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| Faruq
Z. Bey with the Northwoods Improvisers featuring Mike Carey and
Skeeter Shelton |
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Auzar
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2004
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"This outing, the third and best so far for Entropy by Griot
Galaxy former head honcho Faruq Z. Bey is as solid, sincere
and satisfying a dose of new jazz as anything dished up the
past two years by other better known labels".
Dan Warburton; Paris Transatlantic Magazine 1/05
"....this is a very good cd and this version of the Northwoods
Improvisers- with Bey leading and Carey and Shelton added- is
a powerful band".
Paul
Olson; All About Jazz 2/05
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"Well recorded,
this is an inspired set of Freebop sure to please those devotees of
post war era classic Free Jazz. With a triple threat saxophone line-up,
there are moments of late-Coltrane inspired frenzy that would not
sound out of place
in a mid-1960's
Impulse! recording".
Troy Collins;
Cadence 4/05
"The record itself
(as any Northwoods Improvisers record) has this driving rhythm
to it, this sense of direction that is just so catchy and infectious".
Tom Sekowski, Gaz-Eta 2005
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Faruq
Z. Bey w/Northwoods Improvisers
quintet featuring Mike Carey. |
| ASHIRAI
PATTERN |
2002
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"Bey resides
as a forceful presence throughout, evidenced by his soul searching
choruses, wrapped around robust tenor sax tone. At times memories
of latter-day Coltrane come to mind".****
Glen Astaria; All Music Guide
"Ashrai
Pattern is one of the best examples of similar minds sharing
their wealth
of knowledge and applying it in practice".
Tom Sekowski, Gaz-Eta 2005
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"the music is
rich and varied and hugely enjoyable".
Penguin Guide to Jazz 7th edition
"Bey and Northwoods Improvisers produce stirring music of challenging
proportions".
Fran Rubolino;
Cadence 9/03
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Faruq
Z. Bey w/ Northwoods Improvisers ,
live concert recording featuring Len Bukowski
on three tracks.
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| 19
MOONS |
2001
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"spiritually
oriented dignity is the order of the day....Now, after a protracted
silence caused by a serious accident among other problems, he's
reemerged with this fine cd".
Ken Waxman; Jazz Weekly 02
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"Like
the passionate leader Charles Mingus, Faruq Z. Bey folds consonant
timbral blends together while unifying his compositions with mezmerizing
rhythms".
Jim Santella; Cadence 5/02
"....Faruq Z.Bey is an artist who seems not to have been recorded
since Griot Galaxy's ground breaking 1986 release Opus Krampus. That's
too long off the scene and this fine cd is proof of what we've been
missing".
John Chacona; Signal To Noise summer 02
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Northwoods
trio featuring Mike Gilmore
on marimba, on all tracks.
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| Branches |
2000
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"....a
satisfying document, logically progressing
and imbued with creative spirit, never succumbing to cliche".
Steven Loewy; Cadence 10/01
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Mike
Gilmore solo recording. Performing improvisations and a couple
of original works
on the Turkish string instrument the saz.
(limited edition) |
| Soaring
Hawk |
2000
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Eastern
influenced music recordings featuring Mike Gilmore on string instruments
including acoustic guitar and cheng. some of the cuts are performed
with founding Northwoods member percussionist John Plough.
-------Limited edition with handmade
covers.------- |
| Star
Garden |
1999
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"Michigan's
Northwoods Improvisers have, for over a decade, provided the
underground with some of the most satisfying, confounding, and
totally inventive music on the scene, though they are seldom
acknowledged for it.... This may be the finest offering yet
from a band that has yet to disappoint".
Thom Janek; All Music Guide
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Northwoods
trio joined by
Ben Bracken on several tracks. |
| Lightning
Darkness |
1998
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"Clearly
the most outerworldly and diverse Northwoods album released,
Lightning Darkness is a journey into Middle Eastern music
and free
harmonic abstractions".
Jason Hundey; All music Guide
"The highlight
here is a cover of Sun Ra's "God Is More Than Love Could Ever
Be". Clocking in at almost ten minutes, its quiet intensity
builds around Mike Gilmore's shimmering vibe work and the
spare percussion laid down by Nick Ashton. At top volume,
the song envelopes you in beautiful melodies and
sends your spirit astral traveling".
Brainwashed '99 "
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A
sense of nature prevades, hidden creatures, elemental brewings".
Coda '99
"The intellectual aspects of these compositions do not mar or circumvent
the entertainment factor as Northwoods offer the best of both worlds".
**** All Music Guide '99
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The
Northwoods trios second studio release
on the Arc label. |
| Spinning |
1996
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"The Improvisers weave together sounds both ancient and modern
in a highly idiosyncratic personal iconography that is universally
acceptable by those interested in primitive musics and wildly
sophisticated in a modern sense for those interested in the
improvisational and harmonic process as it relates to jazz".
Thom Jurek; All Music Guide
"The approach is complex and certainly original, but there's
an immediate appeal. Mike Gilmore's soloing on vibes is outstanding.....a
beautiful album".
Andy Hamilton; The Wire
"the nonstandard instrumentation of the trio provides for some
intriguing colorations....
the music is full of honesty and heart-felt playing".
Michael Rosenstein; Cadence 5/97
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"Spinning
more closely captures the Northwoods live sound, heading into wilder
territory than their first disc with more and livelier drum solos
and covers of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane".
Matt Camp; Etch '98
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Northwoods
first release on
Trevor Watts Arc label. |
| Fog
and Fire |
1994
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"The
Northwoods Improvisers first release has a clearly evident originality
and the group has created an original sound coming out of several
streams of musical influence".
Philipe Renaud; Impro Jazz 3/95
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"Fog and Fire is a good set of strong substantial music".
Robert Iannapollo; Cadence 1/95
"......Northwoods Improvisers refers just often enough to indigenous
sounds
to show how improvisation is a traditional communication".
Randal Mcllroy; Coda Sept./Oct. 95
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-----------------
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| Hymm
Book of The Anciency |
2006
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Poetry by:
Faruq Z. Bey 2001-2005 |
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Entropy/Codex 002
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