The Necks: Mindset

The Necks (group)

Mindset (ReR; 2011)

Chris Abrahams (piano)

Lloyd Swanton (bass)

Tony Buck (drums)

The Necks have been on the rise the last few years. The recent global tours and wider availability of their music has helped spread the news of one of the worlds best kept secrets. The trio have a very specific and unique blend of minimalism and improvisation that rises above both jazz and experimental music.

Sometimes hard to describe to friends, I try to get them to imagine, Cecil Taylor, Philip Glass, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins locked in room to see what would evolve. Sometimes you can bring up the E.S.T. comparison but I have started to feel that the Swedish legends were actually only starting to reach the abstract heights The Necks have been creating for decades.

Built on two extended pieces, the new album, Mindset (ReR), continues their original aesthetic of slow building, highly intense, introspective pieces. But this time out there is more purpose and a heavy drive, with melodic and emotional moments that you can grab onto at various periods. The pieces settles into polar opposites - one of intense wrestle of spirit and body, the second an almost minimalist psychedelic journey through Stephen King's closet. 

"Rum Jungle" opens with a long, deep enveloping melody of all instruments at once. It's a wash of sound that become hypnotic and beautiful. Two thirds of the way through the trio turn on the atmospherics. Each instrument no longer sounds like what you think. "Rum Jungle" then rises to clattering conclusion. Like dropping off a cliff.

One of signatures to The Necks music--their ability to manipulate and create soundscapes that you thought weren't possible on these instruments. That becomes apparent on "Daylights." A piece which feels more like nighttime that morning lights. A gentle but encompassing number by which the listener is drawn in Eno or Aphex Twin-esque movements and free form crackles, plucking and other improvised expressions. "Daylights" seems to sit on top of a one note theme laid out beautifully midway through by Abrahmas. Later it does hit a sort of high gear towards the end before freezing to a close.

Mindset is surprisingly one of the shorter Necks albums in history but it still has all the elements of adventure and improvisation that make this trio one of the best forward thinking groups on scene today. Highly Recommended.

Curtis Mayfield: Super Fly (Original Soundtrack)

Curtis Mayfield
Super Fly (Curtom Records, 1972)
Arrangements and orchestrations: Johnny Pate

We've been listening to a lot of soul/funk records in recent weeks and one of those albums is the classic that has become a benchmark for both soul as well as soundtracks--Super Fly.


For Gordon Parks' legendary crime movie, Super Fly, Curtis Mayfield of the quintessential Chicago R&B band, the Impressions, recorded the greatest blaxploitation soundtrack ever — and certainly one of the best song-driven scores, period.

The film was a smash hit, but it may not have had such a substantial impact without Mayfield’s soulfully stirring funk score, released on his own Curtom Records. The album's sales outgrossed the movie's box office and launched two hit singles, "Freddie's Dead" (#2 R&B, #4 Pop) and "Super Fly" (#5 R&B, #8 Pop).

Already well known for his socially observant songwriting, Mayfield elevated Super Fly by providing songs that comment on the film’s story. Songs like “Little Child Runnin’ Wild,” “Pusherman” and “Freddie’s Dead” hit hard lyrically and with a melodic groove that never fails to hold one’s attention. Mayfield composed and performed on several other blaxploitation scores, but none measure up to his masterpiece.

Mayfield's not-so-secret weapon on Super Fly was Johnny Pate, another Chicago R&B legend, whose crack arrangements and orchestration give Mayfield's songs a healthy dose of gravitas. Pate went on to score some badass soundtracks as well, including one of the best of the blaxploitation genre, Shaft in Africa... but that's a story for next time.

Dave Brubeck: Their Last Time Out

Dave Brubeck (piano)

Their Last Time Out (Columbia/Legacy; 2011)

Paul Desmond (sax)

Joe Morello (drums)

Eugene Wright (bass)

I seem to not write about the great Dave Brubeck enough. While other contemporaries have made waves on the piano or organ (Monk, Hancock, Smith or Young), Brubeck quietly grew in stature and popularity through consistent compositions and performances both on record and live.

His major quartet consists of Desmond, Morello and Wright--the group recording the jazz classic/benchmark, Time Out (Columbia; 1959). The quartet began recording together over a decade ago.

On December 26, 1667, the quartet would perform their very last concert together in Pittsburgh, PA (USA) and now the music is entitled Their Last Time Out. Brubeck had mentioned a few months earlier that he wanted to retire (that would later never happen). While there are a number of Brubeck concerts (a majority of them official releases), the obvious significance here is both "last" and Brubeck's greatest quartet.

This was a night where Brubeck and the group just let loose and kept swinging. Opening with the heavy-hitting "St. Louis Blues," led more by Morello's pounding beat, Desmond engrossed chords and Wright's infectious plucking, the piece will undoubtedly have in tapping your feet or getting you out of your seat to dance. "Take The "A" Train," one of Brubeck's favourite tunes has an even more poignant purpose on this evening. Each member is in smokin' form. Morello and Brubeck share some delightful and hard driving exchanges. It's wonderful to see the group having so much fun even as they know its their last gig together.

"You Go To My Head" displays all the bluesy romantic quality. Brubeck and Desmond are monstrous in a gentle way. Desmond's solo midway through is lush and emotional. This draws a stirring applause from the lucky audience. Brubeck's timing and performance is exceptional here. He notes a touching and radiant. "Set My People Free" written by Wright as a protest song to political and civil situation of the times, is powerful yet still maintain the traditional essence of the group. Brubeck and Wright swing in a gospel that fashion that will definitely have you saying amen!

And of course, the evening couldn't end without what had already become a classic standard in jazz history--"Time Out." Here though you get a lot improvising from Desmond and Morello along with a few extended solos. It's one of the stronger performances of the piece I have heard on a live recording. It's a ferocious version that even takes in a few Indian-theme chords by Desmond. Brubeck does his own bit of improvising toward the end of the piece. And the rest of group begin to follow until its raucous full-stop.

Their Last Time Out is magnificent and significant piece of history that must be heard by an jazz fan. It shows a great quartet swinging and improvising at the height of its powers but leaving us all wanting more...

Aram Shelton & Kjell Nordeson: Incline

Aram Shelton (sax)

Kjell Nordeson (drums)

Incline (Singlespeed Music; 2011)

Aram Shelton has been one of my favourite discoveries over the last few years. There's a forcefulness and deep intuitiveness to his performances that has always amazed me.

Kejell Nordeson is a terrific and inventive drummer whom I have followed since his days with Swedish outfit Aaly Trio (due to their recordings with Ken Vandermark).

It's no really surprise that these two creative forces finally found each other with their group Cylinder. The two minds are on a very distinct and similar wavelength.

While Cylinder is an improv masterclass, the duo's project, Incline (Singlespeed Music) is more a free-thinking sprawling yet very honed study of personal interplay. "Village" is an incredible opening track. A torrent of sound on par with David S. Ware/Andrew Cyrille. The piece builds rapidly as the two scream back and forth with notes that peel the skin from your eardrum. Fun, eh?!?

"Orbit" is more a solo outing for Nordeson as he picks, clangs, taps and pounds notes from the ether. Beautiful and investigating, it all flows nicely into "Test", a melodic piece that is percussive and emotional. Led by heavy, deep undertones from Shelton and Nordeson create a blossoming atmosphere that fills the space yet is completely free of structure.

"Rig" sees Shelton in the solo role. Here stretching and constructing notes paint a slow moving Jackson Pollack-esque picture. The piece is short but moves nicely into "Soles," a mountain of a piece that rips the top off of everything. Shelton and Nordeson seems to be in a completely higher plane. The piece gets louder and louder with the two seemingly melding into one until a gentle all-halt.

Incline is an album of multi-layered complexity. The unity between the Nordeson and Shelton is very apparent through each note. This is the duo that was long in the making but we are better off for it. Incline is another keen masterpiece in the history of both Aram Shelton and Kjell Nordeson.

This video features Cylinder but gives a great insight into the two musicians unique talents as well as a fascinating look at their quartet.