Mostly Other People Do The Killing
Hot Cup, 2007, CD
Instrument: Instrumental
Issue: 13.4
Jazz Ruler Type: Bebop
Performance: 3
Sound: 4
Score: 
O’s Notes: Bassist Moppa Elliott leads this quartet featuring Peter Evans (t), Jon Irabagon (sax) and Kevin Shea (d). They fuse many jazz styles to arrive at what they call Uber-jazz. It has a Dixie foundation with a very loose structure allowing the musicians to push their instruments wherever their masters’ mind is pointing. That translates to squealing, snorting and squawking from time to time. But when they settle down on “Dunkelbergers” for example, they shine. They take standards like “Lover” in new directions varying tempo and stretching the boundaries. Is this creative genius or wasted talent? You decide. One point for their artwork designer, “Better luck next time!” The great liner notes are obscured by scenery inside and while the contrast is better on the back of the CD case, you’ll need a magnifying glass to read the 4 font… Or maybe O is just going blind!
Publicist: Braithwaite & Katz
