Customer Reviews

Maarifa Street: Magic Realism, Vol. 2

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I have been a fan of Jon Hassell since the 70s and think he is one of the most creative musical voices our country has produced. He plays trumpet - but in a trance-inducing style that combines elements of Indian classical music, third-world percussion, electronic signal processing, and looping - to create a totally unique style. This music is for anyone who loves creative and unique music that is well crafted and contemplative. However, if you prefer pop or vocal music, this album is probably not your cup of tea.

I love this album and have listened to it many times - so it has "legs" and bears repeated listening - like all of Hassell's catalog. It has similarities to his previous work with Bluescreen, "Dressing for Pleasure" and his earlier trance and magic realism albums. I think it ranks with Hassell's best work and represents an interesting approach that augments and morphs live performances into new compositions. If you are looking for a creative music that touches the soul, you should definitely give Jon Hassell a listen.

What a way to mix the new and newer-not a retrospective, but it could certainly serve as such. Perhaps also a way to introduce Jon Hassell to the unititiated. As can be said of all his work, Maarifa Street: Magic Realism, Vol. 2 is highly recommended.
After 30 years and just a handful of recordings, this man is a giant of modern music and still a secret at the same time. Unless one hears a soundtrack or some theme music, his sound never reaches the ears of the greater public. One wonders why he has spawned no other composers or bands who are directly influenced by his work. Perhaps it is time...

In his long career Hassell has created a very personal sound, not only with his trumpet but with all his ensembles that he bring in the direction he likes. Maybe this is not one of his best CD but in few seconds you can easily recognize his music that is different from any other musician. While other similar artists like Eno are making musical flops (listen to Another Day...) Hassell continues his artistic journey with no compromises and we are grateful to him.

A couple of things I particularly like about this fine recording. Hassell uses, here, a trumpet sound that falls somewhere on the continuum between the highly processed voice we remember from Fourth World Vol 1 and the straighter sound he employed on Fascinoma. This time it's recognizable both as Jon Hassell AND as a trumpet. The other real jewel here is terrific bass playing. Highly recommended CD.

Perhaps the most studio-wrought Hassel album of all. Goregeous weaving of live-captured performances with studio overdubs. Very Dub/ Jazz sounding at times, but that's not a put down. The latter half of the album sees a return to earlier atmospheres. I would say, a combo of Power Spot and City: Works of Fiction in its musical background. Yet it takes a life all of its own. Must-have for everyone, especially for the Hassel neofites, due to its trademark, yet accessible sound.

It's impossible for a trumpet player in the jazz, worldbeat, fusion, world jazz, or "interstitial" arenas not to have been influenced by Miles Davis, with one of the most obvious examples being Tim Hagans. Jon Hassell shows that influence as well, but at the same time moves things far beyond what Miles did.

It's not just the presence of musicians from different parts of the world that marks Hassell's music as different; after all, Miles had Indian musicians playing with him (and there's the recent "Miles from India" tribute double CD with both American and Indian musicians fusing their talents on some of the better Miles tracks). Hassell uses repetitive slow-groove rhythm patterns over which he improvises his electronically modified trumpet sounds that are sinuous, sensuous, hypnotic--he's creating a kind of surreal mesh of In a Silent Way and something new, different.

The two different versions of Open Secret on this album are interesting; on one, there's a Middle Eastern musician who contributes both vocal and oud tonalities. The other does not include this coloring; you can hear the same slow underneath rhythm pattern. This is a continuation of the Hassell of Fourth World and the first Magic Realism album and while there may be nothing startlingly new here, there is certainly enough of interest to mesmerize the listener.

It's probably in an effort to move beyond this seguing series that Hassell's more recent collaborative album, "The Tubes", is radically different; it's a collaboration with electronic music composer Michael Fahres and basically eschews world music influences.

Someone had mentioned or suggested a collaboration of Hassell and Bill Laswell. An intriguing prospect...but I doubt it would happen. I think they are in different "spaces". Yes, there is certainly heavy world music impact on music by both artists. But this is not a collaboration that strikes me as being likely.

Maarifa Street is, 3 years old, the album that Hassell still lists on his website as his most recent; it is, as a solo project. It will be interesting to see if and when he decides to do his next solo project how similar or different it will be from this engaging style he has developed.