STEVE COLEMAN

— First review of this album —

*originally written for www.jazzmusicarchives.com

I have heard Steve Coleman and his Five Elements playing live just a few weeks after he recorded this new material for what later became "Synovial Joints", and to be honest I was a really critical when started listening to this, his newest release to time.

It's not like I was seriously disappointed with Coleman's gig, better to say - I was quite seriously surprised. Excellent combo played in overcrowded Drama Theater hall with coldness I can hardly remember in any jazz concert ever. Technically great musicians demonstrated quite interesting musical ideas but tried hard to isolate themselves from any public emotions, or probably - to isolate public from anything different than their calculated (and often quite repetitive) sound.

So, when Coleman's new album has been released I have been thinking more than once if I really want to hear it. Probably, the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award Steve received earlier this year pushed me to give this music a chance. It took weeks for me to accept and appreciate new album's music, but now I can say - yes, it's a good album.

What Steve did first of all recording "Synovial Joints" is the increase of the number of band members. In fact, he used his regular "Five Elements" as basis and recruited lot of new artists(many of them already played with Steve in his other projects), up to 21 in total. As a result, Coleman's biggest band ever plays his usual math / calculated compositions with richer arrangements, but what is more important - whole sound is warmer and even mellower (what sounds more than unusual speaking about Steve Coleman music).

Attentive listener will notice that there are more improvisational components, than in many of Steve previous works, and at the same time he uses unusually much classic orchestration here. Add some Latin tunes and you got the new Steve Coleman's music - warmer, more lively and much more attractive because of that.

Newbies to Coleman's music still most probably will notice how angular new album sounds, those familiar with his previous aesthetics most probably will enjoy how more humane this album sounds still being with no doubt same Steve Coleman's music.

This live album consists of about half straight up be-bop songs, and about half of Five Element version of fusion, which leans a lot more toward funk than rock. But there is still Coleman's weirdly cool sense of melody. Very avant garde.

The album begins with the title track, The Tao Of Mad Phat which is primarily an alto sax solo by Coleman. The next track Alt-Shift-Return is my favorite on the album. It's a low key, but but very compelling funk rhythm, with of course, some fine soloing. Collective Meditations I is a suite of fine be-bop pieces, but not fusion. Polymad Nomads is another great funk fusion solo extravaganza, and Little Girl On Fire starts as a low key be-bop number, but buils to energetic funk by the end.

This album is indicative of the one time I saw this band play live, so I would suggest picking it up for the Coleman live experience.

This album, Drop kick, is a tasty combination of be-bop jazz and funk rhythms, all topped with the fine alto sax soloing of Steve Coleman. The songs, all but one written by Coleman, are primarily funk rhythms with peculiar, avant-garde melodies popping in and out. As noted, Coleman's soloing permeates the album, but there are also some great performances by guitarist David Gilmore (no, not that guy, I said "Gilmore") and keyboardists Andy Milne and James Weidman.

The best track on the album is Bates Motel. As it's title implies, it's a eerie piece with spooky keyboard washes and not a walking, but a limping lumbering bass line that Coleman solos over effortlessly.

This band has a unique sound and style, something very difficult in the major label jazz world. The fusion aficianato should check them out.