What is considered “new” these days. In the classic book Applied Imagination, writer Alex Osborne puts forth that what is “original” is essentially taking ideas that have been done before, and simply re-arranging them a bit. So, what you have with these two discs is essentially that concept; new from the old.
The band Ju consists of Adam Meszarus/g, Erno Hock/b and Andras Halmos. This time out, they also bring in reed player Kjetil Moster for these six tunes. The songs get quite free form as in the aggressive and caustic “Dear Johann” and hard rocking “Hassassin” which has Moster’s tenor and baritone blowing outside themes with grating sounds against hard hitting drumming bordering on thunder. A kind of heavy metal klezmer clarinet has Moster brooding on “Kju” while the dirge-like “Bhajan” trudges to its death lead by Hock’s bass. Jarring and melancholy, filled with dark passages through the tunnel of sound.
The trio of Mark Aanderud/p-key, Stomu Takeishi/b and Hernan Hecht/dr mixes the modern trio sounds of The Bad Plus with hints of early Weather Report. There an alluring contrast between Aanderud’s classical/romantic piano stylings and Hecht’s assertive drumming as on “Winip” and “Trichromatic” yet, they can also get quite funky when Takeishi dons the electric bass for some riff filled “Reasons” and “Freelance.” Delicate interplay that is as soft as a baby’s bottom is elicted on ”T.Overlap” and flowing melodies abound as on the romantic and moody “Sub-All.” A real winner here.
Rare Noise Records