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...This quartet of CalArts graduates specializes in the sort of original modern jazz that maintains an unshakable eye towards to the future while acknowledging, and drawing upon, the music's storied past.Listening to "Eshu's Trick," for example, it's not hard to imagine these guys huddled next to the turntable, listening to trumpeter Miles Davis' Miles Smiles (Columbia, 1965)—rapt, drinking it all in. That said, there's very obviously something else going on here. Trevor Anderies' drumming has hints of drum 'n' bass, though it also has the melodicism of Max Roach or Roy Haynes. Rory Cowal's Rhodes piano growls and chimes, while Jon Armstrong's inventive tenor steers the group into uncharted territories, a completely new, fugue-like melody appearing before the tune abruptly ends....
While this is a mess of a recording (sloppy playing, poor audio, abrupt starts/stops), I do like it.FYI for CD spinners - I replaced my copy with this 2003 Jazz Factory import (24-bit remaster):Better overall audio quality, cleaner.Eight extra tracks, and all tracks in order as they were performed.No Mingus overdub on this one, and it sounds far more natural. I really hated his overpowering overdub on the release from Debut. It drove me nuts. Without the overdubbed bass this version was worth it for me.
