Watts, Trevor & Jamie Harris / Ancestry
Album: | Ancestry | Collection: | Jazz | |
Artist: | Watts, Trevor & Jamie Harris | Added: | Nov 2007 | |
Label: | Entropy Stereo Recordings |
A-File Activity
Add Date: | 2008-04-27 | Pull Date: | 2008-06-29 | Charts: | Jazz |
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Week Ending: | Jun 29 | Jun 15 | Jun 8 | May 18 | May 11 | May 4 |
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Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Recent Airplay
1. | Jun 27, 2008: | Memory Select
Tandem Voices |
4. | May 16, 2008: | Memory Select
Sam Star |
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2. | Jun 09, 2008: | Emphysema For Emphasis
Sam Star |
5. | May 04, 2008: | Now's the time
Strolling |
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3. | Jun 07, 2008: | Scatterbrain Replacement Radio
Sam Star |
6. | Apr 28, 2008: | Emphysema For Emphasis
Three And More |
Album Review
Gabe
Reviewed 2008-04-26
Reviewed 2008-04-26
Joyful jazz on the go – sax and hand percussion on a series of short-ish tracks. Watts typically works with a much larger ensemble and in longer forms, so this is something different from him. The tracks vary from light and fun to deep and respectful of tradition – the “Ancestry” of the title. On the slower tracks, the drumming brought to mind the backing from the classic Last Poets albums – I was half expecting a rap/poem to start in but the sax that did come in was just as expressive. Good stuff that will make you and your listeners happy. Highly recommended.
*** 1. Short melodic figure repeated with variations and breaks, allegro
*** 2. Slower, with some beautiful lines and a couple of trills; picks up some speed from
about 4:30 on; sure enough, to my Last Poets reference above, the title mentions
ghetto life, but as it turns out, that’s the Krakow (Jewish) ghetto
*** 3. Cocky, strutting sax, low-key but steady drumming
*** 4. Bumblebee-ish flittering on two saxes
*** 5. More all-over-the-place flights with assertive drumming driving it
*** 6. Slower and more soulful blowing; the occasional moment when the sax completely
dies out and you wait in anticipation of the next phrase is quite nice
*** 7. Rapid drumming is the real star; the stabbing sax is a bit distracting here
*** 8. Ca-ray-zee energy … and yes, the sax stands back for a short drum solo; cool
*** 9. Another Last Poets reminder; as befits the title, the track wanders around, not
without purpose but not without a sense of freeform looseness either; great!
*** 10. Heavy drumming and forceful sax (well, not Brötzmann-forceful)
*** 11. A breather – slower, mellower
*** 12. Drums akin to quick stomping turning into a run, sax loping alongside; superb
*** 13. A wordless vocal chants along with Watts and Harris going nuts; great finish!
*** 1. Short melodic figure repeated with variations and breaks, allegro
*** 2. Slower, with some beautiful lines and a couple of trills; picks up some speed from
about 4:30 on; sure enough, to my Last Poets reference above, the title mentions
ghetto life, but as it turns out, that’s the Krakow (Jewish) ghetto
*** 3. Cocky, strutting sax, low-key but steady drumming
*** 4. Bumblebee-ish flittering on two saxes
*** 5. More all-over-the-place flights with assertive drumming driving it
*** 6. Slower and more soulful blowing; the occasional moment when the sax completely
dies out and you wait in anticipation of the next phrase is quite nice
*** 7. Rapid drumming is the real star; the stabbing sax is a bit distracting here
*** 8. Ca-ray-zee energy … and yes, the sax stands back for a short drum solo; cool
*** 9. Another Last Poets reminder; as befits the title, the track wanders around, not
without purpose but not without a sense of freeform looseness either; great!
*** 10. Heavy drumming and forceful sax (well, not Brötzmann-forceful)
*** 11. A breather – slower, mellower
*** 12. Drums akin to quick stomping turning into a run, sax loping alongside; superb
*** 13. A wordless vocal chants along with Watts and Harris going nuts; great finish!
Track Listing
1. | Alpino | 7. | Coayacan | |||
2. | Ghetto Life Was Here (Memory Of Cracow) | 8. | Sam Star | |||
3. | Sarawak | 9. | Strolling | |||
4. | Balintan | 10. | Three And More | |||
5. | Maribor Memories | 11. | Balladinine | |||
6. | Anna B | 12. | Kerrytown | |||
13. | Tandem Voices |