Last Taxi, The - New Directions
Reviews
Tom McCarter
Reviewed 2019-08-15
Reviewed 2019-08-15
Reviewed: 2019-08-16
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Pianist Battstone has a knack for choosing players with equally open-minded risk-taking spirits. This release features a cavalcade of stellar performances. Flutes and wide ranging non lyrical voices commingle, dark shadows creep long, bass and drums do a gentle push and pull. Some synth sounds and bowed angularity are added. Intuitive collections of sounds, scrapes and aggressive ambience.
If You Like: Max Nagl, Art Ensemble of Chicago,
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Twilight Departure (3:20) – flute solo starts slow> female vocal joins> slow song> fade
*2/ Attraverso La Citta (5:52) – drums start quietly> slow space jam morphs into midtempo off-kilter jam & song> swings uptempo> slow fade on vocal
*3/ Inside the Dark Castle (5:35) – heavy piano chord starts> slow space jam with flute up front> vocal joins> slowly builds in volume & intensity> slow fade
**4/ All The Birds Have Flown (4:24) – synth starts quietly, builds into midtempo off-kilter jam with piano up front> morphs into uptempo wild jam with voices intersecting> piano solo> electric guitar solo to quick stop
**5/ Where Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance (8:05) – synth starts slow & quiet> slowly builds into slow jam & song> synth solo> slow song over space jam> fade
6/ Escape Syndrome (1:53) – bass starts uptempo> rocking uptempo space jam> fade
**7/ Sunrise Over A Painted Desert (4:52) – synth starts slow & quiet> slow space jam> builds in volume & intensity> electric guitar solo> midtempo space jam> fade
*8/ The Markets Of Marrakech (5:43) – drum-like synth starts> slow space jam builds to uptempo> piano solo> midtempo space jam with vocal overly> fade on vocal
9/ Rewind (2:04) – synth starts noisily & off-kilter, jamming with electric guitar> rocking wild off-kilter jam> quick fade
***10/ Morning In A Japanese Garden (6:31) – synth starts slow & quiet, joined by bamboo flute, then vocal> slow tempo jam slowly builds in volume & intensity> fade
**11/ Absyinte (7:53) – flute starts slow, joins with vocal> slow jam> builds in volume & intensity> slows to fade
12/ Looking Glass Woman (4:33) – bass/synth start> midtempo jam with vocal intersecting> builds in volume & intensity> fade
13/ L’Amore Reve (3:37) – vocal/piano starts> slow duet> flute joins> fade
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Pianist Battstone has a knack for choosing players with equally open-minded risk-taking spirits. This release features a cavalcade of stellar performances. Flutes and wide ranging non lyrical voices commingle, dark shadows creep long, bass and drums do a gentle push and pull. Some synth sounds and bowed angularity are added. Intuitive collections of sounds, scrapes and aggressive ambience.
If You Like: Max Nagl, Art Ensemble of Chicago,
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Twilight Departure (3:20) – flute solo starts slow> female vocal joins> slow song> fade
*2/ Attraverso La Citta (5:52) – drums start quietly> slow space jam morphs into midtempo off-kilter jam & song> swings uptempo> slow fade on vocal
*3/ Inside the Dark Castle (5:35) – heavy piano chord starts> slow space jam with flute up front> vocal joins> slowly builds in volume & intensity> slow fade
**4/ All The Birds Have Flown (4:24) – synth starts quietly, builds into midtempo off-kilter jam with piano up front> morphs into uptempo wild jam with voices intersecting> piano solo> electric guitar solo to quick stop
**5/ Where Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance (8:05) – synth starts slow & quiet> slowly builds into slow jam & song> synth solo> slow song over space jam> fade
6/ Escape Syndrome (1:53) – bass starts uptempo> rocking uptempo space jam> fade
**7/ Sunrise Over A Painted Desert (4:52) – synth starts slow & quiet> slow space jam> builds in volume & intensity> electric guitar solo> midtempo space jam> fade
*8/ The Markets Of Marrakech (5:43) – drum-like synth starts> slow space jam builds to uptempo> piano solo> midtempo space jam with vocal overly> fade on vocal
9/ Rewind (2:04) – synth starts noisily & off-kilter, jamming with electric guitar> rocking wild off-kilter jam> quick fade
***10/ Morning In A Japanese Garden (6:31) – synth starts slow & quiet, joined by bamboo flute, then vocal> slow tempo jam slowly builds in volume & intensity> fade
**11/ Absyinte (7:53) – flute starts slow, joins with vocal> slow jam> builds in volume & intensity> slows to fade
12/ Looking Glass Woman (4:33) – bass/synth start> midtempo jam with vocal intersecting> builds in volume & intensity> fade
13/ L’Amore Reve (3:37) – vocal/piano starts> slow duet> flute joins> fade
Recent airplay
Where The Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance
Music Casserole — Nov 22, 2025
The Markets Of Marrakech
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Nov 26, 2019
Where The Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance
Music Casserole — Nov 23, 2019
Sunrise Over A Painted Desert
Old fart At Play — Oct 24, 2019
Sunrise Over A Painted Desert
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Oct 22, 2019
Sunrise Over A Painted Desert, Escape Syndrome
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Oct 15, 2019
Charting
2019-09-26 — 2019-11-28
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 1 |
| Nov 24 | 1 |
| Oct 27 | 2 |
| Oct 20 | 1 |
| Oct 13 | 3 |
| Oct 6 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Twilight Departure | ||
| 2. | Attraverso La Citta | ||
| 3. | Inside The Dark Castle | ||
| 4. | All The Birds Have Flown | ||
| 5. | Where The Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance | ||
| 6. | Escape Syndrome | ||
| 7. | Sunrise Over A Painted Desert | ||
| 8. | The Markets Of Marrakech | ||
| 9. | Rewind | ||
| 10. | Morning In A Japanese Garden | ||
| 11. | Absyinthe | ||
| 12. | Looking Glass Woman | ||
| 13. | L' Amore Reve |