The Critics - Records: Jazz

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The Critics - Records: Jazz

Ginger Baker and the DJQ20: Coward of the County (Atlantic)

Cream's drummer now resides in Denver, where he plays polo and appears with this group, whose bouncy jazz recalls Art Blakey's Messengers, only with a steel guitar in the line-up The opening track, "Cyril Davies", is one of the best new tunes of the year

Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Not Two, Not One (ECM)

Summit meeting of three master improvisers, with a series of solo and collective compositions handled with the kind of unforced artistry that only comes from long experience at the cutting edge of contemporary jazz Some of the improvisations are fairly abstract, but a number of up-tempo themes are so brilliantly played that it's well worth the effort involved to listen and inwardly digest