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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First rate eclectic guitar-organ-sax jazz, March 14, 2004
For all of its promises of eclecticism, jazz can be a frustratingly ossified music. Musicians get in a groove and stay there, and audiences are more than happy to let them. But the best musicians in jazz --in any genre-- are akin to explorers: they want to find new songs, new styles, new means of expression; they know where to look for great songs and inspiration; and they revel in taking their audiences along for the ride.Which brings me to guitarist Skip Heller and his CD FAKE BOOK, a set which is, on its surface, a simple guitar-organ-sax combo disc in the tradition of great rockin' roadhouse jazz records by Wild Bill Davis or Jimmy Smith. But the song selection should tip you off that there's something a little bit different going on here: in the space of twelve tracks we go from Les Baxter ("Sophisticated Savage") and Jerry Goldsmith (the theme from the film "Chinatown") through Thelonious Monk ("Monk's Mood"), Prince ("Sometimes It Snows In April") and Duke Ellington ("Just Squeeze Me") before coming out in the end with Raymond Scott's "Power House" (in Skip's words, "(the) one song every American knows but doesn't know the name of or who wrote it") and a stark version of Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me." Such eclecticism is admirable, but of course anyone with a CD burner and a decent record collection can make a quirky mix CD. It takes a talented musician like Heller and his top-notch band (organist Joe Doria, reed player Robert Drasnin, and drummer John Wicks) to take all of the disparate stylistic elements and voices, and unite them so seamlessly that you wonder why the pieces were never connected before by someone else. Heller and compadres play with feeling and urgency (as in "You've gotta HEAR this song...") that makes their repertoire sound new and fresh and alive. And that is the essence of great jazz... of great music, period. If justice is served, Skip Heller should be a major voice in the jazz world by the time you read this. If not, buy this CD, play it, and pass the word on.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fake is truthfully terrific, May 8, 2004
The immensely talented Skip Heller may not have originally composed these songs, but it doesn't mean he doesn't know how to interpret them. Skip is one of the rare musicians who excels in a variety of musical styles - country, jazz, rockabilly, American classic (in the vein of Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne), to classical Mahler symphonies, but "Fakebook" concentrates on what could loosely be termed jazz - specifically, classics into which Skip and ensemble breathe imaginative and ingenious fresh air. Yet the musical vision on this CD seems to create its own genre which can't be neatly packaged with a single term.The song, "Chinatown" showcases the incredible talent of Robert Drasnin who solos on the sax, which sings so smoothly and so seemingly effortlessly that you just want to close your eyes and allow the music to breathe for you. In the same vein, "Monk's Mood" is a beautiful and dreamy secret that's whispered in your ear through Skip's guitar. Fake was recorded after a five-day tour of the Northwest, when the band was at its zenith for creativity and exuberance. The ears clearly concur that the songs do indeed amplify that energy. In fact, two of the songs, "Arriverderci Roma" and "Sometimes It Snows In April" are live performances from that tour. Each song is executed beautifully with nary a throwaway in the mix. It's difficult to choose a favorite, but my vote must go to Les Baxter's "Sophisticated Savage." It's as if every sweet note helps pave a path to a gorgeous dream from which you never wish to wake. The song is soft and sensual with an occasional very light rumble from the organ, threatening to break up the smooth clouds circling around your light head. A lot of criticism about music today involves a lack of innovation, aptitude, and simple engagement of the senses. Skip Heller's "Fakebook" is a perfect retort to those accusations and a wonderful promise of what is yet to come from this vivacious and enterprising musician.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Skip Heller plays it safe?, December 4, 2006
While not his best or most daring effort, Fakebook is Skip Heller at his most traditional. He is also at his most cautious here, which takes some of the fun out of a Heller record, which is usually a rollercoaster ride. But the unusual choice of material coupled with a solid groove organ combo base is the kind of thing that wins over the sort of jazz people who don't enjoy the forays into bluegrass, surf, klezmer, and other styles that make his guitar style so interesting. If your taste is more traditional jazz, this is the perfect starter. But if you're into jazz outside the box, you'd do better with Mean Things Happening In This Land or Bear Flag.
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