I got this CD for free and I remember being interested in what I would find on the album, but then for quite a few years jazz wasn't really on my plate that often, so I forgot all about the CD. I hadn't even ripped the album to my music library until very recently. In the past year or so, I have been really into jazz and I suddenly remembered this CD and started listening to it. Some of the songs on here are a bit strange, but there are some fantastic songs here as well. And I think it's really interesting to discover jazz from different European countries. I especially don't know that many Eastern European bands and their pop music is not usually that good, but there's some fantastic jazz coming from many of those countries.
The album begins with British saxophonist Andy Sheppard's song We Shall Not Go to the Market. This song has elements from African music traditions and it's relaxed enough that I can draw the link to ambient music. The saxophones are a bit cheesy every once in a while, but there are certainly interesting sounds in the song. Next up is Italian jazz musician Francesco Cafiso's song A New Trip. There are strong similarities to late 50s and early 60s hardbop movement in the sounds, but the almost funny melodies in some parts reveal that this is a more modern affair. Norwegian Helge Sunde's song Finding Nymo is one of the most experimental songs on the album. The horns zoom in and out and there are even some electronic samples that use stereo to their advantage really well. When the song starts properly, there are also some funky elements in the mix. Danish band Ibrahim Electric's song Yamshala is a prime example of a modern jazz sound that combines rock stylings in a jazz composition. There are rock organs and wah pedals and quite amazing guitar skills in the song. Hungarian Istvan Ggrensco's song Taking Wing has an intensive atmosphere and I could see this playing in the background of a crime TV-series. Romanian pianist Lucian Ban and his band Asymmetry deliver one of the best songs on the album. There's a real classic style of hardbop in this song. Spanish Marc Ayza deliveres groovy and laid back sounds in his song Sisters in Love. Despite being a song that's appropriate for a hangout lounge, this song manages to keep interest. Lithuanian band Mockūno Nuclear's song Not a Dilemma Anymore is a bit of a dilemma. It's a very experimental piano piece with strange melodies jumping from place to place. It's a bit difficult to get a grasp of this song. Latvian NiMo's song James In Peril has vinyl scratch sounds on piano, bass and drums grooving. The song should maybe grow a bit more in my opinion, but the sounds are very cool, reminding me of some trip-hop songs. Tomáš Liška, a Czech musician, has provided his song Nihemiah, which has strong tango influences and beautiful classical guitar along with accordion. I am reminded of Gotan Project, but this is a jazzier version of it. Estonian UMA's song Eight Months is one of the most beautiful songs on the album. The sounds are very etheric, but they manage not to be cheesy.
The second CD of the album begins with Finnish Iro Haarla's song On a Crest of a Wave. This beautiful piano piece with saxophones is one of the classiest songs on the album. I really like the wavy sounds that seem very improvised, yet completely controlled. Belgian Jeff Neve's song Remorse is also a fantastic piano-led slow song that has beautiful cymbal drumming. Portuguese singer Mariza combines Portugal's traditional fado and latin rhythms to jazz in her song Rosa Branca. This is the first song on the album with vocals. Martha D Lewis, a British musician with a Cypriot background, plays Misirlou, which is another song with vocals. There are nice hypnotic sounds in this song. Bulgarian Martin Lubenov's song Veselina sounds very much like an Eastern European song. There's something about these accordion sounds that reveal that geographic location. I like how the string instruments go in unison with the accordions while the pianos in the background live their own life. Irish Métier's song Late Developer has some interesting sounds, but as a composition, it's not the most exciting one. It's a bit flat in structure. Metropole Orkest from The Netherlands perform the song Polo Towers with John Schofield. This is a prime example of modern fusion jazz where electric guitars and cinematic string arrangements meet in a strange, yet funky mix. German pianist Pablo Held delivers one of the most beautiful jazz ballads on the album, simply called Music. There's a bit of a lounge bar feel to the song, but I think it's interesting enough when you sit down and listen to it carefully. Pascal Schumacher from Luxembourg plays the song In Transit, which is one of my favourites from the album. Vibraphnes and dramatic pianos work really well together and the composition is definitely very interesting. I also like the strong role the double bass has in the song. Polish Pavel Kaczmarczyk's song Catch More Chicks has a nice groove even if the song remains a bit flat and un-innovative. The French artist Unit's song Wavin' is a nice experimental song that keeps the hypnosis strong while there's no real melody to follow. I don't normally like songs with this minimal melody, but there's something very hauntingly interesting in this hypnotic piece.
Now that I've been in this Brexit limbo in UK for the past three years, I've become much more EU friendly and I immensely enjoy all European collaborations. I really think Europe is a very united continent where the people, despite some small differences, have many things in common. I want a unified Europe where collaborations such as this album flourish and people are free to move from country to another to enjoy amazing jazz.
Listen to some of the songs from the album on Spotify.
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