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Bit of a late one
The LA jazz scene is thriving right now, and has been for well over a decade. Your Thundercat’s, Flying Lotus’s, Terrace Martin’s, Kamasi Washington’s and Miles Mosley’s have lent jazz music a space to thrive in the general music underground (and some have even found themselves swimming in the mainstream). Life has been thoroughly injected, paving a modern space for the lively spirit and vibrancy of jazz to germinate in increasingly claustrophobic urban spaces. The outcome of this renaissance is a cross-pollination of genre and aesthetics. Like, for example, the resurgence of originally composed jazz rap music alla Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, or even an up-and-comer like McKinley Dixon (‘Magic, Alive!’ was my favourite album of last year). The other side of this coin is a rediscovery of the unlikely marriage between electronic music and jazz. Not the first time in history of course, you only have to look at Herbie Hancock’s fusion pioneering in the 70’s (Head Hunters specifically) to educate yourself on that front. To circle back to LA now, with regards to the aforementioned near-two decade long surge in jazz creativity in that city, and jazz musicians generally finding a fresh reverence for the digital, we now have a band like SML bursting onto the stage, who appear to be leading a mini charge in the realm of live, free-form jamming.
The two frolicking improvisations that make up ‘Spontaneous Music Live’ are almost breezy enough to sneak under the radar, registering not much more than a murmur. Instead, what makes these two pieces so irresistible is just how on top of their respective games every member is. Within each passing moment lies hundreds of sporadically injected musical nuggets, placed so thoughtfully (in the spur of the moment mind you) that they never step on the other’s toes. Insistent motifs try to run themselves ragged, and still manage to find an extra bit of depth in the tank. Right when you think an idea has reached the end of its tether, it doesn’t unravel without purpose, the band simply alters a couple of tiny details about it, effectively reworking it into an entirely new beast without needing to exert any extra effort. It is a level of efficiency that a lot of jam bands can struggle with; clearly not SML.
A major aspect as to why this record functions so fluidly is that SML clearly understands the pertinence of roles. Booker Stardrum’s percussion work is the pulse, the groove, the momentum, the ramp for everything else to do tricks on. The guitar and saxophone are the chaos agents, they contrast the drumming’s metronomic steadiness with duelling outbursts of noisy, nimble soloing. The keyboardist provides the texture, the plinks and boings that serve as ear candy to latch onto in the more linear moments. The bass is the sensible anchor point. Butterss’ resonant tone often slices straight through the subtle cacophonies conjured up by the rest of the band. Perhaps my personal favourite aspect of these performances, their basslines are phenomenal in how utilitarian they are. There is zero flash in their playing whatsoever, it is purely a matter of tasteful application of their skills, resulting in several lines that become instantly wedged into the crevices of my cerebrum. Butterss also does a stellar job of still maintaining a sense of angularity along with every other component, lending the jams a totally unified energy. They don’t ever dampen the vibes, they more or less cradle the vibes in a warm, toasty bun.
There is the seamlessness with which SML navigates the polarities of these performances too. It exemplifies the band’s chemistry that they can kick straight into more visceral and physical playing, and no one has to skip a beat or break stride. They all synchronise and swell so precisely, like a lung with all of its alveoli inflating and deflating, every piece constitutes the gestalt and keeps the organism alive. The looping, sometimes trippy, always bustling compositions conjured up on ‘Spontaneous Music Live’ indicate a boom in live jazz music. We are well and truly in a period of growth, and the music economy will thank its lucky stars in due course. If you are a jazz head in the slightest, this album should be topping your lists come the year’s end. If there is any justice in this cruel world, ‘Spontaneous Music Live’ will be a much exalted release in the years to come. Hit me up in a decade, we’ll see how well that comment ages…
Dan Will Review 