ELTON DEAN — Avant (with Sophia Domancich ) (review)

ELTON DEAN — Avant (with Sophia Domancich ) album cover Live album · 2005 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
English sax player Elton Dean is well-known on the British scene from his participation with the Keith Tippett Sextet in the late 60s, an even more high profile membership on the best Soft Machine albums, many related solo works within the Canterbury scene, as well as free jazz related projects too. French pianist Sophia Domancich is not as well known, but besides her work with Orchestre National de Jazz she was also involved with several Canterbury scene releases covering several decades (she was in Pip Pyle's Equip' Out and a member of Soft Bounds besides collaborations on some other Canterbury scene albums).

Recorded live in France, "Avant" is an interesting album for every Elton Dean/Sophia Domancich fan because of a few reasons. It is their first (and only) duo release and is quite a unique case because you can hear both musicians improvising without help from any other musicians. All four of the album's compositions are based on some composed material, but in a big part they are of an improvisational character and demonstrate an extremely high level of communication between the two artists. Sophia's piano is mostly cold, with a strong chamber flavor, Elton sax's soloing fills all the space around with dark, and in moments, nostalgic and melancholic improvs. This is a somber music and is heavily based on European chamber traditions, but at the same time it is made more lively due to the improvisational character. These are well organised and melodic improvisations that are quite accessible, one great recording from Elton Dean's last years.

Recommended for fans of Elton Dean.
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

Taylor Ho Bynum, Jacqueline Kerrod : Simple Ways Such Self Jazz Related Improv/Composition
TAYLOR HO BYNUM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sanyas Hard Bop
STEVE TURRE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Pianohooligan : Critique of Swing in Two Parts, Pts. 1 & 2 Third Stream
PIOTR ORZECHOWSKI (PIANOHOOLIGAN)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Jason Stein, Marilyn Crispell, Damon Smith, Adam Shead : Spi​-​raling Horn Avant-Garde Jazz
JASON STEIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Utopia Jazz Related Improv/Composition
OLIVER LUTZ
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Stablemates
RON BLAKE
js· 1 day ago
Critique of Swing in Two Parts, Pt. 1
PIOTR ORZECHOWSKI (PIANOHOOLIGAN)
js· 1 day ago
FULL ALBUM - Oliver Lutz - Utopia w/ Leif Berger, Constantin Krahmer
OLIVER LUTZ
js· 2 days ago
Lift
DAVE WILSON (US/NZ)
js· 4 days ago
Nature is a Mother
CHARLIE PYNE
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