Wayfarer - Jan Garbarek

Advantages: As sublime and musically adventurous as ever
Disadvantages: Value for money?

...Following on from his virtuosic performance as saxophone soloist on Giya Kancheli's "Night Prayers" (on the ECM New Series CD Caris Mere), Jan Garbarek continues his interest in Northern European tradition and brings it face-to-face with more conventional jazz patterns in this 2CD set. There are some fascinating moves here, even by Garbarek standards. The use of a boys' choir on "We Are the Stars" followed by the voice of Jansug Kaknidze accompanied by the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra on "The Moon Over Mtatsminda" is a remarkable diptych of innocence and experience. Though Garbarek, by his own admission in the booklet notes, does not feature on the latter as writer or player, his justification for including it in an album under his own name is totally sound. It's not the only high point. Don Cherry's "Malinya" is a great homage from... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Beautiful artistic qualities, from both the album cover and the music
Disadvantages: None whatsoever

...Haunting, enigmatic, artistic, enchanting and truly beautiful. Anja Garbarek's 3rd (and in my opinion, finest) album is a pleasure and a treasure to own. Ten tracks of pure bliss leaves little surprise that this album won the Spellemannsprisen (the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy Award) upon it's release in 2001. Norwegian born singer / songwriter Anja, (daughter of jazz saxophonist - Jan Garbarek) has a very unpredictable approach to her writing, which is largely evident in this particular album. To place it into a 'genre' would be wrong - it really is in a league of it's own. So many people feel the need to label every artist, but to get near I would probably have to say: Art Pop / Avant Garde / European Lounge / Experimental Jazz / Trip-Hop. Each track is special in it's own way, but I would say the standout's are : Spin... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Highly Skilled. Refined. Beautiful.
Disadvantages: None

...a variation on Uns. It is however more spread out and technical. Here, the saxophone takes on a Jan Garbarek-esque pitch, very punctuating and mystifying. Qurb's double-bass work empties into silence like flowing water, acting as a mattress to the other musicians. This reminds of François Moutin's work on the Jean-Michel Pilc album "Welcome Home" (Dreyfus Records, 2002). Anouar Brahem always leaves room for the guest artists to express themselves purely. The 2 next tracks are Mazad, composed by Dave Holland and Kernow, composed by John Surman, although all other 9 tracks are composed by Anouar Brahem. These pieces exemplify Surman and Holland's playfulness as well as their inimitable theatrical link to Thimar. Hulmu Rabia is Thimar's last track, a 2-minute breezy piece. Sad and nostalgic, it almost seems to point out the fact that Thimar has come... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful