Customer Reviews

The Dawn

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

 

 

This recording by one of my favorite living trumpeters is as subtle as it is beautiful. It blends the ethereal tones of Erik Truffaz with the electric period of Miles but far less avant garde. If you love great trumpet and a tight band, this album flows like the most beautiful river you've ever seen. It's a must have for all Truffaz and/or trumpet lovers.

This album is the start of Truffaz' journey into the mix between jazz and electronica. You can already hear the drummer using drum'n'bass type beats that characterize later work.

The trumpet playing is sort of Miles Davis cool, but the beats and funky bass keep things happening.

Truffaz further blurs styles by incorporating hip-hop lyrics over top of some of the tracks. Great listen.

I thought this CD was generally good. However, I found the rapper to be rather trite. Maybe hackneyed is a better word. I just found him(Whatever his street name is, and it isn't worth the effort to go look on the album cover) to be trying too hard to evoke images of the oppressed rapper with a deep message.

It has been done a lot better by those who sound like they have actually experienced the street life. Even if they haven't actually experienced it either.

The other problem I had with this "rapper" is that there were instances of comments that were racist in nature and I found them to be offensive. The one comment that stands out is the statement in one of his raps that says "coming out of the jungle like JBs" or "jungle bunnies". Now, unless he is referring to James Brown's band from the 70's(which I doubt) this is clearly a racial slur. Having been Black for some 50 years now, I have had first hand experience with racial slurs. So, suffice it to say it lends more truth to the concept that the French are either stupid or just not nice people by using racial slurs in artistic expression.

Aside from the so-called rapper, the music was good and typical of the other works from Truffaz. Plenty of variation in style. Excellent skills, and improvisation. Cut out the rapper songs and it is still good jazz trumpet.