Customer Reviews

Trading With the Enemy

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

 

 

I don't think in the 1950s or 1960s there was really such a thing as hipster jazz. Lenny Bruce and the beat poets and jazz musicians cross bred in Greenwich Village, but it was really long after the fact that this became imagery--a filterless cigarette, a fedora, an upright bass neck surrounded by smoke.

Now, we have the mythology, and a whole genre of music to be made with a rich if long ago lineage behind it. Take Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch, maybe some Modern Jazz Quartet, some 1960s euro soundtrack music, and ask yourself, if we were in 1962 New York, what would we sound like?

That answer is provided with conviction by Tuatura. This album has all the blues, aggressive chord structures, vibraphones and baritone saxes needed to create those long ago shadowed fedoras of the mind, walking in 4am Manhattan, on the street street but underground. There are modern production traces here, some marimba and other exotica that probably would not have been placed in the 50 year old article. But I hear a lot of Dolphy, Lalo Schfrin, Quincy Jones, which far outweighs any 1990s adulterations.

Does it work: absolutely. This music is well played, and much more importantly, understood deeply enough by Tuatara that it never becomes parody. If you were a 12-year-old just discovering jazz and had no idea of any history before the I-pod, the five shot espresso blues and snarling sax is more than hooky enough to snag any boy or girl genius with wings beyond Jessica Simpson.

An excellent piece of jazz-cum-rock-cum-latin and whatever have you, this record is both endlessly surprising and still wonderfully coherent. Masterly crafted by a bunch of very talented musicians - you'll only notice they're much more talented than you thought: hear Pearl Jam's Mike Stone playing the piano, Peter Buck on dulcimer, Scott McCaughey on Japanese traditional koto... Made by such an eclectic group of people, this record sounds nevertheless as if made in a jazzman's heaven. Go get it!

Initially heard a couple of tunes on PRI's "World Cafe". The first one titled "The Streets of New Delhi" reminded me of the theme for Mission Impossible. By the second song, "Fela the Conqueror", I was hooked. So I ended up taking a detour and purchasing the CD before getting home. This CD just grooves, blending music of all forms, from traditional jazz to melodic latin vibes to percussion laden african jams into a sometimes funky, sometimes soothing, always intriguing musical delight. It's worth checking out. You'd never imagine Peter Buck of R.E.M. fame being a part of this band.

Perhaps, for the most part, there are two types of people who are unable to appreciate tuatara's musical prose: 1) those are are intrumentally inept; and 2) those far too musically adept. But, of course, there really are only two types of people in the world: 1) those who think they can classify other's into two categories; and 2) those who know better. Regardless, tuatara spawns passionate dances one minute only to be followed by intuitive reflections and meditations the next. A must have for the majority of us affectionate with the'fun is just beginning' non-classifiable jazz/world beat fusion bands.

a totally unique blend of jazz, new age, rock & world music, there isn't a bad track on this disc. some nrg, mostly mellow without being annoying, sappy or slow. lotsa chimes, sax, & vibes.

my b.f told me to get this c.d for him, and he insisted on me listening to it as well, i loved it from the first song onwards! i was really surprised that this c.d hasn't been advertised that much! it's great! and its sound is so different, something that we definitely need in the muic industry!!!

While certainly not among the worst rockstar side projects and in fact quite a refreshing change of pace from the endless navel gazing of REM, one still can't help but wonder what the point of this music is. Why not spring for a Stan Getz or John Coltrane or Ben Webster (or Hugo Montenegro for that matter)CD and hear the real thing? Why settle for the ersatz schmaltz which this CD delivers? This sounds pretty good after the basic 'alternative' band configuration of bass, drums, guitar and lead singer but then almost anything would. Rock stars parading their influences and good taste in music is a pretty empty exercise and empty is how I would describe this music.

Tuatara should forget about doing music for films (they have expressed some interest in this via interviews). They could make a big wad of cash if they started their own company - a company similar to MUZAK. For starters, Tuatara could market this music as "global elevator music" - music to be played, for example, in all the exotic Sheraton hotel elevators that dot the globe. Tuatara are pioneers. They have created a new market niche for themselves. After all, the locals in Turkenia couldn't play and record like this even if they tried! It takes innovative western entrepreneurs to recognize opportunities like this! I sincerely respect their efforts (there are few bands doing this kind of thing) and I bet you didn't know this: One of Tuatara's members has recorded music on many occasions for MUZAK! I'm sure they pay well, but I hope that this project will put MORE money into the dude's pockets. After all, it doesn't pay to work for the man! I FRIGGIN! ' LOVE THIS COUNTRY. Next time your paycheck gets you down - get busy. DIY! And remember - this music is best heard at low volume, out of a little round ceiling-mounted speaker...