Discogs
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson
Jazz isn't the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of SST records, a label that is best known for punk and alternative rock. But SST did, in fact, dabble in jazz in the 1990s, although it didn't get into either NAC music or retro-bop -- SST wasn't interested in Kenny G clones any more than it was interested in hearing "young lions" in Armani suites playing predictable versions of Cole Porter standards. SST preferred jazz that was more left-of-center, and the Sort of Quartet's Planet Mamon certainly fits that description. This 1995 release favors an adventurous, chance-taking blend of avant-garde jazz and rock; it's clear that the Sort of Quartet (which isn't really a quartet) is well-aware of what explorers like Ornette Coleman's Prime Time and Ronald Shannon Jackson have contributed to jazz's electric avant-garde, but these Californians are a lot more humorous than most of the people in the electric free jazz field. Humor is quite prevalent on this instrumental CD, which incorporates elements of everything from punk and surf rock to Afro-Cuban music. A perfect example of how humorous the Sort of Quartet can be is "Caustic Soda," which finds the quirky, unorthodox combo quoting Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath," as well as the theme music from the 1960s television comedy The Munsters. Quoting, of course, is hardly unusual in jazz, but quoting those tunes is -- most of the "young lions" who have an endless supply of Irving Berlin or Charlie Parker quotes would never think of quoting anything by Black Sabbath. Music this challenging and left-of-center isn't for everyone, but those who are daring enough to go along for the ride will find that Planet Mamon is as rewarding as it is eccentric.
Tracklist
| 1 | Twisto Mambo |
|
| 2 | Bahgdumas |
|
| 3 | Cone Jo Pedo |
|
| 4 | Jocky Slovakia |
|
| 5 | Caustic Soda |
|
| 6 | Funeral For The Magnatone |
|
| 7 | Planet Mamon |
|
| 8 | Road Runner |
|
| 9 |
The Big Stomp |
No comments:
Post a Comment