Customer Reviews

Tatoom

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

. . . this time out, playing all the steel drum parts himself.

I'll admit that, even though I'm probably the biggest Andy Narell fan on the planet, it's taken me a while to get on board with his recent switch to setting his music in the context of a steel orchestra. Since his move to France, he's been hanging out at the Calypsociation steelband school in Paris--for the last two years! During that time, he apparently has mastered the entire range of steelband instruments--and plays them all himself on this disc. They've got to be overdubbed; no one could possibly play six steel pans simultaneously. The question then arises, Why didn't he hire other players instead of playing all these pans himself? For a couple of reasons, I suspect. First, it appears he wants to master the entire range of steelband pans. Second, he's after a certain sound, not unlike when Ray Charles famously fired his entire girl backing chorus and sang all the parts himself.

That's OK. But isn't there a trade off between the energy that comes from live music vs. the precision one gets from overdubs? Actually, there's plenty of excitement in these grooves; it almost sounds as if it's recorded in real time. Perhaps that's what Andy's talking about when he says in the liner notes, "The project was very complicated logistically."

Though I must say I wasn't initially bowled over by this disc--it seemed a little muddled, the instruments blending into a mishmash--after several listenings lots of subtleties began to emerge: the individual instrumental voices started to clarify and the sound image come into focus; Narell's solos began to make sense; the fine contributions by the band and special invited players stood out.

Five out of six tunes come from previous Narell discs: "Tabanca," "Blue Mazooka," and "Appreciation" from Fire in the Engine room; and "Baby Steps" and "Izo's Mood" from We Want You to Say (as played by Narell's current band, Sasheko)--the title cut being the only new tune. Not to worry. The new expanded-instrumentation approach lends them freshness and a new fascination.

Guest Mike Stern, playing on two songs, "Baby Steps" and "Blue Mazooka," fits in so well he ought to be a regular member. No stranger to world jazz, it certainly wouldn't be that much of a stretch. David Sanchez, playing tenor sax on "Tabanca," also would make a great contribution as a regular. Not only is he able to instantly pick up on the vibe, his tone and concept seem absolutely tuned into the island feel that pervades this disc.

Though I initially had my doubts, carefully listening dispelled them. Another great session by Narell, who just keeps going from strength to strength. Highly recommended.

The first time I heard Andy Narell was on VH1 in 1990. Every Sunday night they used to devote an hour to videos by "jazz" artists. (Boy, has TV gotten worse since then.) Anyway, the video of "We Kinda Music" from the album "Little Secrets" was one of them. I was instantly drawn to Narell's music. Even though I've been a fan of his ever since, I had stopped listening to Andy Narell for awhile. Then, I heard "Izo's Mood" from this album and was absolutely stunned by how good it sounded. This is fantastic ensemble playing. To my ears, this is the best that Andy Narell has ever sounded. And the drumming and percussion are awesome! "Tatoom" is worth picking up for "Izo's Mood" alone. However, there is not a sub-standard track on this CD. If you like Andy Narell, you'll love "Tatoom."

Mr. Narell has managered to persevre the authentic sound of the beautiful southern caribbean Island nation of Trindad and combined it with a jazzy beat from the US to give us Tatoom. A wonderful piece of work, I can listen to it for hours

There's no question that Andy Narell is the master of contemporary Steel Drum music, but TATOOM is the master at his most self-indulgent. All but one of these pieces is over ten minutes long, with a bpm that (at least seemingly) never crosses 105-110. The title track drags its feet through increasingly boring variations (save a somewhat dissatisfactory climax around the 11 minute mark) and barely crosses its own finish line at 14 minutes. If you're looking for a solid steel drum recording, Narell's previous release THE PASSAGE is much more engaging and tasteful, if less polished.

As one reviewer points out, this is an album in which the entire steel orchestra of pans is played by one man - Andy Narell (not all at the same time, of course). The sound and harmonies are spectacular.
Another reviewer loves track 1, "Izo's Mood", and so do I. It swallows you up and fills the room (or car) with the most beautiful steel drum sounds I have ever heard. Not only is Andy Narell a virtuoso, he also plays on the finest steel pans and uses the latest recording technology to create unbelievable sounds. Thank You Mr. Narell. Don't miss this one.

Bravo!! A virtuoso performance by one of the finest jazz composers/performers working today. Great compositions, brilliant arrangements and terrific musicianship. Andy Narell is one of a kind.
While I believe "The Passage" to be his finest album, Tatoom is not far behind. It takes listening to it two or three times to really appreciate
this set but it is worth your while. I can't get enough of it. If you are a jazz fan you owe it to yourself to add this to your collection. It is absolutely brilliant!

I am a big Andy Narell fan and this latest DVD is possibly his best to date. I highly recommend it to any Narell fans.

I have purchased Andy Narell's new CD entitled "Tatoom" I have most of Andy's CD's and do not find this CD to be among his best. In fact I was a little disappointed with its contents. It didn't have the pizzazz the other CD's have. I think "Fire In The Engine Room" is among Andy's best. This CD grooves with a lot of spunk. It gives you that get up and go feeling. Tatoom has no zest to it. I hope that his next CD will have more zest. Tony Casaceli

I love Andy's music. He is an excellent musician. However, this release is not his best. To me, it is sort of background, easy listening pan music.

If you are new to Andy Narell, buy his "The Hammer" and "Slow Motion" CD's. They are excellent.

I love this CD! Andy Narell is a genius at his Caribean island sounds and guitarist Mike Stern truly takes some of this CD to a higher level on his tracks. Pure silk! If you like good feeling contemporay jazz like Pat Metheny and Al Dimelo, this is a must have!