Good day. Sorry about my unfulfilled promise from last week, I was supposed to write another post last week, but things happened on my side that prevented me from doing so. You should at least expect one post a week, every Tuesday or Wednesday.
Anyway, let's get started with some Jazz albums, shall we?
Lawrell: To start, here is some contemporary jazz, which I honestly don't have much of. From my experience though, Jazz today doesn't stick to a particular style like, say, Jazz fusion in the 70's, so it's quite easy to find purists like Wynton Marsalis and crazier stuff like The Bad Plus in the same decade. That said, Knee-Deep in the North Sea by Portico Quartet tends towards more conventional song structures without sounding stale. That is because of the choice of instruments and the instrumentalists themselves. The quartet is composed of a drummer, a bassist, a saxophonist (soprano), and a hang player. Before you ask, a hang is a type of modern steel drum, developed only 13 years ago. Definitely not something you hear often in Jazz. If that wasn't enough, all members play excellently on their respective instruments. You'd think that with a unique instrument like the hang, there would be a dominating instrument in the band - there isn't. The rhythm section supports the band very nicely without sounding too conventional, the hang puts a nice exotic accent on the whole sound of the band, and everything is brought together by the refreshing soprano saxophone hooks and improvisation. Not too experimental nor too old-fashioned, Knee-Deep in the North Sea is a very solid album for anyone looking for contemporary Jazz.
Eggmun: I'm a bit too tired right now to write a proper review for this, so I'll probably update this with something more intelligent after my final exam. However I wanted to get this post out since it's been a while and Lawrell is probably upset with me for delaying it. Stanley Clarke is an incredible bassist, and Jazz In The Garden does not disappoint. With covers of traditional Sakura Sakura, plenty of delicious standards and even a Red Hot Chilli Peppers cover thrown in there, this album is one smooth ride. Fuck yeah, trio jazz.
Knee-Deep in the North Sea (Password is 'Lawrell', with capital L and without quotes)
I just finished Knee-Deep in the North Sea, Lawrell. Love that hang drum sound in this style.
ReplyDeleteI actually play traditional Trinidad bass steel drum, so it sounded even more awesome to hear the difference.
Oh, that sounds great! This album was apparently inspired by world music, but to be honest I can't really spot the influence. Since you play the steel drums yourself, can you hear any influences?
DeleteIn terms of what's usually played in the islands, I can't hear any significant influence at all. However, we don't use hangs, so perhaps there are other unique characteristics from the cultures that do.
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