jazz / avant-garde
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Jazz usually isn't my cup of tea but I'm often willing to give it a shot. Some readers will probably already know that I'm a dark jazz fan, something which sparked my interest in other versions of the genre. Besides, I've been a visitor of both Jazz Middelheim and Ghent Jazz in the past, each time being quite satisfied about the whole thing, although I know very little artists. So when I received this album, I immediately decided to check it out. However, the review came weeks later, after listening to the album several times.
William Hooker has already earned his stripes in the world of jazz. He's an active member of the musical community since the seventies and has been collaborating with loads of people. Besides a composer, he is also a drummer and a poet. But if you expect easy-digestable jazzy poetry on 'Red', you might want to thing again. Other musicians on this album are Mark Hennen (piano), Marty Lavelle (trumpet) and Larry Roland (bass). Together they have created a highly mistifying avant-garde album.
There are six tracks on this album, all of them mainly driving on Hooker's drums. The other musicians generally seem to remain a more traditional jazz approach while Hooker goes in free-jazz mode. To me, personally, it is a bit too nervous and inaccessable but I can clearly understand that jazz-afficionados admire music like this. In a way songs like 'Ever Remembered' and 'The Progressive Nature' remind me of Barchan but obviously without the drones.
The fact that I don't really like the album, doesn't mean that this is not a quality recording and it certainly doesn't mean that I don't respect this great artist. William Hooker is a skilled, talented and experienced artist who likes to step outside of the genre boundaries. Therefore I would like to recommend this album to my jazz minded friends and readers. To other people I'd also like to recommend checking it out. It shows new possibilities and new things to incorporate in your own music, and that's what keeps music alive and fresh...
Serge
William Hooker has already earned his stripes in the world of jazz. He's an active member of the musical community since the seventies and has been collaborating with loads of people. Besides a composer, he is also a drummer and a poet. But if you expect easy-digestable jazzy poetry on 'Red', you might want to thing again. Other musicians on this album are Mark Hennen (piano), Marty Lavelle (trumpet) and Larry Roland (bass). Together they have created a highly mistifying avant-garde album.
There are six tracks on this album, all of them mainly driving on Hooker's drums. The other musicians generally seem to remain a more traditional jazz approach while Hooker goes in free-jazz mode. To me, personally, it is a bit too nervous and inaccessable but I can clearly understand that jazz-afficionados admire music like this. In a way songs like 'Ever Remembered' and 'The Progressive Nature' remind me of Barchan but obviously without the drones.
The fact that I don't really like the album, doesn't mean that this is not a quality recording and it certainly doesn't mean that I don't respect this great artist. William Hooker is a skilled, talented and experienced artist who likes to step outside of the genre boundaries. Therefore I would like to recommend this album to my jazz minded friends and readers. To other people I'd also like to recommend checking it out. It shows new possibilities and new things to incorporate in your own music, and that's what keeps music alive and fresh...
Serge