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Uri Caine / Bedrock: Shelf-Life
The emphasis is on groove here, and Caine and Co. serve it up righteously, although some tracks ("Denefenstration, "Strom's Theremin and "Shish Kabob Franklin ) sound dangerously close to game show theme music or a porn movie soundtrack—a flirtation salvaged by the robust intelligence of Caine's improvisations.
Favoring the Rhodes Suitcase 88 electric piano, Caine also uses a variety of interesting synth patches to create background figures, horn lines and atmospheric effects; on "Blakey and "Shish Kabob Franklin he layers and counterpoises his solo with contrasting timbres to create conversations with himself. Danziger etches a deep groove throughout: he's busy but bad-ass on the slowly churning "Oder, over the speed-metal limit on "Steak Jacket, and plays first-rate second-line style on "Watch Out. Bassist Tim Lefebvre doubles on guitar with scratchy strumming and driving edge. Uri Caine's rampant eclecticism and boisterous humor may not resonate with jazz purists, but his talent and creativity are undeniable. Shelf-Life is plutonic house-jazz for the new millennium.
Track Listing
Steak Jacket Prelude; Steak Jacket; Defenestration; Wolfowitz in Sheep's Clothing; On The Shelf; Darker Bionic Cue; Strom's Theremin; Oder; Murray; bE lOOse; Watch Out!; Bauwelklogge; Shish Kabab Franklin; Interruptus; Hello; Sweat.
Personnel
Uri Caine
pianoUri Caine: keyboards; Zach Danziger: drums & percussion; Tim Lefebvre: bass & guitar; Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Bootsie Barnes: sax; Ruben Gutierrez: clarinet; nnnj: reconstruction worker; DJ Olive: electronics; Bunny Sigler: vocals; Arto Tuncboyaciyan: percussion; Luke Vibert: production/programming; Barbara Walker: vocals; Dan Zank: string programming.
Album information
Title: Shelf-Life | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Winter & Winter
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