Showing posts with label Smooth Jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smooth Jazz. Show all posts

Friday 27 January 2023

Maurice Brown "The Mood" (2017)

The Mood, an apt name for a record that can impose its own upon one so snugly. This forth outing of veteran Maurice Brown, composer, voice and Trumpeter, bestows itself so elegantly. The soft swaying swagger of Smooth Jazz. Extended aesthetic pallets akin to Jazz Fusion. A subtle rhythmic groove fond of Jazz Hop. Maurice creates a modern, relaxing take on the classics. Fleshed out with occasional vibrant verses by himself and guest rappers, they somehow cut the instrumental flow perfectly with the sudden arrival of deep, thought provoking lyrics. The silence between barely yearns for more, despite the expressive words and chemistry they adorn.

Past its warm welcoming open cuts that set a firm groundwork, the album moves into a couple of Avant-Garde leaning songs. Its percussion busying and with dexterous, dissonant leaning leads emerging, it end up rustling the feathers of its slick persona. Upon finding a way back with Capricorn Rising, the musical themes and key melodies seem to lack the initial dazzle that captivated ones attention. Despite still possessing an easy charm, loungy vibes and full of good mood, It seems a step lower in energy.

Destination Hope, the album closer, rekindles that early magic. Bringing on a fine R&B singer, the Jazz hybrid template finds another soothing chemistry as Chris Turner swoons in to the forefront. Returning again with an epic, softly reverberated chorus. The message is strong and sweet, the melodies croon again and then a spoken word, half rap cadence, from J Ivy blossoms briefly as a fond unity is achieved. The Mood is a hard record to knock. Despite delivering such delightful magic upon the way, it falls short of a classic album experience despite its remarkable impressions.

Rating: 7/10

Tuesday 24 January 2023

Ryo Fukui "Scenery" (1976)


Always one to be drawn in by the calming allure of Jazzy sophistication and lounge atmosphere, sadly I did not find a depth here beyond its smooth surfaces. Scenery is self taught Jazz pianist Ryo Fukui's debut, accompanied by ponderous bass guitar and drums, the trio only became appreciated by enthusiasts outside Japan years later.
 
The pleasantries of its soft, observational presence has a few strides of gusto, riling up energy with its thematic seasonal shifts. This is where percussionist Yoshinori Fukui shines, the intricate rolls and shuffles bustle with excitement. Yet in its dizzying sprints, Ryo Fukui comes off stiff and constrained as a soloist. His pacey piano strikes rotating notes with a mechanical lack of imagination for a listener to read between the lines. These particular leads played more like Heavy Metal guitar solos than Jazz.

In its less enthused drives the music melds into a comfortable rhythm, the slowest of tunes seeming to posses the most charm as the space between notes croons with smokey allure. Sadly though, I was looking for a spark I could not find. I've always been a sucker for Jazz, yet it seems only the most appraised of the genres works resonate deeply. I found myself with little to take away, despite enjoying my stay.
 
Rating: 5/10

Wednesday 10 August 2022

The Color 8 "First Friday" (2018)

  

The second of two picks by this intriguing band has also yielded a sour taste. Unlike Foot On The Gas, First Friday mixes up its raw Rap Metal riffing styles with jam sessions and Smooth Jazz tones. This is no sleek crossover between opposing temperaments but a clash of moods. Songs swing from fiery angered rap verses and gritty guitars to soft and supple melodies swooning in their own ambience.

We On and X gel its ends together awkwardly. Distorted yet bluesy guitars bustle and hustle but to what avail? The record drifts from one idea to the next, lacking focus or concept, with a breezy, mellow mediocrity in its sails. The finer aesthetics emerge in its Jam sessions when its instruments find a groovy cohesion, warm at first but lacking a depth after repetitions. This band had a spark in their best material online but I found none of that here. I think I'll close the door on this one for now.

Rating: 3/10

Friday 10 April 2020

Jazz Sabbath "Jazz Sabbath" (2020)


Surely its just a shenanigan? A slice of fantasy folk lore stirred up to play a practical joke on fans of the iconic, legendary, pioneers of Metal to come, Black Sabbath! The story goes that this Jazz outfit were ripped off by Tony Iommi as composer Milton Keanes, like the British city, was hospitalized. This put their album in jeopardy and the master tapes have supposedly been lost for over fifty years. Doing a little online research into the bands history yields next to no evidence of their existence other than suspicious self published images of them on non existent publications. It feels like a hoax, which also doesn't speak to the apparent genius that extends beyond the alleged theft as Black Sabbath were no hit wonders!

Now lets talk about the music, you'll hear the classic riffs presented stunningly on a sublime piano tone, sometimes as part of broader compositions too. There is also plenty of original material spliced between. It makes it hard to comment on a lot of whats happening as it feels akin to a covers album in spirit. Played through a beautiful musical piano as part of a Jazz trio, the classic riffs are somehow slick, smooth and very relaxing. The power and weight of that Iommi guitar tone and style almost seems counter intuitive to what you'll experience on these seven tracks.

The recording is elegant and smooth, almost too much so. I am no expert but the clarity and fidelity of these dusty old recordings seems a little to crisp and vibrant, It is gorgeous in tone but that makes it more so questionable These are great qualities, the record is indulgent, a calming musical odyssey, with sparks of Rock guitar, Saxophone and Organs chiming in on occasion too. It is notable though these original moments also don't feel very "sabbathy". I have always found Jazz some of the most difficult music to describe and even with an anchor point of Heavy Metal riffage these songs are transformed into something else with that easy going Jazz charm. If it is a stunt as I presume, this project could of been better served as a fun novelty, re-constructing music for an alternative framing.

Rating: 5/10

Wednesday 10 January 2018

Outkast "Idlewild" (2006)


On this music blog we have covered all but the legendary Outkast's last album. 2015 was marked by my discovery of a group who had always been there in my youth, on MTV and in the sound tracks of games but I never made the connection. Going through their albums one by one introduced my two the journey of two very talented individuals who brought a wealth of brilliance to the Hip Hop game. I lost my steam after their double solo records and given the negative press on this album I let it pass by but this year I want to fill in some gaps and tie up loose ends with artists who's discographies are incomplete to my ears.

Idlewild is unsurprising with its direction given the duo have steadily broadened their horizons. Andre's role as a producer continues to push the boundaries of Hip Hop but this time the duo take a leap into a specific vision nestled in the roots of Swing, Jazz, Soul and Blues from the first half of the century, bringing in a fresh pallet of instruments alongside is drum machine. Its tang and flavor comes on so strong that for most of the record the Hip Hop aspect seems secondary as crisp, sharp tightly fit drum arrangements hold a tempo for the retro theme to shape the tone, however with heavy use of electronic synths it too is pulled in slightly alien directions at times. I'm exaggerating a little, the raps hold in firmly in territory but instrumentally its vibe is persuasively retroactive.

A sense of theme is obvious musically but lyrically and thematically there are hints of narrative that come in from different angles. Is Idlewild a film? A tale? Its a DVD being bootlegged according to one interlude track of which their are many on this twenty five track stretch. Its a scattered idea that Idlewild is more than just the setting for the duos emotional, self expressive raps as the lyrical themes occasionally sync up. Its a typical flurry of topical raps that offer food for thought, Andre on "Mighty O" stabbing into systemic racism and the war on drugs yet on "When I Look Into Your Eyes" we are whisked back generations to piano heavy Swing with a very contrasting tone. The consistency should be a minor indifference but seems important given the high bar Outkast have set for themselves.

With their ambition and innovations for Hip Hop firmly proven, the album plays like two geniuses falling into a routine. Despite its successful attempt to circumvent norms and stylistically define itself with a vivid, romanticized theme, the album falls short of feeling as necessary and urgent as they once did on Stankonia. They have little to prove and so the duo flex their skills again for a charming, indulgent, mature experience. With the best tools at their disposal the artistry is gleaming but the fire behind is dim. Its a fickle thing to explain but a great album falls short when expectations are so high. Idlewild is a stunning place, a gorgeous listen but one without that spark to drag you back.

Favorite Tracks: The Train, In Your Dreams, Greatest Show On Earth
Rating: 6/10

Saturday 26 March 2016

Bohren & Der Club Of Gore "Sunset Mission" (2000)


 If ever there has a case of instant appeal, then Bohren and his "Club Of Gore" are a prime example of a sound Ive been waiting to hear, as soon as it graced my ears it all made sense. Known as Doom Jazz or Noir Jazz, a far more suitable name in my opinion, the sophisticated atmosphere of Jazz is taken to the dark side with a seductive persuasion that lures you in with its passive presence, soothing, gentle yet drenched in night time blues. The band are a four piece group from Germany who have been active since the early 90s and "Sunset Mission" is their third full length.

The setting for the groups music is quite simple, soft choral synths lightly grace the backdrop as deep baselines plod and blunder in the distance, the slow ride cymbal sets a crawling pace as it softly strikes and shimmers the tempo into existence. Variations of these set the atmospheres on each track for the saxophone, organ and rhodes keys to lead us through a tangent with their dark and brooding leads. It warms to the eerie and mystical but is rooted in an urban environment. Danger is always near, as if you walk the smokey alleyways of a crime smothered city where the sun never shines, a murder detective, who in a search for justice is burdened by the weight of the horrors they see. Its the soundtrack to a romanticized crime novel of dirty streets, shady criminals and alcohol addiction.

The record stretches on for 73 minutes and is more about atmosphere and tone than making an impact with any particular moment. On "Pain-Less Street Angels" there is a fiery level of emotion from the sax but asides from one standout moment much of this records charm resides in its ability to hold the mood without any visible intensity. There's a fair few peaks and distortions felt in the mix, nothing much to bother but its far from a remarkable production. It does enough to let the music do what it does so well.

Rating: 7/10

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Birocratic "BiroMakesABeet" (2015)


Back with an appetizer, a whiff of a record that clocks in at just under 10 minutes, Biro teases us with four of his finest beats to date. The charming Jazz Hop vibes flow in a stride of creativity and inspiration as Biro lets these beats swoon and groove in their moment, capitalizing on an excellent selection of samples and intertwining them with plenty of additional instruments to guide the songs through a few progressions that drown out a common sense of repetition. Gone are the trademark vocal cuts and missed they are not, where once the Nujabes similarities took hold there is now a great sense of individual style shining though the chemistry of lush whirly synths and jazzy piano driven samples.

With some great baselines and drum routines there is a strong undercurrent of jive and groove to move to under a dazzling array of jazzy, dreamy music. These songs are short in stature but maybe that's their strength? Biro has reinforced his loops with a pallet of instruments to keep the songs growing and evolving, but maybe it works so well because its in the shorter context. Either way its got charm, soul and is one of the best 10 minute records I've ever heard, although that's not many to compete with its got me hyped for what I hope will be a full-length release in the future.

Favorite Track: Next Stop
Rating: 5/10

Friday 19 June 2015

Grover Washington Jr "Feels So Good" (1975)


American saxophonist Grover Washington Jr was born and raised in New York City. From a young age he was taught the sax and for his musical output in the 70s is considered a pioneer in the world of Smooth Jazz. Like Return To Forever's "Romantic Warrior", this is another record from the "Jazz Classics" that quickly defined itself as a calmer, smoother, soulful record that cruises through relaxed, chilled out numbers and grooves that bring a spicy of funk to an obvious Smooth Jazz vibe led by Grover's steady leads on the sax. This record and "Mister Magic" released the same year remain as his commercial peaks on the American billboard charts.

Smooth around the edges, this record actually contains a fair amount of funk and energy between the calmer, atypical styles of Smooth Jazz. The opener, "The Sea Lion" has a powerful narration from the string section which fades in from black to brew the bolder moments, seemingly jumping it at will to emphasize the point. Never as ever present, it drifts to the background for the rest of the record which jives and jams its way through colorful themes of class and style from a now retro past. "Moonstreams" is an exception as the records sleepy number that slowly drifts down the river as a gentle lead guitar plucks a mellow, tender soul.

The last three tracks delve deeper into the Funk and Smooth chemistry as tight chunky baselines strut under soulful saxophone leads that feel their way through the jam. The drums are there throughout, accommodating the flow but feel damp and contained in a mix that gives the aesthetic a lot of clarity for the other instruments. Its a record thats engaging, but far from memorable. It suits a mood but fails to leave a melody or moment in my mind. 

Favorite Tracks: Knucklehead, Hydra
Rating: 5/10