KWCW

If he wasn’t before, Frank LoCrasto certainly is the master of intellectual jazz now. When You’re There is the perfect album if you’re a fan of Maria Schneider (try “Until Dusk”) or any kind of music that’s, well, good. The standout piece is dauntingly the longest at 11:09. But “Overture/The Rathskeller/Interlude” is worth every second. It begins with a slow, diligent alto flute, leads into a soaring violin, and comes to rest atop sustained woodwinds. Soon, a jazz waltz creeps in with a wonderful amount of conspicuousness; the transition isn’t seamless, and it shouldn’t be. LoCrasto knows what he’s doing.
RIYL: Maria Schneider, good music
Rating: 4 stars, A+

-Devin Ouye Yamanaka

OK, so I get it. In fact, I really like the idea. Japanese composer Tori Kudo (sometimes known as the “Master of Mistake”) has brought together 27 tracks full of free-jazz and complex layering, explicitly to be played by amateur musicians. In an age where every album is digitally produced, pitch & tempo can be adjusted to fix the musicians’ mistakes, and performers are expected to reproduce their music exactly like studio version, Maher Shalal Hash Baz stands out as a shining beacon of music in its imperfect glory. We’re not talking about making mistakes for mistakes sake, but rather letting the music go where the musicians and their ability takes it. Great idea! Unfortunately, the end result is an album where you will find yourself cringing at some point every track. Picture going to a middle school band recital and watching some poor kid butcher a note on his solo… that’s the kind of uncomfortable feeling some of these tracks will give you. That said, it is a very genuine, real sounding album (good thing) which has its moment of freak-folk-avant-jazz bliss (even better thing). And it does some wonderful stuff like replacing the bass guitar with a bassoon. Sadly, however, I can’t make myself want to listen to it more than a couple times.

I give this album 4.5/5 artistic visions and slaps in the faces of the culture of the perfect taking over music today, but only 2.5/5 desires to hit the “repeat all” button.

-Alan

Give me an ensemble as dedicated to exploring and pushing the boundaries of percussion as So Percussion (”So” derived from the Japanese verb “to play”) and I get excited. Tell me that they use anything they can get their hands on (duct tape, broken ethernet port, etc) to supplement their collection of global percussion instruments and I start to sweat. Then if I find out that they reinterpreted a Steve Reich composition using only percussion, and are currently on tour with electro-avant big shots Matmos, and I might just be unable to hold it in anymore. Amid the Noise was such an exciting concept: let several percussionists who love experimental compositions loose and see what happens. I was so geared up to love it, and then I heard the album. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very nice collection of songs, generally ranging from meditative to Eno-esque ambientism. The music seems to just waft into the background, serving as the soundtrack to your thoughts. And that, is exactly the problem. The use of electronics on the album overshadows the intricate drumming that is taking place. In addition to the domination, in terms of volume and presence in the sound, the use of electronics cheapens or casts doubt upon the percussive elements. In other words, it made them feel less exciting because you started to think that they were actually digitally generated as well. To be perfectly honest, I would not have said that So Percussion was a percussion troupe had I not read a quick bio on their website. In short, the talent is there, and so is the dedication. However, what could have been a wildly exciting romp into experimental percussion was cut short by the emphasis on electronics. Sadly, this seemed to push the boundaries of percussion less than it seemed to co-opt the sound into the generally digital realm of ambient composition.

I give this album 3.5/5 ambient drones, 4/5 meditations, and 1.5/5 percussive reinvention with a sad frown of potential unattained.

RIYL: Brian Eno, Tortoise, Aphex Twins, ambientism

- Alan Blickenstaff

Despite the fact that jazz and classical genres seem divergent, one would be surprised how well they converge on bassist John Patitucci’s latest, “Line By Line”. Melding some of the expressionistic tendencies of 20th-Century classical music with contemporary jazz, Patitucci’s “Agitato” is a stand-out track. The rhythm has a jazz lilt to it, but the small, yet angular, leaps the melody takes lets the listener know that this isn’t your average swing. “Theme and Variations for 6-String Bass and Strings” finds Patitucci accompanied by string quintet (two violins, viola, cello, string bass). The result is a direct classical-meets-jazz hybrid: Patitucci’s phrasing is strictly jazz while the chugging quintet beneath his bass keeps a straight-up-and-down rhythm. One track that is strictly jazz is Patitucci’s take on the Thelonious Monk favorite, “Evidence”. Joining Patitucci are Adam Rogers on electric guitar and Brian Blade on drums. While other tracks on the album are more contemplative, “Evidence” is straight-up fun with plenty of syncopated beats provided by Blade and a head-nodding-worthy guitar solo from Rogers.

5 out of 5 ears

RIYL: Subtler, jazzier Schoenberg. Just listen to it.

- Devin Ouye Yamanaka

Pianist and vocalist Diana Krall has performed in small and large settings and proven she is comfortable in both. Though mostly a big-band album, “From This Moment On” juxtaposes small-scale Krall with large-scale Krall and, in the end, the big-band tracks are not enough overthrow the combo Krall we know and love. Teaming up with the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Krall kicks off the album with “It Could Happen to You”, arranged as a mid-tempo, big band number. This seems fine until the track proceeding, “Isn’t It a Lovely Day”; it sounds so similar that this listener needed to flip back to the previous track to contrast. But, if you’re a Krall purist who believes her best work is found on her Nat King Cole tribute album “All for You,” jump to “Exactly Like You”, where she scales back to her trademark combo featuring guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. There we can finally discern some of Krall’s easy piano soloing and comprehend the close musical rapport she has with her frequent combo-mates. Likewise, other tracks (e.g. “Little Girl Blue”) do better when Krall’s voice is not minimized by belting brass.
4 out of 5 ears

RIYL: ½ Maria Schneider Orchestra, ½ Nat King Cole
- Devin Ouye Yamanaka

Most tribute albums are hit or miss affairs, usually filled in mostly equal parts with interesting takes on old standards and boring or even embarrassing filler material. Come Together – A Jazz/Soul Tribute to the Beatles is no different.

In terms of contributing artists, this compilation is miles ahead of most tribute albums, with many of the greatest artists in the history of jazz and soul music present, including Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, and Herbie Mann. But even some of these great artists make missteps in their experimentation (or lack thereof) with the Beatles’ catalogue. In general, the experimental takes work better than the straight covers. Herbie Mann & Tamiko Jones’ version of “Day Tripper” is overly similar to the original, and Jones’ vocals seem flat in the context of the song. Aretha Franklin’s first track on the album, “Let It Be” is also a bit dull in its similarity to the Beatles’ version. The exception to this rule is Little Richard performing “I Saw Her Standing There”, which is great fun, simply as a result of the original being right up Richard’s alley to begin with. Clarence Wheeler & the Enforcers suffer the opposite problem with their jazz exploration of “Hey Jude”: their version doesn’t have enough to do with the original song, seemingly bleating out the “Na-na-na” part every few minutes only out of obligation before diving back into a jazz workout which, while good, feels like a non sequitur.

The songs that do work are superb, however. The Meters and Black Heat transform “Come Together” and “Drive My Car”, respectively, into funk songs, and the results are tremendous. And the instrumental jazz rendition of “Something” by Wade Marcus is simply gorgeous. Aretha Franklin even manages to nearly trump the original “The Long and Winding Road” with her soulful version.

Ultimately, most of the weak tracks on Come Together are in the first half of the album (such as Charles Wright’s truly awful cover of “Here Comes the Sun”) but listeners who make it through the first few rough spots will find a lot of great material on the second half.

-Ben

Banishing the scoffers and nay-sayers who reject the organ trio as a valid traditional jazz format, the musicians of 3ósity (organist Pat Bianchi, guitarist Dave Corbus and drummer Todd Reid) plow through their latest eponymous release and lay that misconception satisfyingly to rest. The opening track is the fiery, “Inception,” written by piano master McCoy Tyner. Tackled with all the gusto an opening track should offer, it gives ample space for Corbus to showcase his flashy guitar technique and Bianchi to demonstrate his finger-flying chops across the organ. The Jimi Hendrix tune, “Wind Cries Mary” is treated with the slow, cool reverence it deserves, with Corbus and Bianchi demonstrating tasteful solos and Reid laying down a solid groove via brushes and easy-does-it cymbal work. Another stand-out track, the Latin-flavored, “Una Mas” shows off the trio in all their upbeat glory and emphasizes their cohesiveness and close communication—the hits are tight and the entrances exact. Organ-trio Latin jazz, you ask? Believe me, it’s good.

But if the other tracks don’t get your foot tapping, then skip right to track nine, “Second String”. If the funkified drumbeat and bass introduction don’t get you, then the shuffling rhythm (thanks to Reid) and syncopated comping will.

-Devin

Take Steve Reid, master jazz percussionist who once played sessions with Miles Davis, and in Kieran Hebden, expert manipulator of tape loops and electronic effects who composes under the name Four Tet, and what do you get? Though the possibilities seem endless, the answer is deceptively simple. You get three tracks, spanning roughly 37 minutes of seamlessly synthesized experimentation. The tracks are complex without being overbearing, structured without being monotonous, and balanced without stifling improvisation. Reid’s drums and Hebden’s computer share the spotlight, alternating focus between the two in a series of solos interspersed within the compositions. Granted, some people will be put off by the periodic moments of grating dissonance, when the duo throw sounds together in such a harsh manner that it almost hurts to listen. But, these stretches are short lived and serve as an essential contrast with the more sonorous portions. Basically transition points, when these “freakouts” are brought back under control, the sound is very similar to that before the spastic session, but slightly different. And it is these slight nuances which power the progression of sound through these dauntingly long tracks, and it is this progression which turns experimental soundscapes into a deftly interwoven masterpieces of free jazz, from two excellent composers.

However, the key to the enjoying this album isn’t actually found in the music itself, but in the way that you hear it. If you let it sink into the background, the rhythm of the percussion settling in the back of your mind, while the electronic loops add slight nuances but still remain an afterthought, then, the music will all blend together, the progression will be lost. And what will you be left with? You will be jolted back into active listenership by the sporadic moments of dissonance, and that will be all that you see in the music. These moments of harsh clashing will be the only aspects which capture your attention, and since these are not beautiful in themselves, you will be left with a bitter taste, never wanting to give this album a listen again. To truly appreciate an album like this, you need to pay attention, keying into the intricacies of Hebden and Reid’s ideas. And if your willing to put the effort in, the album with open up to you and you’ll find yourself wanting to listen to it again once you reach the end of a track, even just to remember the way the sound started, before the evolutionary magic.

-Alan

Returning with an EP several albums after the release of their instrumental masterpiece Spine and Sensory, San Diego outfit Tristeza hasn’t lost its knack for creepily introspective rock. On Bromas, a short EP out on Better Looking Records, the sort of experimental jazz and pseudo-electronic vibe we’ve come to expect from the band is tighter and considerably less repetitive than earlier works. However, there’s a slight sense that venturing into smooth jazz territory is not always out of the question, and the only element that prevents me from calling ‘Metheny!’ on the EP’s title track is the ominous minor-key structure of the song. It’s certainly been a while since I’ve heard evil easy listening.

“Pingle Language”, the second track, is an ever quieter brooding composed of electronic snare rolls and icy pings in the high register, featuring most notably the absence of jangly guitar that was the signature of their brand of instrumental rock. “Enveloped” mutates this brooding vibe into an ambient shuffle, a sort of unnoticed and hushed prelude into the extended mix of the title track (which doesn’t sound all that different from the original).

Bromas is certainly a mysterious EP in the fact that, at three new tracks, it may only be a single. Even more confounding to the listener is the band’s seeming abandonment of guitar as the centerpiece in the two middle songs of the album. The title track is certainly worth a listen, and the album could be considered a success on that merit alone, however, the additional guitar-less tracks keep me guessing when the guitar is going to come in, and probably intentionally so.