The Circling Sun, Spirits, Soundway ****

Fetch the chaise longue: bang a gong, get it on and position yourself in the vicinity of a bloody big bong. Tremendous, expansive, celestial sounds certainly from laidback, so supine they are horizontal, Kiwi crew The Circling Sun helmed by …

Published: 19 May 2023. Updated: 10 months.

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Fetch the chaise longue: bang a gong, get it on and position yourself in the vicinity of a bloody big bong. Tremendous, expansive, celestial sounds certainly from laidback, so supine they are horizontal, Kiwi crew The Circling Sun helmed by drummer and percussionist Julien Dyne who has co-written much of the material here - the core sound enhanced quite beautifully by a choir of Pacific Island and Maori singers. With pianist Guy Harrison, sax and flute matador J Y Lee, double bassist Ben Turua, Dyne, saxist Cameron Allen and trumpeter Finn Scholes at the core of the Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders loving sound, what a take-your-time sort of muse on the meaning of the universe type of record full of piquant touches and fabulous percussion album this very much is. The riff/groove alchemy of the vamptastic 'Kohan' fluffed out by sensuous flute and celestial voice is just one highlight. The Circling Sun, photo: press. Out today

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Farewell to the peerless Komeda saxophonist Bernt Rosengren

Classic Knife in the Water (Nóż w wodzie, dir. Roman Polański, 1962) Krzysztof Komeda theme 'Ballad for Bernt' - played by the Swedish tenor saxophonist Bernt Rosengren who has died aged 85 - is on our minds today given news of the death of the …

Published: 19 May 2023. Updated: 10 months.

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Classic Knife in the Water (Nóż w wodzie, dir. Roman Polański, 1962) Krzysztof Komeda theme 'Ballad for Bernt' - played by the Swedish tenor saxophonist Bernt Rosengren who has died aged 85 - is on our minds today given news of the death of the great saxophonist.

It certainly takes us instantly back to 1997 and Litania on which he formed a pivotal part of Tomasz Stańko's septet in this classic Komeda homage. Rosengren according to reports died in Stockholm on 12 May.

Rosengren's albums included Stockholm Dues (1965) and his career saw him play with both Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization theorist George Russell and the pioneering world-jazz erstwhile Ornetttan innovator The Shape of Jazz to Come icon Don Cherry. Rosengren with Cherry appeared on albums that included 1973's Eternal Now.

Read more via Google Translate on the Polish connection to Rosengren in a fine tribute contained within the pages of Polish jazz magazine Jazz Forum that includes excerpts of an interview with Rosengren conducted by Marek Piechnat two years ago.

Bernt Rosengren: photo: Hreinn Gudlaugsson/Wikipedia