On paper, this duo should not work out. The soft bopping romanticism of pianist Simon Nabatov should have been blown to smithereens by the runaway train that is Han Bennink. Well, lo and behold, Chat Room turns out to be both civilized and exciting. It would be too easy to say that Nabatov has managed to tame the wild horse (come on, even Misha Mengelberg is not able to do that even after trying for four decades). No, the reason why it works is simply because each improviser meets the other ...   [ read more ]

CD $18.03

The 1999 discovery of a previously unknown 1963 concert by Eric Dolphy makes it one of the finds of the decade. Taped for broadcast at the University of Illinois at Champaign, it was mentioned in an Eric Dolphy Internet chat room and eventually relayed to producer Michael Cuscuna. The sound is very good, except for overly prominent drums throughout the concert and an under-miked flute on "South Street Exit." Dolphy's playing is consistently rewarding, including a lengthy workout of {&"Softly...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38