Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Partisans: Max

124

Partisans: Max

By

Sign in to view read count
Partisans: Max
Partisans are open in their admiration for jazz-rock/fusion. Yet the UK group's third album, Max, moves far beyond revivalism. It's dedicated to Max Roach, and the opening self-penned title track is embedded within Charlie Parker's "Klact-oveeseds-tene," drawing immediate attention to influences well beyond the 1970s. In fact, the most impressive feature of the band is its ability to underlay the excitement and tonal innovations of jazz-rock with a rhythmic sensibility that owes more to bebop than Cream.

Max is not just a document of a live band but a carefully constructed album with thought given to textural variety, change of pace, and compositional interest; consequently, it holds your attention. The band's dense, yet airborne sound owes much to the flexibility of drummer Gene Calderazzo and bassist Thaddeus Kelly. Guitarist Phil Robson switches between effects-laden acid rock and pure, swinging Montgomery/Hall-era jazz. Reedsman Julian Siegel openly declares his debt to Wayne Shorter in the dedication of "Wise Child," while paying musical homage across the disc with abstract yet emotional playing.

The jazz-rock feel reaches its height midway through "Last Chance." A brooding eastern-sounding prologue gives way to a scorching, riff-driven heart with Robson employing Hendrix-like distortion and Siegel wailing on bass clarinet. Yet even here things are different. Two thirds of the way through the piece dissolves in a glorious pastoral coda, Siegel's achingly lovely melody drifting over luminous guitar arpeggios. The dark forests of Miles Davis' '70s work are visited just once—the humid, stop/start sounds of Bitches Brew are evoked on a track where a familiar tune eventually emerges in ghostly outline: Bowie's "John, I'm Only Dancing."

The latter track is one of three where Hammond B3 organist Jim Watson adds further colour, drawing comparisons with the swirling sounds of Larry Young. Trumpeter Chris Batchelor appears on three tracks to widen the tonal palette still further.

"Z Car" revisits a tune from an earlier album; the rhythm section glides between ever-changing metres, avoiding the awkward changes of gear that can sometimes afflict fusion. Here is no plodding rock beat but crispness and precision, keeping the tune in constant motion. The title of "The Lacemakers" would appear to be a reference to the industrial origins of Siegel's home town of Nottingham. The skittering percussion evokes the sound of an 18th Century workshop alive with textile frames, inspiring Siegel to an impassioned tenor solo over Robson's rich chording.

This is an outstanding recording by a group of young, yet experienced musicians who have played with a wide range of major jazz names. Phil Robson, for example, has recently been heard in the company of the likes of Billy Hart, James Genus, Marc Copland, Tom Rainey, and Drew Gress, both in Britain and the States. Max is bound to engage the curious listener; it should also open doors to a wider series of superb recordings by the members of Partisans which deserve a hearing beyond the UK.

Track Listing

Max (i) Klact-oveeseds-tene, (ii) Max; Z Car; Partisans #2; The Eskaton; The Lacemakers; Last Chance; Some Of Those!; John, I'm Only Dancing; Quarterlight; Wise Child.

Personnel

Phil Robson: guitars; Julian Siegel: tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, cuica; Thaddeus Kelly: bass; Gene Calderazzo: drums. Special guests Thebe Lipere: percussion; Jim Watson: Hammond B3 organ; Chris Batchelor: trumpet.

Album information

Title: Max | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Babel Label

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

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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