Customer Reviews

New Constellations: Live in Vienna (Dig)

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Many have tried it, with limited success.

What's that, you say?

Reggae-jazz.

One thinks of, e.g., Jazz Jamaica. Or various Ernest Ranglin efforts. Or the Skatalites. Or even Dean Fraser.

What's missing? I'm not sure I know, but I'll give it a shot. Reggae's such a stylized music that it almost takes someone completely outside to successfully transfer it into a jazz idiom.

Lemme tell ya, Josh Roseman's the man. Just wacky enough to pursue his own skewed Island vision, just rooted enough to authentically evoke those elusive Jamaican vibes, he manages to retain that essential Rasta sensibility even as he extends the music way beyond the boundaries of Reggae comfort zones.

A lot of it's due, I believe, to the remarkable band he's assembled: young-scary trumpet monster, Ambrose Akinmusire; Bay-area sax warrior, Peter Apfelbaum; Aussie iconoclast keyboardist, Barney McAll; guitar funkmeister, Marvin Sewell; and, two names new to me, but exhibiting monster chops, Johnathon Maron, bass, and Justin Brown, drums. These cats attack and pulverize every motif and melodic suggestion with the aplomb and confidence of major players. What you get, then, is edgy, wacko weirdness steeped in authentic Island vibes.

Very attractive, IMHO.

This album is a mixture of reggae, jazz, and electronica. You would think that it would be impossible to blend these things in to a cohesive enjoyable album, but somehow Josh Roseman did it, and did it well. I don't think I have anything quite like this in my music collection. At its surface the songs are reggae songs, but there are subtle clever, gurgling electronic music embellishments throughout as well as fiery solos by Roseman and Peter Apfelbaum (sax, organ). This CD has a hipness to it that would let you play it at a trendy party, but yet also has depth to make it enjoyable to listen to it by yourself on headphones. I haven't been a fan or Roseman in the past but he really hit the mark on this album, and I hope he explores this style some more before moving on. Highly recommend for anyone looking for something novel and creative in modern jazz. If you are a fan of both jazz and reggae, you must pickup this CD.

Josh Roseman's music is like a dry wine with incredible flavor but then any great art form always is. The energetic and yet subtle rhythms continue but Constellations is different than previous works. I hate to say it but there are not enough innovators in the world of jazz, Josh Roseman however is one of them.