Tenor saxist/composer/arranger Frank Macchia has been one of my favorite jazz artists. Throughout the years, he’s put out material that is fresh, creative, orginal and, most importantly, enjoyable on a plethora of levels. His humor is exem plified by his classic Animals discs, and his wide range of clever musical thoughts is obsevable on his Folk Songs collection as well as his Landscapes discs, which have him with an orchestra. This latest one has him changing gears altogether, delving into the funk and groove vibe of New Orleans. His team of Eric Jensen/g, John Lockett/b, John Rosenberg/key, Frank Briggs/dr and guests Wayne Bergeron/tp and Alex Iles/tb are all well suited for what they do, but most of the original material here are rehashes of blues, which sounds like anything you could hear from Dr. John or The Average White Band. Catchy licks and heavy backbeats as on “Discombobulated,” are fine, but haven’t we heard all of this before? There’s also a nice ballad, “Shhh!” which has some nice work by the leader on his tenor, but essential gone is anything that sparks of an original idea. We’re all due for a clunker once in awhile. Meanwhile, just where are my Folk Jazzer discs?
Cacophony, Inc.