CD Review: Savoldelli Casarano Bardoscia Visit The Dark Side And Jon Davis Has His Band

The experimental jazz trio of Boris Savoldelli, Raffaele Casarano and Marco Bardoscia took on the task of re-creating one of the most iconic albums in music history. Their version of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" was recorded back in 2013 and finally released this past February as "The Great Jazz Gig In The Sky." The album starts out similar to the original with a heartbeat and random voices, before diving into the quiet, stark delivery of "Breathe" as Savoldelli's vocals and Casarano's sax give the song any type of emotion. The programming imagery portrayed by "On The Run," leads us to a psychedelic version of "Time" and a modern, electronic disruption of "Money." The highlight of the album is the fourteen minute version of "Us And Them" that allows the trio to let loose and incorporate their influence on this classic album. The album closers "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" are experimental pieces that will have you digging deeper into the recreation of this album as you begin to notice things the second time around. To find out more about "The Great Jazz Gig In The Sky," please visit moonjune.com/The-Great-Jazz-Gig-In-The-Sky.

Next we come to the American progressive rock band Zhongyu (which mean "finally" in Chinese). They recently released their self-titled debut album which features a dozen worldly jazz/rock instrumentals that add a Far Eastern tone to the overall music of the album. Beginning with the slow awakening of "Apple Of My Mind's Eye 2" and "Torture Chamber Of Commerce," the elements of King Crimson shine through on these early tracks. The eight-minute "Hydraulic Fracas" continues to build upon it's Africian rhythms with each instrument getting a lead part. Their influence of Miles Davis comes through on the jazz fusion of "Tunnel At The End Of The Light" and "Sleepwalking The Dog." The relaxing tone of "Wanderland Wanderlust" is nice welcome among these complicated instrumentals, before the album finishes with the atmospheric progressive rock feel of "All Food Comes From China." To find out more about Zhongyu and their new self-titled release, please visit moonjune.com/ZHONGYU_Zhongyu.