RR GEMS Estonia Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Estonian label RR Gems continues to fly the flag for the finest experimental jazz music, introducing the world to the sound of EEG Coherence. Recorded at the legendary Hotel 2 Tango studios in Montreal, their debut album is a flowing, engrossing affair which flirts with free jazz forms while keeping a certain smoky, groove-minded vibe at the centre of the rhythm section. It lopes and slopes, letting prominent guitar work needle its way around looming basslines and splashy, spaced-out drums with splashes of vocals, flutes, sax and keys darting about in the mix for good measure. If you value free jazz you can latch onto, this album is a must-check.

Review: Contemporary spiritual jazz maestro Muriel Grossmann is a sax player, singer and composer who has already released plenty of well regarded albums, but is nowhere near done yet. Universal Code is her latest and is a bumper double that again finds her offering her own unique take on the spiritual jazz template. She once again recalls her recent band mates Radomir Milojkovic on guitar, Llorenc Barcelo on keyboards and Uros Stamenkovic on drums and Gina Schwarz on double bass and they slide into soul jazz sound with straight ahead sounds that soon soothe with breezy soprano motifs and bluesy walking basslines.

Review: Muriel Grossman has already serve up her tune fusion album Union this month with the help from some fine talents including Radomir Milojkovi on guitar, Llorenc Barcelo on Hammond and Uros Stamenkovic's tight drums. But now the sax player is back on the same label with Natural Time, a double gatefold album that features some of the cuts off Union - namely 'Happiness' and 'African Dance' - as well as a few more that are just a s spiritual and sensuous. It is hard to pick a favourite between the two albums so you'll be best off just getting both.

Review: A surrealist's favourite from the new Montreal band Kadef comes sauntering our way, courtesy of Estonian label RR Gems. Aiming to consciously, and specifically, fuse three genres of music together: jazz, krautrock, and Gnawa music (a form of Moroccan religious music characterised by its repetitious phrases), 'Kadef' is a life-to-death transitory album, full of "honour for the sacred boundaries of human beings and the intelligence of the Universe", not to mention frank bass phrases, rapturously wordless vocals, and hypnotic guitar circulations. It's unlike anything we've ever heard before!

Review: Walking On The Grass is a debut long player from the much-touted Mush Tone Ensemble. The record was recorded fully live on analogue tape in Hameenlinna and though this is dense, challenging jazz, it also has a hugely uplifting vibe to it. Juha Sarkkola plays with an open heart as he leads the track from his bouncing drums while Tuure Tammi's trumpet and flugelhorn are ever restless and Tero Kemppainen's and bass structures plunge you in deep. This trio has really nailed it from the off with this debut and we hope there will be many more to come.

Review: Estonian-based label RR Gems is on a mission to present music that carries on a rich tradition of "free form, experimental and jazz" sounds. It does that here with dynamic Helsinki sextet, Soft Power, who have a style that ranges from jazz-rock to psychedelic jazz, always with exuberant musicianship and eclectic energy. Raw Bites is another exceptional outing that challenges conventions without ever losing sight of a compelling groove in amongst the cosmic sounds and noodling melodies. Walking bass brings bluesy qualities to some tunes and others are epic sonic adventures a la Sun Ra.