Joe Locke: Subtle Disguise

Straightahead / Mainstream Jazz
premiera polska: 2019-03-11
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Gatefoldowe etui
opis:
multikulti.com - ocena * * * * 1/2:
W połowie pierwszej dekady XXI wieku Joe Locke obok Stefona Harrisa i Steve'a Nelsona był największym odkryciem wśród młodych wibrafonistów. Już wtedy był cenionym instrumentalistą, miał za sobą współpracę z muzykami tej miary, co George Cables, Eddie Henderson czy Freddy Cole. Później przyszła współpraca z Groverem Washingtonem Jr, Kenny'm Barronem, Cecilem Taylorem, Dianne Reeves, Ronem Carterem, ale także z The Beastie Boys czy Münster Symphony Orchestra. Tak oto Joe Locke niepostrzeżenie wyszedł z cienia wielkich mistrzów wibrafonu.

Najnowsza płyta wydana właśnie przez amerykańską Origin Records nosi tytuł "Subtle Disguise". Nie łatwo oprzeć się urokowi tego nagrania, choć nie jest ono konwencjonalne. Płyta kusi dobrymi kompozycjami (z dwoma wyjątkami autorstwa lidera), adekwatną wirtuozerią zgromadzonych w studio instrumentalistów (podstawowy kwartet wzbogacony został o gitarzystę Adama Rogersa, saksofonistę Davida Binney'a i dwójkę wokalistów - Alinę Engibaryan w "A Little More Each Day" i Raula Midona w "Who Killed Davey Moore?" i "Motherless Children"), i rodzajem tej nieuchwytnej wspólnoty odczuwania muzyki, które dopełniają się i stanowią dla siebie nieustanną inspirację.

Wielką satysfakcję przynosi brzmieniowa nieskazitelność tego albumu. Joe Locke ze swoim wykształceniem i rodzinnymi koneksjami balansuje pomiędzy czystą emocją (umiejętność pisania pięknych melodii) a intelektualną erudycją (warto poczytać komentarze do każdej z jego kompozycji). Z jednej strony mocna podbudowa intelektualna (odniesienia do literatury, polityki i sztuki), z drugiej sięgnięcie po dwie nieoczywiste obce kompozycje - “Who Killed Davey Moore?” Boba Dylana i “Motherless Child” Blind Willie'ego Johnsona, określają tożsamościowy fundament tego artysty.

"Subtle Disguise" to płyta oboma nogami umocowana w środku jazzowego języka, z wigorem i fantazją zadaje kłam twierdzeniom, że mainstream jazz wygasły wulkan.
autor: Mateusz Matyjak
Copyright © 1996-2019 Multikulti Project. All rights reserved

SUBTLE DISGUISE IS A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT FROM A CERTIFIED VIBRAPHONE MASTER.”
Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz Magazine

BLENDING THE PERSONAL, THE POLITICAL, AND THE POETIC INTO AN ARTFULLY ASSEMBLED PACKAGE, LOCKE MAKES A PROFOUND STATEMENT ABOUT OUR TIMES.”
Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz


All About Jazz * * * * 1/2:
Have we been dealing with two different Joe Lockes for all these years? To some, the vibraphonist presents as a technically adept and intellectually curious seeker, constantly pushing through to new levels of possibility and commitment with his music. But for others, Locke is a conduit to understanding the human condition. This is a dichotomy that obviously speaks to vantage points and perspectives, with neither understanding ringing false. And while the existence of said split isn't at all surprising when considering a listener's potential takeaway from Locke's body of work, it's something that the artist himself has also wrestled with in the past. "For me, this album is the fruition of a long journey of self discovery as an artist, where I no longer see the different aspects of my musical personality as separate or at odds with one another," he notes. "I have discovered my own lingua franca, connecting the seemingly disparate styles I enjoy playing."

That statement, pulled from the press release for Subtle Disguise, isn't some mere marketing soundbite. To hear this music is to understand that Locke's stock neither rests solely with his four smoking mallets or his ability to pierce the psyche but, rather, with his gifts in rectifying said forces into one powerfully direct current. Blending the personal, the political, and the poetic into an artfully assembled package, Locke makes a profound statement about our times.

Opening with "Red Cloud," a hypnotic-turned-intense original that takes its name and inspiration from one of the most significant leaders of the Oglala Lakota, Locke gets down to business right away. With help from his core quartet, featuring pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Loren Cohen, and drummer Samvel Sarkisyan, and with the searing suggestions of guest saxophonist David Binney upping the ante, Locke hits a home run on his first at bat. Following that with a funky, metrically-slanted take on Bob Dylan's "Who Killed Davey Moore?" featuring vocalist-guitarist Raul Midon, the vibraphonist shifts musical gears while playing to the great folk bard's explorations of morality and man's hurtful insouciance.

As the album moves on, a gorgeous blend of the universal and the topical carries forth. With the title track, Locke, Ridl, and guitarist Adam Rogers explore the masks we all wear from time to time with a pointed and passionate grace; on the soulfully shimmering "Make Me Feel Like It's Raining," Locke salutes vibraphone trailblazer Bobby Hutcherson with warmth and tenderness; and through the literal centerpiece, "Rogues Of America," our present-day leaders are revealed as they truly are while Locke and company probe the depths with drive and electric purpose.

Subtle Disguise's second half proves equally moving and meaningful, opening on a version of "Motherless Children" that brings Midón and Rogers back into the fold to assist with a nod to the Steve Miller Band's rendition of that Blind Willie Johnson classic. It's Locke's tribute to his sister, Bea, who first turned him onto that blues-rock take. Then two of the most impactful compositions to ever come from Locke's pen—the cosmically pure "Safe And Sound (At The Edge Of The Milky Way)," taking name and image from an Albert Finney- delivered line in the film Orphans, and the charged "Blondie Roundabout," referencing Locke's manager, Nadja von Massow, and the energetic aura that surrounds her—arrive back-to- back. Both numbers previously appeared as notable inclusions on Parts Unknown (Origin, 2017), a Locke-enhanced gem from the John McLean/Clark Sommers Band, but each takes on a more organic appearance here.

While Locke could have easily ended with "Blondie Roundabout," using energy as his parting gift, he opts instead to raise heart and influence in his closing. Moving over to piano, he invites vocalist Alina Engibaryan to take the spotlight on "A Little More Each Day," a vocal rendition of "Make Me Feel Like It's Raining" that features some of Binney's most simple and directly soulful playing on record. It's but one last way that Locke shows himself and lays out what must be an intrinsic belief in John Keats' well-quoted line: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
By DAN BILAWSKY

Editor's Info:
For his 36th recording as a leader, world-renowned vibraphonist Joe Locke has assembled a tightly knit quartet which brings to life a set of diverse and emotionally powerful original compositions, laying the framework for stellar contributions from special guests Adam Rogers (guitar), Dave Binney (alto), and vocalists Raul Midón and Alina Engibaryan. With Locke calling this recording "the total expression of who I am as a musician and human being," subjects of love, loss, history and social awareness are laid out in six new works from Joe's pen and two blues-imbued covers by Bob Dylan and Blind Willie Johnson.

Subtle Disguise would not have come to actualization were it not for Locke’s collaborators: Locke states that, “Raul Midón’s contribution was essential to the project. His vast musical knowledge combined with his deep understanding of the Blues make him a unique artist. The same can be said of guitarist Adam Rogers; he dips into a lot of different stylistic territory on this album, and he’s always brilliant, honest and deeply communicative. David Binney brings the fire, pure and simple. His contributions raise the bar on the tracks he graces. All three of these musicians are people I’ve been looking to work with for a long time. Having them together here made this project even more special for me,” explained Locke.

“For me, this album is the fruition of a long journey of self discovery as an artist, where I no longer see the different aspects of my musical personality as separate or at odds with one another. I have discovered my own lingua franca, connecting the seemingly disparate styles I enjoy playing,”
– Joe Locke

muzycy:
Joe Locke: vibraphone
Jim Ridl: piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers
Lorin Cohen: acoustic bass, electric bass
Samvel Sarkisyan: drums

Raul Midon: vocals (2, 6), guitar (2)
Adam Rogers: guitar (1, 3, 6-8)
David Binney: alto saxophone (1, 5, 8, 9)
Alina Engibaryan: vocals (9)

utwory:
1. Red Cloud
2. Who Killed Davey Moore?
3. Subtle Disguise
4. Make Me Feel Like It's Raining
5. Rogues Of America
6. Motherless Children
7. Safe And Sound (At the Edge of the Milky Way)
8. Blondie Roundabout
9. A Little More Each Day

wydano: 2018-12
nagrano: Recorded, mixed and mastered by Mike Marciano at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn NY on August 2 & 3, 2017

more info: www.originarts.com
more info2: www.joelocke.com
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