CAMERON GRAVES – Planetary Prince
Mack Avenue: MAC1123
Cameron Graves: piano, vocals; Ronald Bruner Jr: drums; Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner: bass (5,7); Philip Dizack: trumpet; Hadrien Feraud: bass (1-4, 6,8); Ryan Porter: trombone; Kamasi Washington.
Recorded James Harman Studios, van Nuys, CA.
On the one hand, this is another magnum opus from the West Coast Get Down – that collective based in Los Angeles that is making jazz cool and linking with a host of stars from the worlds of pop and hip-hop. Certainly several of the key figures from the CDs of Kamasi Washington and ‘Thundercat’ play on this CD, as is the approach to making music as an ebullient, controlled assault on the senses. On the other hand, this is very much a Graves gig. The other players take their side-man roles seriously and respect his compositions. Each piece runs for around 10 minutes and there is a loose sense that the collection provides some commentary on modern times, refracted through the lens of astrology. So, titles range from the opening ‘Satania our solar system’ or track 6 ‘Andomeda’ to track 5 ‘The end of corporatism’.
Each piece begins with a clear statement of musical theme, sometimes played as a full sextet (and the instrumentation here is of the classic jazz sextet) and sometimes played solo by Graves. As a pianist, Graves has a light, classical touch and a well balanced sense of harmonic structure in his soloing. As each piece (inevitably, perhaps) shifts up the gears, the piano playing becomes more rhythmic, taking on a more staccato edge, possibly pulling in hip-hop influences as much as jazz sensibilities.
For much of the set, Feraud provides a rock-solid funk bass that drives the pieces, and he also provides some elegant solo work that makes his electric bass sing like a fretless one. Thundercat appears on a couple of tracks and almost eschews his rhythmic duties, preferring to play extended solos in the background to each piece. Both players work well with Bruner to create a swinging rhythm section that brings out the cleanly defined rhythm in each piece. Over this, Washington plays a saxophone with a sound that he is making unique and distinctively his own. This is particularly invigorating on track 7, ‘Isle of Love’, where he really lets rips on his the soloing. Fans of Washington or Thundercat won’t be disappointed, but the real gem here is Graves’ own playing, particularly at the slower tempos.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Mack Avenue: MAC1123
Cameron Graves: piano, vocals; Ronald Bruner Jr: drums; Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner: bass (5,7); Philip Dizack: trumpet; Hadrien Feraud: bass (1-4, 6,8); Ryan Porter: trombone; Kamasi Washington.
Recorded James Harman Studios, van Nuys, CA.
On the one hand, this is another magnum opus from the West Coast Get Down – that collective based in Los Angeles that is making jazz cool and linking with a host of stars from the worlds of pop and hip-hop. Certainly several of the key figures from the CDs of Kamasi Washington and ‘Thundercat’ play on this CD, as is the approach to making music as an ebullient, controlled assault on the senses. On the other hand, this is very much a Graves gig. The other players take their side-man roles seriously and respect his compositions. Each piece runs for around 10 minutes and there is a loose sense that the collection provides some commentary on modern times, refracted through the lens of astrology. So, titles range from the opening ‘Satania our solar system’ or track 6 ‘Andomeda’ to track 5 ‘The end of corporatism’.
Each piece begins with a clear statement of musical theme, sometimes played as a full sextet (and the instrumentation here is of the classic jazz sextet) and sometimes played solo by Graves. As a pianist, Graves has a light, classical touch and a well balanced sense of harmonic structure in his soloing. As each piece (inevitably, perhaps) shifts up the gears, the piano playing becomes more rhythmic, taking on a more staccato edge, possibly pulling in hip-hop influences as much as jazz sensibilities.
For much of the set, Feraud provides a rock-solid funk bass that drives the pieces, and he also provides some elegant solo work that makes his electric bass sing like a fretless one. Thundercat appears on a couple of tracks and almost eschews his rhythmic duties, preferring to play extended solos in the background to each piece. Both players work well with Bruner to create a swinging rhythm section that brings out the cleanly defined rhythm in each piece. Over this, Washington plays a saxophone with a sound that he is making unique and distinctively his own. This is particularly invigorating on track 7, ‘Isle of Love’, where he really lets rips on his the soloing. Fans of Washington or Thundercat won’t be disappointed, but the real gem here is Graves’ own playing, particularly at the slower tempos.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
