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Buzz
Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel
Buzz
Genres: Jazz, Special Interest, Pop
 

     
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All Artists: Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel
Title: Buzz
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Palmetto Records
Release Date: 5/25/2004
Genres: Jazz, Special Interest, Pop
Styles: Avant Garde & Free Jazz, Modern Postbebop, Bebop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 753957210120

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CD Reviews

Medicine Wheel . . .
Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 05/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . best (jazz) band on the planet.Period.Actually, it wouldn't even be too far over the top to drop the word "jazz" and just declare them the best BAND on the planet.You see, these boys have learned how to play smart, sophisticated, accessible, simple/complex, rhythmically challenging, beautiful music. Yes, it probably comes closest to jazz, it'll be filed in the jazz section, but it has affinities with lots of other styles, including world jazz ("Mauritania," "Buzz"), soul/funk jazz ("Green Al"), pop jazz ("Across the Universe"), chamber jazz ("Erato"), and sometimes all these at once ("R & B Fantasy"). The core of this band (leader Allison, bass; Michael Blake, ts & ss; Ted Nash, ts & flute; and Frank Kimbrough, piano) has been playing together for about a decade, as well as playing on each other's solo projects--and it shows. They mesh and converse with almost eerie serendipity. Michael Sarin, a great and very coloristic drummer, has taken over for the equally wonderful Jeff Ballard, and Clark Gayton, a newcomer, plays marvelous trombone and bass trombone. Both fit in seamlessly.This music comes out of the 12-year-old Jazz Composers Collective, which "is dedicated to new music and building audiences for jazz" (according to Ben Allison's liner notes). Any recording from these folks is worth checking out; indeed, they've been at the very forefront of progressive yet listenable jazz for more than a decade. And they just keep getting better.A great band at the absolute top of their form. Absolutely essential."
Thanks Ben, for the Buzz you created.
Onur K. Orhon | Portsmouth, NH United States | 06/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beautiful music from Medicine Wheel featuring innovative and sophisticated compositions by Ben Allison, artistic director of Jazz Composers Collective. These guys are definitely at the peak of their career, producing better and better music with every new release. "Buzz" as an album is totally approachable, yet intriguingly detailed and masterfully crafted. All the solos are smart, musical, not self-centered and they blend perfectly into the arrangements. (I wouldn't mind some more from Michael Blake though, I think his solo in "Peace Pipe" from Allison's previous album is one of the best pieces of improvised music I have ever heard)The more I listen to Ben Allison's music, the more I think of Charles Mingus. Well, he is a very advanced bass player with sharp composition skills, so the resemblance is obvious. But there is also a textural similarity, the occasional two tenors and especially the recent addition of trombone in the ensemble plus the contrasting dark and light nature of the tunes keeps reminding me of "Ah Um", one of my favorite albums. So if you like that period of Mingus then you will most probably like this album.Overall, great music from a group of creative individuals. I am looking forward to their next project."
They Are At It Again
M. Murphy | birmingham, alabama United States | 06/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have vey little to add to the other reviewers excellent remarks BUT as a listener to the Jazz Composers Collective for about 10 years I encourage you if you enjoyed this challenging yet accessible music to explore other excellent "partnerships" under their individual names.Anything by Ben Allison is great but check out Peace Pipe.Ted Nash' latest Still Evolved is excellent and includes Wynton in a cameo.Michael Blake's Drift is his best and Frank's Kimbrough Quickening is excellent piano trio stuff. Another of of their "clan" is Matt Wilson who released an inventive quartet cd Humidity last year.Lastly they put out theier masterpiece in my opinion with The Herbie Nichols Project[the best] Finally please SUPPORT these guys they ARE modern jazz.No cliches.Just taking chances creatively."