Sorry to have tarried this month, a lot of unpacking (literally and figuratively) to get done first.
TRACK ONE - 70s? Nice tune.Solos seem a little surface, but it's a pleasant enough surface. I find the vibes to be a little bit obtrusive. Maybe it's their date? Also, the drummer is a bit...trying too hard. Not a bad cut, happy to hear it, just nothing's going to stick except, maybe the composition itself.
TRACK TWO - Another nice tune. Liking the bass playing here. Piano and trumpet are polite. Tenor digs in a bit, getting kind of Griff-y in spots, but it's not Griff. not copying either. Influence and copying are different things. Maybe Tubby Hayes or Ronnie Scott, somebody who had first hand exposure. Like thetune. like the bass, like the tenor. Everybody else played the gig.
TRACK THREE - Ok, third one in a row where the cadence and inflection of the speech sounds "non-American", is that a theme here? I like it, it seems to be it's own thing. It's hard to get an interpretation that winds between improv and chart as seamlessly as this. This is a good group! Looking forward to finding out who it is!
TRACK FOUR - Steve Coleman-ish, which I like. Very focused, which I also like. Vibist is a bit retro, but not enough to bother me. Overall, I'll say that about the entiore cut. I like it as a one-off, for sure.
TRACK FIVE - See #3 about what I hear of the language here. Not a deal-breaker, just an adjustment. So much goes into speech (and I definitely think of music as speech). It's a very tight-knit trio, definitely communication going on and coming out. I particularly appreciate the tenor not playing that altissimo lack that seems to be required these days. Good cut. And give the drummer some while we're at it.
TRACK SIX - No idea, but I like it. It says its piece with no diversions or distractions. Good less for anybody!
TRACK SEVEN - Maybe as a middle cut on Side Two...Certainly hearing the playing, just not feeling the energy. Are they trying to force me to be happy? Please don't do that. This one needs a non-distracted Sonny Rollins to work for me, and he's not here.
TRACK EIGHT - Yeah, Joe Harriot. That guy for sure had his own thing. Not the version I have, but perhaps even more loose. Loose is good! This one's the star of the show for me!
TRACK NINE - I like how it starts, and then how it goes, but at some point it starts heading into weather Rep-rot territory, which is ok, but that's already been done (and masterfully). But - it thinks bettwer about that. Good for them! All told, very enjoyable!
TRACK TEN - Like this one a lot. Evan Parker? It's focused, concise, and stays within itself. -I swear, in some universe (this one included), you can reverse engineer the intervals of the"theme" into "Evidence:..Was that intentional? Hell if I know, music does not require a hall pass, it just goes where it goes and gets where it gets.
TRACK ELEVEN - Something's missing...visual, perhaps? The rest of the piece, maybe?
TRACK TWELVE - This is like going to church 50 years later and hearing the same sermon that thrilled you as a child, only you're not a child anymore.
TRACK THIRTEEN - I'd like for this to be playing in a restaurant. It would incentivize me to order more food and then some dessert. Oh, but those horns spoil the vibe altogether, focus lost altogether. Check, please!
TRACK FOURTEEN - Not for me, and not just because of the speech of the music. Totally outside of anything I have a relatable experience with. And that's all it is, nothing more. It certainly sounds very well done, I just have zero entry point. Not losing sleep over it, I'll be dead soon enough, likely, so maybe next time?
TRACK FIFTEEN - Same thing here, only not so much. Not as much, I should say. It reminds me of one of Wayne Shorter's dreamscapes, but with Wayne, I could always get a feel for what would/might happen when the dream was over. This is more like they're living in the dream. Is that a good thing? Hell if I know. But I will say that the longer it plays, the more beguiling tit becomes. So maybe the dream is coming to get me?!?!?!?!? Dream or not, though, let it be said that this is some no-bullshit writing, and I always enjoy that, no exception here!
So sorry about the delayed response, time is a bitch! But from my end, this one was worth the wait! Always (almost....) enjoy it when other people bring new (for me) food to the table!
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
