Jazz Meets... Gently Radical Theology?

Elise, by Norwegians Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Håkon Kornstad, is a celebration of a religiously inspired folk music tradition, and of family. That family is the eponymous Elise Flaten, whose vintage, unaccompanied recording of a simple hymn is heard on track 1 and sets the tone for what follows. The hymn, set to a folk melody, is one of a body associated with a bygone breakaway religous movement in Norway, whose philosophy of simplicity rebelled against the mainstream middle-class church. The remaining tracks are a minimalist Jazz interpretation of that hymn tradition, and by extension that philosophy and way of life. The music is heartfelt and gently radical, like the tradition that inspired it.



This is lovely stuff, slightly challenging at times, but well leavened with beauty and simple, genuine expression. Sound samples are available at Amazon.

Folk Music for the Ages

Folk Roots, New Routes is a meeting of two consummate artists who came out of the English folk tradition. Davy Graham was a highly eclectic and original guitarist, drawn to Jazz, US folk and Eastern music. Shirley Collins had quite simply one of the most beautiful, crystalline voices ever recorded (and it's interesting to note that prior to making this recording she accompanied Alan Lomax on a folk song collecting trip to the Southern United States). This mid-60's collaboration, rooted in the English folk ballad tradition, but taking in the influences mentioned above, is one for the ages.


Everything here is excellent, but some special moments for me are "Love is Pleasin'", which will move anyone who has ever lost a love; "Rif Mountain", an Eastern-flavored solo feature for Graham; and last but not least "Bad Girl", in which the words "cold as the clay" (when we realise that the protagonist is dead) never fail to send a shiver down my spine.

One of the highlights of recorded music, full stop.

EDIT: Sound samples from Amazon.com.

Blue Note Obscurities Part 1: Some Other Avant-Cool Stuff

Blue Note is an iconic record label, like Motown or Sun, and people who get into Jazz can hardly fail to discover it. The label in its lengthy heyday featured a phenomenal and stylistically varied roster of talent, but runs of albums in the Hard Bop style by the likes of Grant Green, Horace Silver, Donald Byrd, Jimmy Smith and Lee Morgan have come to define its signature sound for many. There is plenty of relatively obscure, but hardly less brilliant, music waiting for those curious enough to dig a little deeper into the catalog.



Some Other Stuff by composer and trombonist Grachan Moncur III is one such gem. Featuring a superb roster of Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, and Cecil McBee, it is part of a series of 1960's albums on Blue Note that explored what was known then as the New Thing: the Avant Garde Jazz style godfathered by Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor. The record contains four lengthy renditions of Moncur originals, which are explored in an unhurried, cool-toned yet exciting manner. It's highly original, with plenty of great moments, and it still sounds incredibly fresh and vivid.

Highly recommended for adventurous listeners.