CLAUDE BOLLING - Jazzgang Amadeus Mozart (1965-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The reissue of keyboardist Claude Bolling's recordings of the 1960s may prompt a positive reevaluation of his contributions. Bolling has been known, at least outside France, mostly for the flute-and-piano works he composed for Jean-Pierre Rampal; his recordings with Rampal hit a certain popular groove and stuck with the formula. They were undeniably appealing in a simple way, but they became fatally overexposed. Bolling's earlier recordings reveal more imagination in his treatment of the relationship between jazz and classical music. Take for example this 1965 album, recorded in Paris. It's one of the few successful jazz treatments of Mozart, who is notoriously resistant to jazz treatment. The difficulty comes as a result of Mozart's reliance on harmonic rhythm, or the speed of the rate of change of the harmonies in the music. This feature seems impossible to capture in jazz, which heavily relies on regular chord changes, but Bolling's solutions here, making use of a classic jazz sextet, are brilliantly imaginative. There are several different twists on the basic idea, but essentially what he does is begin with the source music, only slightly tinged with jazz and usually played on his own piano. Where the music picks up speed and energy, he turns the sextet loose. The effect of hearing Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525, turned into a sort of New Orleans jam session is charming, but it wouldn't work without very careful structural planning. Cherubini's aria "Voi che sapete," from The Marriage of Figaro, is a variation on the same theme: a nightclub jazz combo is used to move the music along. The Rondo alla Turca and a group of variations from the first movement of the sonata from which it comes provide short sketches of various ideas. Only the final Overture to. by James Manheim  
Tracklist:
Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major ("Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), K. 525
1 Allegro 3:23
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
2 Romance (Andante) 3:07
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3 Minuetto (Allegretto) 2:08
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
4 Rondo (Allegro) 2:43
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492
5 Mon Cœur Soupire (Air de Chérubin) 3:08
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major ("Alla Turca") K. 331 (K. 300i)
6 Marche Turque (Rondo alla turca) 2:39
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
7 Andante et variations 1, 2, 3 & 6 8:04
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492
8 Ouverture 3:53
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Credits:

Bandoneon – Pierre Dutour (tracks: 1 to 4)

Banjo – Fernand Garbasi (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)

Clarinet – Gérard Badini

Conductor [String Ensemble Conducted By] – Jean Gitton (tracks: 1 to 4)

Double Bass – Charlie Blareau

Drums – Peter Giger

Guitar – Fernand Garbasi (tracks: 1 to 5)

Music By – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Performer – Claude Bolling Sextet

Piano – Claude Bolling

Tenor Saxophone – Gérard Badini (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7), Pierre Gossez (tracks: 5, 8)

Trombone – Claude Gousset

Trumpet – Pierre Sellin (tracks: 2 to 4, 6, 7)

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Pierre Dutour