MoonJune distributes "Whistle Blower" album by Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble in the USA

contents

jazz

Dear Friends in Music

MoonJune Records is now distributing and marketing in the USA the latest album ofGilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble, the semimal"The Whistle Blower", originally released on Atzmon's Fanfare Jazz label in the UK.

GILAD ATZMON: alto & soprano saxophone, clarinet, accordion, guitar, vocals;FRANK HARRISON: piano, keyboards, vocals;YARON STAVI: double bass, electric bass, vocals;CHRIS HIGGINBOTTOM: drums, vocals; plus special guests TALI ATZMON vocals;ANONIO FEOLA: vocals.

**** (4 stars) - John Fordham, The Guardian, UK

***** (5 stars)- Michael Tucker, Jazz Journal Magazine, UK

**** (4 stars) The Whistleblower succeeds in consolidating the sometimes competing aspects of Gilad Atzmon's musical personality into a more complete, unified artistic statement than was apparent on several of his previous albums. - Stuart Nicholson, JazzWise Magazine, UK (cover story)

***** (5 stars) - Trevor LaBonte, The Ugly Truth, UK

**** (4 stars) - Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann, UK

**** (4 stars) - Stephen Graham, Marlbank, UK

"One of the most enjoyable releases of the year so far. - Tim Stenhouse, UK Vibe

"Atzmon … as forthright in his music as in his opinions, as witty and playful, as deadly serious, as exuberant and intense, as romantic and sentimental, as visceral and pugilistic, and as generally bursting with personality. This is a man who appears to live life at a higher, wilder, riskier level than most of us have the energy for." - Peter Bacon, The Jazz Breakfast, UK

"The Whistle Blower is beautiful in many ways. It leaves the listener with melodies to savor. It is balanced, well delivered and the varied menu is sure to cater for many tastes. On the album sleeve, Gilad Atzmon states that the compositions are about love, nostalgia, devotion and simplicity — and that he hopes the listener enjoys listening to is as much as the band enjoyed making it. I think it is safe to say that has been achieved." - Sammy Stein, Something Else, USA

For all publicity inquiries, pleasee-mail for more info.
ORIENT HOUSE ENSEMBLE is available for worldwide bookings.

The Orient House Ensemble are celebrating their 15th year by launchingThe Whistle Blower, their 8th album to date. SaxophonistGilad Atzmon is a giant of jazz—an imposing physical presence, a huge personality, technically masterful and emotionally committed to every note. OnThe Whistle Blower, the Orient House Ensemble's eighth album since it formed in 2000, he's joined by long-termEnsemble membersFrank Harrison on piano andYaron Stavi on bass along with new recruit drummerChris Higginbottom. The band is as strong as ever, the album a worthy addition to its discography. Atzmon is an in-demand session player — he's onPink Floyd's The Endless River (Columbia, 2014) — a producer and a long-term member of the much-lovedBlockheads (Ian Dury). However, it's theOrient House Ensemble that best represents his personal take on music, a quartet that's recorded some strikingly exciting original work as well as a loving tribute to Atzmon's early inspiration, Charlie Parker, (In Loving Memory Of America, Enja, 2009). In his poetic self-portrait onThe Whistle Blower's sleeve Atzmon describes the compositions as"about love, nostalgia, devotion and simplicity" and himself as "a reactionary existentialist, " "the enemy of progress" and "the Imam of retro." Crucially, he also states"I am happy." The album title is a self-deprecating reference toAtzmon's instruments of choice as well as to his political activism.The Whistle Blower is the first release onAtzmon's own Fanfare Jazz label.Atzmon wrote all of the tunes, mixing the sounds of his early years in the middle east with rock grooves and bebop flourishes. His playing focuses on the alto and soprano saxophones, but his accordion playing is also worthy of note, adding a jauntier and more upbeat feel to his often plaintive reeds."Gaza Mon Amour" is a fiery opener — fast, danceable, energetic and positive. The following half-dozen tunes have a gentler, mellower, vibe."Forever" is a beautiful ballad, Atzmon's romantic side emanating clearly from his soprano sax. "The Romantic Church" is another slow tune, Atzmon's alto andHarrison's piano are cool, Harrison's keyboards add a string section feel and the result is a sophisticated success. The 11-minute"Let Us Pray"takes inspiration from John Coltrane's spiritual jazz: it's an ambitious tune with some fine extended solos, though its impact would be heightened by reducing its length. The Gallic-flavored"The Song" puts the accordion center-stage and features the album's most graceful melody, while the dynamic"To Be Free" slowly builds and releases tension through soprano sax and piano solos. The Ensemble return to the romantic ballad with "For Moana" —Atzmon's paean to Italian adult-movie actress and politician Moana Pozzi, his"vintage romantic heroine." "The Whistle Blower" is a cheesy, tongue-in-cheek, tune full of wolf whistles, clichéd rhythms, Tali Atzmon's wordless lounge-jazz singing and a rather jolly vocal chorus from the gentlemen of theEnsemble. It's all rather delightful, a reminder thatAtzmon the activist and musician is also a joker —and he's happy.
– BRUCE LINDSEY, ALL ABOUT JAZZ

Gilad Atzmon is a British Jazz artist and author.Gilad was born in Israel in 1963 and trained at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (Composition and Jazz). A multi-instrumentalist he plays saxophones, clarinet and ethnic woodwind instruments . His album Exile was the BBC jazz album of the year in 2003. He was described by John Lewis at the Guardian as the "hardest-gigging man in British jazz."Atzmon tours extensively around the world. His albums, of which he has recorded fifteenth albums to date, often explore political themes and the music of the Middle East. As a member of the Blockheads, Gilad has also recorded and performed with Ian Dury, Robbie Williams, Sinead O'Connor and Paul McCartney. Gilad has also recorded with Robert Wyatt, the Water Boys. In 2014 he recorded with Pink Floyd and is featured on their last album The Endless River (Anisina).

In 2000 Gilad founded theOrient House Ensemble in London and started re-defining his own roots in the light of his emerging ethical awareness. TheEnsemble's current line-up includes Chris Higginbottom on drums, Yaron Stavi on bass and Frank Harrison on piano & electronics.

Yaron Stavi has appeared on the recentMoonJune Records' reelase ofMark WIngfield, "Proof Of Light"that also featuresAsaf Sirkis on drums. AndGilad Atzmon and Yaron Stavi will be featured on the upcomingMoonJune release "Passar Klewer" of the Indonesian pianist and composerDwiki Dharmawan (also featuringAsaf Sirkis, Mark WIngfield, Nicolas Meier, Boris Savodelli, Aris Daryono; a double album recorded in London in June 2015, to be released in March 2016),

write your comments about the article :: © 2015 Jazz News :: home page