577 Vinyl & CDs

Review: Those well-versed in New York jazz should recognise all of the musicians involved in this delightfully mystical collaborative album, as all have been active since the 1970s or early '80s. For the uninitiated, the all-star "supergroup" behind "Welcome Adventure" is made up of legendary drummer Gerald Cleaver, woodwind and brass master Daniel Carter (tenor sax, trumpet, flute), bassist Willian Parker and pianist William Parker. The resultant music is mostly magical, with highlights including the joyous, ever-building excitement of opener "Majestic Travel Energy" (a whirlwind of jaunty sax lines, bright piano solos, frisky drums and undulating double bass), and epic flipside cut "Ear-regularities" (an (at times) discordant and dystopian free-jazz number that rewards those who play close attention.

Review: Sax and clarinet man Daniel Carter, pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver are long time friends and long time collaborators. They dropped their first album Welcome Adventure, Vol. 1 a while ago and it became this label's best ever selling release. Now their back again to welcome musical adventure with a second volume taken from the same now legendary recording session. Here we find just as many richly layered tunes - five in all - with plenty of improvised magic, freeform playing styles and expressive grooves taking us on a real new school jazz trip.