Nicolas Simion
Printed From: JazzMusicArchives.com
Category: Jazz Music Lounges
Forum Name: Jazz Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific jazz artists/bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.JazzMusicArchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=248
Printed Date: 04 Dec 2024 at 12:04pm
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Topic: Nicolas Simion
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Subject: Nicolas Simion
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 4:52pm
Nicolas Simion is a reputed Romanian sax/reeds player and composer living in Germany. He has an extensive http://www.nicolassimion.com/discography.php?lg=en" rel="nofollow - discography consisting of collaborations with both international and Romanian musicians, most under his lead. His music is paradigmatic European ethnic jazz, which means a mix of post-bop, post-fusion, third stream, traditional folk and a touch of avantgarde (take all this enumeration with a grain of salt  ). I can't find studio samples on YouTube, but the live recordings are good and relevant: http://musicbrainz.org/artist/1bf27c06-110d-4a2d-8eae-4ca22d8f3464.html" rel="nofollow - http://musicbrainz.org/artist/1bf27c06-110d-4a2d-8eae-4ca22d8f3464.html http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/nicolas_simion" rel="nofollow - http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/nicolas_simion |
Replies:
Posted By: snobb
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 4:55pm
| He is added already |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 4:59pm
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Hmm, that's strange, the search function must be playing tricks on me again. I see you reviewed Transylvanian Jazz, the review looks positive but the rating is only 2.5 stars...  |
Posted By: snobb
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 5:07pm
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2,5 * rating there on JMA doesn't mean nothing wrong, let say - not a bad album, but for real folk jazz fan. Very strong folklore element in combination with quite formal jazz even played by good musician is quite specific music. This album was supported by Romanian Cultural Institute, or something like that (I believe you know better), and the music on it sounds mostly as collected genuine (Transylvanian ?) rural folklore with jazz arrangements. Great job in historical/cultural sense, but hardly a great album for casual jazz fans.
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Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 5:20pm
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I don't know any rating system in which a rating bellow *** out of ***** doesn't mean at least "mediocre", sometimes even "bad". For me it's **bad **1/2 mediocre *** good ***1/2 very good **** excellent ****1/2 exceptional ***** masterpiece. For me greatness starts from "excellent" so I too have rated Transylvanian Jazz bellow "great". I stronly dislike the line of thinking "it's not very prog / jazz, so I'll subtract a star for this site", which is why I reacted in this offtopic direction, sorry. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 5:22pm
Can this be moved to the Artist appreciation section? 
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Posted By: js
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 5:40pm
| OK |
Posted By: snobb
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 12:41am
My rating has nothing to do with thinking if this album is "not very much jazz". There are albums which are far not so much jazz (for example some JR Improvs releases), which has excellent creative spirit, and I will easily rate them with highest ratings. But the this Simion's album misses one of very important element - spontaneous creativity, this jazzy freedom atmosphere which is one of the main ingredient in any good (jazz) music. This album is more very detailed and genuine historical evidence (and it's great in some sense) of folklore historical culture. It's great one for museums and possibly for schools' music lessons, as national musical legacy artifact in a form of more modern art, but by it's atmosphere it's absolutely academic, what is radically opposite to any great jazz music. I can say this album being formally still jazz music, by its atmosphere and spirit is quite far from it. What doesn't mean it's bad release, as I said before. For those interested in genuine folklore I believe it is really interesting one. For jazz fans it's too lifeless to be great I afraid. Just my opinion
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harmonium.ro wrote:Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 6:37am
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Well if you listen to the "Village is getting drunk" piece (the second sample from the OP), which is from Transylvanian Jazz, you'll see there's a lot of jazz creativity and inspiraration , even genius IMO. But I agree the studio version is not that great. But it's still the same music, and that's strange. Maybe if I say that the music is great but the studio version doesn't make it justice, it just doesn't "live" like it should, then we agree. RE the album rating, I'll just have to get used to "not bad" being **1/2 at you, that's what shocked me. And it's good to hear you don' rate the jazziness, I always hated that. |
Posted By: snobb
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 6:49am
And it's always question of taste  . I personally don't like much chamber rock (and jazz) because of it's lifeless. By head I understand and agree if musicianship is excellent, but if there is no playful spirit in the music, it just doesn't work for me.
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