Pianist and composer David Chesky has assembled a group of first-rate collaborators for this unique jazz project. Bob Mintzer (bass clarinet), Giovanni Hildago (congas), Andy Gonzalez (bass) and Randy Brecker (trumpet) rank among the finest instrumental voices in jazz and Latin music. Each member of the Body Acoustic Band brings his distinct style to this polyrhythmic tour de force, making this an exciting experimental journey into the deep organic space of audiophile jazz.
Traffic continues the CBW tradition of blending virtuosic original compositions with immaculately conceived interpretations of jazz and classic rock standards. Original songs on Traffic include go-for-the-throat throwdowns like “Judith Loves Jazz,” “Door #3” and “Overruled,” while covers of Thelonious Monk’s “Misterioso” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” are also featured.
Much in the same fashion as Three Psalms for String Orchestra, on this release, David Chesky takes the listener on a dramatic, orchestral journey. This time David focused on the tragic and dehumanizing effects of ethnic hatred that enables people to kill en masse, as seen in the Jewish Holocaust and others since. David creates a powerful and emotional message by taking the listener through three unique phases of human suffering: "Sorrow", "Aftermath", and "Rage and Despair" to ultimately show that holocausts will continue to occur until our innate ability to empathize with our fellow human beings is realized.
Composer-pianist David Chesky has written seven new pieces that draw their inspiration from the Fantasia form. The Fantasia has evolved from its Renaissance roots and has become a vehicle for a composer's freedom of expression, utilizing rhythm, harmony, and improvisatory skill. And David Chesky brilliantly succeeds, not only in remaining faithful to the original concept of Fantasia, but also in creating a new genre of music with these works.
The Nigerian-born drum master leads an ebullient ensemble of guitarists, singers and percussionists through a series of spirited meditations on the nature of love. Lust, kinship, sensuality, courtship and spirituality are the themes Olatunji uses to fuel his joyous infectious playing. Highlights include "Mother, Give Me Love," "Don't Know Why My Love," "Spell Monisola" and more.
This trio set featuring guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Lenny White, and bassist Victor Bailey is issued by Chesky, purveyor of uncompressed audiophile recordings. And while the sound is wondrous, it's the performances here that take front and center. The mix of jazz, funk, and rock tunes on Electric is infectious, especially when played with such incendiary inspiration. Members of this trio wrote four of the nine tunes here. White's furied funk freak-out "Wolfsbane" opens the proceeding on a hot note, and Coryell's "BB Blues" takes the jazz-inflected blues to a new intensity.