Infernal Machines

Argue, Darcy James / Secret Society
New Amsterdam Records
Jazz | May 2009

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2009-05-10
DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY: Infernal Machines
New Amsterdam, 2009

MODERN JAZZ – The widely anticipated debut CD from Argue’s 18-piece “steampunk big band” delivers on all counts. The music is unusual, fresh and vibrant, merging modern jazz with rock-derived concepts on a grand scale. Guitar & keyboard spar with a sprawling horn section in complex retro-futuristic arrangements, while soloists (just 1 or 2 per piece) are buffeted and propelled by the surging mass.

Soloists:
Ingrid Jensen - trumpet
Mark Small, Sam Sadigursky, Erica vonKleist - saxophones
Ryan Keberle, Mike Fahie, James Hirschfeld - trombones
Sebastian Noelle - guitar
John Wikan - drums (cajon)

* * * * | Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7

1. 11:02 – tense rhythm vs. slouching melody; rises to lift tenor sax solo
2. 07:14 – cinematic w/forward motion: trombone holds rudder in a choppy sea
3. 07:01 – vivacious uptempo glide, evokes trains & traffic under trumpet solo
4. 10:12 – calm suspension, introspective guitar turns otherworldly
5. 10:55 – moody horns, chugs along with a retro-cinematic, old-world feel
6. 10:57 – heavy atmosphere, unsettling undercurrents, mounting tension
7. 09:40 – unsteady walking rhythm; rises mightily under quavering sax solo

[ Fo ] 05/10/09

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Charting

2009-05-10 — 2009-07-12 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Jul 12 2
Jun 28 1
Jun 14 1
May 31 3
May 24 1
May 17 1

Track listing

1. Phobos
2. Zeno
3. Transit
4. Redeye
5. Jacobin Club
6. Habeas Corpus (For Maher Arar)
7. Obsidian Flow