Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » NOJO with Sam Rivers: City of Neighbourhoods
NOJO with Sam Rivers: City of Neighbourhoods
The album is all Occhipinti and Neufeld originals (three by the former, four by the latter; they compose independently) and the music is wide-ranging, to say the least: African and Cuban rhythms share space with contemporary classical, country, funk and gospel influences; there's honky tonk and jump blues, echoes of Mingus and Ellington, Eastern scales, American grooves, driving horns and fuzz-tone guitar riffs. Obviously, this is a group with a sense of humor, but make no mistakethese are players with serious chops, as the mere presence of Rivers announces.
At 81, the maverick Riverswho, along with the vocalist Sheila Jordan, is probably the most ridiculously underappreciated jazz genius aliveis still performing at the top of his game, and his uncompromising commitment to the music lifts this record into the stratosphere. "The Glassblower," the penultimate cut, was written by Neufeld as a tribute to Rivers; and during the course of its eleven-and-a half minutes, the great man moves seamlessly between flute, soprano and tenor sax, giving what amounts to a jaw-dropping master class on all three axes in the process. It's the standout performance on a standout record.
Visit NOJO on the web for upcoming tour dates and more.
Track Listing
1. City Of Neighbourhoods 2. The Human Blockhead 3. Spend Every Dime 4. Duke A Go Go 5. Neurotheologians 6. The Glassblower 7. The Year In Review
Personnel
NOJO
band / ensemble / orchestraSam Rivers, Dan Bone, Sean O'Connor, Jason Logue, Kevin Turcotte, Scott Suttie, Roberto Occhipinti, Barry Romberg, Michael Occhipinti, Paul Neufeld.
Album information
Title: City of Neighbourhoods | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: True North Records
Comments
About NOJO
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
Related Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar To