Skeleton Key Orchestra

Exciting jazz orchestra music with horns, strings, electric guitar, xylophone, etc. The composing has the richness of '60s jazz -- swinging or bopping unison lines, that sort of thing -- and is very well performed. This took a lot of work.

These are long pieces (11-36 minutes in a two-disk set) that combine the composed parts with some avant-minded soloing, lots of free-space improvising and, on a couple of tracks, some wacky electronics and sound effects. Tracks go through multiple phases and do well at "telling a story." Impressive stuff.

1- Chaotic start, into strong midtempo theme and heavy beat. Gets into electric Miles territory... STOPS around -6:30 for a quiet phase, then raucous, almost singing horns.

2- Slow intro into a very nice '60s free jazz segment. At about -10:00, a good start/stop point.
Middle section includes a nice summery jazz jam. Ends with sad
electric guitar and strings.

3- Soft. Starts with an Eastern motif, relaxing, with flute. Some good poetry with clever wordplay, and a loungy sax break.

4- Funky! Sort of. Clanging street-jazz jam into a mid/fast groove with weird instruments. Gets into fast squiggly noises and fusiony electric bass chords.

5- Wow, angry guitar, into mad orchestral attack and outright NOISE.
Nice excerpt would be roughly -20:00 to -14:00: Noise session that
shifts into Casio tiki-lounge beat.

6- Calm Asian themes at a fast clip. Dissolves into screeches and honking, then some '60s style free jazz.

7- Blazing guitar and drums over slow, angular strings. Second half slow.

8- Manic. Crazy-quilt piano and vibes into insane electronic noise. A cool bebop break later on. Ends with fast crashing percussion.