Cooke, Michael / Statements
Album: Statements   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Cooke, Michael   Added:Apr 2002
Label:Black Hat Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2002-10-14 Pull Date: 2002-12-16 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Nov 17 Oct 27
Airplays: 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Nov 15, 2002: Memory Select
Jagged
3. Oct 25, 2002: Memory Select
35 Cents
2. Nov 10, 2002: Oh Messy Life
Head Bobbin'

Album Review
Craig Matsumoto
Reviewed 2002-11-15
Solo woodwinds recordings, sometimes with multiple instruments overdubbed. Many pieces are composed rather than completely improvised. Some (such as #12) have tight, twisty composed passages, with Cooke sounding very nice on multiple saxes.

Cooke is sympathetic to avant-garde music but hasn't quite developed the compositional acumen for it. Some of the tracks get a bit trite as a result, but overall it's a worthy effort.

1- Spirited, fast street sax solo
2* - Catchy riff, cheerful flute
3* - Quiet, mysterious bass clarinet
4 - Goes for a deep Asian feel, misses
5 - Upbeat sax solo around a three-steps-down riff
6* - Slinky swing tune, corny but grows on you
7 - Bright flute solo
8 - 38-second blip
9 - Bassoon!!! Catchy but bland little song.
10* - Long jazzy sax runs
11 - Slow blues sx
12* - Placid flute, into a flowing cacophony of flutes and saxes. Ends w/mournful solo.

Track Listing
1. Jagged   7. Malevolence
2. Viva Guatemala!   8. ?
3. 35 Cents   9. Amblin'
4. Cogitation   10. Neptune
5. Three Steps Down   11. Less
6. Head Bobbin'   12. Early Exit