Theatre By The Sea

Artist: Janek Gwizdala
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.

-Alex Walsh

Ŝanĝi

Artist: Foussion
Release Date: March 10, 2013
Label: Independent

Foussion's sophomore effort on bandcamp, Ŝanĝi, is an eclectic eight track album that is sprawling in its themes. This four piece fusion band from Madrid brings a lot to the table; with all instrumental songs showcasing drum, bass, piano, guitar, and saxophone. One can hear the obvious Latin and Spanish influences on this album over a fusion and jam base. This gives it a sound similar to that of Carlos Santana and other prominent Latin-rock musicians of the late 20th century.

What is notable about this work is the group's ever present sense of concurrence and interconnection, and how the band accomplishes this while its individual members flourish in flashes of creativity. The drummer really shines on the opening track, "Umami," which leads the group through abrasive,  jarring (yet adamant) themes as well as softer, more delicate ones. This is an occurrence which pops up again throughout the album. The second track, "Outro," lasts only about a minute, but uses an interesting effects-laid palette of textures. The guitarist accomplishes a compelling comping effect through the sublime use of delay as dreamy piano and saxophone fade in front and behind. "Stuck In The River" shows a bit more of Ŝanĝi's latin and rock influence. Here and in other moments, the group shows their skill in setting out-of-the-ordinary grooves, but could do much better in building things up or bringing them back down from theme to theme. Perhaps they could accomplish this by doing more with fine tuning and listening in to one another for specific nuances.

"In-Decision" is a beautiful solo acoustic song that is delicately busy. The guitarist takes folk and flamenco influence to a pristine place in under a minute. "Journey" opens by continuing this approach with each member contributing to a delicate feel in a synchronicity that is both disjointed and congenial. It quickly explodes into a theme that sounds almost like a ballad, but the group persists in building and jamming through it. When it comes to exploring different themes together yet still holding a great sense of individuality and improvisation among the specific members, this is the album’s best example. All this while tastefully building and bringing things down. From soft fusion rock, to a walking bass groove, and back to soft piano solo, it seems as if this band's quietest moments are the ones with the highest energy and that is something that is extremely hard for even the most professional groups to accomplish.

"Intro" fades in creepily with organ, drum, and bass. This short track has the band exploring a new and very dark realm that is found only again in "Manhattan". It almost sounds as if "Outro" were injected with a much more sinister element. The album's single, "Sometimes," opens delicately which, after listening up to this point, seems to be this pianist's forte. It moves slowly at first in the sax solo, but then the group fluidly supports what the saxophone has to say. The musicians do a great job in the second half; all contributing to the sound equally and sound as if they are on the same page completely. The closing track, "Manhattan," holds an ominous and sinister sound like in "Outro," but does so with an enormous amount of energy. The first half starts with Latin and Fusion overtones and quickly starts delving into a trance-like second half laden with effects.

This album is worth a listen because of all the varying musical genres it visits. There is something for any fan of rock, jazz, latin, experimental, or jam music on this album. What is great about it is the crispness in which the band accomplishes this fusion. Many of the album's songs are only a few minutes long but, touch upon many different genres in that time. My only misgivings of this album were of moments where the group seemed to hold back as if waiting for something to happen. In some of the longer songs, there were themes that were not necessarily dragged out for too long, but definitely could have used some more variety and individual contribution from the members (notably the keyboard player). Other than that, this album goes to so many different places that it deserves every single minute of its listening time and is available on Bandcamp or the band's website for 5 Euros.

-Alex Walsh