JAN GARBAREK — Witchi-Tai-To (review)

JAN GARBAREK — Witchi-Tai-To album cover Album · 1974 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
I believe you was told more than twice Witchi-Tai-To is Garbarek's best album. And it could be the truth if you like cool polished comfortable sound of ECM recordings of mid 70s. Otherwise you find here good musicians' competent playing and well organized post-bop jazz with lot of melodic elements to make it more comfortable and few free-jazz spices to avoid it of being boring.

Released as Jan Garbarek-Bobo Stenson quartet album, this release contains music seriously different from Garbarek's early quartet's releases. If first three Garbarek's solo albums were all great to excellent collections of hungry and sharp innovative avant-jazz, later Garbarek turned to more accessible music, mixing his early avant-garde sound with post-bop and Nordic folklore.

Here on Witchi-Tai-To (which is real Garbarek - Stenson duo work with competent rhythm section on support) he reaches the peak of still innovative and accessible symbiosis.All songs but one are mostly known American jazz composers's compositions, from Carla Bley to Don Cherry. Garbarek-Stenson duo demonstrates wide possibilities playing melodic post-bop on the edge between still experimental (but never risky) and comfortable. Music sounds really nice, but are from one hand too polished, and from other - too much secondary. Garbarek's tenor sax sounds extremely clear and quite pleasant (and Coltrane-like), Stenson demonstrates all his influences (Jarrett,etc). Carlos Puebla composition "Hasta Siempre" reminds Charlie Haden/Carla Bley's Liberation Music Orchestra...

Luckily, this album (the last Garbarek's one for years)is still the one with positive balance of inspiration and conformity. Don't expect explosion of Garbarek's earlier works, but just very professional pleasant and not boring release.
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· 17 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