Tag: jazz

The Unexpected Religious, Psychedelic Rock of The Electric Prunes

On By Reyna McCainIn classical, jazz rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock3 Comments

The title alone may have made you unsure if this is the kind of music for you or weary of any music put out by these apparent galvanic fruits. However, I’m here to tell you that The Electric Prunes have some incredibly notable psychedelic rock opera songs that will quite literally bring you closer to the Heavens. The Electric Prunes are better known for their consistent and classic ’60s rock ‘n’ roll sound; “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” is a great example of this through the band’s garage punk vibe. “Onie” is another certified ’60s classic from the group, and a personal favorite of mine because of its iconic, delicate, and melancholic sound.

However, through the name of The Electric Prunes, composer David Axelrod created some of the most unique, spiritual, and coolest psychedelic rock. The songs I’ll be covering are from an EP and album that were sort of unnecessary, but intentional additions to the discography of The Electric Prunes. Personally, I think they are fascinating creations by Axelrod and worthy of praise by fans of psych. The following songs consist of delectable and extraordinary blends of R&B, rock, psychedelica, Gregorian music, soul, and jazz. So, get ready for a spiritual awakening of sorts.

Mass in F Minor was the EP that started this short, but very interesting phase for the band. It consists of six tracks which are entirely sung in Latin, and is almost thirty minutes of a psychedelic mass. What you’ll notice throughout the songs is the authenticity of Gregorian chant and its use of what is known as “stepwise motion”. Stepwise motion is when each note in a melody moves up or down a single note. It creates this singular and uniform sound, making this EP a respectable piece to this medieval craft. In addition, drummer Michael Weakly stabilizes a jazzy feel by holding all of the other musicians’ instrumental parts together. Interestingly enough, this release was sort of the start of the decline of The Electric Prunes due to their inability to keep up with their producer David Hassinger’s demands for the EP. The band played on every track, however, session musicians were brought in and, in a sense, took over the project. As unfortunate as this was for the band members, some great music was created. David Axelrod is really the genius behind this concept and why it works so well; he wrote and arranged everything. Axelrod’s style shines brightly throughout, creating such a solid set of confident and holistic tracks. Stripping it down to the basics: the blend of the vocals, electric guitar, drums, bass, and organ form this cadence that really itches the part of my brain that adores the aesthetics of the past.

Cover art for Mass in F minor EP

The opening track: “Kyrie Eleison”, better known from cult classic film Easy Rider, is sung boldly and outspokenly by lead singer James Lowe. I think Lowe did a great job on all the tracks—he really added so much mystique and graveness. There’s a point in the song when Lowe’s vocals are isolated. You really get immersed in it all because he truly sounds like a man of religious order, strongly citing a sacred chant for a congregation to hear. This song, along with the others, have a signature ’60s rock sound mixed with music that goes back hundreds of years. Without his superb vocals, I would not be transported to a daydream of ancient ceremony and royal garbs. The simple guitar riff and drum combo as soon as the song starts is cool and collected. The guitar reverb is essential in creating that dreamy, psychedelic effect. Every time I hear it, I can’t help but sway. Another cool thing in the song is this brief guitar rendition of the song “My Favorite Things.” Guitarist Ken Williams plays this demented version of it for just a few seconds towards the end of the song.

The song “Credo” is my favorite example of the use of stepwise motion. The song starts off pretty regular and then it jumps to this faster pace cadence with Lowe’s vocals leading a fleet of instruments. It is only a small portion of the song, but it is so catchy. Lowe is surfing off that singular melody with a massive wave of instruments behind him. The rest of the song is pure instrumental rock ‘n’ roll with subtle trickles of allure.

My personal favorite song is the last one off the EP titled “Agnus Dei”. This song starts and ends with so much confidence. I can see David Axelrod’s vision so clearly with how he arranged and directed this piece. This song does not quiver or feel unsure of itself, but instead almost stands on its own as this beautifully written piece. The fusion of stringed instruments and electric guitar blend with grand conviction. In the beginning, Lowe sings the title of the song and after a momentary pause the stringed instruments emerge gracefully. Then, the rock ‘n’ roll begins: Weakly starts things off with a simple groove, and then, the iconic, echoing reverb of the electric guitar takes over. The unification of the orchestra and rock is one of my favorite parts of the song. I can’t help but get lost in the music. Midway through is this instrumental tunnel the musicians take you into. It’s Williams’ guitar and the strings surfing through this cosmic echo chamber that I never want to leave. Ultimately, this song is solid throughout and unwavering.

Listen to “Agnus Dei”—my favorite song from this EP

Not too long after Mass in F minor, their next album, Release of an Oath was released. It is the same concept as its predecessor with its religious undertones intertwined with rock and jazz fusions. This album is centered more around R&B type tunes and is sung entirely in English. At this point, the original Electric Prunes had disbanded. The musicians playing on this album are an entirely new set of people. It was kind of sad to learn that this was not the original band nor was it done in the true spirit of The Electric Prunes, however, some truly unique music was born in the process; there is no doubt about that. Just like the previous release, Axelrod created a solid set of songs that matched one another very nicely. The instrumentals are an easy listen for all fans of psych, so it’s a no brainer to check this album out. My favorite parts of this album are the drums and keyboard.

David Axelrod, the man behind Mass in F minor and Release of an Oath

“Holy Are You” is the most recognized song from the album, and rightfully so, because this song is absolutely timeless. The beginning, middle, and end take you on this beautifully mastered journey. Within the first minute of the song we go from a simple keyboard and vocal combo to a groovy R&B beat. The percussion in this track is incredible. It is no wonder this song has been sampled many times by Rap and Hip-Hop artists. (Sidenote, “Respect Mine” by Fat Joe is a perfect example of a great song that sampled “Holy Are You”). Drummers, Earl Palmer, Gary Coleman, and Richard Whetstone elevate the song entirely and are the reason the song is such a contemporary tour de force, in my opinion. With every groove and fill carrying the song to mastery, I can’t help but dance and sing along every time I hear it. A part I really love from the song is when you can hear the percussion, flute, bass, and keyboard create this enchanting jam. The keyboard adds this delightful twinkling sound to the mix that just whisks the listener away into an instrumental dream. And, of course, the insanely awesome guitar solo is another notable feat. Every note and every instrument in this song feels absolutely necessary and purposeful. I can not stress this enough: the unity of the orchestra, R&B, and electric guitar are perfect. This song is simply fantastic and is truly an example of Axelrod’s best.

Listen to this legendary R&B song “Holy Are You” by The Electric Prunes

The other song I want to briefly cover from this album is “Closing Hymn”. As you can tell from the title of the song, it is the final one on the album. I really enjoy the repetition in this track and the tune overall. Again, you have this killer drum beat that holds everything together and makes you want to dance along. Despite being such a simple note change from up to down and vice versa, keyboard Don Randi performs a wistful lulling effect through this. The dreamlike sound of the notes brushes you softly like the touch of flower petals and the subtle reverberation in the ending of the notes are a hollow, ethereal echo. It is such a pretty song and a great close to the album.

I learned a lot while writing this review, but I’m most excited about hearing more of David Axelrod’s works. I listened to a few of his solo works and I have to say I think I found another style of music that deeply resonates with me. He does such a great job blending genres together like I’ve never heard before. Even though this psychedelic gospel wasn’t what the original Electric Prunes had in mind, some truly special melodies were made in the process. David Axelrod did good in the name of The Electric Prunes. Thank you to all the musicians involved in these pieces and thank you for reading.

A huge thank you to The Electric Prunes website for all of this amazing information: http://www.electricprunes.com/

Arnaud Quevedo & Friends – Double Album Review

On By Bryan MoreyIn jazz, jazz rock, progressive rock1 Comment

Arnaud Quevedo & Friends - Electric TalesArnaud Quevedo & Friends, Electric Tales, 2020
Tracks: Electric Overture (1:32), The Dark Jester (7:24), The Electric Princess Part 1 (9:06), The Electric Princess Part 2 (9:02), Entering… (Impro) (4:11) Mushi’s Forest (6:21), Flower Fields (Impro) (3:26), The Hypothetical Knight (6:24), Hope (5:07), Electric Dreamer (3:49)

Arnaud Quevedo & Friends - RoanArnaud Quevedo & Friends, Roan, Bad Dog Promotions, 2021
Tracks: Aube (1:33), Prologue (4:33) Découverte (8:48), Curiosité (2:26), Féerie (3:22), Dépassement (3:17), Nostalgie (1:56), Ryoko (12:33), Fardeau (1:51), Chrysalide (4:41), Métamorphose (5:50), Épilogue (3:30)

For the second in my series of reviews of French artists (see number 1 here), we have Arnaud Quevedo & Friends, a guitar-centered jazz fusion outfit based in La Rochelle, France. The group centers around Arnaud Quevedo, a guitarist and music teacher at Conservatoire La Rochelle. Bassist Noé Russeil joins Quevedo on both records, as does double bassist Éva Tribolles. Both also provide vocals. Lucille Mille plays flute and sings on Electric Tales, Julien Gomila plays saxophone on that record. There is a much larger cast on Roan, composed of more stringed and blown instruments. While Quevedo plays drums on Electric Tales, that duty is expertly handled by Anthony Raynal on Roan. 

One of the primary differences between the two records is the lyrics on Electric Tales are in English while they are in French on Roan. I prefer the French vocals because they sound more natural to both the music and for the singers. Some of the English lyrics, like on “The Dark Jester,” are really difficult to understand. 

Jazz is the name of the game here, but it remains tied to the rock world throughout. Electric Tales periodically reminded me of The Tangent, another band that heavily leans on jazz. “The Electric Princess” Parts 1 and 2 are almost entirely instrumental, with some more easily understandable lyrics near the end of part 2. The guitar and flute are prominent throughout, balancing the jazz with a rock feel. Continue reading “Arnaud Quevedo & Friends – Double Album Review” →

Rob Koral’s “Wild Hearts” – Jazz Rock At Its Purest

On By Bryan MoreyIn blues, jazz, jazz rock, progressive rockLeave a comment

Rob Koral - Wild HeartsRob Koral – Wild Hearts – 2021
Tracks: Show Me The Way (5:46), Funky “D” (7:14), Summer (8:12), Take Me Back (4:40), Saving Grace (7:18), The Showdown (5:17), The Beyond (5:00), Hold Tight (5:37)

Part jazz, part classic rock, part blues, and all with a sprinkling of prog over the top for good measure. That’s probably the best way to describe Rob Koral’s new album, Wild Hearts. Rob has played on over 30 records, and he is most well known for his work with the band Sketch. He is also a founding member of the band Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion.

The songs on Wild Hearts are very upbeat, reminding me a little of the first Jethro Tull record and of Blodwyn Pig. The music is relatively simple – guitars by Rob Koral, Hammond organ by Pete Whittaker, and drums by Jeremy Stacey. The album sounds extremely fresh, which is likely due to the group recording the songs live in studio on one day in December 2020. I think that approach is best for this kind of jazz-blues instrumental music. It begs for improvisation. Rob wrote all the music, but he says that he didn’t tell Pete and Jeremy what to play. The result is music with form that still breathes. You can even hear the little hand movements on the guitar strings and the little natural noises you would get playing live. There’s even a sense of space from the room the recorded the music in. These elements add warmth to the recording, as well as bring a vintage feel to the music.

The Hammond organ really makes this record stand out for me. It adds such a rich atmosphere to the songs, even when the guitar is taking center stage. The drums have a jazzy improv feel that sets the perfect stage for the guitars and organ. My only really critique is perhaps a little bit of repetition throughout, but that also may be a result of the album being recorded live in a day. As such it’s quite an achievement. In a way it feels like a live jazz show. A song like “The Beyond” especially has that feel of anticipation as the soloing switches back and forth between guitar and organ. The longer guitar solo builds gradually over a very simple but effective drum beat. It’s smooth with a little bit of grit on the lower ends.

Wild Hearts’ strength as an album is it takes jazz and rock and strips them down to the basics. There’s nothing overly complicated here, but the extended jamming gives the songs room to grow and breath. It’s a solid album that has a positive and upbeat tone to it, sure to please on repeated listens.

http://www.robkoral.co.uk
Order the CD here: https://www.zoeschwarzmusic.com/music/wild-hearts-rob-koral.html

Sunday Jazz – Benjamin Croft’s “Far and Distant Things”

On By Bryan MoreyIn jazz, jazz rock, progressive rockLeave a comment

Benjamin Croft Far and Distant ThingsBenjamin Croft, Far and Distant Things, Ubuntu Music, 2021
Tracks: Overture (1:13), Far and Distant Things (6:13), Brock (4:47), S.A.D. (Spatial Awareness Disease) (6:21). Tudor Job Agency (6:25), S&R Video (5:07), The War Against Loudness (6:17), How Not To Win The Nobel Peace Prize (6:17), Than You, That’s What I Wanted To Know… (5:35), St Gandalf’s (1:55), The Cashectomy (6:25)

I don’t listen to as much jazz as I should, probably because it is such a diverse genre that I barely know where to begin. I’ve always enjoyed jazz music in live settings. I think the genre excels when played live because it is a highly experimental genre, allowing room for improvisation. When I was in college I loved attending the concerts put on by the faculty jazz band. They were always so much fun. I think I enjoy jazz for some of the same reasons I enjoy progressive rock, which obviously is heavily influenced by jazz. At its most basic, the technical musicality in jazz keeps me interested. 

UK musician Benjamin Croft’s Far and Distant Things has been such an enjoyable CD to listen to over the past month and a half. Croft wrote and arranged all the tracks on the album, and he also played all of the keyboards. In addition to Steinway and Yamaha grand pianos, Croft plays a whole list of various synthesizers and keyboards, thus bringing in a bit of a prog texture to his jazz record. Perhaps those elements are why he sent us his CD for review, but regardless of why, this is an excellent album. At any rate, the artwork is certainly prog, featuring cover art (and other artwork on the CD and in the packaging) by Hugh Syme. 

Beyond Croft on keyboards, the songs have a revolving cast of characters, with Tristan Mailliot or Laurie Lowe playing drums on most of the tracks, except for “St. Gandalf’s,” which features Chad Wackerman. Flo Moore and Henry Thomas share bass guitar duties on the record. Guitars and on the album are played by a few guests, as are the wind instruments. Garthe Lockrane’s flutes on “Overture” and “Brock” are really quite something. It brings in that element of classic progressive rock as well as a fresh classical texture.

As is typical in jazz, there’s a lot of soloing on each track – keyboards, guitar, bass, trumpets, flute. Not each one of those on every track, but you get my meaning. The playing is smooth and easy to absorb. Some jazz can be overpowering, but Far and Distant Things sets you right at ease. The drumming and bass create a smooth yet complex rhythm throughout the entire album. The interplay between piano, keyboards, and the various wind instruments is quite pleasant. 

“How Not To Win The Nobel Peace Prize” is an interesting piece in the way it shifts over the course of the track. It starts off as a more typical jazz song before speeding up and morphing at the end of the song into more experimental territory before fading out. It’s a shame it fades out, because I wanted to hear where they were going. The title of the track, along with others on the album, hints at a bit of sarcasm, which I can always appreciate. 

Benjamin Croft – Far and Distant Things Music Video – YouTube

There are some rock moments on the record. “Far and Distant Things,” featuring Frank Gambale on electric guitar, is perhaps more rock than it is jazz, especially when you take the synths into account. “Tudor Job Agency” has its jazz moments, but the guitar, played by Barry Finnerty, has a Clapton-esque vibe to it. There is also a passage of some incredibly fast drum beats that add a rock element to the song.

Give Benjamin Croft’s Far and Distant Things a listen for a laid back Sunday afternoon or evening. Or for any day of the week. The music is exceptionally well-written and equally well-performed. It brings me back to simpler times when I could enjoy a live jazz show without worrying about… well all the things we seem to worry about these days. This instrumental album will take you a world away, if only for an hour. 

https://www.benjamincroftmusic.com
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Review: The Mercy Stone – Ghettoblaster

On By NickIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Ghettoblaster

There is music that I can’t relate to. Sometimes it’s because the song is plainly stupid, trite, or obnoxious that I just wish it would be sent into the sun. It’s like your friend who posts way too much personal stuff on Facebook, you just want to scream “Stop”. Then, there is an even more perverse music, a music that speaks like a man half-way through a Xanax withdrawal, a music that both baffles the mind and produces a near awkward laughter in the listener. This is the music of lunatics, music that I would say (in the most professional of instances of course) has gone “completely bananas”.

And here we are with just an album, The Mercy Stone’s debut experimentation Ghettoblaster. An album I am sure my closest friends are sick of hearing and hearing about in the last coupe of weeks, yet it took me some time to write about it because — life.

If you are someone who actually was alive to see the prog spectacle of the ‘70s you may remember the slightly nerdy King Crimson or even the lord dorkdom of the cape wearing Yes. While there are many genuinely cringe worthy moments from those bands nothing — and until I can be proven wrong I genuinely mean NOTHING compares to the awkward vibe you get from Ghettoblaster.

The Mercy Stone is a new project; it’s been around for a few years and was assembled by composer and guitarist Scott Grady — who has a master’s degree in music composition — and who assembled a 12-piece group to “to put his composition chops to work within a project that would have the substance and sophistication fitting for a contemporary-classical concert stage as well as the accessibility that would be palatable to rock audiences.” Going simply-said for an extraordinary amalgam of Classical Music, Jazz and Rock, the group presents a large body of work with their full-length debut Ghettoblaster. Large as in bringing together Stravinsky, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Radiohead, Bach, Nine Inch Nails, Pink Floyd, to name but a few.

The music on Ghettoblaster is very well composed and performed. Grady tends to pull together a strong cast of performers for his musical circus act. These fine tunes tend to be something to marvel at. It is this dichotomy that provides more of the head scratching moments. The album progresses in a peculiar, but fairly typical fashion during the majority of its run time. You might find the music endearing and charming as it blends rock, jazz, and classical qualities.

The ‘70s were a glorious period in music because people were getting paid way too much money to do all sorts of crazy projects, and even though some of the end results were complete disasters there was a sincerity to them. There was no sense of irony or pretentiousness in the attitudes of the musicians, they just wanted to make weird and complicated music. With Ghettoblaster, this ensemble does exactly that. The Mercy Stone are driven by the love of music, and it pays back — maybe not filling their pockets, but rather something on a higher, more spiritual level. Highly recommended.

Follow The Mercy Stone on Facebook.

Richard Barbieri’s Prog-Electronica Genius

On By carleolsonIn Ambient, electronic, progressive rock2 Comments

richardbarbieriI was first exposed to that exotic, amorphous musical genre called “electronica” in junior high by a friend who listened to what we called “weird stuff”. I’m not even sure what it was; some of it was from Japan. It made a dent in my memory banks, however, because until then my musical interests had been confined to some classical (Brahms! Mozart! Good!), Top 40 rock (Queen! Also good!), and lots of mediocre CCM (Not good!). During my high school years I listened to a good deal of The Alan Parsons Project, in part because of the huge hit “Eye In the Sky”; I eventually collected all of the APP albums. Parsons, of course, has straddled the worlds of progressive rock and mainstream pop/rock with his production prowess, writing, and work with keyboards and Fairlight programming. In hindsight, his music opened the door in various ways to music that was more overtly electronic.

(A quick, semi-related aside: A good friend in high school, who spent a lot of money on a fabulous car stereo system, liked to alternate between playing—very loudly—the raunchy rap of 2 Live Crew and the muzak of Yanni: the first to demonstrate his system’s bass; the latter to show off it’s high end. I’m not sure which music scarred me more.)

In the late Eighties and early Nineties there was an explosion of so-called “New Age” music (which had been around since the Sixties and whose identity has been hotly debated for decades), much of which was ambient or involved whales bellowing, birds chirping, and flowers clapping their petals. I mostly  ignored it, but did eventually latch onto the music of Patrick O’Hearn, whose solo albums on the Private Music label were lush, complex, mysterious, evocative, and never boring, even at their most sedate. O’Hearn, like all of the finest electronica artists, is the master of tone and mood; the music is rarely about virtuosity—unlike wide swaths of prog rock—but about constructing layers and movements. I liken it to a painter who builds layers of luminosity into his work through patient precision (more on the visual arts parallel in a moment).

Not surprisingly, there was a lot of cross-pollination going on between some “New Age” artists and various progressive rock groups and musicians. O’Hearn, who has legit jazz chops—he studied with jazz giant and bassist Gary Peacock—played with Frank Zappa as a youngster, and then with the new-wave band Missing Persons; the Private Music label featured a number of musicians with deep ties to progressive rock. (Another good example of this relationship can be found in Jon Anderson’s albums with Kitaro and Vangelis.) In the 1990s I bought several albums by Moby, Portishead, Björk, Aphex Twin, and Massive Attack, even while I ignored (for whatever reason) other key artists (Brian Eno, for instance).

Richard Barbieri is, of course, no stranger to prog fans, being a key member of Japan and Porcupine Tree and having worked in a number of other settings. His new album “Planets + Persona” [Kscope Music] is his third solo album, following 2005’s “Things Buried” and 2008’s “Stranger Inside”, both of which I enjoyed quite a bit. The three albums are similar in many ways, but this new album seems, to me, to be warmer, more organic (or acoustic), and more contemplative. Geno Thackara, at AllAboutJazz.com, explains it so: Continue reading “Richard Barbieri’s Prog-Electronica Genius” →

How to Listen to Jazz, by Ted Gioia

On By Time LordIn progressive rockLeave a comment

A taste of a great book review by Paul Beston:

Gioia is so confident that newcomers can appreciate jazz in part because he believes that objective benchmarks of evaluation exist, and that, in the case of jazz, we can listen for fundamental “building blocks” such as rhythm, dynamics, pitch and timbre, and phrasing. This view puts him at odds with more theoretical critics who claim that subjectivity is the only aesthetic standard. Nonsense, says Gioia: “Understanding jazz (or any other form of artistic expression) can never be reduced to personal whim or some flamboyant deconstructive manipulation of signifiers but always builds on a humble realization that these works impose their reality on us. . . . and in this manner can be distinguished from escapism or shallow entertainment, which instead aims to adapt to the audience, to give the public exactly what it wants. We can tell that we are encountering a real work of art by the degree to which it resists our subjectivity.” In this one passage, Gioia manages to push back against both highbrow and lowbrow wrongheadedness.

Frank Sinatra: Grandfather of Prog Rock?

On By carleolsonIn Prog, progressive rock music9 Comments

I originally posted this a year ago, to mark the 99th anniversary of Sinatra’s birthday on December 12th. After reading this USA Today article on Sinatra’s influence on “the world”, I thought it made sense to re-post it to mark the centenary of his birth.

sinatra_studio
Sinatra in studio in the 1950s, during his Capitol years.

“Well, yes, of course,” you said, upon reading the headline. “Everyone knows that Old Blue Eyes was not just a crooner, but a prog crooner, and thus the grandfather of prog rock! Does it really need to be said again?” Yes, it probably should, despite the abundance of articles on the topic (ahem). Especially since today marks what would have been The Chairman of the Board’s 99th birthday if he was still among us. Sinatra was born on this day in 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey, and would go on to be one of the best-known, best-selling musical artists of the 20th century, rivaled in sales and popularity by only a handful of artists and groups.

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that Sinatra was a “prog rocker”. I might be a Sinatra fanboy—I have over 1,200 Sinatra songs in my iTunes library and listen to some of his music nearly every day—but I’m not insane. At least not that insane. What I am saying is that Sinatra did a number of things on the musical front that were either quite unique or very notable (and probably little known to most people), that pointed toward key elements and attitudes making up what we now call “prog”.

Here, then, are five things that make The Voice the Grandfather of Prog: Continue reading “Frank Sinatra: Grandfather of Prog Rock?” →

Album Of The Year 2015 – Number 29

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Welcome to day two of my ‘Album Of The Year 2015’ countdown. If you missed the opening instalment of what is a series that will either make or break me, you can check it out right here: Album of the Year 2015 – Number 30. Additionally, if you missed my similar countdowns from the past […]

https://manofmuchmetal.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/album-of-the-year-2015-number-29/

Review: Jason Rubenstein NEW METAL FROM OLD BOXES

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music1 Comment

Review: Jason Rubenstein, NEW METAL FROM OLD BOXES (Tone Cluster, 2014).

new metalSo.  You’ve been a progger since the 1970s, you’re musically trained, and and you’ve enjoyed a solid if now former career as a software engineer with several major companies.  What do you do?  You write a brilliant, stunning, majestic soundtrack to your life, especially if you live in glorious San Francisco.

I exaggerate a bit, but not much.  This, essentially, is the background to music maestro Jason Rubenstein.  He has just released a rather stunning album, New Metal from Old Boxes (Tone Cluster, 2014; mixed by Niko Bolas and mastered by Ron McMaster).  While many Americans and other citizens of western civilization might simply desire new wine from old bottles, those of us who live in the republic of progarchy can rejoice heartily.  We can have our wine and our Rubenstein!

From the first listen, I was hooked.  This is a mesmerizing album best described as cinematic.  While dark and brooding (just look at Rubenstein’s photo—the guy is the perfect Hollywood dark hero), the music is always playful and mischievous, never coming anywhere near the dread of dull.

Almost effortlessly, Rubenstein employs classical jazz, noir jazz, prog, metal, classical, and jazz fusion.  If I had to label it, I’d called it “Cinematic metal prog.”  At times, it’s downright frantic, always extravagant, but never campy or over-the-top.  While this is certainly Rubenstein’s creation, he is never shy about borrowing styles from those he clearly admires.  I hears lots of The Tangent, ELP, King Crimson, Cosmograf, Cailyn, Tool, Dead Can Dance, and even Wang Chung (only from their spectacular To Live and Die in LA soundtrack)

Alex Lifeson? Harrison Ford? No. Jason Rubenstein.
Alex Lifeson? Harrison Ford? No. Jason Rubenstein.

Rubenstein credits himself with keyboards, synths, samplers, computers, programming, and angry noises.  In terms of sound quality, this album is perfection itself.  Pardon me for employing such a Catholic term, but its production is immaculate.  Even the packaging is a work of art.  Like the music, it is dark, brooding, and industrial.  Intricate pipes and strings, smelting of iron, nail heads (in a V’ger pattern), more strings, more pipes, and, then, rather profoundly, a GQ-Rubenstein, looking every bit the Hollywood action hero.

Admittedly, looking over my review, I’m tempted to fear that I have given the impression this is just a hodge podge of musical ideas.  Please note, that nothing could be further from the truth.  This is the soundtrack of your best day.

 

To visit Jason Rubenstein’s beautifully designed website, go here.