Russell Gunn | Ethnomusicology Volume I

Tags

African American, Creative Modern Jazz, Jazz, Trumpet

Russell Gunn | Ethnomusicology Volume I – [Atlantic / Wea, 1999] – Music Review | Revisited

Russell Gunn, Ethnomusicology

Unfortunately, there’s some risk taken when musicians step out of norm to explore new directions artistically. Surprisingly, this gifted young trumpeter, composer and producer named Russell Gunn illustrates with this album … why I truly love the art of jazz! Frankly, it’s like this, the brother is bringing on a fresh groove without wavering from his intended purpose and vision! It’s not often, but when I hear records like this I think maybe this is why we sometimes don’t get it and miss the point of listening to jazz.

In theory, jazz artists should represent their music within the context of the present tense without totally loosing it’s purpose. Traditional jazz is already fundamentally sound, so why spend time and energy chasing classic artists most notably Coltrane, Evans, Parker, and Monk etc because they’ve established a valuable footprint in this art form from a musical and historical prospective. Therefore, I feel that every aspiring young musician studying music should have the insight and ability to understand and play jazz. No, they don’t have to love it, just learn to play it! With that said, when artist like Gunn comes along don’t immediately dis recordings like “Ethnomusicology-Vol-1” without giving it a chance because he’s doing what innovative musicians love to do … compose and play creative music without leaning totally on what’s already be done.

According to naysayers, visionaries are generally looked at as being a little off center. Nonetheless, the artist in question Russell Gunn is simply fascinating to me [musically speaking that is]. He demonstrates why he’s more then capable to take on extraordinary tasks by capturing the pulse of the street from his own philosophical view merging what’s called jazz, hiphop, funk and soul sounds to broaden his appeal without compromise. ~ The Urban Flux

Ravi Coltrane | Mad 6

Tags

African American, Creative Modern Jazz, John Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, Saxophone

Ravi Coltrane | Mad 6 – [Sony, 2002]

Ravi Coltrane, Mad 6

A saxophonist whose patiently evolving style has been one of the more interesting stories in contemporary jazz, Ravi Coltrane helps launch Columbia’s Eighty-Eights subsidiary (founded by Japanese producer Yasohachi “88” Itoh) with a set that is by turns more freewheeling and lyrical than his previous major label efforts. Featuring two bands–one with George Colligan on piano and the other Andy Milne–Mad 6 reflects Ravi’s involvement in both jazz classicism and the throbbing, funkified bop of Brooklyn’s M-Base school. His tenor has never plumbed richer emotion than it does on Thelonious Monk’s “Ask Me Now,” while the forcefully minimalistic “Avignon” is one of his more compelling originals.

Bracketed by two lesser-played tunes by his legendary father, John Coltrane, the album could have done without yet another version of Monk’s “Round Midnight.” But with Ravi whizzing through the changes on soprano over Steve Hass’ gutbucket drumming, it’s a nifty remake by an artist who seems incapable of taking anything at face value. —Lloyd Sachs

Source: Amazon.com