Lobster Leaps In

THE MICROSCOPIC SEPTET: Lobster Leaps In
Cuneiform, 2008

ODDBALL JAZZ – Still delightfully irreverent 15+ years after disbanding, the briefly reunited Micros offer up fun neo-retro music drawing from the whole spectrum of jazz, played with humor and an accessible swing. Group conceptually with Steven Bernstein or even perhaps Mostly Other People Do The Killing (but without the freaky edge).

* * * * * | No duds. Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10

1. 4:21 – happy-go-lucky swing, Ellingtonia with an oblique twist
2. 8:03 – odd Calypso: starts happy, grows increasingly ominous, ends happy
3. 4:09 – bouncy swing, a gleeful and catchy stomp
4. 6:05 – catchy tango riff spun round & turned on its head, becomes a party
5. 8:35 – plodding melancholy leads into a cool boppin’ stroll
6. 6:55 – tuff swaggering strut, sax solos get down, great drums (circus break!)
7. 4:01 – Fast ‘n’ goofy, freewheeling fun with some Monkish harmonics
8. 9:18 – starts relatively “out,” somehow becomes a 1950’s pop sway
9. 6:11 – uptempo, spinning groove, some disorienting moments. Way cool.
10. 5:40 – mixes up modern jazz, N’awlins second-line, 1950s R&B, swing
11. 9:53 – sneaky start, gently drifts thru free jazz & upbeat bop sections

[ Fo ] 03/08/09