Artist: George Haslam & Friends
Title: Loveland
Cat Number: SLAMCD335
Label, Year Released: SLAM Productions, 2021
Format: CD & all digital platforms
Barcode: 5028386716822
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On this live recording from 2010, baritone saxophonist George Haslam is joined by bassist Josef Laska in a new group, assembled by Milos Latislav of Czech National Radio to play a short tour with violinist Stefano Pastor, Jan Faix on keys and Jan Sikl drums.
“I remember well the venue, a small cellar club in Vinohrady, I played there several times. I was delighted to hear the recording and grateful to Milos for getting it to me and for his work in the production.
For almost 20 years it has been a great experience to meet and perform with such Czech musicians as well as those from other countries for whom Czech Republic has proved to be an attractive and stimulating place to live and create.” – George Haslam
George Haslam: baritone saxophone, tarogato
Stefano Pastor: electric violin, kalimba
Jan Faix: synthesizer, melodica
Jozef Laska: upright bass, bass guitar
Jan Sikl: drums
“Haslam has a deep, lyrical tone, expressed from his first solo notes onward in Waiting…His resonating baritone surge in Landing makes a stark contrast with the virtuoso Pastor and his seething electric violin and the empathetic rhythms of his Czech confreres, with the violinist taking flight on Pastorale, his notes soaring skyward. Haslam maintains that the Czech Republic is ” a stimulating place to live and create” and the proof is in this album, forged by musicians determined to touch the stars.” – Chris Searle, Morning Star
“One of the best things about Slam is that have become an outlet for the many different projects that Mr. Haslam is involved with, featuring musicians from around the world…The disc starts off with a Gong-ish space jam, a great way to begin our journey. The Czech-based synth-led rhythm section is strong, tight and inspired…Jan Faix’ takes a great Sun Ra-like (ring modulated) electric piano solo…This is free improv at its best, the quintet often sounds as if they’ve been working together for a long while.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
“Haslam is his usual self, adding to this quartet, who clearly enjoy playing together. The different instruments provide a very different tonal setting, with very interesting contrasts. The taragato is a form of saxophone with a bit of a shrill sound. The melodica adds lovely melodic lines as well as great harmonies while the violin and kalimba add great accompaniments…Loveland is the longest track with some excellent playing by Haslam and what sounds like a bass, which provides a great solo and great accompaniment. Over all this is a very interesting recording.” – Bernie Koenig, Cadence
“Haslam continues to explore beyond the boundaries of jazz as we know it: the piercing shrillness of the tarogato and the sheer immensity of the baritone saxophone’s tonal stature seeming to lend themselves quite naturally to his forward inclination towards ever-developing improvisation…Haslam and Pastor pair well as two gifted performers who thoroughly comprehend their instruments and have a firm grasp of where and how they can use them.” – Ken Cheetham, Jazz Views
“Haslam’s taragoto creates an otherworldly mood on the solo intro to “Waiting” before Laska’s electric bass starts a free form swirl of sounds that is stirred by Faix’s synthesizer spoon. Laska introduces “Landing” with some wondrous electric tones with third world travels contributed by Pastor’s kalimba as the team floats like a desert sand storm. Mourning tones and conversant violin work makes for a gentle “Loveland” while a palpable baritone reaches deep into magma along with dreamy synthesized textures pulsated by Sikl on the impressionistic “Whither Tomorrow”. Audible impressions with many colours and textures.” – George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Compositions by Haslam, Pastor, Faix, Laska & Sikl
Live at Rybanaruby, Prague, 10 September 2010