InterStatic: Arise

UK-reared keyboardist Roy Powell (Mumpbeak, Naked Truth)has called Norway home for several years while serving as a prime motivator for this futuristic UK-based, record label via sideman duties, and co-leading groups such as Interstatic. The band pushes the envelope yet again on this psycho, acid-rock slant on the jazz organ trio format. Nonetheless, the trio ups the ante a bit on its third album, featuring ECM Records recording artist Jacob Young and notable session drummer Jarle Vespestad. A little genre-busting goes a long way, as the musicians project a no-holds-barred line of attack, incited by Davis' old school like wah-wah guitar lines and Powell's gravely and steamy organ parts, summoning memories of the late, Larry Young.

The musicians firmly lock into a hodgepodge of hard-edged grooves, eliciting notions of a renegade jazz group churning out memorable licks and torrid cookers, all encapsulated by their deterministic gait. Vespestad's limber execution and pounding beats add the required oomph. Throughout, Davis' hybrid jazz-rock lines, spiced with steely chop chords and fractured developments also teeter in the jazz fusion space, notably on "Alpha Dog," also signaling a linear Ornette Coleman style primary motif.

They slam-dunk "Frank'll Fix It" with a popping soul rock vibe amid several blitzing unison runs. Here, the trio stretches out and presents several variations of a musical design. Each piece stands on its own, complemented by movements where Young goes for the proverbial jugular with his 60s style psychedelic fuzz-toned distortion notes and passages that skirt progressive rock. Ultimately, the artists never look back and kick the proceedings into overdrive along the way. Its music with a vengeance topped off by these strong compositions, equating to a lengthy shelf life in the entertainment department.

Comments