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Blaque Dynamite: Killing Bugs
ByMike Mitchell is headed in the right direction. His new album, recorded under the name Blaque Dynamite, is a deeply funky electric jazz tour de force.
Mitchell began drumming at age two, recorded his first live session at seven and was entertaining drum manufacturer endorsements at 11.
Three years later, he enrolled in the famous Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. He graduated high school in 2013.
Fourteen DownBeat Music Awards later, Mitchell's resume includes gigs with Christian McBride, Chrisette Michele, Bob Mintzer, Terell Stafford, Stanley Clarke, Hadrien Feraud, Derrick Hodge and a special performance with Herbie Hancock, celebrating the first International Jazz Day.
Killing Bugs is Mitchell's first solo disc. His band Raché released WiFi in 2015.
This one is exceptional, if not entirely even. There are moments, like "TDB" that push up against jazz boundaries with tight edits and looped samples. "Clapidgea" is another one. Electronics are put to workrelatively low in the mix, but they are therethat Sun Ra would have been proud of. If this album is any indication, Blaque Dynamite is out to mess with our favorite music.
Just the same, "Frlly" will appeal to traditional electric jazz fans. And tracks like "Doasaykeys" and "Tigergreen" are nicely in tune with label-mates The Pollyseeds.
There are a couple of hiccups on the disc. But they are the kind that come from a good place. Mitchell is an experimenter, a studio scientist in the tradition of Prince and Lee "Scratch" Perry. He's not always going to reach the heights he targets, but give him credit for aiming way up there.
Track Listing
Hypegun; Clapidgea; Cock Roaches; TDB; Frlly; The First One; 27’s; Ayo; Dear 5- 29-94; Tigergreen; Doasaykeys; Speak Up.
Personnel
Blaque Dynamite
drumsJordan Walker: keyboards; Gax Merl: bass; Matt Ramsey: bass; Ethan Worland: percussion; Ben Hixon: guitar, keyboards and vocals; Jon Bap: vocals and keyboards; Elena Pinderhughes: flute; Jonathan Mones: saxophone; Blaque Dynamite: “everything.”
Album information
Title: Killing Bugs | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Ropeadope
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