i love this new strain of jazz that i’ve been hearing more and more of over the last decade – the no nonsense style that takes cues from the world of pop music while still holding true to some jazz tradition. gone are the formulaic opening melody followed by each member of the group getting their solo and here to stay are the groups that circle around melodies, spiralling off into their own subtle solos, but still keeping the rest of the players in the mix. one player that is bringing this idea further into the light is pianist daniel kelly. he’s a sharp musician who is equally assured in avant garde settings, playing with pop stars (he’s done work with lauryn hill) and playing his own strong compositions. this track – the opening salvo of his new disc emerge – wraps melodies from the titular country in with the hard drive of western-style jazz. it’s the perfect album opener, grabbing your attention from the first hard piano chords and loose-limbed rhythms, guaranteeing that by the end of the song, you’ll want to see where this combo is going to go next.
Daniel Kelly, Daniel Kelly
“Moroccan Nutchuck” (mp3)
from “Emerge”
(Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
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