“mandel_howard”
Howard Mandel
Future Jazz
Knitting Factory
As I have said in the past, I find it difficult to review jazz music. But with this CD – this is not your typical jazz disc. The word “Future” is key here. A lot of the tracks are not what you would expect to hear from jazz artists. The music is very eccentric and borders on pure insanity. Howard Mandel has been reporting on jazz, blues, and related music since 1975 for various publications such as Jazziz , The Wire , and The Washington Post . Some of the more eccentric pieces include Charles Gayle’s “Anthem to Eternity,” Pat Metheny/Derek Bailey/Greg Bendian/Paul Wertico’s “The Rule of Three,” and Prima Materia’s “Spiritual.” My favorites among the traditional include Eric Dolphy’s “Hat and Beard”, and John Scofield’s “Kool.” I was really impressed with Vernon Reid/Elliott Sharp/David Thorn’s “Xenomorph.” That was the first time I had heard anything from Vernon since his Living Color days. Very impressive. Being a fan of music in general, I will cherish this CD and play it any time friends come over. Kudos to all of the artists and Howard Mandel.
Knitting Factory Works, 74 Leonard St., New York, NY 10013; http://www.knittingfactory.com
