Dangeroulsy Different
Bruce Kendall | Southern Pines, NC | 02/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mix one part Weather Report, a jigger or two of Mahavishnu and some Hard Bop Salsa, and you have some inkling of what this interesting, completely contemporary mix sounds like!
I'm not too good when it comes to terms to describing contemporary jazz, but I have serviceable ears, and this disc fits the bill for me. Fast and furious playing, that sounds more like five instruments than just two. Non-formulaic, free association notes, that don't just come across as so much self indulgence... a sax player that couldn't hum to his riffs if his life depended on it, and a keyboard player who has chops that few could transpose, let alone follow...
I was sincerely blown away by this CD. If your mind can keep up with the riffs, you're doing better than I am. Think of John Zorn on crack! No, best not go there! This is actually a lot more listenable than that! There are moments of beauty here, with all due respect and diligence. And the two musicians play off of each other superbly. "Tight," is the first word that comes to mind, but doesn't adequately describe the sybiosis these two share.
I know that Chris Forbes (the pianist) is a Julliard grad, and the background shows. The very fact that he can follow Taylor's hypnotic riffs is a feat that very few contemporary keyboard players could match.
Catch this duo in concert, if you can. They get together in NYC on a fairly consistent basis. If you can't make a concert, try out the CD. It's as close to the edge as modern jazz gets these days, and these are two superlative musicians.
Chris Forbes is also a reviewer on Amazon, and one of the finest Music Reviewers online. You should check out his writing in that arena, if you get the chance. I have been reading and following his reviews for the past couple years, but that has not influenced my take on this CD. For Modern Jazz afficianados of Acid Jazz, Fusion, etc., I highly recommend this disc!
BEK"
Free Improv with Perfect Chemistry
Debbie Lee Wesselmann | the Lehigh Valley, PA | 02/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Spoken Once" is not your father's jazz. Saxophonist T. Taylor and pianist Chris Forbes have recorded a cutting-edge jazz album of free improvisation coupled with sheer musical chemistry. Those with an ear and a taste for the complexities of assonance will find themselves engaged by the many levels the duo bring to their improvisation. Musical laments build to exuberance, and exuberance gives way to the hushed simplicity of a few isolated notes. The spectacular part of this CD is that the more you listen to it, the more you get out of it. I'm on my fourth listening, and I am still astonished by some of the musical turns. My favorite cut, "Petrin Hill," is over twenty minutes of music that won't let go.
I highly recommend this CD for jazz aficionados, particularly for those who appreciate the immediacy and power of improvisation."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1