My Content
Membership has its privileges! Sign up or sign in to gain full access to both All About Jazz and Jazz Near You. Learn more.
Rob Mazurek Octet: Skull Sessions
Track review of "Skull Caves of Alderon"
Chicago-based cornetist Rob Mazurek has performed with the best and brightest of the new jazz music scene. On this outing he merges his Sao Paulo Underground and Starlicker bands and invites other artists, capturing the essence of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew era. Mazurek frames Davis' jazz-fusion attributes as a fertile means of reimagining the overall vibe from a modernist's perspective. Fueled by diesel engine-like power, the band layers radiant colors with throttling pulses and numerous contrasts via swirling riffs, memorable horn choruses, and a boundary-less methodology.
"Skull Caves of Alderon" is one of four pieces spanning over ten-minutes in length. Here, vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz kicks it off with an extended, topsy-turvy solo spot and preambles drummer John Herndon's bustling rock pulse, offering an invitation for the remaining group members to chime in. As Mazurek, flutist Nicole Mitchell, and C-melody saxophonist Thomas Rohrer blaze forth with jaunty, circular horn passages.
The band incorporates electronics into the schema but doesn't burn the roast, so to speak. Tasteful, yet used for backwashes, and off-center treatments, the electronic element is just one component of a polygonal paradigm. Mitchell briefly integrates a Brazilian motif into the schema and the musicians coalesce with energetic aplomb. Moving forward, Mazurek locks in with the soloists and soars to a zenith, effectuating a tour de force epic, bristling with fervent momentum and inspiring dialogues. Thus, an entrancing showcase, instilled with theatrical attributes and a highly entertaining form-factor.
"Skull Caves of Alderon" is one of four pieces spanning over ten-minutes in length. Here, vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz kicks it off with an extended, topsy-turvy solo spot and preambles drummer John Herndon's bustling rock pulse, offering an invitation for the remaining group members to chime in. As Mazurek, flutist Nicole Mitchell, and C-melody saxophonist Thomas Rohrer blaze forth with jaunty, circular horn passages.
The band incorporates electronics into the schema but doesn't burn the roast, so to speak. Tasteful, yet used for backwashes, and off-center treatments, the electronic element is just one component of a polygonal paradigm. Mitchell briefly integrates a Brazilian motif into the schema and the musicians coalesce with energetic aplomb. Moving forward, Mazurek locks in with the soloists and soars to a zenith, effectuating a tour de force epic, bristling with fervent momentum and inspiring dialogues. Thus, an entrancing showcase, instilled with theatrical attributes and a highly entertaining form-factor.
Track Listing: Galactic Ice Skeleton; Voodoo and the Petrified Forest; Passing Light Screams; Skull Caves of Alderon; Keeping the Light Up.
Personnel: Rob Mazurek: cornet, ring modulator; Nicole Mitchell: piccolo, flute, voice; John Herndon: drums; Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone; Mauricio Takara: cavaquinho, percussion; Guilherme Granado: keyboards, electronics; Thomas Rohrer: rabeca, C melody saxophone; Carlos Issa: guitar, electronics.
Title: Skull Sessions | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Cuneiform Records
Tags
Rob Mazurek Octet
CD/LP/Track Review
Rob Mazurek
Glenn Astarita
Cuneiform Records
United States
Illinois
Chicago
Miles Davis
Nicole Mitchell
Skull Sessions
View All Events
| Date | Time | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| May23Wed | 20:00 |
Chicago / London UndergroundPardon, To TuWarsaw, Poland |
| Aug10Fri | 7:30 pm |
Rob Mazurek's - Desert Encrypts: Volume 1 In Marfa, TxSaint George HallMarfa, TX |
| Aug11Sat | 7:30 pm |
Rob Mazurek's - Desert Encrypts: Volume 1 In Marfa, TxSaint George HallMarfa, TX |
| Aug12Sun | 7:00 pm |
Rob Mazurek's - Desert Encrypts: Volume 1 In Marfa, TxSaint George HallMarfa, TX |
Related Articles
InterviewsJeff Duperon: Building a Jazz Bridge for Musicians and the...
by Victor L. Schermer
Published: May 16, 2018
Showcase
-
Life Of by Steve Tibbetts
-
Outsidethebox by Sasha Mashin
-
Dreaming Spirits by Mark Egan
-
Seymour Reads The... by Brad Mehldau
-
Sebastiana by Ricardo Bacelar
-
e.s.t. live in london by Esbjorn Svensson
-
Awase by Nik Bärtsch
Jazz Near Chicago
Story of the Day
Jazz is for me the most important cultural revolution of the 20th century and I'm proud to play this kind of music. For me, jazz is more than a kind of music, it's the best way of playing any musical material.
By Phil Abraham
Member since: 2013
Shop Amazon
Featured Albums
-
Awase
Nik Bärtsch
ECM Records, 2018
buy -
Music in Motian
Carl Michel
Play On Records, 2018
buy -
Valentine’s Day 1964 Live
Ben Webster
Dot Time Records, 2018
buy -
Outsidethebox
Sasha Mashin
Rainy Days, 2018
buy -
Dreaming Spirits
Mark Egan
Wavetone Records, 2017
buy -
Life Of
Steve Tibbetts
ECM Records, 2018
buy -
e.s.t. live in london
Esbjorn Svensson
ACT Music, 2018
buy
Trending
-
Clean Feed 2018
-
Life is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan
Charlie Ballantine
Green Mind Records, 2018 -
Vortex
Sonar
RareNoiseRecords, 2018 -
Concentric Circles
Kenny Barron
Blue Note Records, 2018 -
FABEL
Jakob Sorensen
Jaeger Community, 2017 -
Skyscraper Souls
Geoffrey Downes
Cherry Red Records, 2017 -
No Revenge Necessary
Nolatet
Royal Family Records, 2018
