish I could compare this album to something else, but nothing really comes to mind because it is fairly unique. The vocals might appeal to fans of Astrud Gilberto, Flora Purim, and even Joni Mitchell. The music should appeal to jazz-heads, bass players, and anyone with an appreciation of beauty.
By Paul J. Escamilla "sentient being" (NYC) http://www.amazon.com/Morava-George-Mraz/dp/B00005A8A5

Emil Viklický - Zuzana Lapciková - Jiri Pavlica - Prsí dést [Fast Falls The Rain]

Emil Viklicky - piano;
Zuzana Lapcikova - dulcimer, vocals;
Jiri Pavlica - violin, hurdy-gurdy, tromba marina, Jew's harp, vocals;

additional musicians on tracks 2, 5, 8-10,13, 15:
Frantisek Uhlir - double bass;
Josef Vejvoda - drums;

*

01. Prolog [01:45]
02. Prsí dést [04:58]
03. Grumla [04:34]
04. Kvítí milodejné [04:04]
05. Sibenicky [03:41]
06. Bazalicka [04:40]
07. Bylo lásky [03:59]
08. Kone moje vrané [03:47]
09. Ked sa Janko na vojnu bral [06:17]
10. Mal som 7 penazí [02:07]
11. Na horách, na dolách [04:18]
12. Dyby ne tak bylo [03:57]
13. Masíruju na Francúza [03:00]
14. Touha [04:51]
15. Epilog [03:50]

Recorded at Demovina Studio, Prague on April 1994
Lotos LT 0014-2 531

*
“…When most American jazz buffs think of the Czech Republic, they probably think of bassists George Mraz and Miroslav Vitous or keyboardist Jan Hammer. However, Europeans knowledgeable about the same topic probably think of Emil Vicklický, the acknowledged "Patriarch of Czech Jazz Piano." Known for combining the melodism and tonalities of Moravian folk music with modern jazz harmonies and classical orchestration in a distinctly individual style, Vicklický grew up in the former Czechoslovakia, where his father was a university art professor. He graduated in 1971 from Palacky University with a degree in mathematics, and applied to graduate school with a view to becoming a professor himself. His first postgraduate lesson was also his last: learning that in communist Czechoslovakia circa early 1970s, political correctness was more important than academic merit, convincing him to pursue a musical career instead.

In 1974 he was awarded the prize for best soloist at the Czechoslovak Amateur Jazz Festival, and in 1976 he was a prizewinner at the jazz improvisation competition in Lyon. His composition "Green Satin" earned him first prize in the music conservatory competition in Monaco, and in 1977 he was awarded a one-year scholarship to study composition and arrangement at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Since returning to Prague, he has led a variety of quartets and quintets and lectured at summer jazz workshops in both the Czech Republic and Wales. From 1991 to 1995, Vicklický served as president of the Czech Jazz Society, and since 1994 he has worked with the Ad lib Moravia ensemble, which had a highly successful concert tour of Mexico and the United States in 1996. Vicklický often performs in international ensembles with American and European musicians, including the Lou Blackburn International Quartet and the Benny Bailey Quintet. He has made frequent appearances in Finland with the Finnczech Quartet and in Norway with the Czech-Norwegian Big Band, and he has performed throughout Europe as well as in Japan and Israel. The editor of Rolling Stone magazine once wrote of Vicklický that, "it was a delightful surprise to see such first-class, top-of-the-line jazz in Prague."…
...
AAJ: You're known for combining Moravian folk music and jazz. I'm curious, given that your audience tonight will be primarily Czech-Americans, will you do anything different than you might if you were, say, just playing at some jazz club in New York or Chicago?

EV: No, I don't think so. That is my trademark, and the only thing that might be different tonight is that the audience might be even more responsive, and they may know some of the folk songs I use. On the other hand, I've reharmonized, even changed them rhythmically pretty far from the original, and they might not recognize them. Something I do in the Czech Republic which has been commercially successful is touring with Zuzana Lapcikova, a folk singer who is educated in ethnography. She's a very good singer; she dresses in the traditional folk garb, gives some background, and she sings the melody in its original form. And then we take it on and gradually change it into something, and then we gradually bring it back…
by Victor Verney (allaboutjazz)
Full interview:
(http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23450&pg=6&page=1)

Kocani Orkestar meets Paolo Fresu & Antonello Salis "Live"

Paolo Fresu - trumpet, flugelhorn;
Antonello Salis - piano, accordion;
Furio Di Castri - bass
&
Kocani Orkestar:
Durak Demirov - saxophone,
Turan Gaberov - trumpet,
Sukri Kadriev - trumpet,
Nijazi Alimov - bariton tuba,
Saban Jasarov - tapan,
Suad Asanov - bass tuba,
Dedzai Durmisev - bariton tuba,
Sukri Zejnelov bariton tuba,
Dzeladin Demirov - clarinet,vocals,
Ajnur Azizov - vocals.

*

01. Notti a Mogadiscio [06:15]
02. Gajda [08:20]
03. ...Del Viaggio [06:13]
04. Papigo [08:32]
05. Variazioni Sul Ballo [06:53]
06. Jacquelina [07:19]
07. Siki Siki Baba [08:22]
08. Good By Macedonia [09:09]
09. Red Bull [07:01]

#1,3,5,7,9 Recorded live in Ravenna, on February 25, 2004.
#2,4 Recorded live in Foligno on February 29, 2004.
#6,7 Recorded live in Roma on March 01, 2004.

*

This one leaps out to the edge, with the inimitable Balkan brass band joined by two Italian jazz experimenters for a raucous, surprising and completely unexpected set of musical adventures. 60 minures of great music from various live performances during late February and early March of 2004

Video:
Kocani Orkestar arrive in Sardinia to play at Time in Jazz Festival 2007:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOBZmbpPF9A
Time in Jazz 2007:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GekDxra3qTI

Photo gallery:
http://www.insiemegroane.it/root/eventi/SchedaEvento.asp?idEvento=3914

Olo Walicki - Kaszëbë

Olo Walicki - double bass, guitar, keyboard,
Piotr Pawlak - guitar,
Kuba Staruszkiewicz - drums, timpani,
Cezary Paciorek - accordion, Hammond organ;
Damroka Kwidzinska - recitation,
Maria Namyslowska - vocal,
Karolina Amirian - vocal,
voice of Roza Ostrowska in #6
(from radio broadcast recorded at Radio Gdansk on December 31, 1972)

*

01. Wanoznice [04:08]
02. Czas Ca goni [06:18]
03. Wiedno Te [07:07]
04. Zemia Mojo [06:43]
05. Przechodom do Ce [06:44]
06. Te Dwa [06:12]
07. Tatczezna [05:46]
08. Bro [02:57]

All Kashubian lyrics by Damroka Kwidzinska
Recorded in Wdzydze Kiszewskie, autumn 2006

*
Olo Walicki (Olgierd Walicki) - double bass player and bass guitarist, born on 21 December 1974 in Gdansk.
In 1989 Olo Walicki together with the clarinet player Jerzy Mazzoll founded his first band Niebieski Lotnik. In the 90's he was a co-author of the yass scene. He performed with Miłość, Maciej Sikała Trio, Chamber Meeting, Mikołaj Trzaska Quartet and with Łoskot. He worked with outstanding musicians: Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski, Zbigniew Preisner, Adam Pierończyk, Brandon Furman, Frank Calberg, Greg Tardy and a vocalist Christine Correa. He cooperated with the Muniek Staszczyk Band, Szwagierkolaska, and with such groups as: Oczi Cziorne, Chili My, Agape. He performed in duo with the vocalist Mika Urbaniak and in trio Euro Commissars with Finnish guitarist Kall Kallima and German percussion player Maurice de Martin. In 2003 he started working with Polish writer Ingmar Villqist. He composed music for theater "Sprawa Miasta Ellmit" (2003) and "Helmucik" (2004) and for the performance "Oskar and Ruth" (2006) in Katakomben Theaters in Essen.

Together with Leszek Możdżer, Maurice de Martin and The Gdańsk Philharmonic Brass Quartet created a project "Metalla Pretiosa", which premiere took place in 2003 at the 45th Festival "Jazz Jamboree" in Warsaw. He is an author of the project Olo Walicki Kaszëbë (Damroka Kwidzińska - vocal, Maria Namysłowska - vocal, Piotr Pawlak - guitar, Olo Walicki - double bass, Cezary Konrad - percussion), - a mix of jazz with traditional music from the region of Kaszuby. The project was presented in 2005 at 26. Folk Festival of the European Radio Union. Since 2000 he has been running his own record label Olo Walicki Production.

*
Recently it has been talked a lot about the record Kaszebe by Olo Walicki, which got excellent reviews in the music circles. In one of them, published in Tygodnik Powszechny, Janusz Jablonski wrote that Kaszebe "is based on brave jazz and contemporary Kashubian poetry. Olo Walicki's septet consists of Damroka Kwidzinska - poetess, who wrote all the lyrics and recited some of them, Karolina Amirian and Maria Namyslowska, who sing the rest, Cezary Paciorek playing accordion and Hammond organ, guitar player Piotr Pawlak, drummer Kuba Staruszkiewicz (Pink Freud) and the leader, playing contrabass, acousting guitar and keyboards. Just for the arrangement of voices, Walicki deserves an award. A duo of the light, girlish voice of Karolina Armiran and the misty, full ofharmonical subtleties alto of Maria Namyslowska makes an immense impression from the first until the last not (...) Personal lyrics by Kwidzinska strongly place the music in its local context.
Thanks to them, the listener is convinced s/he is listening to an important work, and that it was created in purpose (...). For a long time I have not heard such a moving music. I have been listening »Kaszebe« since two weeks, and after having played it a few dozen times, I still have not enough".

*

http://www.olowalicki.com/mp3.php?id=11

#1 "Wanoznice"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gPX7Y2OkK4
#5 "Przechodom do Ce "
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=GsaFItjXIXk

The Kashubs Today (in English):
http://www.instytutkaszubski.pl/pdfy/angielski.pdf

Veronika Povilioniene & Petras Vysniauskas - Islek, sakale [Fly, Falcon, Fly]

Petras Vysniauskas - soprano saxophone
Veronika Povilioniene - vocal



*


01. Islek, sakale... (Fly, Falcon...) [06:14]
02. Bliuzas (Blues) [03:56]
03. Vai tu dziemed... (Oh, You Wormwood...) [02:45]
04. Sutartine [04:24]
05. Eik, ozeli (Go, Little Goat...) [05:22]
06. Lek gervele (A Crane Is Flying...) [03:14]
07. Kad jau saulute (Cause The Sun...) [04:44]
08. Sutems tamsi (Dark Night Is Coming...) [06:38]
09. Sutartine (Lament) [03:50]
10. Rauda [01:43]
11. Ein motuse (Mother Is Going...) [03:07]

Recorded in Vilnius, Lithuania in 1992.

*
Veronika Povilionienė, the most famous performer of Lithuanian folk songs, has become a symbol of national culture. Originally from Dzūkija, the singer has inherited the tradition from the old singers of this region. Veronika Povilionienė's voice is strong and evocative; it reveals, with expression, the extraordinary beauty of the Dzūkian monodic songs, their modes and melodic turns. Apart from abundant solo performances and recordings, the singer frequently gives concerts with the folk ensemble Blezdinga and the ensemble of Indian classical music Lyla. The singer is also famous for her collaborations with jazz musicians and contemporary classical composers (saxophonist Petras Vyšniauskas, composers Vidmantas Bartulis and Bronius Kutavičius), other renowned artists, poets and film directors. One of her most notable recent projects is the program of historic and war songs Kada sūneliai sugrįš (When Our Sons Come Back), arranged by the composer Giedrius Svilainis and recorded with the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Honour Guard Band.

*
"Soprano saxophonist Petras Vysniauskas, a Lithuanian, is I believe one of the most profoundly original musicians concentrating on that instrument -- his jagged phrases expanded on determinedly original intervals and his sound is powerful -- stronger and more pointed than Sam River's has become, for instance, more densely concentrated than the late Steve Lacy's, if not polyphonic in the manner of Evan Parker." - Howard Mandel, NYC, USA, 2007

"... Petras Vysniauskas is one of the best soprano saxists we've heard in many years ... " - Bruce Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, NYC, 2006

"Something of the rugged beauty of the Lithuanian countryside and the passion of many of his fellow countrymen has been breathed into his music. For me Petras Vysniauskas' music remains unforgettable because of his clear, individual concept. The use of themes from traditional folk music is one facet of this saxophonist, who reflects both the modern development in jazz and the sound idioms of the new and latest improvised and composed music. However, as he himself says, his feeling for folk music is part of his musical identity. And he adds: "In Lithuanian folk songs I hear echoes of John Coltrane; I try to combine this with the free form of expression offered by modern jazz". (Bert Noglik/1990)

Enver Izmailov & Geoff Warren - Dancing over the Moon

Enver Izmailov - electric guitars;
Geoff Warren - flute & soprano saxophone;

01. Terrain turquoise [03:36]
02. Touch Down at Falconara [02:23]
03. Ancona danza [08:45]
04. Among the Hops [04:15]
05. Near the Grapes [03:55]
06. Boina [09:10]
07. Dolu [03:25]
08. Lonely Dancer [06:49]
09. Enver's Mood #2 [03:08]
10. Departure [06:38]
11. White Minarets [03:43]

Recorded live at Loft Hinkelstein, Essen, Germany on June 19 & 20, 1995.
Tutu Records

*
Enver Izmailov is an unique musician who invented "tapping" - a highly original technique of the electric guitar playing (he plays guitar with his both hands on the neck as if it were a keyboard) - knowing nothing about Stanley Jordan who invented the same in US at the same time. His music is a combination of many elements - jazz, Mediterranean and oriental folklore, classical harmony and astonishing virtuosity.

http://www.jazz.ru/eng/pages/izmailov/
*
Enver Izmailov:
live 2006 part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNxxfCKwgm8
3556
live 2006 part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jy6e3z1Bks
5816

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bHc_ps9HCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXFjYorR4Tw
*
Geoff Warren:
Donna Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nlAOG7PIYo
Oleo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WCVb3S78-g&