Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Wave Mechanics Union: Further To Fly

2

Wave Mechanics Union: Further To Fly

By

View read count
Wave Mechanics Union: Further To Fly
Rock music has been mined to the nth degree by jazz prospectors. Trumpeter Miles Davis was doing Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper: Memphis Blues Tour a quarter century back; pianist Brad Mehldau has made Radiohead his own; jazz legend Herbie Hancock spoke of new standards by Peter Gabriel and Nirvana; and organ guru Dr. Lonnie Smith has delivered a whole platter of pleasing Beck songs. All of this might lead to the assumption that every rock vein has been stripped clean, but with Further to Fly, Wave Mechanics Union mines one or two that still contain precious ore.

This 30-piece unit, put together by a group of arrangers who wanted to write for themselves for a change, was born in 2004 under a progressive rock-turned-jazz banner. As time went by, the group continued to work in this arena, but evolved and expanded its repertoire to include music from other rock genres and sub-genres. Wave Mechanics Union's debut, Second Season (HXmusic, 2008), still spoke of progressive interests, with King Crimson, Yes, and Rush songs making the cut, but also included some classic rock fan favorites like The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Further To Fly goes even further afield.

For its sophomore album, Wave Mechanics Union decided to keep some favorites like King Crimson and Yes in the mix, but puts a greater emphasis on '80s and '90s entries of all stripes and colors. The album touches on jazz friendly songwriters like Ben Folds, Paul Simon and Tom Waits, as well as art-rocking strangers to jazz like Queen ("The Show Must Go On"). The group even brings Suzanne Vega and Fiona Apple into the picture.

Drummer Ralph Johnson, trombonist Ryan Fraley, pianist Justin Kessler and singer Lydia McAdams refashion all of this music and they do an impeccable job on their respective contributions. "The Show Must Go On" is a transitioning wonder, with piano, accordion, strings and a flat-out rock sound at work at various times. Vibes, bass and voice mingle with winning results on Waits' "Swordfishtrombone," Vega's "Caramel" benefits from some sly low brass backgrounds and a walking bass line, and "Selfless, Cold, And Composed" comes to life as a vibrant jazz waltz.

Instrumental soloists come and go, but McAdams' vocals are the focal point on the majority of the material. She does a commendable job selling the songs in their new yet familiar packages. Former Yes vocalist Jon Anderson drops in to help out on two of that famed band's tunes, but his role is minimal in the album's grand scheme. The arrangers are the real stars here, as they use their large cast of players to create a well-polished end product.

Track Listing

Further To Fly; Selfless, Cold, And Composed; Caramel; Wonderous Stories; Heartbeat; It Will Be A Good Day (The River); The Ability To Swing; Think Of Me With Kindness; Swordfishtrombone; Third Stone From The Sun; Slow Like Honey; Your Latest Trick; Dirty Work; The Show Must Go On.

Personnel

Lydia McAdams: vocals; Jon Anderson: vocals (4, 6); Eddie Rich: flute, alto flute; Kara Moran: flute, alto flute; Theena Lewis-Strope: flute, alto flute; Neil Broeker: flute, alto flute; Shawn Goodman: clarinet, bass clarinet; Henry Koperski: bassoon, accordion; Sylvain Carton: saxophone, guitar; Josh Weirich: saxophone; Dave Helms: saxophone; Eddie Rich: saxophone; Dorothy McDonald: saxophone; Robert Olivera: saxophone; Alex Noppe: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeff Anderson: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ryan Fraley: trombone; Tom Thomas: tuba; Justin Kessler: piano; Art DeQuasie: piano (14); Robert Stright: vibraphone; Chris Capitano: guitar; Lyman Medeiros: bass; Ralph Johnson: bass (1), drums, percussion; Tim Moore: drums, percussion (6); Steve Goodman: violin; Alice Demby: viola; Marjorie Hanna: cello.

Album information

Title: Further To Fly | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: HX 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.

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.