Pretty good old-meets-new jazz
Anthony Cooper | Louisville, KY United States | 02/16/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Steven Bernstein takes his trumpet up to play some old-fashioned jazz with definitely modern sensibilities on "We Are MTO". He has a nonet for most songs, and they're augmented by a singer for two songs. Bernstein is known for playing jazz with his notes sliding around. He plays his lines here a little straighter than usual, but there's still a woozy feel to the music. The music is pretty good, though I think the Microscopic Septet does a similar thing a little better. The wobbly notes are okay for me, but the rhythm is sometimes too wobbly for my tastes. I'm also not crazy about the vocals on "Viper Song" and "Makes No Difference" -- too much 'fun', not enough fun. Most of the songs are good, and it's a 4-star disc, though I put it on the lower half of 4-star discs."