KEIJI HAINO — Peter Brotzmann, 灰野敬二 Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke: Two City Blues 1 (review)

KEIJI HAINO — Peter Brotzmann, 灰野敬二 Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke: Two City Blues 1 album cover Live album · 2015 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
snobb
Japanese guitarist Keiji Haino is a cult figure on country's traditionally influential alternative music scene. Started playing guitar in early 70s, he developed Derek Bailey and his compatriot Masayuki Takayanagi free-improv guitar music adding rock-machismo image what probably doesn't look all that casual but fits well to Japanese underground jazz/rock/improv music tradition.

During last few years Haino increased his international notoriety prolifically playing and recording with such genre leaders as Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke.

Here on his newest live release from concert at Shinjuku Pit Inn in Tokyo,recorded in 2010, Haino plays with Jim O'Rourke and European free jazz icon German sax player Peter Brotzmann. Everyone familiar with prolific Brotzmann's legacy knows how dominating he is even on collaborative recordings, surprisingly here on "Two City Blues 1" he isn't.

Combination of two free-improvs electric guitarists and free sax player could sound weird, but generally it works quite well. "Two City Blues 1" isn't first common work for Haino and Brotzmann, their "Shadows",released on Japanese DIW label are quite well known. Guitarist Jim O'Rourke is regular musical partner for Haino for some last years as well. Still fully improvised music sounds a bit raw, it often sounds like each of three musicians just plays his own music without paying of lot attention what two others do.

As it was already mentioned above, surprisingly Brotzmann (or any other trio's member) doesn't dominates and both two compositions sound as three equal musicians recital. Music is not too fast,not too noisy (at least - not for Brotzmann,Haino or O'Rourke standard), even meditative in moments, but main problem here is there is absence of true communication between artists here.

"Two City Blues 1", actually released few months after the release of "Two City Blues 2" (which was released on CD and vol.1 as vinyl only)is another album in massive collection each of three trio's members already has released,Haino followers will probably enjoy it but generally it is far not his best work (even more same could be said about Peter Brotzmann).
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Sued, Nandayapa, Bergmann, Saunders : Mad Dream Avant-Garde Jazz
BRUCE SAUNDERS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Juno What It Is Jazz Related Electronica/Hip-Hop
MATT TWADDLE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Blue House Session Hard Bop
MUNEER NASSER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Camera Obscura Post-Fusion Contemporary
PIERRE VAIANA
Buy this album from MMA partners
21days Post-Fusion Contemporary
SUKEZA BAND
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Juno What Time It is
MATT TWADDLE
js· 18 hours ago
Sukeza Band - When She Dreams
SUKEZA BAND
js· 1 day ago
Zac Harmon - Stop the Killing
ZAC HARMON
js· 1 day ago
Richard x Bennett - SCAVENGER in 6 parts
RICHARD X BENNETT
js· 3 days ago
Rangelands (feat. Josiah Joyce & Ben Thompson)
COLIN TRUSEDELL
js· 4 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed