CHICAGO UNDERGROUND DUO, "AXIS AND ALIGNMENT"
The latest duo release from Rob Mazurek's Chicago Underground presentsthe progressive melding of electronics with that of free jazz playing,resulting in some great performances of very cool and moderncompositions. With drummer Chad Taylor at times providing the changesfrom the vibraphone on the disc's eleven tracks, Mazurek is freed up tostretch in his cornet soloing and explorations.
The reversal occurs in"Particle and Transfiguration" finding the cornet giving a re-occuringbattle cry over top of the controlled chaos of the drums and theoccasional stab on the vibes, which I'm pretty sure were notoverdubbed. "Lifelines" is a rolling, catchy vibe-augmented compositionwith the rhythms shifting between 6/8 and straight double time, and aparade sounding bass drum that gets you right in the chest. "ExponentRed" presents a slippery, repetitive synth bass line in which themelody is played off of while tightly tuned drums groove along nicely."Two Concepts for the Storage of Light" begins by sounding almost as alullaby from the vibes with cymbals swells, gradually building withunison lines with the cornet which plays along nicely over crashingdrums. About halfway through the tunes 9+ minutes, the second 'concept'appears with a groovy synth bass line, fast and busy swing feel on thedrums and cornet themes and solos. The busy and noisier "Memoirs of aSpace Traveller" closes with a showcase of Taylor's beautiful nylonstring guitar work over what sounds like a respirator (space helmet?).Recorded and mixed by John McEntire at his Soma Electronic MusicStudios with help on a few tracks from Ken Brown, this disc uses thefree jazz idiom with different elements and ideas brought into fold, asthe title suggests, making for some interesting listening. -
The reversal occurs in"Particle and Transfiguration" finding the cornet giving a re-occuringbattle cry over top of the controlled chaos of the drums and theoccasional stab on the vibes, which I'm pretty sure were notoverdubbed. "Lifelines" is a rolling, catchy vibe-augmented compositionwith the rhythms shifting between 6/8 and straight double time, and aparade sounding bass drum that gets you right in the chest. "ExponentRed" presents a slippery, repetitive synth bass line in which themelody is played off of while tightly tuned drums groove along nicely."Two Concepts for the Storage of Light" begins by sounding almost as alullaby from the vibes with cymbals swells, gradually building withunison lines with the cornet which plays along nicely over crashingdrums. About halfway through the tunes 9+ minutes, the second 'concept'appears with a groovy synth bass line, fast and busy swing feel on thedrums and cornet themes and solos. The busy and noisier "Memoirs of aSpace Traveller" closes with a showcase of Taylor's beautiful nylonstring guitar work over what sounds like a respirator (space helmet?).Recorded and mixed by John McEntire at his Soma Electronic MusicStudios with help on a few tracks from Ken Brown, this disc uses thefree jazz idiom with different elements and ideas brought into fold, asthe title suggests, making for some interesting listening. - samples:
