It seems that the trend these days for musicians is to not only play an instrument, but to ad “electronic effects”, or some synonym of the sort, to one’s recordings. Is it a viable idea, or just a trend? Listen in…
Andrew Van Tassel leads a post bop team of Lucas Hahn/p-wur, Alex Goodman/g, Rick Rosato/b, Kush Abadey/dr and Alex Van Gils/elec while handling the alto/soprano saxes and adding some effects to a mix of originals and standards. Of the latter, he brings in Michael Mayo to recite a Robert Frost poem on the elegiac “A Dream For A Buried Flower” and produces an impressionistic and elliptical read of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” with some rich work by Hahn. Goodman gives some Wes-styled work in support of Van Tassel’s post bop alto on “East Wind” while chiming along with Abadey on “Sphere”. Van Tassel and Gils provide electronic soundscapes on the wispy “Bloom”, guided by Rosato’s bass, while the team gets into a Blue Note groove as they dig in on “On the Up”. Effects and affects.
Drummer Greg Smith also plays laptop while bringing in David Binney on alto sax/fx, Vanja Keversan/g, Alexander Maksymiw/g-synthg and Logan Kane/b to seven elliptical originals. At times, the band sounds like a rock band, as they hit hard and plug in on “Angels & Insects” and the synthy “My Pet Robot”, while almost turning into an R&B band on the wild ride of “Leolo” with Kane holding court. Some Hancockian sounds take place alongside Maksymiw’s guitar on “The Closing” with a mix of swing and plugged in addendums on “N.L.X.” Songs, or recorded ideas?