Reviewed: 2018-04-29
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Drummer Scott expands his quintet with turntables & returns with an inspiring new 12-song cycle about overcoming obstacles both personal and collective. Together, they produce a contemplative, mostly ensemble-based, lyrical style of jazz that favors gentle harmonic exploration and blending over explosive firepower.
If You Like: Billy Cobham, Miles Okazaki, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ New Eyes (4:20) – spoken word starts> synth joins> slow jam with spoken word interspersed> slow fade
*2/ Moccam (5:51) – piano starts> midtempo jam> builds in volume> piano solo> sax solo swings into uptempo jam> slow fade
*3/ Windows (2:55) – spoken words starts> turntables kick in> uptempo jam with spoken phrase interjected> sax solo> brief uptempo jam> quick fade
**4/ Voices (6:47) – drums start> slow jam> sax solo builds into midtempo jam> guitar solo> uptempo jam> slows with spoken word to fade & segues to next track
5/ BeLoved (0:58) – Rhodes starts with modulated sounds & echoing vocal overlay> fade
*6/ Don Blue (4:58) – piano starts> midtempo jam> beautiful guitar solo builds into uptempo jam> beautiful piano solo slows to slow jam & fades
7/ Becoming (4:52) – sax starts> slow jam with sax up front> piano solo> slow jam> slow fade
8/ Horizons (1:52) – turntables start> midtempo jam with echoing spoken vocal over the top> fade
*9/ The Catalyst (7:05) – drums/Rhodes start> midtempo jam> guitar solo> sax solo> piano solo> uptempo jam> crescendo> drops back to midtempo jam> slow fade
10/ Pleh (2:12) – Rhodes/spoken echoing vocal starts & reverse notes> midtempo jam> drum solo over the top> quick stop
**11/ Nemesis (5:52) – drums start> midtempo jam> piano solo> guitar solo> midtempo jam swells in volume, then mellows with muted spoken word to fade
*12/ Archangel (6:52) – piano starts> midtempo jam builds in volume with synthesized choral> piano/bass duet> midtempo jam builds in volume, then slows to fade