Customer Reviews

Detroit Experiment

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

 

 

I like surprises. I like things that zig and zag in unexpected but pleasant ways. I'm not a purist. I think that mixing contrasting elements lends interest and excitement.

I'm not a big jazz fan, but I'm finding that if you give jazz a good groove, I like it.

All this is background for my opinion that this is an outstanding collection. Each piece stands on it's own, contrasts nicely with the other entries without any (to me) jarring discordancies, and internally, nicely contrasts the sophistication of jazz compositional elements with more contemporary rhythmic and production influences in varying degrees; some tracks the jazz influence predominates, on others the hip-hop or techno influences come to the fore.

I agree with another reviewer that the Amp Fiddler track sounds like "Stevie Wonder on a ... drug trip", but to be honest, it's the kind of zig or zag that I think makes this CD very entertaining and enjoyable.

I saw this CD in the store and I kept looking at it. I had previously purchased the Philadelphia Experiment CD and I loved it. I do not know what made me put this CD back. Now after hearing for the first time I think Detroit is definitely on the map with this one. Regina Carter is just smooth. This is just a smooth jazzy groovy album. I love it. If you like jazz, be bop, hip hop then this is it. You just got to have this one.

My only problem with this record is that it is just not close to being as good as the original "Experiment" in Philadelphia. On this record it is clear that those who should have had the most influence with the record did not. The all to present techo in the record in my mind brings the entire cd down. This album easily could have been as good or better than the original, given the talent present, however in my mind it falls sadly short.

Who knew the city of Detroit could have something good in it! This is the best merge of electric and jazz musics I have ever heard. This is a must have for anyone who loves jazz.

D-town has done it this time. I smooth mix of jazz and hip-hop. You need this one for your collection.

. . . but not in music.

Detroit Experiment, Rope-a-Dope's follow-up to the hugely successful Philidelphia Experiment, ably illustrates this. Things are going along swimmingly with some of Detroit's top jazz artists and studio players struttin' their stuff when we're blindsided by "Too High," by Mr. Amp Fiddler on synths and vocals. One can only scratch one's head at its insipidity. It bears about the same relation to this project that David Crosby's song "Mind Gardens" bore to the Byrds' great album, Younger Than Yesterday: both "tunes" almost ruin the otherwise glorious proceedings. Sounding like Stevie Wonder on a bad drug trip, Fiddler nearly fiddles away the magic that has henceforth emerged from this strange and beautiful experiment.

A question arises: Why do these things happen? The only possible explanation is that some kind of perverse musical democracy lets things get this out of hand, where genius is dragged to earth by self-indulgent, hippy-dippy noodling.

Sadly, things never quite get back on track until the last track, a brief reprise of an earlier cut, Revelation--although it, too, is badly compromised by two-plus minutes of pointless, bloodless drum machine diddling. What are these people thinking? Anyone with an half an ear can certainly hear the difference between the glories of the jazz numbers (even--maybe, especially--when infused by funk and hip-hop elements) and the insipidity of the non-jazz, straight hip-hop numbers.

What's the lesson here? Let the big daddies (and mommas)--the Marcus Belgraves and Bernie Maupins and Geri Allens and Regina Carters--have basic control. Let their years of hard-fought striving for a distinct musical voice and hard-won musical brilliance take the lead in creating the basic vibe of the music; then bring in the younger, brasher, up-and-comers to add spice and coloration. But don't, DON'T give them center stage. They're just as likely as not to spoil something really great, as they do here.

And it's all really a shame. What could have been an authentic meeting of musical generations and forms becomes almost pure self-indulgence. What could have been a glorious five-star-with-no-hedged-bets outing, becomes something that one struggles to give four stars to, despite the brilliance of the first two-thirds of the record.