Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chris Lacinak: Boom

176

Chris Lacinak: Boom

By

Sign in to view read count
Chris Lacinak: Boom
The songs on Boom have an air of familiarity, as if you've heard them somewhere but can't quite remember where or when (a form of déjà vu, incidentally, which commonly afflicts Hart/Rodgers fans). Yet the odds that listeners have heard these before, especially if they are discovering New Orleans (by way of a ten-year stint in New York) drummer Chris Lacinak for the first time, are slim. These nine charts are all originals, spawned during an impromptu recording session in summer 2003 after Lacinak had returned to his Louisiana hometown and rounded up like-minded area musicians.

Lacinak has described this album as an exercise in revisiting his musical roots and New Orleans traditions, though in his own case, this may not simply mean hot jazz. As an erstwhile member of the group Tribe Nunzio and freelancer in the New York Drummers Collective, Lacinak gleaned a few tips and tricks from the popular music songwriting guide: hence that air of instant familiarity, not to mention the compulsively toe-tapping rhythms and appealing melodies. His bandmates for this recording session—in particular pianist David Torkanowski and bassist Jim Singleton—join him wholeheartedly in this venture, incorporating the spontaneity of jazz with the accessibility of pop.

Boom, therefore, is an enjoyable disc. It has its share of memorable hooks and enthusiastic, highly capable playing. The opener, "T Bag," and the succeeding track, "Sidestep," are perfect examples of this. But very little else on the album seems to distinguish it from the many others just like it. The two-minute drum solo "String Thing" isn't a particularly bright spot on Lacinak's résumé. It has a dull, one-dimensional sound, although it can be said that it functions relatively well as an intro to the entertaining "West Bank Boogaloo," into which it segues seamlessly. "Grateful" is downright mawkish. "Motif" begins well, but it drifts into cacophonic spaghetti that is neither free jazz nor amusingly zany.

This is a very competent lineup, and Lacinak fares well as leader; but Boom never quite rises above what you might call a pleasant mediocrity. It would be interesting to hear the results if this same group returned to the studio with the sole intention of recording something truly remarkable.

Track Listing

1. T Bag; 2. Sidestep; 3. String Thing; 4. West Bank Boogaloo; 5. Motif; 6. Horace; 7. Homage; 8. General Meyer; 9. Grateful

Personnel

Chris Lacinak (drums); James Singelton (bass); David Torkanowski (piano, Hammond); Frederick "Shepp" Sheppard (tenor sax); Michael Ray (trumpet); Scott Bourgeois (alto sax); Mike Pellera (piano); Jessy Boyd (bass)

Album information

Title: Boom | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Drum Parade

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.