Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Michael Landau Group: Organic Instrumentals
The Michael Landau Group: Organic Instrumentals
ByAnd what a stellar record it is. Landau shuffles the rhythm section amongst a bunch of largely well-known friends, but what lends Organic Instrumentals its consistency, strength and authenticitybeyond the guitarist's tasty playing, effortless control over effects and verisimilitude across electric and acoustic instrumentsis organist Larry Goldings. No stranger in the jazz world for his work with guitarists John Scofield and Peter Bernsteinbut first hooking up with Landau in James Taylor's touring bandGoldings' helps define Organic Instrumentals' overall tenor on all but two tracks: "The Big Black Bear," where Landau's whammy bar-driven chords and sweet Fender tone work a space somewhere between guitarists Derek Trucks and Jimmy Herring; and "The Family Tree," a roots-driven solo that, moving seamlessly from acoustic to tremolo-driven electric guitar, provides a gentle coda to this largely incendiary set.
Between Goldings and Landau's own inestimable chops, Organic Instrumentals could have been a more clearly defined jazz recording, but that would misrepresent the guitarist's multifarious interests. Instead, not unlike Herring and the legendary Jeff Beck, Organic Instrumentals is more rock instrumentalbut, with its greater harmonic sophistication and chops, one that simply could not have been made by anyone living solely in that world.
The grooves are deep, but this is more than just a collection of contexts for soaring solos; Organic Instrumentals is also a writer's record. The dobro-driven "Delano," thundering "Sneaker Wave," sneakier "Spider Time" and fusion-centric "Karen Mellow" all possess memorable themes and changes to navigate, but at their core sits Landau, whowith rare features for Goldings and, on the album's most jazz-informed track, "Big Sur Howl," flugelhornist/Frank Zappa alum Walt Fowlergrabs nearly all the solo space.
Landau stretches out considerably, but decades of studio sessions with inherently limited space mean that every note of every solo countseach part of an overriding and spontaneous form. That would be enough to make Organic Instrumentals a success, but Landau's compelling writing, coupled with a terrific cadre of players, makes it more than just Landau's best solo album to date. Deserving to push his visibility to the next level, Organic Instrumentals is an early contender for one of the year's best rock-infused instrumental records.
Track Listing
Delano; Sneaker Wave; Spider Time; The Big Black Bear; Karen Mellow; Ghouls and Goblins; Bug Sur Howl; Wooly Mammoth; Smoke; Family Tree.
Personnel
Michael Landau
guitarMichael Landau: guitar; Larry Goldings: organ (1-3, 5-9), piano (3), Estey reed organ (9), carillion (9); Jimmy Haslip: bass (1, 3); Charley Drayton: drums (1, 8); Vinnie Colaiuta: drums (2); Teddy Landau: bass (2); Gary Novak: drums (3-7); Andy Hess: bass (4, 5, 8); Chris Chaney: bass (6); Walt Fowler: flugelhorn (7).
Album information
Title: Organic Instrumentals | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Tone Center