Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery

Scotty Hard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thirsty Ear
• ASIN: B000ICLTRI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #24,224 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Celebrated hip-hop producer Scotty Hard realizes a longstanding ambition on Radical Reconstructive Surgery: the pairing of keyboardists John Medeski and Matthew Shipp. This album documents the first-ever recorded encounter of the two players, both former students of the New England Conservatory of Music. Half the pieces consist of written collaborations between Medeski, Shipp and Hard; the remainder of the tunes were written by Hard.


Medeski and Shipp are joined by stalwart bassist William Parker and rising drummer Nasheet Waits. Effortlessly flowing from one funky gambit to the next, Parker and Waits lay a solid, rhythmic foundation with in-the-pocket grooves. Mauricio Takara intermittently adds percussion, while DJ Olive introduces subtle atmospheric textures into the mix. Hard's understated contributions provide the sort of focused sonic cohesion that supergroup meetings such as this often lack.


Hard's role as matchmaker pays ample dividends; Medeski and Shipp make an analogously funky pair. Medeski generates idiosyncratic variations on an assortment of old analog keyboards while Shipp expels pensive, angular melodies, primarily on piano. Parker's monolithic bass tone and Waits' adept drumming are further amplified by Hard's beat-heavy post-production skills. DJ Olive's swirling textures float freely throughout, while Hard cuts the original organic recording session into skittering fragments and jittery blasts of sound.


The soloing here is brief and thematically concise. Medeski and Shipp are more concerned with texture and ambience than endless virtuoso noodling. Anchored by the rhythm section's heavy bottom end, the keyboardists chime in to accentuate the mood, dabbling in brief discourses. Mostly it's an amalgamation of Medeski and Shipp's personal styles. Only "Anatomy of Melancholy" sounds anything like a typical MMW groove, with its ebullient shuffle rhythm, cascading piano riff and punchy bass line. "Cocktail" conjures the swinging futurism of Sun Ra in just under two minutes. The majority of the session is dominated by cybernetic funk and moody sci-fi ambience, awash in old school retro-futurism.


Another successful collaboration from Thirsty Ear's Blue Series, Radical Reconstructive Surgery is truth in advertising about Scotty Hard's augmentation of a studio recording between two like-minded masters. Funky, adventurous and succinct, it delivers all the best traits the series has to offer.
--All About Jazz

Product Description

This is the collaboration of some of the heaviest hitting in artists in the world of music. FFeaturing John Medeski ( Of Medeski Martin and Wood) Matthew Shipp, and Scott Hardin ( Aka Scotty Hard), This is a true nexus of artistic forces.

Medeski and Shipp's relationship dates back to their das at the New England Conservatory of Music, where they were sutdents togeher. Taking quite differend parths to success since them each has established their niche in the modern era of jazz: Shipp as a leader in modern jazz, and medeski in the wildly successful band Medeski Martin and Wood.


On "...Radical Reconstructive Surgery', Scotty Har's vision has been fully realized with this first recording of Medeski and Shipp playing together with the staller rhythm section of William Parker on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums, with additional drumming by Mauricio Takara. FJ Olive also lays down his considerable turntable skill to complete the line up for this historic project.


Enjoy this sonic brew of brilliance.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars thirsty ear returns, October 14, 2006

By	max power - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery (Audio CD)

much of the music i have heard from thirsty ear in the past couple years has been decent, but without knowing why i just lost interest in what the label was putting out. Too much of it really sounded the same with the exception of dj spooky's albums and Matthew shipp's "harmony and the abyss" So when i picked up this disc i was prepared for the worst but what i got was easily the best music i'v heard from thirsty ear so far! It's full of atmosphere with moments of weirdness and beauty. Medeski sticks with the keyboards, allowing shipp to handle the acoustic keys. This is really what helps the album to be so enjoyable, neither of these guys take it over. Parkers bass is thumping and dancing all over this cd. Then you have scotty hard's production and mixes that will make any dub or hip hop fan happy. Very nice!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Annoying funk noodling that goes nowhere, January 26, 2007

By	Jan P. Dennis "Longboard jazzer" (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery (Audio CD)

This is undoubtedly one of the greatest wastes of talent every foisted on the listening public--right up there with that other Thirsty Ear disaster, E-LP's High Water.

Thirsty Ear seems to be one of those labels that when they're on they're off the charts, but when they're not the music just kinda lies there, gasping, like a b(l)oated fish.

It strikes me that this is one of those discs that shows promise conceptually--get some hip jazz-funk guys in the studio and turn 'em loose--but amounts to practically nothing. If you're looking for scary programatic music based on a surgery theme, turn, rather, to Delerium Cordia by Fantomas. That delivers, big time.

1 1/2 *

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where are the stars?, December 21, 2006

By	G. McMahon - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery (Audio CD)

Given the people involved--Shipp, Parker, Waits--I jumped when I saw this cd, but have to say it is the most disappointing cd I bought in 2006. Emphasis is on electronics and mood, sort of like a movie score. A few good bits here and there but overall unexciting.