Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mambo Mantis: Everybody Knows Something

93

Mambo Mantis: Everybody Knows Something

Mambo Mantis: Everybody Knows Something
Do not let the word "mambo" in this band's name fool you. There is nothing of the famed Cuban genre on this album, recorded live at the Bowery Poetry Club and ABC No Rio. The group's sound is experimental as it gets—with surprising neurotic sounds and hard rock influences—as heard on the introduction to "According to Type and "Minute Openings.

On the opening track, "Royal Mambo, reedman Blaise Siwula brings a frontal attack that sounds as if a swarm of bees are in chase; meanwhile saxophonist Bonnie Kaye plays a soft melody that seems completely out of place, but somehow soothes in the process. "Crisp Tornado opens with a drum solo by Ray Sage, and halfway through, sounds come in far away from the mics, giving the impression of an impending storm. But then it subsides, leading the way to "Biocurrents, an abstract mix of electronic sounds, distorted saxophones and strangely incoherent drumming.

On the final track, a lengthy straight jazz drum solo gives way to a cacophony of woodwind sounds. For some moments, guitarist Will Redmond plays against the general feel as if he were in some kind of daze—or at least trying to confuse the listener.

Everybody Knows Something is not for everyone, but the album is recommended for those patient enough to understand from where the musicians are coming and what they expect you to [mis]understand in the process.

Track Listing

Royal Mambo; According to Type; Dazzling Brilliance; Crisp Tornado; Biocurrents;Minute Openings; No One Knows Quite Enough.

Personnel

Blaise Siwula: reeds; Ray Sage: drums; Will Redmond: guitar; Bonnie Hane: saxophone, flute, electronics.

Album information

Title: Everybody Knows Something | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: WOO Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.