Allison, Ben / Action-Refraction
Album: Action-Refraction   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Allison, Ben   Added:Apr 2011
Label:Palmetto Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2011-04-10 Pull Date: 2011-06-12 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Jun 12 May 29 May 22 May 8 May 1 Apr 24 Apr 17
Airplays: 1 2 2 3 1 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. Jun 07, 2011: Futurebeat Radio
Some Day We'll All Be Free
4. May 20, 2011: No Cover, No Minimum
We've Only Just Begun
2. May 28, 2011: Music Casserole
Some Day We'll All Be Free
5. May 17, 2011: Rebop
Jackie-Ing
3. May 24, 2011: broken flowers
Missed
6. May 07, 2011: Music Casserole
We've Only Just Begun

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2011-04-10
BEN ALLISON: Action-Refraction
Palmetto, 2011

MODERN JAZZ – Bassist/composer Ben Allison’s stuff has always been interesting, but over the past few years he’s been finding new directions for his highly listenable, gently spiraling sound. This disc, his 10th, is mostly covers, but the sources are so diverse and his interpretations of the tunes so unique that it might as well be all-original. A really good set with an unusual electro-acoustic lineup including bass clarinet & Prophet synth(!)

Ben Allison : bass
Michael Blake : bass clarinet, tenor sax
Steve Cardenas, Brandon Seabrook : guitars
Jason Lindner : Prophet 08, piano
Rudy Royston : drums

Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

1. 4:51 – Monk: lumpy intro, merry-go-round melody spins & expands with tension
2. 5:13 – PJ Harvey: pained sax lead, rock guitar, disjointed rhythm; cool solos
3. 7:08 – soul ballad: quiet & calm but becomes a march with freeform guitar duo
4. 5:38 – Neil Young: slow, spare, with a bit of country heartache; sweet solos
5. 6:59 – relaxed classical song, synth lead: pretty melody into amorphous solo
6. 7:48 – 70s lite-pop deconstructed: grooves in parallel tempos, gets fast/angular
7. 5:05 – steady pulse anchors drifting guitar noise and calm, catchy melody

[ Fo ] 04/10/11

Track Listing
1. Jackie-Ing   4. Philadelphia
2. Missed   5. St. Ita's Vision
3. Some Day We'll All Be Free   6. We've Only Just Begun
  7. Broken