Wednesday, July 27, 2016

NEW RELEASES: HERB GELLER – STAX OF SAX; TRIO ELF – MUSIC BOX MUSIC; ORGAN EXPLOSION – LEVEL 2

HERB GELLER – STAX OF SAX

An incredible album from saxophonist Herb Geller – one that's quite different than his better-known sides for Mercury, and which features Geller blowing in an amazingly evocative tone! The first three tracks on the album are haunting originals by Herb – tunes that have a more open style than some of his more tightly arranged work, and which show the kind of fascination with sound structures that would show up much more heavily in later years. The group features Victor Feldman on vibes, Walter Norris on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Anthony Vazley on drums – and the mix of vibes with Geller's horn is an especially nice element, one that adds to the haunting feel of the whole set. Titles include "Nightmare Alley", "A Cool Day", "The Princess", "Change Partners", and "It Might As Well Be Spring". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

TRIO ELF – MUSIC BOX MUSIC

Bold sounds and bright moments too – a very unique groove from Trio Elf, who manage to take the familiar combination of piano, bass, and drums into great territory of their own! Part of the group's strength is the drum work of Gerwin Eisenhauer – who's tight, and mighty quick, but never overwhelming – just able to create this fast snap that really inflects the tunes with a very contemporary energy – almost a jazz take on broken beat, which is followed by the bass work of Peter Cudek – then topped by these glowing piano notes from Walter Lang! The combination is instantly infectious, but never in a gimmicky way – and titles include "Krumm", "Emptiness", "Suq", "Stadium", "Lullaby For A Weakling Child", and "Usain". ~ Dusty Groove

ORGAN EXPLOSION – LEVEL 2

The organ exploding here isn't just the familiar Hammond B-3 you'll hear on other records – and instead is a range of variations on the instrument – as the keyboards run from many different variations from Hammond, Wurlitzer, Korg, Roland, Hohner, and even Fender Rhodes – driven on by electric bass and a bit of drums – in a flurry of sounds that are definitely explosive throughout! There's a slight 80s vibe to the music – echoed by the image on the front – even though these guys are a trio, working with an approach that's more in the organ combos of the 60s – although few 80s groups were ever using a setting that's this lean. Maybe think of the record as a 80s keyboard take on older organ modes, and you'll get part of the picture – on titles that include "Benz", "Fuzz Free", "Lugg Song", "Jump N Run", "Italian Mafia", and "Positive Vibrations". ~ Dusty Groove




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