Hubbard, Nathan / Skeleton Key Orchestra
Album: Skeleton Key Orchestra   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Hubbard, Nathan   Added:Jan 2004
Label:Circumvention Music  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2004-03-08 Pull Date: 2004-05-10 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: May 9 May 2 Apr 11 Apr 4 Mar 21 Mar 14
Airplays: 1 1 1 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Mar 21, 2008: Memory Select
Is That You (Earl)? / Dogs Don't Bark at Ghosts
4. Apr 09, 2004: Memory Select
A Murder of Crows [excerpt]
2. May 04, 2004: Umami Jazz Program
East on 53RD Street
5. Apr 02, 2004: Memory Select
Is That You (Earl)?
3. Apr 30, 2004: Memory Select
Raincastle [excerpt]
6. Mar 19, 2004: Memory Select
Next Love (All Things Want To Fly)

Album Review
Craig Matsumoto
Reviewed 2004-03-13
Exciting jazz orchestra music with horns, strings, electric guitar, xylophone, etc. The composing has the richness of '60s jazz -- swinging or bopping unison lines, that sort of thing -- and is very well performed. This took a lot of work.

These are long pieces (11-36 minutes in a two-disk set) that combine the composed parts with some avant-minded soloing, lots of free-space improvising and, on a couple of tracks, some wacky electronics and sound effects. Tracks go through multiple phases and do well at "telling a story." Impressive stuff.

1- Chaotic start, into strong midtempo theme and heavy beat. Gets into electric Miles territory... STOPS around -6:30 for a quiet phase, then raucous, almost singing horns.

2- Slow intro into a very nice '60s free jazz segment. At about -10:00, a good start/stop point.
Middle section includes a nice summery jazz jam. Ends with sad
electric guitar and strings.

3- Soft. Starts with an Eastern motif, relaxing, with flute. Some good poetry with clever wordplay, and a loungy sax break.

4- Funky! Sort of. Clanging street-jazz jam into a mid/fast groove with weird instruments. Gets into fast squiggly noises and fusiony electric bass chords.

5- Wow, angry guitar, into mad orchestral attack and outright NOISE.
Nice excerpt would be roughly -20:00 to -14:00: Noise session that
shifts into Casio tiki-lounge beat.

6- Calm Asian themes at a fast clip. Dissolves into screeches and honking, then some '60s style free jazz.

7- Blazing guitar and drums over slow, angular strings. Second half slow.

8- Manic. Crazy-quilt piano and vibes into insane electronic noise. A cool bebop break later on. Ends with fast crashing percussion.

Track Listing
1. Is that You (Earl)/Dogs ...   5. A Murder of Crows
2. Raincastle   6. Making My Way Thru It/...
3. Sleeping Against Other ...   7. Next Love (All Things ...
4. East on 53RD Street   8. Don't Look Says the Crow ...