Customer Reviews

Big Casino

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am my military unit's Morale Officer and we have casino nights every patrol where we gamble off candy and prizes. I used to play the Ocean's movies in the background to add some background noise, but really wanted some good casino style jazz music to add to the ambiance. This CD is going to be perfect for adding that "extra touch" to the casino tournaments. Every song sounds great for the mood.

One review describes the album as, "hybrid jazz, mesmerizing electronica, tribal percussion, dub trickery, Latin rhythms and assorted exotic and eclectic hues." True, but you can sum up all that fancy prose just by saying the album contains a bunch of deep house songs. As deep house goes, this is definitely a solid effort, though not as danceable as a MAW album, it does perhaps contain more sonic nuances, which makes it a bit better suited for repeated headphone listening than most deep house.

James hardway
is a difficult one to pin down. Just when you think you have his sound
sussed, he completely changes direction on his next album, and shatters any
preconceptions of what to expect. His earlier work on "Deeper, Wider,
Smoother, Sh@*!!", and "Easy is a Four Letter Word", which were deeply rooted
in Breakbeat/Drum n' Bass Fusion, with remarkable results. But later albums
marked changes in direction, with both "A Positive Sweat" & "Straight from
the Fridge", implementing a soul template to his breakbeat sound. "Moors +
Christians", went a step even further, and brought a Afro-centric/ Caribbean
fusion that in lesser hands, could have failed spectacularly, but remains one
of the highlights in James' discography.

And so yet again, James looks again to shift the goalposts slightly, with an
album far heavily steeped in Jazz & Afro-beat, Dub, shuffling Beats, Piano &
Latin brass. Strangely for something that featured prominent vocals on his
previous albums, the majority of the tracks here are largely instrumental, up
until track 7 (Vocal choruses are used, or sung melodies played, but their
use is subtle). So those expecting a mostly vocal-driven album, won't really
hear most of the vocal tracks until the 3/4 of the albums. But in their
place are stunning examples of experimental genre fusing that play out like
the new forms of contemporary Jazz, or Subline Broken Beat.

"Feel In Love", is a standout highlight, but settingly into a startling Cuban
Groove, and with a slip slidey Bassline and prominent melody that captures
the mood perfectly, it shows James Hardways complete understanding of beat
construction of arrangement, and marks this track out as many peoples
favourite.

"Heart Beat" is one of those Jazz-fusion tracks that James does so well,
mixing elements of percussion with electronic sampling and deft jazz
instrumentation, & brass sections it works as a more upbeat side to jazz
music for those that have only ever considered Jazz, easy listening, and
touches upon the dancier elements of jazz.

"People Getting High" explores his recent fascination with elements of dub
sampling that were touched upon on the "Moors + Christians" album, and
further explores impressive rhythm's with some vocal sampling (courtesy of
"Ghetto Priest"), with subdued Dub bass, and some excellent guitar bass to
complement the sound, its all adds to a richly textured sound, and deserves
recognition for trying to do something a little different and succeeding.

Stylistically, this album touches on a great many musical sounds, whether it's
the acoustic guitar coupled with afro-Cuban sounds on "Rise Up" or the reggae
tinge of "Worms and Weasels" with upbeat guitar arrangements. And although
many of the tracks could well have been lifted from a great many other
influences, the mood seems to be one of a more upbeat (almost Danceable)
nature, that brim with swirling strings, assorted guitar chords, Vibrant
Cuban rhythms, with small elements of techno, tribal beats & Breakbeat
backing up the proceedings, its as eclectic an album, as Hardway has ever
recorded.

Those following James Hardways career maybe disappointed by the lack of Drum n
Bass & Breakbeat that defined his early work. And those expecting those
albums here, would do well to hear this album before making the purchase, as
although there are still elements of breakbeat / D'n'B contained here, the
magpie approach to picking elements from other genres, has meant that there
are far less Breakbeat orientated tracks to choose from (and these are kept
at the latter half of the album).

There's a very strong Jazz / Cuban influence at work here, and, if your
familiar (or indeed like) the contemporary Jazz-fusion / Broken Beat scene,
then this is most heartily recommended, as it takes so many ideas and makes
workable tracks with them. And ignoring the fact the most of the tracks of
the first half are instrumental, because although instrumental, these tracks
are as fully realised and beautifully composed as the vocal tracks, there is
no real reason why you should pass on this album (unless of course of the
idea of 'Jazz-fusion' & 'Cuban/Dub' doesn't appeal). More wider reaching &
experimental than his earlier albums (and therefore possibly less
accessible), but no less worthy this his sublime earlier work.

I avoid reviews. I avoid unnecessary fan enthusiasm. But, honestly, James Hardway is a brilliant innovator able to work in drum-n-bass, jazz, and world beats. His fusion is unmatched and his albums reflect different variations each time.

Big Casino is top shelf piece of work, ranking somewhere near A Positive Sweat. I've found myself collecting each studio album and you may end up doing the same...

James Hardway is the MAN!!! What's great about him is the fact that each album he puts out is always consistent and an adventure...taking elements of D&B, techno, jazz, dub and tribal rhythms and melding them together into a pretty amazing CD! "Big Casino" is reminiscent of his earlier material on "Easy is a Four Letter Word", "Deeper Wider Smoother $#!^" and "Straight From the Fridge." Hardway doesn't employ the sultry vocals of Amanda Ghost as featured on "Positive Sweat", however, siren E Luv steps up to the plate and does a pretty impressive job nevertheless. "Big Casino" has enough appeal to chill you out as well as get you groovin' when needed!