JON IRABAGON’S OUTRIGHT!: Unhinged
Irabbagast, 2012

AVANT-GARDE – Sax player Irabagon is among the most interesting rising stars on the jazz scene. He makes his biggest impact shredding in out-jazz settings, but he plays just as well in more mainstream groups and has the hugely eclectic tastes typical of the new generation of jazz players. This disc has all of that, jumping from lumpy free improv to gliding bebop, quintet to orchestra, familiar grooves to pure weirdness.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9

1. 1:11 – brief lopsided riffing with electronic doodads
2. 10:34 – enigmatic sax intro, slips sideways into quick bop and wild improv
3. 8:34 – deconstructed piano, then nice Latin rhythm, slides right off the rails
4. 1:55 – another version of #1, more focus on the rhythmic aspect
5. 9:56 – long bass intro to a bizarre, psychedelic ballad with full orchestra!
6. 7:30 – speedy fusion feel with electric guitar & keyboards, nice horn work
7. 5:58 – trumpet sets up a slow, surreal landscape, drifts into a mopey ballad
8. 2:00 – yet another variation on #1, extra glitchy this time
9. 9:59 – passionate, deep and brilliant: you’ll never recognize “Take Five,” it sounds more like “A Love Supreme”!
10. 8:06 – cute/snappy ditty gets pulled apart like taffy

[ Fo ] - 19 January 2013