Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greg Goodman/Henry Kaiser/Lukas Ligeti: Heavy Meta

97

Greg Goodman/Henry Kaiser/Lukas Ligeti: Heavy Meta

By

Sign in to view read count
Greg Goodman/Henry Kaiser/Lukas Ligeti: Heavy Meta
Exotic and unpredictable free improvisations from the Bay Area. Henry Kaiser is the best-known voice here, an independently wealthy, endlessly creative guitarist who has worked from San Francisco to Madagascar, Antarctica and back. Hearing him paired in a free trio with piano and drums is a rather unusual experience, but close listening uncovers many deposits of musical wisdom and wit. Goodman and Ligeti are suitable partners in crime, intuitive and attentive. Yet the musicians seem to wear their influences a bit too prominently on their sleeves.

One complaint which rises early is that the players seem to be trying too hard to squeeze in as many time-tested avant-garde elements as possible: the plucked piano on “Riddled”, exotic bell sounds on “Pavlov”, Derek Bailey-style non-idiomatic guitar improv on “War & Piece”, the psycho deconstruction of “Three Blind Mice” on the final track. Not that they’re the equivalent of a 20th-century avant-garde bar band, mind you, but the variety does point towards a perceived lack of direction. Still, much of the time the three men click very well.

Goodman’s prettiness on “Logical Types” is a nice foil for Kaiser’s thuddy bass, and the guitarist wails in his customary hot electric fashion on “Tasurim”. Ligeti might be the big surprise here, as he chooses wisely the textures and groove styles he stirs into the mix. He completely dominates “Pavlov”, swelling and ebbing on whims while Goodman comps lovely figures in the background. Goodman gets Monkish on “Iron King”, Kaiser leans towards country blues on “The Green Child”. “Blind Site” is a great way to end the disc, turning a beloved children’s song into Frankenstein’s monster. Not everything works out as well here, and the longer the track, the more the potential for aimless meandering. But all in all it’s a respectably good effort, and Kaiser’s fans especially will find much to enjoy.

Visit www.yod.com .

Track Listing

Logical Types; War & Piece; Tasurim; Does the Name Pavlov Ring a Bell?; Riddled; The Green Child; Iron King; Blind Site.

Personnel

Goodman, piano; Kaiser, guitars and bass; Lukas Ligeti, drums.

Album information

Title: Heavy Meta | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Ecstatic Yod Collective

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.