PAUL JACKSON TRIO - Groove or Die
Whirlwind Recordings – WR4656
Paul Jackson (electric bass, vocals) Xantoné Blacq (keyboards, percussion, talkbox, vocals) Tony Match (drums, percussion)
Recorded at Wax Studios, London, April 2014.
Paul Jackson is an electric bass player who achieved early fame as a member of Herbie Hancock’s `Head hunters’ group so his place in jazz history is assured.
Sadly this debut album from his new trio will add little to his reputation for though there is much to admire from an instrumental point of view this is largely a vocal set in which the combined talents of the leader and his keyboard player fail to inject life into a series of rather indifferent songs. Jackson has a fairly pleasing gruff voice but Blacq’s near parody of Stevie Wonder makes for pretty painful listening.
Furthermore, though claims are made in the sleeve notes that the music represents a new take on the soul/funk genre it all sounds pretty familiar to my ears and whilst it might go down well in a club setting it doesn’t stand up to repeated scrutiny.
These guys can play, no doubt about that, but the formulaic backing though it has its tension building moments can’t redeem the dire songs.
Review by Euan Dixon
Whirlwind Recordings – WR4656
Paul Jackson (electric bass, vocals) Xantoné Blacq (keyboards, percussion, talkbox, vocals) Tony Match (drums, percussion)
Recorded at Wax Studios, London, April 2014.
Paul Jackson is an electric bass player who achieved early fame as a member of Herbie Hancock’s `Head hunters’ group so his place in jazz history is assured.
Sadly this debut album from his new trio will add little to his reputation for though there is much to admire from an instrumental point of view this is largely a vocal set in which the combined talents of the leader and his keyboard player fail to inject life into a series of rather indifferent songs. Jackson has a fairly pleasing gruff voice but Blacq’s near parody of Stevie Wonder makes for pretty painful listening.
Furthermore, though claims are made in the sleeve notes that the music represents a new take on the soul/funk genre it all sounds pretty familiar to my ears and whilst it might go down well in a club setting it doesn’t stand up to repeated scrutiny.
These guys can play, no doubt about that, but the formulaic backing though it has its tension building moments can’t redeem the dire songs.
Review by Euan Dixon
