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Free Range Rat: Nut Club
ByThese ten songs are an interesting mix, mostly original tunes but also compositions by James Blood Ulmer, Sun Ra and Bob Marley. What also makes the recording rich is the variety of combinations formed by the musicians; there are many places where different musicians drop out and allow for duets and trios, and not all songs feature all the musicians.
Take, for instance "Below Canal, a short song featuring tenor, bass and clarinet: it's a moody, atmospheric piece that evokes the 4 am feeling from this part of town. The musicians all stay in the lower register, creating a tune that's dark and riveting. "Horn Trio #2 is another short piece, a minimalist dance of shifting shapes and colors. "Hipp Hopp is a funky tune with tenor, bass and drums; all the players shine, particularly Hipp, who has a great time dissolving and deconstructing the melody.
Other notable songs feature the entire band. "Nut Club has a delightfully off-kilter melody, and it's a pleasure to hear the members of the front line playing off each other. Marley's "So Much Trouble in the World is a genuine tour de force, made its own by the group, creating a beautifully emotive work that contains disciplined interplay between the horns. Altogether Nut Club is another exemplary offering from one of contemporary jazz's strongest groups.
Track Listing
Nut Club; Non-Believer suite - Part 1, Part 2; Below Canal; Extension; Horn Trio #2; Hipp-Hopp; So Much Trouble in the World; The Satellites Are Spinning; Bottom Feeders.
Personnel
Eric Hipp: tenor saxophone; John Carlson: trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugelhorn (except 4,7); Shawn McGloin: bass (except 6); George Schuller: drums, bells and rattly kinds of things (except 4,6); Douglas Yates: clarinet, bass clarinet (except 7).
Album information
Title: Nut Club | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records