Steve Wyzard SCINTILLATINGLY TIMELESS!

I'm making the assumption that everyone reading this review will KNOW who I'm talking about when I refer to the fathers of Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison. As a longtime DeJohnette listener, I found it VERY compelling that he would elect to record an ECM album with the sons of two legends he had performed with oh-so-long ago. Allow me to say with all the enthusiasm I can muster that while risks have been taken, the results can only be described as an album for the ages.

How can such a claim be justified with mere words? Here's a rundown of each player's performance:

Matthew Garrison: I start with Matthew because he offers this album's biggest surprises. Unlike his father, he plays the electric bass and adds "electronics" to a majority of the eight tracks. For those hoping for a good old-fashioned blowing session, you've come to the wrong place. Yes, the players' pedigrees would lead one to assume this will be a nostalgic look backward, but it just plain is not. Garrison adds spikey yet swirling textures to the title track after opening with an electric solo, and a pulsing, thudding bassline to the spooky "Two Jimmys". He rumbles on "Serpentine Fire" and broods behind the wistfully fluttering "Lydia". The album would most likely have ended up radically different (read: far less modern) without his significant contributions.

Ravi Coltrane: For as long as he lives, Ravi will be a source of amazement for having the utter boldness to play the same instrument as his father. And naturally, for as long as he lives, the two will be compared and contrasted. On In Movement, he plays the tenor on only two tracks (a mournful take of his father's composition "Alabama" and "Two Jimmys"), and soprano on the rest. While the screaming, squeaking tones heard on the title track and "Serpentine Fire" will elicit a smile of recognition, Ravi's playing is unquestionably influenced by his father without being too derivative. Some will no doubt point to his performance on "Rashied" and insist he's trying just a little too hard to recapture his father's snarly, volcanic tone, but Ravi is truly his own man. In Movement is simply not a pale reflection of past glories.

Jack DeJohnette: For someone who has been playing professionally for over 50 years, this album's drumming is downright phenomenal! Listen especially to the scintillating, intricate cymbals on "Alabama" and "Two Jimmys", and the stomping bass drum and imposing snare on "Serpentine Fire". Forget about the idea of taking it easy before sailing off into the sunset: the man has lost none of his ability, and is "all over the place" without ever dominating the material. If you want to be reminded of his fiery playing from the mid-1970s (on albums such as Gateway and Timeless), listen to his intro on "Rashied". There will be grumbling about the two tracks he leads from the piano rather than the drums (a free take of "Blue in Green", and the lightly airy-yet-still-haunting "Soulful Ballad"), but these two offer a reflective change-of-pace, and a nice contrast to the rest of the album.

Because of the players involved, In Movement will certainly be listened to and discussed for some time to come. Let me just restate that this is an amazing album, and an immediate candidate for all "best of" lists. Fans of DeJohnette, Coltrane, and Garrison will be coming back to this one again and again, long after the inevitable media hoopla has died down. Packaging and recording are (as always for ECM) immaculate. And for the cynics who say this is the closest ECM will ever come to releasing a Coltrane album, can I just say, "Thank God!"

snobb One of most respectable of living jazz drummers Jack DeJohnette is best known by his countless collaborative works with pianist Keith Jarrett and partially by his own fusion-oriented Special Edition. It's less known that he was one of the early members of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Together with his former classmates from musical college reedists Roscoe Mitchell and Henry Threadgill (among others) Jack plays live gig on 2013 Chicago Jazz Fest,quite surprisingly released by ECM.

Actually, the quintet on this recording is a re-incarnation of never recorded AACM-founder pianist Muhal Richard Abrams' band from mid 60's (adding AACM non-related bassist Larry Gray), DeJohnette is stated as leader most probably because he was an initiator of recorded concert, and because of his long-lasting relation with ECM label as well.

Six compositions come all from band members,plus one song is fully improvised. Album opens with Roscoe Mitchell's "Chant" - high energy almost seventeen minutes long composition with memorable bagpipe-like soloing, it really recalls Art Ensemble of Chicago's(AEoC) music of mid 70's (it was actually written at that time).Very impressive opening continues with "Jack 5" - not DeJohnette,but Abrams composition,quite loose and directionless, especially as for live show. Album loses its dynamic a bit, Mitchell's "Think", already more chamber and similar to his more current complex works, doesn't help much.

"Museum Of Time" is DeJohnette's new song,written specially for this gig, it's most tuneful and straight album's composition,well framed but not all that memorable.Threadgill's "Leave Don't Go Away" is soulful as all his music,well orchestrated; two above songs just return music back on earth (without being simple or easy accessible, no way!);it finishes with Larry Gray bass soloing and together with Mitchell's album opener, "Leave..." is another greatest album's composition.

After announcements (separated on CD in sixth track),the band play "something spontaneous for you" - fully improvised high energy music which sounds quite fresh and moody.Titled "Ten Minutes" it actually lasts only six (probably the result of editing because of physical CD space limitation).

All in all,this re-united all-stars band looks much better on paper than it sounds,even if I believe AEoC and AACM music fans will be really interested to hear this music. I was really surprised realized in early 2015 that there is announced extensive "Made In Chicago" tour,based on this concert's material! It's pity there are not planned gigs near my hometown, I would be really glad to see these great artists playing together, they all are living legends and important influences for last half of century's jazz.

This album,most probably released on a wave of increased interest (partially in Europe) to advanced Chicago jazz of Wadada Leo Smith and Roscoe Mitchell,probably wouldn't initiate drastic growth of such music lovers number,but old fans will find some nice moments here for sure.

snobb Last to date Jack DeJohnette studio album isn't innovative and surprising, but it is quite fresh and pleasant listening.Recorded by trio with bassist John Patitucci and pianist Danilo Perez,it contains quality music,mixed of Latin jazz, some African rhythms,post-bop (with few quite free improvs) and soulful contemporary jazz.

Each composition differs from the previous one - opened with warm and a bit melancholic Latin "Tango African", album continues with dreamy "Earth Prayer".Groovy "Seventh D,1-st Movement" attracts by rich bass and elegant piano pulsation,second composition's part is nice example of classic piano-bass-drums composition (with serious accent on rhythm section's sound).

"Soulful Ballad" reminds Al Di Meola's New Sinfonia releases - influenced by Argentinian tango and with melodica sounding as accordion."Earth Speaks" brings a bit of classical influence - almost on the border line with avant-garde!"Cobilla" returns the listener back to more jazzy sound - post bop with African rhythms and Patitucci's electric bass line.

"Panama Viejo" is melancholic piano led ballad,"White" sounds almost as early Return To Forever song."Ode To MJQ" is surprisingly most free and experimental album's composition, with aerial changing rhythms contrasting with cool piano tunes.The closer - "Michael" is quite traditional melancholic ballade (almost bop).

Not the album for new sounds and ideas seekers, but pleasant and elegant musical collection for (still warm) autumn evening.

1967/ 1976 "Sorcery" isn't a Fusion album but an album of Electric Bop. And for this motive "Sorcery" is an album of Fusion. Unreservedly Jack DeJohnette able to record an album very technical and easy to read. This is because Jack has a great musical sensibility and, in a period where everyone was trying to play hard, he tries to communicate what the music can be emotion and melody. With these ingredients "Sorcery" becomes an album of POP Fusion but not an album of POP Jazz, because 100% Bop. (P.s.: I do not have other words to describe this concept... Excuse me).

The experience of "Sorcery" is a soert of trip to the dreams and shadows of an human mind and for this fact I think that "Sorcery" is a good album if magic, inventive and feelings are what we seek in music.

js Like a lot of ECM albums from the late 70s, 'Pictures' is mostly low volume, abstract and mysterious; but at the same time it is also more earthy and organic than your typical icy cool reverb-heavy ECM release. Each of the six cuts on here (named 'Picture 1' through 'Picture 6') are unique to themselves, but each reflect the intellectual approach and virtuoso instrumental skills of Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie. The first two cuts belong to DeJohnette's abstract yet structured beats that sound like an Elliot Carter algorithmic rhythm matrix, but with a swing feel. On the first cut he also adds quiet dissonant unsettling electronic keyboards that lurk in the background. These two cuts offer some interesting samples for the more adventurous drumnbass producer. 'Picture 3' rounds out side one as Abercrombie joins for a swingin modern post-bop number that may be the highlight of the album.

Side two's opener, 'Picture 4', is an impressionistic pastel reproduction of an avant-fusion workout between Abercrombie's sustained electric guitar and DeJohnette's rambling trap set. Both musicians take a subdued approach and only hint at the sort of fury they are capable of releasing. 'Picture 5' is fractured hill-country roots music presented as chamber art and album closer 'Picture 6' features Satie style piano figures from DeJohnette with soft cymbal rolls for that proto new age sound most often associated with ECM releases. This album isn't for everyone, but if you are a fan of either DeJohnette or Abercrombie you might want to check out this very unique release.