Reviewed: 2018-03-04
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Acoustic jazz with a twist.This is a a winsome set of music that manages to pull off the difficult trick of sounding simultaneously earthy and refined. Drummer Royston’s music captures a robust Americana-vibe on these cuts. And Royston's love of melodicism is also in evidence. The instrumentation here is especially effective in providing a buoyant richness, with the bass clarinet fusing wonderfully with the cello & bass, & the sublime accordion parts floating over the surface to enhance the music's emotional potency.
If You Like: Dino Saluzzi, Boulder Acoustic Society, Bob Brozman, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Frissell
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Soul Train (9:44) – bass starts> midtempo jam> accordion solo> cello/bass duet> midtempo jam> drums> midtempo jam> quick stop
2/ Bed Bobbin’ (0:36) -drums start> short midtempo jam> fade
*3/ Flatbed Buggy (5:45) – drums start> midtempo jam> accordion solo> bass clarinet solo> midtempo jam> fade
4/ boy…MAN (5:43) – bass starts> midtempo jam (has refrains from “Darkness” by the Youngbloods)> slow fade
*5/ Twirler (5:24) – bass clarinet starts> slow jam> cello/accordion duet> slow jam> slow fade
6/ Dirty Stetson (0:33) -full band short jam
7/ Hourglass (7:16) – bass clarinet starts> midtempo stuttering jam> bass clarinet solo> midtempo jam> pause> accordion solo> midtempo jam> quick fade
**8/ Bobblehead (5:52) – bass starts> midtempo jam swings uptempo> drum solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
*9/ The Roadside Flowers (6:55) – bass starts> slow jam> pause> bass continues> slow jam swings uptempo> & swinging> drum solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
10/ Hold My Mule (0:36) – accordion starts> short midtempo jam
*11/ girl…WOMAN (11:08) – drums/bass clarinet starts> slow waves of sound> pause> slow jam> slow fade> pause> accordion solo> midtempo jam> slow fade
12/ I Guess it’s Time To go (1:36) – accordion starts> midtempo jam> slow fade