Fima Ephron

Fima Ephron: Hasidic Folk Song

by Mike Jacobs
November 29, 2023

Though it lacks many of the fascinating David Torn-produced, sonic manipulations strewn throughout Soul Machine (Tzadik, 2001), “Hasidic Folk Song" is emblematic of the ethno-electric-jazz explorations on bassist Fima Ephron's debut as a leader and a sizzler to boot. The track features Ephron's former Lost Tribe cohorts Adam Rogers and David Binney, as well as Edward Simon on keys and Jim Black on drums. ...

Album Review

Nate Smith: Kinfolk 2: See The Birds

Read "Kinfolk 2: See The Birds" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
September 10, 2021

If there were brick & mortar establishments called record stores today, one could imagine the challenge Nate Smith's Kinfolk projects would pose for an employee trying to file his latest releases. Those familiar with the drummer's work in the bands of Chris Potter, Dave Holland, or Alex Sipiagin might place the discs in the jazz section, but then again he's worked with the jazz/pop/soul singers José James and Norah Jones and he heads up the funk/soul band The Fearless Flyers. ...

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Extended Analysis

Sunrise Falling: Gene Ess

by Phil DiPietro
February 12, 2004

Gene Ess Sunrise Falling Amp Records 2003

Even if you knew who Gene Shimosato was, you're still going to be surprised when you hear Gene Ess! Fans of electronic music and fusion will be most pleasantly surprised with Sunrise Falling. Ess lays it on thick with the aural fruits from expert tinkering with his self-built, PC-based studio and tweaked-out tones produced from a diverse arsenal of axes. An absolutely world-class core rhythm tandem of ...

193

Album Review

Fima Ephron: Soul Machine

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 2001

Bassist Fima Ephron is well-known for his affiliation with many of the musicians who comprise New York City's fertile and generally investigative Downtown Scene. Ephron's participation with the excellent band Lost Tribe, amid recent collaborations with electric guitar hero David “Fuze" Fiuczynski, signifies only a few of his endeavors besides enjoying first call status as a session musician. With his debut release, the artist enlists support from his Lost Tribe band-mates, saxophonist David Binney and guitarist Adam Rogers. However, keyboardist ...

142

Album Review

Action Figure Party: Action Figure Party

Read "Action Figure Party" reviewed by Mike Robinson

by Mike Robinson
November 1, 2001

I thought Art Good was nuts. There, on the Sunday morning lineup of the 2001 JazzTrax Catalina Island Festival was this band, “Action Figure Party." “Action Figure Party?!"The band consists of twentysomething musicians from bands like “Garbage," “Buck Cherry," “Incubus," and “Beck." One of the musicians' names is “Flea." Another goes by “Yogi," and a third, with the more-promising sounding name of Sean Lennon, plays... umm... turntable??While some of my friends quietly decided that maybe they ...

154

Album Review

Lost Tribe: Many Lifetimes

Read "Many Lifetimes" reviewed by John W. Patterson

by John W. Patterson
February 1, 1999

It is good to hear more of this phenomenal jazz unit. From their debut self-titled release in 1992 to Soulfish in 1993 it was pure ecstasy for me to try to keep up with all this band's hyper-kinetic twists and turns. They could Coltrane soothe, they could play heavy metallic fusion, they would rap to jazz, they got speed funky, and even strains of Mahavishnu Orchestra could be detected. But first and foremost Lost Tribe was avant-garde cutting edge jazz. ...

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Album Review