Latitude

Groundtruther with Greg Osby (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thirsty Ear
• ASIN: B0002IQOLE
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,292 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

It s one to share; the laugh s only on anybody who can t relish this music as something immensely playful, and is thus liable to miss what else there is to it. It s not trivial at all. --Popmatters

Following up and developing on the concept begun with 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter's first meeting with percussionist Bobby Previte, '03's Come in Red Dog, This is Tango Leader , the two artists form Groundtruther, a project with three proposed records to be released on the cutting edge Thirsty Ear Label, each with a different guest to round things out to a trio. If the first record, Latitude , is any indication, this is clearly like nothing we've ever heard from these artists before... Skirting the more experimental side of some of Thirsty Ear's other jazztronica recordings while maintaining a foot in the groove-happy work that Hunter has become known for, Groundtruther and Latitude represent a significant evolution for Hunter and Previte, and bode well for other recordings in the trilogy. --All About Jazz

Product Description

"Latitude" is the exciting first entry into a very special trilogy of recordings for Thirsty Ear s
Blue Series: an ongoing collaboration between Charlie Hunter and Bobby Previte, two unique and formidable musicians with reputations that precede them. Each album is made special with the addition of a different guest, so that each recording documents a fresh and unique trio.
Charlie Hunter is well-known as the world-class master of his custom-made 8-string guitar, on
which he fills the role not only of guitarist but bassist as well. Bobby Previte is a drummer, composer and leader who has gained great critical recognition for all facets of his musicianship. Greg Osby is a Blue Note recording artist who, in addition to his own success as a leader, has lent his
lyrical blowing skills on the alto sax to the music of such luminaries as Jack Dejohnette, Andrew Hill, Steve Coleman, and Jim Hall. On "Latitude" Osby s lyricism is morphed into countless shapes and colors, underpinned by Previte s use of electronic drums to trigger samples live and employ his percussion as a tonal instrument that intertwines with Hunter s endless rhythmic flow and funky melodicism. The result is a sound that speaks to jazz fans on both sides of the avant garde/ mainstream divide, as well as those who enjoy electronica or the jam-band scene. "Latitude"
is a great omen of what is to come in the rest of the trilogy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One down, two to go ..., August 26, 2004

By 

Troy Collins (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Latitude (Audio CD)

Latitude is the first album in a trilogy by Groundtruther, guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Bobby Previte's experimental new trio. Each album will feature a different rotating guest as the third member of the trio. For this session, that is saxophonist Greg Osby. Together these three conjure a sound world that is equal parts of their own making. Add Previte's electronic sampling drums to their usual arsenal of organic instruments, and you have a session as rhythmically varied as it is texturally complex.

Although acid jazz is a deservedly maligned term held over from the 1990's, there is a flirtation with that danceable vibe on this disc. But groove never overcomes the more exploratory side of the group's focus. Drum n' Bass and Jungle rhythms flirt with reverb laden guitar lines and swirling bop inflected alto sax lines. The pieces vary from slow burn to BPM crazy. Complemented by loops, vocal samples and electronic flourishes, the trio is as sonically dense as a group twice it's size. Fans of these three artists who are looking for something a bit more raw from their usual output will find much to love on this album.

It will be interesting to see how each new invited guest affects the overall sound of the group and where that takes them on their forthcoming releases: "Longitude," and "Altitude." No other label does modern electronic jazz cross-over as well as Thirsty Ear does and this album is one of their finest examples.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding, June 28, 2005

By 

Ron (El Cerrito, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Latitude (Audio CD)

If you love fascinating sonic textures, rhythms both catchy and elusive, and a playful yet controlled approach to song structure, there's a good chance you'll love this disc as much as I do. One reviewer calls this "avant-garde," but if that puts you in mind of the formless abandon of, say, Cecil Taylor, or the scronking wildness of Albert Ayler, you won't find that here. Every song has its own vocabulary of sound and rhythm, which Hunter, Previte, and Osby use as a framework for creative exploration--always with a groove holding everything together, sometimes upfront, sometimes subtle. Atmospheric, haunting, fun, pensive, inspiring, original, eminently listenable. If you prefer Charlie Hunter's more mainstream albums, this may not be your cup of tea, but if you were longing for something that was as wonderful as Bill Frisell's most creative work (without sounding a bit like Frisell), I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no candy groove pop here...hhoorraayy, August 14, 2008

By 

inkster - See all my reviews

This review is from: Latitude (Audio CD)

A welcome departure from the usually predictable candy groove pop, which I find entertaining, but only for the first two or three spinns
This album is varied in it's content and solid in terms of performances.
I like it a lot.