Sunday, June 26, 2011

Antonio Quijano Quartet (Paul Dunmall, Philip Gibbs, Marco Anderson) - Songs From Another Blue Planet [SLAM]

Antonio Quijano - 31TET bass guitar, bajo profundo ordinario
Paul Dunmall - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, chanter
Philip Gibbs - Sabre electric guitar, Marble, Donuts
Marco Anderson - tamboros electricos, piano

guests:
Jonathan Scott - djembe
Ruby Tuesday Anderson - voice

SLAM Records 2011

This release is an effort of bringing together the world of fusion and free jazz, trying to mesh the power of the groove with the wild improvisation. The background story of the realisation of this music brings more points to this argument - not only the leader of the group could not show to one of the two recording sessions and had to add his line after the improvisation had already happened, but some the order of musical narration has bas been altered and rescheduled in a vein of famous Teo Macero / Miles Davis experiments. Fortunately, apart from some more evident (purposedly so) loops, these manipulations are not so evident or invasive, even if their presence in itself goes against my idea of spontaneous creation.
 The problem is though not the use of different methods but the lack of results as this cd doesn't deliver what it promised. The groove is steady but not powerfull, the bass player is obviously a gifted instrumentalist, but while his playing is influenced by Jaco Pastorious I find his sound lacking the clarity the Jaco gave you, the grooves don't dance, don't hypnotize, don't really groove. The improvisations aren't as well as wild as you could have hoped for. I can't really understand why Dunmall is sticking for more than a half of the program to soprano saxophone instead of the guttier tenor. Of course there are some moments where it all comes together - like the smoking guitar / saxophone exchange in "Staggering", but it's not enough, far from it.

On the cover you can read Walter Kolosky's description: "If John Coltrane played in Weather Report and rang up a younh John McLaughlin - The Antonio Quijano Quartet is what they may have sounded like". This  is absolutely fitting and precise, but, to my ears, why would anoyne want to hear such a mixture is a main question. I love Coltrane, I appreciate McLaughlin (especially what he did with Miles and Teo Macero), I even used to really dig Weather Report - but this mixture simply doesn't work. Could be that I can't process fusion sound anymore (unless it's a sentimental journey with the classics), but on the other hand there are others (Wadada Leo Smith & Henry Kaiser Yo Miles! band is a great example) who are trying to marry the free and the groove and they're having much more success with it.

23 comments:

  1. I think the problem is though not the use of different methods but the lack of results as this cd doesn't deliver what it promised. Thanks :)

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  2. Hello, this is Antonio Quijano. Yeah, I'm here to defend my music myself because I'm not a superstar. I don't give a crap what image that might create of me or who in the music business I'll piss off. What follows is an explanation of why your review is a Cracker Jack review. If someone has failed to deliver here, it's you. I'm not just referring to your empty, cranky parade of pointless ideas overrun with 1st grade student mistakes. Everything about your writing has amateur written all over it. You've picked a series of completely irrelevant subjects to justify what you had in mind before you even opened the CD: to be a prick.

    1. Antonio was not in one of the sessions . . . so? Zeus, Apollo and Thor were not present either. But to put it in Paul Dunmall's own words: "Antonio's spirit was present in that recording session and feeling that presence guided us throughout the performance. It was just like having him right there playing with us"
    2. You say Paul Dunmall used the soprano for half of the CD, but you don't mention the other exotic wind instruments he used, and the clarinet. So if your point is that Paul's work was timbrally boring, you've successfully demonstrated it by covering up everything that makes his timbral participation interesting. His approach to melody, his widely revered - intensely powerful musical personality have earned him the reputation of being one of the most brilliant improvisers of our time, but you chose to talk about what instrument he played on the CD like the literary genius that you are. It almost sounds like you have no idea of who he is.
    3. About the clarity of my tone: A. I'm not Jaco, that's what I'm lacking B. I can hear every note I play on that recording, but sometimes I play things that you can't relate to your golden repository of acceptable jazz licks and I can do it so mercilessly fast that it confuses stupid people like you.
    5. Not grooving . . . you mean we don't sound like James Brown.
    6. You say I'm a gifted instrumentalist: Fuck off!
    7. Then you turn to writing a disproportionately long critique of a critique by Walter Koloski. You spent 2/3 of your writing to criticisizing someone else's critique of this CD.

    "On the cover you can read Walter Kolosky's description: "If John Coltrane played in Weather Report and rang up a young John McLaughlin - The Antonio Quijano Quartet is what they may have sounded like". This is absolutely fitting and precise"

    Then you move on to a very-very-very-very-lame explanation of why that combination of legendary jazz musicians would not be worthy of your ears. We sound like them in a fitting and precise manner and at the same time we fail to groove and we fail to show you the wild solos? Dude, what the hell? Did you use a groov-o-meter and a wild-solo-meter to reach these conclusions or did you just pull it out of your ass?
    8. Gary Husband, a legendary jazz musician made a very positive review that basically said that we delivered everything you say we didn't. You failed to mention that, probably because Gary Husband is a very prominent musician and you are . . . ? We'll go with Gary's assessment of what our music's worth is.

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  3. You have every right to defend your music but this seems to be little out of proportions. You go with Gary Husband's review, I'll go with how I received this music as I have the right to do so. And I equally don't care who will I piss off, although that's never the point.

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  4. Indeed. I'll go with Gary Husband's opinion, not because he has a right to have an opinion; his credentials make that opinion valuable.

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  5. A clue to what we're trying to do is in the title of the CD. We didn't want to do a Last Exit or an exercise in the squeeky-bonk noise that so often passes for 'free improv'. This is Spontaneous Composition, that is, musicians trying to play together without following pre-ordained lines or paying heed to anyone's preconceptions.

    I feel the music on this CD to be listenable, even melodic, with passages of continuous rhythm that allows anyone with the ears to hear, access to the very heart of it.

    Despite the enormous experience and dexterity of the players, egos never entered into it. Rather these great musicians like Dunmall and Quijano opened themselves up to the musical muse and allowed themselves to be conduits of the music trying to be heard. In that much I believe we succeeded immensely.

    If you were expecting free-form brashness and headstrong technical flash, then I'm sorry that you were disappointed. That is not our aim. This music is truly from Another Blue Planet and possibly, sadly, one that you do not inhabit.

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  6. It's rather disheartening for me that a negative review has provoked this much controversy. Antonio's statement that I made up my mind before opening the cd is quite unfair, as the only expectation I had before listening to the cd was that I thought to myself "Paul Dunmall is playing here, should be good". And once I failed to get excited by this music I tried to listen to the cd several other times before deciding - I don't like it. It doesn't get to me. Could it be that I don't like it for all the wrong reasons, that I fail to get the point, that I am too stupid, as Antonio suggests, to understand its value, that I had unfair expectations - I don't know and don't really care by this point. I never said that there were too much ego playing, or that this music wasn't melodic. The fact remains - I don't like it, you can't force me with any arguments to like it. And I wish you could respect my right to not like it, while I don't intend to force any of my views on you and change the way you play the music, wishing you all the success and luck you may have.

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  7. Hey Antonio here again. Yeh, that's cool. Can I have permission to quote you? One can't see your real name anywhere, but it would look like this:

    "It doesn't dance"
    - Your name

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  8. "With Songs from Another Blue Planet, virtuosic and criminally underappreciated bassist Antonio Quijano and his group push the boundary of free improv, successfully combining unfettered stylistic ideation with an unexpectedly potent sense of groove. Quijano's music is as much for the body as it is for the mind."
    John Kelman - Managing Editor, All About Jazz

    "I've been held by the combo's genuine newness and a most interesting conception. There's a lot there that holds me and captivtes me, all the way through - a most interesting and compelling listen"
    Gary Husband - Solo Artist & Drummer/Pianist with The 4th Dimension

    "If John Coltrane played in Weather Report and rang up a young John McLaughlin, The Antonio Quijano Quartet is what they may have sounded like."
    Walter Kolosky - Journalist and Author of "Follow Your Heart" and "Power Passion & Beauty - The Story of the Mahavishnu Orchestra"

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  9. Antonio Quijano with John Patitucci:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWBreks82E

    Antonio Quijano with Eddie Gomez:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QTkX9ANhs0

    Antonio Quijano Quartet Live at Dempsey's UK:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpUlG2k0Wec

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  10. Allrighty then. The retard jazz critic wannabe who runs this phony website, has no name or credentials to back his big mouth. This is how you're gonna be quoted as one of the champions of constitutionally protected, moronic free speech:

    "It doesn't dance"
    - Jazzowy Alchemik, Free Jazz Alchemist

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  11. The guy who runs this website was offline for a day. My name is Bartek Adamczak and you can quote me freely, as long as you name the source of the quote and link the post. I don't care this much about your oppinion and it surprises me how much do you care to keep commenting here instead of just ignoring me - this is childish nonsense.

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  12. Antonio here again. Yes, I do give you that one; I'm very childish, and I'll go on forever. I'm so annoying and persistent that you'll probably have no choice but to take me in as a friend or change your mind about the CD, except I don't drink beer. OK, would this be acceptable?:

    "It doesn't dance"
    - Bartek Adamczak, (Free) Jazz Alchemist

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  13. Antonio here again. Come on man, like my CD! Like it, like it, like it!

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  14. I'll give you five bucks if you change your mind man! AQ

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  15. Ok ok ok ok, I'll give you ten bucks if you like my CD! Like it! Like it! Like it! Like it! AQ

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  16. I have three testicles
    - Antonio Quijano

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  17. Here's another view by a happy customer from Amazon:
    This is an adventure in hearing music that I believe is totally improvisational. From the very first note unto the very last beat, the music will keep you glued to it. The band takes you on a journey, yes, to another blue planet, wherever that may be, I like it there! Do yourself a musical favor and buy the CD, or the downloadable version. There are places to buy a hard copy, I got mine from England somewhere. I think it was $15.00 including delivery!
    Hey, you never know, I may meet you on another blue planet someday!

    James Montesano USA

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  18. If you wanna hear Antonio Quijano "make you dance" then check him out on this CD: WAY OUT OF TOWN TRIO's "PHRASEOLOGY".

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  19. http://vimeo.com/10207742

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