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John Yao: Off-Kilter
ByYao's compositions balance this construction/deconstruction with a casualness that hides the complexity of his music. "Labyrinth" is packed with stop/starts and grooves that Rahsaan Roland Kirk would have been pleased to negotiate. Same can be said for "Below The High Rise," the one composition penned by Drewes, which puts one in mind of the sound of a Henry Threadgill recording. Yao pushes the density of the sound and the fun factor in equal measure. "Crosstalk," which opens with his trombone solo, is reminiscent of the great theme songs to television's 1970s detective programs. It's funk is filtered by that in-the-know hipness that was Starsky & Hutch or Kojak. None of this fresh fun could be accomplished without the musicians Yao chose for this ensemble. They weave the ballad "Quietly" around Sabin's steady bass line interworking horns into pleasing patterns. The two "Interludes" feature Ferber's tuneful drumming, and as listeners expect, Yao's penchant for beguiling arrangements.
Track Listing
Below The High Rise; Labyrinth; Interlude No. 1; Quietly; Crosstalk; Unfiltered; the Morphing Line; Interlude No. 2; Off-Kilter.
Personnel
John Yao
tromboneBilly Drewes
saxophoneJon Irabagon
saxophone, sopraninoMark Ferber
drumsRobert Sabin
bassAlbum information
Title: Off-Kilter | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: See Tao Recordings
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John Yao
Album Review
Mark Corroto
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
Off-Kilter
See Tao Recordings
Billy Drewes
Jon Irabagon
Mark Ferber
Robert Sabin
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Henry Threadgill