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This review is from: Chimera (Audio CD)
All About Jazz: Chimera - Russ Spiegel | SteepleChase Records (2007)By Troy Collins http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26352 Chimera is guitarist Russ Spiegel's fourth album and first for Steeplechase. His previous releases include a rock record, a live big band recording and a mainstream date for Doublemoon (2001's Twilight). This sextet session finds him in the company of an adventurous and like-minded set of peers. Channeling the spirited energy of hard-bop with the progressive aesthetics of rock music, Spiegel carves out his own niche in the contemporary jazz scene. Spiegel is joined by a cast of talented, but relative unknowns, including trumpeter David Smith, saxophonist Arun Luthra, vibraphonist Nick Mancini, bassist Gary Wang and drummer Anthony Pinciotti. While their names might not ring a bell now, time will tell. Opening with the brisk Blue Note styled title track, Spiegel's fleet, clean-toned guitar and Mancini's euphonious vibes lead the way for a string of enthusiastic introductory solos. "Polychrome World" reveals a lyrical side, a moody acoustic meditation on the bossa nova form. "The Last March" follows, clocking in at over 11 minutes, demonstrating an entirely different aspect of the sextet. Revealing his rocker past, Spiegel churns out distorted power chords and searing, single-note embers as the sextet grinds out a rubato march cadence. The rhythm section balances nuanced, conversational interaction with a surly web of forward momentum while the ensemble unleashes soloists from a collective sonic vortex. Invoking the simmering electro-acoustic fury of Miles' Filles De Kilimanjaro (Columbia, 1968) Spiegel's sextet burns bright with roiling energy. Demonstrating his traditional chops, Spiegel reharmonizes "Cherokee" with the tricky chord changes of Coltrane's "Countdown," yielding an intense variation on the old chestnut. With empathetic interplay, the sextet stokes a monolithic groove on "Wo Bleibt Die Seele," as Spiegel's soaring guitar feedback knits to Luthra's circuitous soprano saxophone wails in seamless polyphonic unison. Whether bouncing through the resonant optimism of "Good Night" or digging into the rambunctious collective frenzy of "Herr Boehnke," Spiegel's sextet demonstrates an all-embracing concept. Chimera is indicative of its title, a satisfying hybrid of post-modern chutzpah and traditional know-how. Personnel: Russ Spiegel: guitar; David Smith: trumpet, flugelhorn; Arun Luthra: alto and soprano saxophones; Nick Mancini: vibraphone: Gary Wang: bass; Anthony Pinciotti: drums. Style: Modern Jazz/Free Improvisation | Published: July 20, 2007 ---------------------------------------------------------------- EJazzNews.com: CD Reviews: Russ Spiegel, "Chimera" Posted by: editoron Friday, July 20, 2007 - 08:23 AM Reviews By: Edward Blanco http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=8266&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 New York-based guitarist and composer Russ Spiegel releases his fourth album as leader and the first under the SteepleChase label with Chimera. Except for one standard the album features original compositions in an essentially progressive mainstream style delivering a generally up-tempo sound with sophisticated melodies and colors. Spiegel assembled a fine sextet incorporating an excellent blend of instruments. Joining the leader here are David Smith (trumpet), Arun Luthra (saxophones), Nick Mancini (vibes), Gary Wang (bass) and Anthony Pinciotti (drums). I really enjoy listening to an album that starts off in blistering fashion as this one does with two of the best tracks setting the stage for rest of the music. The opening cut and title tune, "Chimera," begins with warm vibrations from Mancini which almost immediately explodes with phrasings from Smith's trumpet sharply engaged by Spiegel's clever chords leading to a Luthra sax solo on a superb opening number. The music only gets better with the following track "Polychrome World," a beautiful ballad style piece featuring Mancini's delicious vibraphone playing leading to a Luthra expression on the soprano as Spiegel gently joins in on one soft and mystifying melody for what is clearly best tune on the album. The third cut, "The Last March," is not exactly one of the more memorable numbers here. This almost twelve-minute very progressive and sophisticated free style jazz sound may only appeal to the die hard aficionados. The music gets back in gear with a striking rendition and only standard on this disc of Ray Noble's "Cherokee." The album rounds out with the a dark piece in "Wo Bleibt Die Seele," the lovely slow ballad of "Good Night" featuring the trumpeter and the finale, "Herr Boehnke," another hard-driving almost fusion-like tune. If Russ Spiegel wanted to make some sort of musical statement with this recording, I believe he succeeded. Chimera is one very special album delivering a unique sound that sets it apart from other groups. Intellectual to the core, melodic and elegant, the music will engage and challenge you at the same time. A fine session of introspective progressive jazz. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- RUSS SPIEGEL/Chimera: Back when there was a real record business, labels would sign cats like this for the prestige, or to keep others from signing them, or to have them handy if they needed a session cat to clean up a session that needed something extra. A killer guitarist that's simply welcome all over the world, Spiegel lays it down without pretense or drama and let's his clean lines and solid playing provide all the drama and dynamic tension non-smooth jazz should have, even when he's playing it light and easy. A tasty cat you should definitely get to know. 31622 (Steeplechase) Volume 30/Number 266 July 24, 2007 MIDWEST RECORD 830 W. Route 22 #144 Lake Zurich, IL., 60047 CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher (c)2007 Midwest Record http://www.midwestrecord.com/
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