Perpetual Motion

Donny Mccaslin (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Green Leaf Records
• ASIN: B004685VTC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,145 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Donny Delivers! February 25, 2011

By Jonathan Guarriello

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Here we have the latest offering from the NYC based saxophonist Donny McCaslin. In my opinion McCaslin is a talent deserving wider recognition. His voice on his primary sax the tenor is a mixture of the past greats, to my ear the late Michael Brecker's influence is present as well as the great father of modern jazz tenor Wayne Shorter. Despite his influence's Donny has developed a signature sound on tenor that's very distinct & a singular compositional style that to my ears aims to blend the past with the present & future. That brings us to Perpetual Motion which is his first album for Dave Douglas's record label Green Leaf which if you've followed Donnie's career path will come to no surprise because McCaslin replaced Chris Potter in Douglas's quintet. I always like to say a few words about the supporting cast of a given album, this album features some of NYCs most in demand sidemen. On keys is the fantastic Uri Caine a Philly native who is like a musical chameleon either leading his funky fusion group Bedrock or the opposite extreme playing acoustic jazz with Dave Douglas. Uri delivers! Adam Benjamin plays Fender Rhodes & other electric boards on the majority of the tracks, he plays excellent support laying down funky accents or lush chordal pads with the rhodes. On electric bass appearing on all ten tracks is the funky groove machine Tim LeFavbe. Tim gets a really dark & slightly dirty bass tone that is fat & supportive when down low but adds just enough highs & mids to his sound to allow nice note clarity & definition, he steps on several synth & envelope style effects pedals to augment his clean tone and the effects are used with taste. Two very awesome drummers spilt the tracks almost in half. Antonio Sanchez plays on tracks 1-6 & Mark Guiliana is on 7-10.... David Binney also appears as producer & sound effects guy playing alto on one track. The music in my opinion is if you had to label it might be called fusion but I prefer just calling it modern jazz because in this day & age I believe the true jazz musician draws his music from his life & all the guys playing jazz today are usually influenced by rock,hip hop, electronica & funk as well as jazz, Donny is no exception his music is an original hybrid of all the mentioned styles. The album starts off with a bang with Five Hands Down a piece that brings to mind Miles Davis's 70s fusion but with alot more direction. The 2nd tune is the title track & is alot more mellow to start but as the piece progresses the music gets more intense & more funky. The key word here is progressive. This music is not for the faint of heart or if your looking for some nice straight ahead acoustic jazz. This music is definitely electrified & very funky. Definitely along the lines of Dave Douglas's Keystone bands sound. Standout tracks for me are track 6 Memphis Redux a funky back beat driven with nice wurlitzer support & acoustic piano. I could keep going with good things to say about this music but I'd hate to denie you the experience of surprise when first hearing new music. Just trust me when I say if your fans of the artists & groups I'v mentioned than just go ahead & pick this up. You won't regret it... Read more ›

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally...real jazz! September 10, 2011

By C. P. Bell

Format:Audio CD

Well, it's about time. After slogging through an assortment of heinous smooth jazz albums cropping up left and right I was dying for some real jazz and here it is...funk jazz at its finest! If you are interested in cheesy salsa beats and drum machines then avoid "Perpetual Motion" at all costs. If you want inventive, creative compositions played by skilled musicians then this album is for you.

Sometimes gliding effortlessly and sometimes honking madly, Donny McCaslin's starring role as tenor sax soloist is never dull or uninspired. Each track glides seamlessly one into the next, hence "Perpetual Motion". Nice title aka thematic device! Overall, there's a lot to love here including brilliant compositions, great improvisation, competent blending of styles (funk, jazz, electronica), and masterful technique (great intonation, dynamics, etc). There's a lot of variety and personally I'd say this effort almost borders on experimental, creating a kinky neo-jazz vibe. Also, considering the fact that McCaslin is the star of the show, it's nice to see every section shine whether it be the electric piano in "Firefly", the drums in the interlude "East Bay Grit", or the aching piano composition in "For Someone". This alternating between different types of improvisation and instrumentation brilliantly breaks up the monotony.

Stand out tracks include the indelible "Firefly" with its ultra somber tone and superb use of the electric piano aka fender rhodes. This track is so atmospheric and spacey I'm convinced it would've made the perfect backdrop for a Hendrix solo...sounds like something out of 'Electric Ladyland'. "L.Z.C.M." features a whole lot of bass while the sax (occasionally) takes a backseat. Love the saxophone, but playing with funky bass lines is a welcome respite.... "Impossible Machine" features a sax off, as Binney's alto and McCaslin's tenor duet is perfectly synchronized and replete with soul.

The only people I would not recommend this album to are those who are drawn to sleepy, gentle jazz albums. Some of the tracks have a ballad quality to them, but overall, "Perpetual Motion" is better suited for adventurous listeners. Read more ›

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius October 27, 2011

By Cliff Clive

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Donny rocks the house with "Perpetual Motion". When I saw him perform recently at LA's Blue Whale, on the ceiling above him was the following quote which elegently describes Donny's "Perpetual Motion": The branches of your intelligence grow new leaves in the wind of this listening." Highly recommended.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Post Bop, Fusion, with a tinge of Funk March 27, 2011

By Scott Williams

Format:Audio CD

Overview:

Perpetual Motion is another great release by Donny McCaslin. The album is full of dramatic themes, blazing solos, romping bass lines, and nice touches of electronics. It has a real modern feel to it without sounding to "fusiony". Generally I'm not a fan of the electric bass, but it really works here. Tim Lefebvre does a masterful job of avoiding electric bass clichés such as cheesy thumb slapping and keeps a clean jazzy, walking bass line sound throughout. McCaslin, who in my opinion is the best tenor sax soloist out there today, shreds over the top of a canopy of post bop, fusion, electronica, and funk. The album is produced by frequent McCaslin collaborator, Dave Binney. In addition to producing the album, Binney plays sax on one track and adds electronic effects throughout the album. The album, which is on Dave Douglas' Greenleaf label, features several Douglas alumni, including Adam Benjamin and Uri Caine. Here is the complete list of performers:
Donny McCaslin - tenor sax all tracks
Adam Benjamin - fender Rhodes & piano tracks 1-7 + 9
Tim Lefebvre - electric bass all tracks
Antonio Sanchez - drums tracks 1-5
Mark Guiliana - drums tracks 6-9
Uri Caine - piano tracks 4,10 Fender Rhodes & piano track 8
Dave Binney - alto sax track 9 + electronics on all tracks.

Song Highlights:

Perpetual Motion - This tune starts off slowly as a meandering post bop tune. At about the 1-minute mark it builds to a dramatic theme, which leads into a cool piano/bass riff and then a McCaslin solo. Eventually everything but bass and drums fade out and McCaslin tears it up trio style. After a ferocious solo by McCaslin Benjamin offers a surreal solo on the Fender Rhodes. The end of the song is just killer.... The last two minutes or so is just this wild dreamy mix of bass, keyboards, and electronics.

L.Z.C.M. - I'm not sure what it stands for, but it is funky as hell. The tune opens up with bangin' bass line. Benjamin adds some distorted keyboard over the top, which is just killer. At the start this sounds more like a funk tune than a jazz tune, however McCaslin comes in at about the two-minute mark and the tune becomes a mix of jazz and funk. Benjamin has a real unorthodox solo, which features a whole host of wacky sounds.

Five Hands Down - This is a real driving tune. It opens with a riff that reminds one of some 70s fusion, but then segues in to post bop. The first time I listened to this tune, I was thinking this was a pretty, and then McCaslin just lets loose with a Pharaoh Sanders style scream at the end of the tune that elevates the song to a new level.

A very modern take on jazz and a must have for McCaslin, Binney, and Adam Benjamin fans. Read more ›