Customer Reviews

Krantz Carlock Lefebvre

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Krantz Carlock Lefebvre is undoubtedly one of the finest records that I have heard in a long time. This is a stellar trio performing music that defies all categorization. Wayne is known to be always on the cutting edge of music, uncompromising, bold and truly musical. There are tunes on this album that you can listen to in a club or in the confines of a very high end stereo system. There is a certain amount of warmth in the recording and the music that can be heard by listening to the disc or FLAC files. I would not recommend Mp3s.
The tone, the percussive nature of his playing, his relentless pursuit for new sounds can be all heard on KCL. For Krantz fans who have listened and enjoyed his previous albums, you will love this even more... and for people who are discovering Wayne Krantz for the first time, I am jealous. Its a magical feeling to discover an artist like Wayne Krantz. Keith Carlock who is one of most outstanding drummer is absolutely on fire. Hear him with Rudder. My nod to Tim Lefebvre for being so musical and just solid support with Keith. A five star recording in book . Fans of Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, PoP music, Wilco, Phish, Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin should all equally enjoy this well crafted piece of work.

These guys are monsters.
Creativity? Just maybe a little.
This is a masterpiece or as close as you can get.

Wayne,
I put this CD right there with Extrapolation.
Of course it's nothing like it really but for me it's on that kind of artistic level.
It does to me what Extrapolation did to me.
That was 40 years ago but your band hits me the same way.
It must be so fun to play the way you guys play.
Best regards,Roy

I first saw Wayne Krantz a couple of years ago at the tiny 55 Bar in the Village, I was blown away that someone with such an original voice and an equally powerful band was playing such a small club. Most of Wayne's previous records were live affairs with a very basic recording set-up (a lot are just one mic in the club). I love all of this guys work but on this recording he took a little time, brought his mighty trio into a studio and the results are impressive. You can really hear what each of these monster players are doing and they went for a great groove over a show-boazting chops fest (Make no mistake however, Krantz, Carlock and Lefebvre have chops that mere mortals only dream of). This isn't strictly jazz and it's not strictly rock, the only way I can describe it is, Wayne Krantz music; it's mighty funky, adventerous and grooves from start to finish. In my opinion this is one of the best instrumental guitar records (well almost, there are a few vocals) since Jeff Beck's, "Blow by Blow" . Buy this recording and catch these guys ASAP; something tells me that small clubs may not loom large in these masters future.

I can't get this CD out of my player. Probably heard it about 14 times in a row. The thing I love most is that the pieces have a definite "composed" feeling to them. Krantz and his bands have always offered greatly entertaining recordings featuring largely improvised tunes. This album marks a bit of a change from his past work in that he has prepared the structure of the songs more deliberately while still maintaining the freedom of movement within them. Great work!

I appreciate this new work by Wayne Krantz a guitarist that I admire in particular for one album that I own, "Signals". Wayne is truly a gifted musician, he has a voice of his own and he is able to write curious, intriguing and beautiful music. It's a music that defies categorization (so why try to define it?) and this of course could be good or bad (if we don't want to use the abused word "Fusion" that doesn't mean a thing more). It depends. This album is a team job and with this I mean that noone of the three musicians really stands out. The protagonist is the music magma they alltogether are able to produce. I like this music, really I can't find so many words to describe it, because it is a sort of intense sonic extravaganza that you could love or feel nothing for it. The musicianship of course is very high here, this is not questionable. Frankly speaking I have to say that in the end I still love "Signals" more than this one. That was a Wayne Krantz album where his really advanced phrasing and his great sense for rhythmn and melody were evident in all their beauty. This is something different, Wayne is not upfront like he was in Signals and this is more of a "jam album" that a composed one like "Signals" was. Of course there are themes and lines but overall it is the sense of spontaneous improvisation that prevails. I still adore Wayne's advanced phrasing in tunes such as "Alliance", "One or two", "Signals", "Don't tell me" and the lovely ballad "As is" from "Signals" more ... I find those tunes even more fantastic today under the light of this new album by Wayne, which is, a very good "team album" that I find myself listening more and more, .... maybe it is more contemporary, more rockish, but maybe less musically significant and ... brilliant ... (?). Yes, maybe it is just this. It is more in line with our days, it is hip ... but with less musical value (and with this I mean the value of a melody, of a composition, of a musical statement). It's only my feeling ... you have to hear for yourself the album, maybe you could disagree completly. Nevertheless I feel the need to give this album 5 stars (I thought about 4 but in the end I feel it deserves 5), because it's very high music, this is another NON questionable thing. Tastes are tastes, and opinions are opinions, but these guys are extremely serious "new" sceriffs in town, you have to listen to them very carefully. The album is very good indeed, it will not be lost time even if you will find yourself not compeltly in tune with this stuff.

I new very little about these artists until I listened to a couple of brief sound bites. When I received the disc and gave it a full listen, I was absolutely blown away by the performance. The musicianship from all three artists is first rate, and the production is perfect layering each performance so you get the individual pop from each instrument while also enjoying the overall impact of all three artists together. The music is mostly hard driving fusion jazz, but with enough subtle moments to give the listener a necessary break once in a while. The compositions often appear to be extended jams, but you soon realize each song is carefully constructed with an expert return to the original theme and an effective finish. What a breath of fresh air combining the drive of rock with the finesse and artistry of jazz and the improvisational structure that keeps the listener glued and waiting for what comes next. Highly recommended.

Never heard of these guys. Read a review here and have to agree. I play this over and over too in the car.

after a 13-year hiatus; the last one was done in tandem w/ guitarist Lenni Stern, and is called "Separate Cages". Not that WK has been unemployed or anything of that nature, for over the last decade he has brought his talent to projects like Victor Bailey: Low Blow (1999), David Binney: Balance (2002), Chris Potter: Underground (2006), Donald Fagen: Morph the Cat (2006) and Tal Wilkenfeld: Transformation (2007). During the same time he had been honing rapport in the present trio, releasing 3 self-published CDs - whose sound quality leaves a lot to be desired for - that document the gig experience at 55 Bar, NYC.

In this respect, the music on this disc is an extension of their accumulated efforts. Stylistically, it is more of a mixture of progressive rock, blues, funk than jazz-rock. While distortion, wah-wah, surreal loop modulator, etc. effects are being liberally applied to the material, my prior expectations have not been met. For example, I miss the type of intriguing chord-melody sequences that characterizes the album "Long to be Loose" (Enja, 1993), which - imho - is still WK's best record to date. Concerning his current bandmates: K. Carlock, sporting a hellboyish look on the CD cover, is pretty good (he hasn't been voted the best drummer for nothing recently, though it would be great to see how he performs in a jazz setting); granted, T. Lefebvre is fully aware of the in's and out's of supporting rhythmic structure this particular musical adventure demands, yet he fails to create memorable basslines, and could utilize slapping technique or alternatively grab a fretless bass guitar on several cuts -- the closing theme is a case in point. The tunes I like most are 'wine is the thread' (being a much too eager consumer of the said beverage myself), 'the earth from above', 'holy joe' and 'rugged individual'. Audio mastering is the work of the keyboardist for the now-defunct Tribal Tech, Scott Kinsey. Running time: 54.42 mins.

I recently purchased this new trio outing by Wayne Krantz, drummer Keith Carlock & bassist Tim Lefebvre. To begin with I was really excited judging by what I'd heard ftom Krantz in the past and knowing how kick butt Carlock & Lefebrve are on their respective instruments. Honestly I feel this record didn't reach the potential of these great musicians, mainly do to the weird vocals on a few of the tunes like the first track, the worst thing is the vocals are all in that comical vain that you might hear in certain kinds of bad funk music. I hate to say this but just like Victor Wooten's vocalizing on pretty much all his solo discs & especially the sad Soul Circus which I personally hated & I love Wooten. Back to Krantz aside from the lame vocals the playing is great on all fronts but nothing really new as far as pushing the envelope even as far as Krantz's composition style is concerned. You get the cool hybrid of funk,rock and jazz but the music has strong leanings to a heavier rock sound on several of the tunes, and a welcome addition in my opinion of subtle drum & bass grooves and drumming from the awesome Keith Carlock & Tim Lefebvre. Personally I liked the live Wayne Krantz album Two Drink Minimum a whole lot more and was expecting a continuation of sorts from this trio & album, which you basically get but like I said before in my mind not even close to the potential of this trio. I'll close saying that I believe you should definitely check this out & decide for your self. I mean its not a bad record by any means just has some strange things going on. Check this one out if your a fan of Wayne Krantz & these great musicians.

I really thouth that this will be a power trio,but is not.Mr.Carlock does not show anything.