This is the third album by Polish jazzers The Beat Freaks and, in the tradition of the genre, they’ve invited American saxophonist Ralph Alessi along for the ride, and what a ride it is!
I’ve been searching for the right term for this style of jazz and the word that was used by a drummer friend of mine was “angular”, so I’m sticking with that. If you don’t know what I mean by this (and, let’s be honest, why would you?) I’ll explain.
To the innocent bystander the music on offer here might sound disjointed or disconnected, the drums are sporadic and the whole exercise feels as if the band are finding their individual feet, working out the overall shape of the music but still trying to influence and inspire the direction.
To some this might be their idea of musical hell; some prefer their music mapped out beforehand with recognised melodies and structure, but this takes away the excitement of the music and within the generous 14 tracks there is no shortage of excitement.
I’ll admit that on first listen I didn’t quite get it. I had to put the music away for a week or so but with fresher ears the music is powerful, refreshing and explorative – which is no great surprise given that the album is influenced by nature and how things fit together.
The brass solos are aggressive and impatient (in a good way), the rhythms keep you on your toes and the guitar tones are reminiscent of Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew. All in all, having a guest musician on board is a masterstroke, giving a clash of influences and producing an album that offers something new with each listen.
Discography
Caldera De Los Cuervos; The Mechanics Of Nature; Broken; Mutating The Next Seed; A Walk Along; Quakes In Fukuoka; The Texture Of Life; Elephant Song; Life (Interlude); Lifeline; Frozen Blast; Jumping Pedestrian; One Of The Last Derkacz; Rusting Leaves, Turning Wheels (58.24)
Alessi (t); Tomasz Licak (ts); Michael Starkiewicz (g); Flavio Gullotta (b); Radek Wosko (d). Gniewoszow, Poland, 2023.
Jazz Generator
