ORGANIC GROOVES
Black Cherry
AUM Fidelity
AUMO21
Given that avant jazz and electronica are both largely instrumental musical
forms that exist outside the corporate music world, it should not come
as a surprise that a growing number of discs, most notably Matthew Shipp's
Nu-Bop, have combined the two styles. Although there has been some variation
in quality, most of these recordings have been unsuccessful hybrids that
were neither musically interesting nor conducive to dancing. Don't put
Organic Grooves' Black Cherry in that category, however. This disc is
straight electronica, even if it does borrow directly from the avant.
According to the promotional literature, a copy of William Parker and
Hamid Drake's Volume 1: Piercing the Veil -recorded in January of 2001-
was given to Organic Grooves last summer and the group loved it. Sasha
Crnobrnja of Organic Grooves contacted AUM Fidelity about doing a club
remix of the music and the end result was Black Cherry.
Producer Crnobrnja has edited, twisted and turned, delayed and sped up
and reoriented Piercing the Veil. Most of the tracks get by on those alterations
plus keyboard work while some additional instrumentation comes from guitarist
Zeb, melodica player Gregory and trumpeter Takuya. The original work of
Drake and Parker is sometimes evident but mostly lost in the mix and only
recognizable if you know what you are looking for. (Fortunately notes
as to what track from Piercing the Veil is be remixed on each track of
Black Cherry are included with this disc, although the notes did make
me wonder why Organic Grooves did not tackle one cut, "Chatima.")
The outcome is thoroughly danceable music that is easily and distinguishable
from the source and yet still indebted to that material.
It's a mistake to compare this disc to Piercing the Veil. Black Cherry
is not jazz but rather electronica. Or more precisely, it is electronica
in dialogue with improvised music. And hopefully Black Cherry does not
represent the end of this conversation. I would love to hear Roy Campbell
team with Drake and Parker -reforming the trio that produced last year's
highly acclaimed Ethnic Stew and Brew- take on the additions that Organic
Grooves has added to the music. If it continues to blossom, this cross-genre
could really amount to something.
--Micah Holmquist
Track Listing: 1. gold weave; 2. all be(tween); 3. ...will be unbroken;
4. satta pox; 5. chronos splinter; 6. light within light; 7. tundra roll;
8 know now go
Personal:
Sasha Crnobrnja, production; Zeb, production and programming, guitar,
synth and stuff; Gregory, melodica; Takuya, keyboard, trumpet; William
Parker, bass, shakuhachi, bombard; Hamid Drake, drums, tablas, frame drum