Search - Henry Threadgill :: Too Much Sugar for a Dime

Very Very Circus' MASTERPIECE

06/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the recordings by Threadgill's group VERY VERY CIRCUS, in my opinion this is the best. More so on this recording, they get to the point with a minumum of standing around. Threadgill is one of the most fascinating composers in jazz. In VERY VERY CIRCUS he has pairs of like instruments all playing rather independent parts. But the sound is not cluttered because it all has been astutely prepared. For instance, if one tuba is low, the other will be high. The guitarists also have ways of playing intricate parts without stepping on each other. As the ensemble progesses, there will be extremely brief solos, just a few seconds, in which an instrumentalist can change the course of the music. The french hornist has all the jazz bebop chops, and Threadgill plays sax with a very vocal and melodic style.The influences have been documented before, there are echos of New Orleans brass bands along with contemporary classical, and African, and funk add to the gritty spiral of patterns.Don't miss this one!"

A breath of fresh AIR

animate ~ | Fayetteville, NC | 08/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As "free" as this album is, it's layered in a single theme or two. I guess that's how I like my jazz--living, breating, but not without a purpose. This may not be Threadgil's greatest album, in terms of what he gets attention for, but it's certainly my favorite, and one of my favorite jazz albums ever, which is why it makes this list.



As "avant-garde" as this work is, it's got roots that go into older jazz; as far back as the 1920's, even, with some of those squeals from the trumpets. However, it was recorded in the early 1990's, so it has a nice personality, as far as keeping the music interesting and original. The guitars use distortion, and are heard almost constantly, sometimes offbeat and confused, and sometimes leading the entire cacophony of sound forward.



"Little Pocket Sized Demons" introduced me to Threadgil's genious, and it's still my favorite track off of this album. The drums sound unbelievably fresh and crisp (I think they warrant the use of those words, and excuse them all at the same time). "In Touch" brings us to something even more panicky with it's seemingly muted brass chords, and choppy drum polyrhythms. It abruptly stops for a beautiful vocal piece; it makes me think of Vienna, in slow motion. If that track represents Vienna, then "Better Wrapped/Better Unwrapped" represents west Africa, or maybe Syria, and it's all very affectionate and often spooky.



The twelve minute plus track "Try Some Ammonia" ends more somberly than anything on the whole disc, and for that I love it. It wraps up my favorite jazz record of the last 15 years or so. And hey, I may not be up to date on current jazz movements, but I'm sure not many would come close to making me feel like this album does."

Try this on for size...

ode2understatement | Fayetteville, AR United States | 01/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Funk intellectually weirdafied. Can you dig it? It's as though jazz wasn't necessarily even an aim but in some odd manner it makes an appearance, albeit in a primal sense that doesn't constitute a form known in its' early days. Think about this: funk was there at the outset and along comes Henry and his picture of the world completely unlike ours, sorta Don Quixotean mind you, and out pops a new entrance into the American verbiage known now as jazz. I say again, can you dig it?"