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Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band: Land of Nod
BySometimes you just take your inspiration where you find it. For Washburne, the State of the Union has incited a truculent blast on the opener, his original composition, "Pink," with a three-horn front line (trombone, trumpet and tenor sax) blowing hard, venting over a danceable Latin groove.
"Off-White" has deliberate momentum and a forceful trombone solo by the leader, which gives way to the red-coal smolder of Ole Mathisen's angry tenor sax sound. This tension, in turn, gets released by pianist Barry Olsen's light, dancing keyboard touch. "Blue Gust" has a more optimistic feel, a freewheeling, loose-jointed atmosphere; while "Oi Ne Khoy Hrytsin Tai na Vecharntsi," a traditional Ukranian folk song, eases in as a pretty ballad thatwith a flick of the light switchwails into a fiery up-tempo romp.
The Washburne-penned "Guantanamo," a highlight, opens with a Korean gong blast woven through with piano and blaring horns. Then it shifts into overdrive with an insistent bubble and pop rhythm designed to get you up and dancing. The title tunein spite of the suggested sentimenthas an upbeat rhymic drive behind some inpsired free-range soloing.
Washburne and his SYOTOS band close the show with two different tunes entitled "Peace." The first, by Ornette Coleman, embraces some wild and wooly dissonance and features an adventuous solo by saxophonist Mathisen; the second, by Horace Silver, slows things down to a melancholy ballad, opening with Washburne's trombone and Mathisen's clarinet slow-dancing.
In the end, Land of Nod proves itself a an adventurous and fascinating Latin jazz listening experience.
Track Listing
Pink; Off-White; Blue Gust; Op-Ed; Oi Ne Khody Hrytsin Tai na Vechornysti; Guantanamo; Land of Nod; Peace; Peace.
Personnel
Chris Washburne
tromboneChris Washburne: trombone, percussion; John Walsh: trumpet; Ole Mathisen: tenor saxophone, clarinet;Barry Olsen: piano; Leo Traversa: bass; Vince Cherico: drums; Chembo Corniel: congas. Special Guests: Bobby Sanabria: percussion; Malken Derno: Korean gong.
Album information
Title: Land of Nod | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Jazzheads
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About Chris Washburne
Instrument: Trombone
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