Downloads from All About Jazz

The last downloads I got from AAJ were a bit disappointing, with the exception of Sam Sadigursky’s brilliant “Such Fruit” (with Becca Stevens) – see http://terrapinlistens2.blogspot.com/2008/09/downloads-from-all-about-jazz-itmos.html. These are far better.

The best tracks is Bethany & Rufus’s blues/gospel “Linin’ Track” (is it my imagination, or is the bassline like the Chemical Brothers’ “Block Rockin’ Beat”?) and Eric Astor’s effervescent guitar piece “Brooklyn” (a bit Santana-esque, I thought. Fusion usually NMCOT but this is an exception). Also good were “My Gun’s Empty” by Machinegun (free jazz, building up as the sax gets more and more agitated. Hardly unique, but still pretty interesting) and “Metamorphing” by Plunge (a bit of austere “classic” modern jazz). Bill Hartzell’s “Tainted Rose” (more fusion electric guitar) was OK, but a bit repetitive. The only track I didn’t like out of this bunch was “Redux” by Tamandua – atmospheric, brooding but rather dull. But overall, very good.

Download (free) at http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzdownloads.php.