Hum, Crackle & Pop - Digital Primitives (Hopscotch Records) - When 3 musicians from different backgrounds come together, the results can be fascinating - this, the second release for Digital Primitives, is a good example of a successful blend. Cooper-Moore (banjo,, twinger, didley-bow, mouth bow, flute, vocals), born in rural Virginia, is an instrument and folklorist who has worked wth many “avant-garde" musicians. Israeli-born Assif Tsahar (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet) has also worked with many creative musicians, including bassist/composer William Parker and drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake. Chad Taylor (drums, percussion) is a veteran of the fertile Chicago scene, working with saxophonists Fred Anderson and Matana Roberts as well as trumpeter Rob Mazurek. This CD lives up to its name. There's the folky-blues/pop of “Love Truth“, the funky “avant-strut" of “Crackle & Pop“ (with its hard driving beat and fiery tenor), and the weird take on “Somewhere Over The Rainbow“ (Cooper-Moore providing the moaning amplified didley-bow beneath a fairly straight-forward tenor reading of the theme.) “The People“ finds Cooper-Moore preaching about the rights of citizens above an active drum pattern, Tsahar's abstract wandering tenor and flute figures. There's much to absorb on this CD and it will take some listeners aback. Some of Cooper-Moore's instruments may sound a bit strange to the traditional “jazz ear" but let this music percolate. After several listenings, one can tell that Digital Primitives are really storytellers and their collective stories have depth and feeling. For more information and to hear for yourself, go to hopscotchrecords.com.
Entry - Linda Oh Trio (self-released) - The Malaysian-born bassist/composer moved to New York City 3 years ago from Australia where she took up electric bass as a teenager even as she was studying bassoon. It's been 7 years since she began playing acoustic bass. Since her arrival in the U.S., she's worked with trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Billy Childs and drummer Billy Kilson. This trio features the young up-and-coming trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire (Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter) and the busy drummer Obed Calvaire (Wynton Marsalis, Stefon Harris, Steve Turre) and the music they create together is surprisingly involving, rarely “straight-ahead" and usually multi-directional. The first thing that captures the ear is the sound of the musicians; the crisp trumpet, the full, thick, bass tones and the rhythmic subtlety of the drum work are captivating. Oh has written songs, not vamps for solos, reminding this listener of how Henry Threadgill wrote for Trio Air. Solo room for each player is not an issue but usually happens after the trio has worked through the melody line. There is great drive in pieces such as “Fourth Limb“, the tension between bass and drums gives Akinmusire plenty of impetus for his hard-hitting solo. Oh introduces “A Year From Now" with a short melodic phrase that the trumpet and drums soon echo - then the piece moves into a pulsating rhythm and a handsome melody with fine counterpoint from the bassist. Oh pays tribute to one of her early influences, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and its bassist Flea, by closing the program with sweet reading of “Soul to Squeeze“ (a non-cd track issued as a single in the early 90's.)“Entry“ is an excellent debut CD and one hopes it bodes well for Linda Oh's future. Creative music/jazz is not an easy sell these days yet here is a young woman who, with her intense musical cohorts, is making music that looks forward yet is rooted in the rhythmic traditions of the last 50 years. For more information, go to lindaohmusic.com.
No One New - The Joshua Breakstone Trio (Capri Records) - This may be the most “conventional" sounding of the CDs in this review but that does not mean it's boring. Guitarist Breakstone has been “on the scene" for 3 decades (hence the self-deprecating title) and he's really quite a fine musician. His solo work is uniformly excellent, with flashes of humor (sprinkling “quotes" throughout his choruses), quite lyrical yet swinging. His sound is amplified yet clean, with crisp single-note lines with few effects. At the time of this recording (Jan 09), his bandmates - bassist Lisle Atkinson and drummer Eliot Zigmund - had been working with him for a little over 1 year but they sound so tight. There's great swing in the opening “Over-Done“ with the rhythm section really pushing the guitarist. And he flies through his boppish solo. Zigmund, who has worked with Bill Evans, Lee Konitz and Jim Hall (to name but 3) is intuitively sympathetic. He knows just when to push and can realy stretch the beat. Atkinson contributes the sweet blues “Come On Baby“, delivering a knock-out solo that's melodic and pithy before “walking" his lines for Breakstone's break. Here again, the drummer just doesn't lay back - he pushes the beat, swings sweetly, and gives the song a jaunty feel.Jimmy Rowles' “The Peacock“ has been recorded by hundreds of musicians, understandable because of its lyrical melody line. This version is a winner. The bass lines beneath the guitar solo are quite full and melodic while the drums are whisper-soft. This is the kind of ballad that can hush a crowd as it casts its spell.
The music and concept on “No One New“ sounds and feels familiar yet is comfortable and satisfying. There is not a boring cut or solo to be found in the 57-minute plus program. The main reason this CD is so good is that these musicians, while playing a style of creative music that's been around a good long time, avoid cliches and really stretch out. For more information, go to joshuabreakstone.com or caprirecords.com/.
