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Joey Baron: Just Listen
ByBaron's holistic musicality effortlessly parallels the concert's rhythmic-based goals. In addition, he acts as a colorist when dancing across the toms along with a few brief solo spots, containing lyrical qualities. Sustaining interest is not always the case when artists partake in a barebones setting sans a bassist or instrument augmentation. But the duo's use of openness spawns a vantage point, which is a factor that allows them to improvise from a 360-degree perspective. They reverse engineer many of these works and also engage in skittish flurries, changeable pulses, fragmented choruses and high-volume aerial attacks.
"Trick Memory" features Frisell's restrained experimentation, exhibited by upper-register harmonics and some off-kilter fidgeting, but they take this piece farther along with a sweet melody-line that carries the semblance of lullaby. Intricately executed delicacies are woven into the overall fabric. However, another diversion emanates from their take on Sam Coooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," which is a capacious soul-blues treat, sprinkled with tuneful hooks and Frisell's vibrato-drenched chord clusters. Then the guitarist puts the pedal to the metal via reverberating single note leads, followed by some general mayhem for the closeout.
Baron's lyrical traits shine on the jazz standard "Cherokee," as he bounces and darts across the kit during this swiftly exercised rendition. The final track is the duo's original composition "Home On The Road," leading to guitarist John McLaughlin's memorable "Follow Your Heart," a medium-tempo ballad boasting a succinct melody that falls somewhere between joy and sorrow. But that doesn't last longBaron steps up the pace and Frisell launches into a tirade, gushing brash crunch chords and maniacal distortion-induced phrasings. To summarize, Just Listen is a stylistic outing that institutionalizes the respective musicians' boundless synergy and irrefutable camaraderie. You can't learn this stuff in school. From a duet-based perspective, it's a match made in heaven.
Track Listing
Surprise / Benny’s Bounce; Trick Memory; Pick apart; Night Howl; A Change Is Gonna Come; Cherokee; Mood; My Little Suede Shoes; Home On The Road / Follow Your Heart.
Personnel
Joey Baron
drumsJoey Baron: drums; Bill Frisell: guitar
Album information
Title: Just Listen | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Relative Pitch Records
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Just Listen