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Reviewed: Bloodcog | Richard Davies | Yellowjackets | The New York Second

Bloodcog: Staged (whi music - whi020) | Richard Davies: Cosmic Odyssey II (self release) | Yellowjackets: Fasten Up (Mack Avenue Records MAC1217) | The New York Second: Room For Other People (self release)

Bloodcog: Staged (whi music – whi020)

There is an old saying here in the UK: “One’s man muck is another man’s brass”, and, in the arena of jazz – especially in improvisational jazz – one’s man noise is another man’s music. Where you stand when it comes to Bloodcog will depend on if you can pick out music from the noise.

It’s a chaotic orchestra of sound without the traditional ingredients that you associate with “music”; there is no real recognised tempo, rhythm or melody as such but rather sounds and suggestions of where the tracks will lead. This can become confusing at times but always remain interesting and creative. It’s the musical equivalent of a David Lynch movie in that it isn’t a straight line and clearly isn’t for everyone.

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There are samples, ticks, scratches, loops, bips, bops and all manner of things scurrying around beneath the landscape of the 11 tracks on offer. Make no mistake, this isn’t an easy listen, this isn’t the stuff to nod your head sagely to while internally contemplating the tonal movements of Duke Ellington, but it will make you sit up and wonder what the hell is going on. In between these soundbites you get flurries of sax, percussion, flute and two bassists (one on electric bass and one on the Chapman stick) but this is a niche album. Even on the flamenco-style guitar on track Most Sensitive there odd echoey noises. This is explorative, improvised and free and should be approached with an open mind.

In fact, it reminded me of the work of Andrew Spackman, whose Dark Jazz Project explores a futuristic, industrial, electronic-jazz style that is similar, which brings me on pleasingly to my next album from occasional collaborator to Andrew Spackman, Richard Davies.

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Richard Davies: Cosmic Odyssey II (self release)

I first heard of Richard Davies on 2022’s Pagan Landscape and have kept an ear out up until the criminally under-heard A Detective For Sale of 2024. His new release, Cosmic Odyssey II (not surprisingly a follow up to 2023’s Cosmic Odyssey) promises to be another interesting listen and also goes to show how prolific this artist is at releasing new music. 

I like this approach to music: set a solid foundation, add chords and interesting quirks and finish off with the icing, which, in most cases, is his sax playing. I’m not a huge fan of the echoey saxophone but it fits in with the sound – which is part Vangelis and part chill-out jazz – and I challenge anybody to not bob their head to opening track, Now That’s What I Call An Introduction or the impressive Lead Them To Paradise.

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Final track (and superbly titled) Who Can Straighten What He Hath Made Crooked switches the music into another direction. It’s a sophisticated tune, completely science fiction and easily a standout track. It comes from nowhere to book end the album and makes you want more. This could be a precursor to the next release but if you only hear one track from this album, look for this one.

There are nods to sci-fi movies throughout (Soylent Green, Alien, Planet Of The Apes and Blade Runner are all hinted at in the titles) and at times the music can feel like a movie soundtrack in the making, but this is one of those albums where you find a comfy chair, a good set of speakers and let yourself go.

Yellowjackets: Fasten Up (Mack Avenue Records MAC1217)

Fusion isn’t my usual brand of jazz; sure, I’ve dabbled in the ways of Weather Report, marvelled at Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea and had to have a little lie down after first experiencing Bitches Brew, but when the chance to listen to the new release from Yellowjackets came I thought I should pull my socks up and jump in.

I hadn’t realised that the band has been going since the late 1970s, so if anyone was going to blow me away it was going to be these guys, and I wasn’t disappointed. With a production clarity that allows every nuance and instrument to be heard clearly, Fasten Up is a wonderful listening experience. The songs are dynamic; pulling you in for the quieter moments when maybe sax and piano take the lead before reintroducing the rhythm section to blow you away again.

Opening track Comin’ Home Baby feels like the band are just warming up, a soundcheck if you will, before the real stuff begins. The album is book-ended by tracks that don’t immediately fit in with the album. Comin’ Home Baby feels reserved as if the band are holding back, while closing track Xemeris hints at a new direction, its opening tone being different to anything else on the album before it filters into more typical territory and opens into something far grander.

This album succeeds on its individual parts: intricate drum patterns, tasteful horn, intelligent bass flurries (great solo on Broken) and a box of tricks in the form of a synth that adds layers to already impressive tracks (check out the steel drum sound on Will Power) gives Fasten Up a richness that should appeal to a broad jazz audience.

At this time, I often find myself looking back through the band’s discography and picking out albums to explore more of their output, but, according to a quick internet search, Yellowjackets have released close to 30 albums. Looks like I’ve got a lot of listening to do…

The New York Second: Room For Other People (self release)

The music of Dutch octet The New York Second can be described as intriguing, mysterious, beautifully composed and ultimately very rewarding which makes sense when you realise that the 11 tracks on this album have been inspired by the photographic work of Vivian Maier.

If you’re not familiar with the thousands upon thousands of photographs by this would-be artist I strongly suggest you find a documentary to watch (the BBC did a very good one in 2013) because it’s a fascinating story about her work that is intriguing, mysterious, beautifully composed and, you guessed it, ultimately very rewarding.

The music here surrounds you. It’s immersive, and has the skill to wrap you up and take you away. At times it feels as if you are exploring the streets of a big city (the very first note on the album sounds like the tooting of a taxi horn). More than once I’ve caught myself saying “wow” to the twists and turns the music takes.

The Collectors Corner mixes old-style basement jazz club piano with a modern twist of foot-tapping drums and smooth brass before the album sets into a laid back, unrushed groove that is welcome and a testament to the musicianship on show here. This is a band that can sound contemporary while also having one eye on the past via Location & Date Unknown, a ballad that sounds as if it’s straight from the 1950s Blue Note library. Fantastic.

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