Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Steve Hudson's Outer Bridge Ensemble: Seamless

177

Steve Hudson's Outer Bridge Ensemble: Seamless

By

Sign in to view read count
Steve Hudson's Outer Bridge Ensemble: Seamless
While Steve Hudson is still the group's nominal leader, their name has evolved from the Steve Hudson Quintet on Outer Bridge (Self Published, 2005) to its current Steve Hudson's Outer Bridge Ensemble on this equally engaging sophomore release, Seamless. The total time (forty-one minutes) might be on the short side, but there is nary an extra note and you end up wanting more.

The quintet has remained intact, which is saying something in these times, but with the compositional contributions now including drummer David Freeman ("Klezmer" and "Heavy Shit") and bassist Michael Noordzy ("Misunderstanding At The Baitshop," "Fishing Accident," "Chum On Eileen" and "Seamless Gutters), besides keyboardist Steve Hudson.

The group's attitude and ethos has also remained the same: combine influences from far and wide including klezmer, classical Indian, some Latin, straight-ahead and outside jazz and anything else that tickles their fancy, mix it together, add a dash of humor and give it a twist before serving. Keep it accessible but serious and yet quirky enough to raise the eyebrows and bring on the smiles.

The strengths of reed players Mark DeJong (alto sax, clarinet) and Tom Buckelew (bass clarinet and clarinet) again play a crucial part in the band's sound. They play very well together and while they both can get the pure sound of the first record, the music here allows them to expand their timbral repertoire.

Outer Bridge is not a blowing band, but one of collective improvisation that maintains a cohesion as each tune maintains its own logical unpredictability. When the tunes are collected into a set, the unpredictability is but expanded, so you might as well have fun while each setup is dashed on the rocks.

What this band has created is quite wonderful—an identity based on a working methodology rather than a particular sound. Each track has its own charms, its own emphasis, its own sound and logic. The result is a record that is quite cool, hip, heavy, serious and fun, making it a winner that it is easy to play over and over.

Track Listing

Sguardo; Klezmer; Bibi Da; Tika Blues; Heavy Shit; Misunderstanding At The Bait Shop; Fishing Accident; Chum On Eileen; PG; Seamless Gutters.

Personnel

Mark DeJong: alto saxophone, clarinet; Tom Buckelew: bass clarinet, clarinet; Steve Hudson: piano, melodica; Mike Noordzy: bass; David Freeman: drums, percussion.

Album information

Title: Seamless | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Groovaholic Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.