Search - Joe Chambers :: Outlaw

Very pleasing

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 09/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Drummer, percussionist, and, it turns out, vibist Joe Chambers's bio reads like a who's who of jazz legends. He's played with just about everyone, including Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Eric Dolphy, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hutcherson (to whom he credits his vibes concept), Chick Corea, Andrew Hill, and Freddy Hubbard. Moreover, he's an accomplished movie soundtrack composer and songwriter.



Always soulful and swinging, he here delivers up an altogether pleasant, if not astonishing and eye-opening, recording. At times, with its synth washes and R & B-sounding grooves, it sails up against the shoals of smooth jazz, without, thankfully, ever grounding itself on the rocks (though it comes perilously close on "Come Back to Me," redeemed by the mesmerizing Middle Eastern soprano sax of Logan Richardson, and the sole vocal, "I Think It's Time to Say Goodbye"), hence the half-star deduction.



There's a very cool rhythmic gumbo pervading this disc, often in an African or Caribbean vein (courtesy of percussion master Bobby Sanabria), which imbues familiar pieces ("The Outlaw," "In a Sentimental Mood," and "Poinciana") with new life and lends authority to the artist's compositions ("Tu-Way-Pock-E-Way," "Bemba," and "Bahia"). And he achieves unusual synth voicings that actually contribute to the mystery and exoticism of several pieces ("Come Back to Me" and "Escapade").



Actually, the more I listen to this disc, the more taken I am by it. It strikes me that it could be a kind of bridge to real jazz for those looking for something beyond jazz lite but not ready to dive fully into the arcane glories of out jazz or other more esoteric examples of creative improvised music.



****1/2"