| Jazz |
This particularly enjoyable project is the initiative of pianist Dred Scott (Liza Minnelli, Courtney Love, Anthony Braxton, Pete Seeger, Nina Hagen, Patti Smith, Zigaboo Modeliste, Joe Henderson, Joe Morello, Andrew Cyrille, Moby, and Ricki Lee Jones). Previously, he has produced 10 solo albums (including 5 for Ropeadope). The lineup for this group consists of Dred Scott on piano, Eric Crystal on tenor saxophone, John Wiitala on bass, and Smith Dobson on drums. The Pacific Jazz Group for Dred Scott is the culmination of a jazz style he has great affinity for.
Scott explains: “I spent many years living in the Bay Area. During that time, I developed a special affection for the music of the Pacific Jazz Label, an LA-based record company that started in 1952 and carried on through the 60’s as World Pacific Records. West coast jazz, people called it, and it was a thing. It was characterized often by the lack of a chordal instrument even though there were pianists and guitarists on the label, as well. The music itself was usually not difficult or intricate, and the playing was more about sounding cool than blowing minds with awesome virtuosity. It was laid back and felt good.”
It must be admitted that the feat of reviving this kind of music is perfectly welcome and successful. We even have a true live club atmosphere that allows us to practically feel the ambiance of that almost cha-cha-cha era. Just close your eyes, and you will see the handsome gentlemen in suits and ties and the beautiful ladies in twirling dresses, enchanted by the sound and rhythms of the instruments on the dance floor of a grand Californian hotel. This music tells a story, a time when idle carefreeness mixed with a leisurely nonchalance for some of the most well-to-do.
There is a trend in American jazz today to revive the past, to bring it up to date, a desire to preserve this music that is an integral part of the history of the USA, which has witnessed and accompanied both the toughest and the most joyful moments of its history. This album is part of that, served by musicians whose pleasure in playing these tracks is contagious, to the point of playing the foundation of the songs as well as the instrumental solos almost perfectly. This album is a must-have for history, for the love of art. These are the essential reasons that led the editorial teams of Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-Move to place this album on the “essential” pile.
Thierry De Clemensat
Correspondent in USA
Bayou Blue News – Bayou Blue Radio – Paris-Move
PARIS-MOVE, June 14th 2023
::::::::::::::::::::::::::