Elton Dean Albums (22)
'The Unbelievable Truth'
Release Date 7/17/2007
Tracks 7
Label MoonJune
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What The Critics Say
Paris is the city that foaming-at-the-mouth neocons love to hate (even though many of them have never even been there), but for jazz enthusiasts, it is the culturally rich, historically important city that attracted everyone from Django Reinhardt to Barney Wilen to American expatriates such as Bud Powell and Steve Lacy. And it's a place that, in the 21st century, continues to attract many jazz-minded visitors from other parts of Europe. On October 18, 2005, England's Elton Dean and Belgium's the Wrong Object got together in Paris for the live appearance at Glaz'Art that is heard on The Unbelievable Truth. Sadly, Dean did not have long to live when this 68-minute CD was recorded; he died at the age of 60 only four months later in February 2006. And if Unbelievable Truth is any indication, Paris' association with the Wrong Object had major possibilities. Although Dean and the Belgian unit had never played together before the Glaz'Art gig, they had discussed the songs that would be performed, and Dean (who is heard on saxello and alto sax) enjoys a strong rapport with Wrong Object members Jean-Paul Estiévenart (trumpet), Fred Delplancq (tenor sax), Michel Delville (guitar), Damien Polard (bass) and Laurent Delchambre (drums). Most of the material that is performed was written by either Delville or Dean, whose playing gives no indication of his failing health; the British improviser plays with much conviction on the John Coltrane-ish "Seven for Lee" (his best known song) and the reflective "Baker's Treat" (another Dean piece) as well as Delville's compositions. Dean's encounter with the Wrong Object is best described as mildly avant-garde instead of radically avant-garde; an inside/outside approach prevails, but The Unbelievable Truth is still fairly melody-minded and is relatively accessible by avant-garde standards. Although it is regrettable that Dean and the Wrong Object never had a chance to reunite, The Unbelievable Truth serves as a rewarding document of their only concert together. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Bar Torque, recorded live at the London Jazz Cafe in November 1992, consists of three extended instrumental improvisations between Elton Dean (on saxello and alto sax) and Mark Hewins (on both synth guitar and acoustic guitar). And they were extended, with the title track clocking in at nearly 25 minutes, and the other two falling only a little under the 15-minute mark. They tread the relatively little-traveled path between improvised jazz and new age music, as Hewins particularly teases a formidable array of textures from his instruments. As for his synthetic ones, many listeners attuned to standard notions of what a guitar sounds like would not even identify them as having been played on guitar. Sometimes, indeed, there are fluttering and swooping noises that don't even fall in the realm of conventional musical notes, although it never gets harsh. The disc's a little odd in that it's probably too long and unstructured for fans of mellow jazz and new age music, but too laid-back for many listeners who feed on a diet of hardcore jazz improv. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Saxophonist Elton Dean and pianist Sophia Domancich have played together on and off in the Soft Machine -- with Hugh Hopper and Simon Goubert -- and in various lineups of Pip Pyle's Equipe Out. Avant, recorded from a live performance in Gorzia in 2004, marks the first time they have played as a duo, however. Over four extended pieces, this pair delve deep into the notion of close listening. In "No Fuss," they engage in intricate contrapuntal improvisation where one phrase comes out of another, moving ever more deeply into the sonic labyrinth. On "No Bother," Domancich reaches as much inside the piano as on to its keys to provide open drones, elongated melody lines, and percussive bursts for Dean's saxophone to cascade around and through. On the opener, "Avant-Apres," the pair establish a language from skeletal compositional frames and use space, tension, and dynamic to create a passageway in this beautiful, lyrical, and provocative recording; one where intuition, skill, and near-symbiotic thought processes are given voice in front of a delighted live audience. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Elton Dean's Ninesense grouped members of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, Keith Tippett's sextet, and Elton Dean's Just Us players and his quartet. All these groups had much stronger ties to bebop jazz than rock, or even fusion jazz -- which is what Dean is still best known for through his tenure in Soft Machine. And thus the music of Ninesense will surprise more than a few misinformed fans. Live at the BBC expands the timeline of the group as it culls one session recorded ten months before it cut its first LP (May 1975), and another nine months after its second (March 1978). The first set features original trumpeter Mongezi Feza in his only known recording with the band, and includes "Dancin'" and "Soothing," two pieces that would appear on 1976's Oh For the Edge as "Dance" and "Forsoothe," plus two previously undocumented pieces. These light, avant-jazz melodies paired to the Blue Notes' rhythm section (bassist Harry Miller and drummer Louis Moholo) rank among Dean's most accessible (though a bit bland) material. The "Bidet Bebop" is one raucous tune, fast, quirky, and heavy in horn presence (the lineup also includes Alan Skidmore on sax, Marc Charig on cornet, and Radu Malfatti and Paul Nieman on trombones). "Nicra" and "Seven for Me," from the second session, had been recorded for the second and last LP, Happy Daze, under the titles "Nicrotto" and "Seven for Lee." Harry Beckett has replaced Feza since his death in December 1975. Nick Evans subs for Nieman. "Seven for Me" brings the highlight of the disc: both simple and complex (in a Coleman-esque harmolodic way), the tune leaps out of the speakers like the brightest tunes from Soft Machine's Golden Age (that would be the Third/Fourth period) and features pianist Keith Tippett on celeste. With better sound, this rendition would be flooring, but as it is, with a rather poor sound capture by BBC standards, it still has the power to impress. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
QED features saxophonist Elton Dean in various contexts, from a duet with bassist Paul Rogers to trios, quartets, and a quintet with Jim Dvorak (trumpet), Nick Evans (trombone), Rogers, and Mark Sanders (drums). Other players include Alex Maguire (Hammond organ and piano), Tony Bianco (drums), Paul Dunmall (tenor sax), Simon Picard (tenor sax), and Robert Bellatalla (bass). The seven improvisations were recorded during one studio session and three live dates, all in January 2000. Even though collaborators and configurations change from one track to the next, this set forms a more cohesive (and interesting) whole than Moorsong, another Dean hodgepodge released around the same time on Cuneiform. These are all free improvisations with jazz roots. Highlights include the opening and closing numbers, two energy-filled trios with Maguire and Bianco on which Dean also plays electric piano (a wink to his Soft Machine days?). Bianco's Rashied Ali-inspired drumming and Maguire's funky Hammond playing turn these two tunes into exciting free-form fusion numbers. The horribly titled "Sax.com" is a nice sax quartet with Dean, Dunmall, Picard, and Jason Yarde. It makes a great contrast with "Sheepdogs," the aforementioned duet, where Dean reminds us how soulful his playing can be. The longest track is the quintet improv, "Deep Crease," the most textural of all. QED is a healthy dose of Elton Dean and a release his fans will not want to pass on. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A welcome reissue of music first recorded in 1971 and 1972, shortly before Dean left the popular British jazz-rock group the Soft Machine, which he had officially joined only a short time earlier, in late 1969. On this recording, Dean plays alto sax, saxello and electric piano and is aided by a group of musicians which includes two additional Soft Machine members, Mike Ratledge on organ and electric piano and Roy Babbington on string bass. One of Dean's compositions on Just Us, "Neo-Caliban Grides," was actually recorded by the Softs, however, in spite of the obvious parallels, Dean's group is by no means a Soft Machine knock off. The absence of drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt and bassist Hugh Hopper reduces both the rock element and the experimental electronics, while the presence of the additional musicians -- especially Marc Charig on cornet -- gives Dean's group a fuller sound and one that is much more in the jazz tradition. Charig's contributions on horn and those of an electric guitarist on several tracks, invite some obvious comparisons with the Miles Davis electric band of the Bitches Brew era. And with the extraordinary recording by the Davis group having been released only two years earlier in 1969, its influence on hip young British jazz players would have been substantial. Dean's prominent use of the electric keyboards also provides an obvious parallel with the contemporaneous Davis group. ~ William Tilland, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Performing freely, with only bass and drums at his side, Brit saxophonist Elton Dean takes risks galore on three extended tracks. That he holds the listener's attention for a full hour speaks volumes about Dean's ability to create spontaneously. This sort of venture is not to be taken lightly: There are no melodies, only the ingenuity of the artists. The leaflet defines "Nierika," from the album's title, as a Huichoi word meaning "a visionary tunnel between so called ordinary and non-ordinary realities..." The metaphor is apt, as Dean and colleagues map a sort of implicit connection between unmitigated abstraction and traditional song. While this recording will appeal to the most adventurous through its identity with and embracing of the best of the avant-garde, it also looks to logical harmonic progression without sacrificing the purity of instant composition. Dean's saxello sounds like a full-toned soprano sax, which fits well with Mark Sander's percussive emphasis on the snare. Roberto Bellatalla's bass is a bit weak in the mix, but his modest, unobtrusive approach to timbre helps the album succeed. Although the recording is presumptively a collective venture, Dean is the lead voice, by virtue of his strong muscular tone. It is one of Dean's best works on disc; he takes full advantage of the extra time to stretch, organize, and develop ideas, and explore sound relationships. His many admirers will appreciate his efforts, as will others who may find this a nice entryway to his work. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide
'The Mind in the Trees'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 9
Label Blueprint
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What The Critics Say
Elton Dean sat in with a trio of Hugh Hopper (bass guitar), Vince Clark (drums), and Francis Knight (keyboard and accordion) for a couple of hours in the winter of 1997, and these nine tracks were culled from that studio session. There is a quaint melodic quality to it all despite the obviously free forms, perhaps due to the presence of Knight, who seems to set a somewhat conservative tone. The music reflects the fine playing of the quartet, particularly that of Dean and Hopper, both of who perform with singular vision. Clarke is less impressive on drums, his rim shots occasionally seeming out of context. Dean is the main voice, and he has little trouble blowing endlessly without sacrificing creativity. Hopper lays down a generally quiet line over which the saxophonist weaves colorful, if restrained, peaks and valleys. Those who know Dean only for his fiery avant-garde style may be surprised at this less than incendiary setting, and although this is not the best showcase for his work, his inimitable voice does not disappoint. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Dunmall, Levin, Rogers and Tippett perform and record on a regular basis as the Mujician quartet, and the addition of Elton Dean on saxes and Roswell Rudd on trombone adds some weight to the quartet sound, but doesn't change the style of the music appreciably. Like Mujician, this augmented group starts with relatively open-ended collective improvisations, concentrating initially on individual instrumental textures and timbres, and then works its way gradually into melody, metrical regularity and interactions among various group members. Each of the three long pieces is a journey, and process is at least as important as product. In fact, the episodic, improvisational nature of the music is such that the CD might as well be one long 60-minute composition, because there's no clear sonic or stylistic transition between one piece and the next. Rudd is a real presence at times on trombone; he's an expansive, extroverted musician playing an instrument which accentuates such personal qualities. On occasion, Rudd's presence gives some of the blues-oriented sections a gregarious, almost Dixieland sensibility. Dean and Dunmall are both excellent on saxophones, and although there's no information on who's playing what, I suspect that Dunmall would be most often on tenor, while Dean would be playing his standard mixture of alto and saxello. The emotional range of the music on Bladek is enormous, and includes poignant solo work, both lyrical and raucous dialogues between group members, broad blues swagger, and some powerhouse collective free blowing which recapitulates the best of the late, expanded Coltrane groups. ~ William Tilland, All Music Guide
