2006-01-02
Four words to describe this album: Medeski, Martin & Weird. Do we have a J-Jam Band category? Maybe we should. That is to say that this Austrian threesome has the same funky chops as MMW, but tends to get a little more out there, a la Phish. As the jacket art suggests, Rom likes to experiment with the sounds his guitar produces — not just through his artful noodling, but also through the array of digital signal processors strewn about the album cover. That said, he is more of a jazz guitarist than an electronic gearhead, so the effects don’t cover up the quality of his playing. Although this is jazz more than it is anything else, this disc tends to lean further toward Primus than it does Primeau or Parker. Nonetheless, these 11 live-recorded tracks should satisfy both the adventurous jazzophile and the programmer who wishes that WYCE’s motto was “Folk, Blues, Rock, Worldbeat and, once in a great while, Jazz.” ::arthur longrapids::SOMI
If the Rains Come First
BELINDA UNDERWOOD
- GREENSPACE
Nicholas Payton
Sonic Trance
JOHN PATTON
Soul Connection
The Hot Club of San Francisco
John Paul George & Django
LAVAY SMITH & HER RED HOT SKILLET LICKERS
MISS SMITH TO YOU
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.