Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Andy Milne & Dapp Theory: Forward In All Directions

10

Andy Milne & Dapp Theory: Forward In All Directions

By

Sign in to view read count
Andy Milne & Dapp Theory: Forward In All Directions
On Forward in All Directions, pianist and bandleader Andy Milne brings various musical elements to play, including electronics and spoken word alongside some masterful playing and chemistry from his bandmates. The album kicks off with "Hopscotch," an up-tempo number centered on Aaron Kruziki's saxophone with a smart backbeat from the rhythm section. "Photograph" introduces electronics in the background. The groove breaks for some spoken word from John Mooney about looking at old pictures, and then the dynamic lowers for great piano and saxophone improvised moments.

"Into The Mirror, Darkly" is an eerie-sounding tune that begins with a few solo measures by bassist Christopher Tordini, who is joined subtly by Milne almost a minute into the track, followed by Kenny Grohoski's, which drums appear almost as if recorded from a great distance. Kruziki then comes in with a Middle-Eastern inspired melody on clarinet with some electronic sounds behind him as the drums come to the fore.

One of the great surprises is "Katharsis," which features guest performers Jean Baylor and Gretchen Parlato on wordless vocals that frame the piece alongside Kuziski on bass clarinet. It is a great moment of creativity as the ensemble finds subtle improvisational moments around Moon's spoken word. Another highlight is the closing track "How And When Versus What," a tour de force with changing tempos that includes a harrowing guitar solo from guest Ben Monder.

Track Listing

Hopscotch; Photographs; In the Mirror, Darkly; Search Party; Katharsis; Nice to Meet You; The Trust; How and When Versus What; Fourteen Fingers; Headache in Residence.

Personnel

Andy Milne: piano, prepared piano, Fender Rhodes & synthesizers; Aaron Kruziki: soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, douduk, alto saxophone & additional keyboard programming; John Moon: vocal poetics; Christopher Tordini: acoustic & electric bass; Kenny Grohowski: drums & percussion; Ben Monder: guitar (4,8,10) Jean Baylor:lead vocal (5); Gretchen Parlato: additional vocals (5)

Album information

Title: Forward In All Directions | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

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

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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