Release Date: March 26, 2013
Label: Independent
Artist Janek Gwizdala is certainly no newcomer to quality music such as found on Theatre By The Sea. This English bassist (living in the US for over a decade) has been on the international music scene for years, as a sideman or group leader. He has worked with Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Hiram Bullock, Wayne Krantz, Peter Erskine, Airto Moreira, John Mayer and many other professional musicians. Gwizdala's maturity is reflected in the taste and crispness in which he created this album. Beside himself, there were nine musicians who contributed, some appearing on all compositions while others appearing on only a few. This album is chock-full of vigorous unison lines and interplay which holds a cognizance and ardor matched by few other modern jazz groups.
The album starts of with "Erdnase" an exotic Latin song which demonstrates one of the core themes of the album: the repeated use of enticing unison lines accompanied by a tight, interlocking rhythm section. This track gets the album rolling and sets up nicely for the next track, "España" a spacey latin tune with some deep emotion. The saxophone cries and wails, shooting nicely over the rhythm section which lays down a groove which at times feels dejected and others spirited. Straight piano interludes and spacey sax, strings, and voice build in the second half and slowly come back down. All this is done very tastefully, just as the rest of the album is.
"Portugal" is the brightest and poppiest sounding of all the tracks on this album, rising out of the ominous end of "España" like a phoenix from the ashes. Even in the poppier chord progression, a distinct Latin/jazz sound is still retained with evident folk influence. The guitar solo continues over a build of layered vocals and lively comping from the rhythm section, giving way to a smooth jammy feel in the last minute or so. "Randroid" continues with a funky jazz/hip-hop feel. The rhythm section does a great job on this track of supporting the soloists and keeping the repeated forms fresh with new palettes of various rhythms and influences, as well as building well with good timing in each section.
The longest track of the album, "Once I Knew" is very different from the others, starting with a delicate, ambient guitar intro giving way to a ballad feel. This downtempo setting stays for the rest of the song, at some points dragging on and giving a bit of a wandering feeling. Nonetheless, the rhythm section keeps it interesting and retains their distinctive style of exchange below and with the other members of the group. "Fooling Houdini" holds an interesting ambient fusion feel, which sounds as busy and locomotive as it does stagnant. There are some moments in this song that sound much like Radiohead-esque jazz. The title track "Theatre By The Sea" sounds as if I had synesthesia in a contemporary art museum, what with all the different genres that are touched upon so frequently and in such a short amount of time.
"The Goshman" holds some of the best examples of the use of unison lines and tight, interlocking background provided by the rhythm section. This track stands out the most when it comes to improvisation, for both comping and soloing. This inexorable funk/jazz song really gets your body moving all the way through to the end, where it just kinda falls off a cliff. The closing song, "Chicago Opener" pedals onward with a progressive feeling, between the unison lines lead by the drummer and piano that looms overhead like a storm. These clouds brew and accrue with added horn lines and a soaring guitar solo which all build into a wall of sound, giving way to a tight groove that rides out to the end.
This album did not have many flaws, and those that it did have were dwarfed by the sheer professionalism that radiates off of these songs. Gwizdala takes songs that are (for the most part) simple and transforms them by using different combinations of instruments to expand and decline. In addition to the great composition work, this album hosts a myriad of talented musicians, especially the drummer, who played an integral part in the progression of different sections and their levels of energy. Each player holds a distinctive voice on this album, and the way in which they spoke to each other left for some truly provocative conversation. I would have loved to hear more vocals on this album, as they provided a key addition to the first three tracks on the album that I missed in some of the later tracks. Nonetheless, this album is a breathtaking look into the mind of Janek Gwizdala and has caught a firm hold of my attention for him.
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