Kaleidoscope of Rainbows [Vinyl]

Neil Ardley | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (October 14, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Pure Pleasure
• ASIN: B001GJ312I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Editorial Reviews

Considered by many to be one of the greatest British Jazz recordings of the 20th Century, this acclaimed 'Lost Masterpiece' has only had limited availability on CD. It was beautifully recorded in 1976, featuring the cream of British Jazz musicians including Barbara Thompson, Tony Coe, Ian Carr & Paul Buckmaster. This Dusk Fire recording was 24 Bit 96 k/Hz digitally-remastered by Miles Showell at Metropolis Mastering, London, December 2004, using original master tapes. Famed DJ Gilles Peterson has championed the recording! 2005. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great remastering - Fusion jazz for the future past and present, February 5, 2006

By 

John Frame "There Is No Substitute For Equality" (Brisbane, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kaleidoscope of Rainbows (Audio CD)

I bought the LP of Kaleidoscope Of Rainbows in the late 70's following the recommendation by a friend who loved great jazz. This album includes several styles though, and it is simply captivating for the interplay of tone and rhythm.

It is an absolute joy to hear this carefully remastered 24bit/96khz version on CD. Every pop and click on the LP was a tragic distraction, but it is immediately obvious just how sonically superior the Dusk Fire Records (2005) CD version is when compared to the vinyl. You really do hear SO much more of the intricate detail of the ensemble. You can also fully appreciate Paul Buckmaster's superbly crafted production.

The booket includes Neil's original comments from the LP cover, plus "an introduction" by Peter Muir (December 2004) which includes a detailed biography of the late Neil Ardley and "an appreciation" by Neil's long time(1964 - 2004) musical collaborator Barbara Thompson, who plays alto and soprano flute on 6 of these 7 tracks.

Surely no collection of seventies jazz could be complete without this album - and this particular CD presents the timeless work perfectly.

I am more than impressed - I am in love with this music all over again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Album, December 28, 2007

By 

Joe Zawinul "Black Market" (Birdland USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kaleidoscope of Rainbows (Audio CD)

I just would like to respond to the idiotic opinions expressed by suncitygirl. I know that taste in music is subjective, but in my opinion this is a brilliant album, one of the best jazz albums of the 1970s. Had Ardley been a bigger name and American rather than British this record would not have been ignored. Ardley is an forgotten talent.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful jazz inspired by Balinese music, April 26, 2008

By 

James Jones (Clive, IA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kaleidoscope of Rainbows (Audio CD)

Kaleidoscope of Rainbows starts out scrupulously restricting itself to the Balinese pelog (?) scale with an ever-shifting background reminiscent of the gamelan, setting down a theme that it recalls at the very end. As the sections go on, they gradually add back more of the chromatic scale we Westerners are accustomed to. The journey is thoroughly enjoyable; as a sucker for the melancholy, my favorite has to be Rainbow Four, featuring a heartbreakingly beautiful sax solo from Barbara Thompson.

I'm certainly no scholar of jazz, and can't properly place it in a list--if such a list even makes sense. I can say that this is gorgeous music, and I think you'll enjoy it.