ZHENYA STRIGALEV & FREDERICO DANNEMANN - The Change
Rainy Days Records
Zhenya Strigalev - saxophones, voice; Federico Dannemann - guitar, vocal; Luques Curtis - bass; Obed Clavire -drums
Zhenya Strigalev has been a mercurial presence on the London scene for many years but has recently relocated to his native St Petersburg, whence comes this recording; like his last album, 2018s “Blues For Maggie”, it reunites him with his longstanding colleague, Chilean guitarist Dannemann, and a top New York rhythm section, with Curtis and Clavire (who met Strigalev through his celebrated Charlie Wright’s concert series) filling the chairs vacated by Linley Marthe and the awesome Eric Harland.
The controls are set for full-on fusion from the outset - ‘Algo Rhythm’ features all kinds of modish beat displacement as Dannemann flies over the top, his clear biting tone and formidable control sailing over the churning rhythm section, almost hinting at the alt-rock mayhem of bands like Primus. ‘Pulse’ jokily starts without one, building to a furiously free climax under Strigalev’s skirling alto then miraculously coming together into some razor-sharp unisons; ‘Boo’ is a bit mellower by comparison, but only a bit ; ‘Coquille Du Terre’ turns on the wah-wah for a fleeting resemblance to 70s cop-show funk before Strigalev lets loose with his mutant blues alto solo. Curtis’ bass has a trebly growl that features on the intro to ‘Speed Up’ - the use of acoustic rather than electric bass subtly pushes the feel towards a jazzier freedom on what might otherwise come across as a bombastic fusion exercise. Calvaire is an impressively powerful presence throughout, the whole band attack the complex material with a limitless gusto. There are echoes of Scofield’s 90s bands with Bill Stewart and Dennis Irwin, but with the intensity turned right up. Dannemann’s ‘The Change’ provides an unexpected vocal track, oddly reminiscent of Jan Hammer’s occasional forays; ‘Total Silence’ is a bluesy groove and ‘Pank’ wraps things up with another off-kilter post-rock skronk. Invigorating.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Rainy Days Records
Zhenya Strigalev - saxophones, voice; Federico Dannemann - guitar, vocal; Luques Curtis - bass; Obed Clavire -drums
Zhenya Strigalev has been a mercurial presence on the London scene for many years but has recently relocated to his native St Petersburg, whence comes this recording; like his last album, 2018s “Blues For Maggie”, it reunites him with his longstanding colleague, Chilean guitarist Dannemann, and a top New York rhythm section, with Curtis and Clavire (who met Strigalev through his celebrated Charlie Wright’s concert series) filling the chairs vacated by Linley Marthe and the awesome Eric Harland.
The controls are set for full-on fusion from the outset - ‘Algo Rhythm’ features all kinds of modish beat displacement as Dannemann flies over the top, his clear biting tone and formidable control sailing over the churning rhythm section, almost hinting at the alt-rock mayhem of bands like Primus. ‘Pulse’ jokily starts without one, building to a furiously free climax under Strigalev’s skirling alto then miraculously coming together into some razor-sharp unisons; ‘Boo’ is a bit mellower by comparison, but only a bit ; ‘Coquille Du Terre’ turns on the wah-wah for a fleeting resemblance to 70s cop-show funk before Strigalev lets loose with his mutant blues alto solo. Curtis’ bass has a trebly growl that features on the intro to ‘Speed Up’ - the use of acoustic rather than electric bass subtly pushes the feel towards a jazzier freedom on what might otherwise come across as a bombastic fusion exercise. Calvaire is an impressively powerful presence throughout, the whole band attack the complex material with a limitless gusto. There are echoes of Scofield’s 90s bands with Bill Stewart and Dennis Irwin, but with the intensity turned right up. Dannemann’s ‘The Change’ provides an unexpected vocal track, oddly reminiscent of Jan Hammer’s occasional forays; ‘Total Silence’ is a bluesy groove and ‘Pank’ wraps things up with another off-kilter post-rock skronk. Invigorating.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
