Emphasizer(2003)

Garage a Trois is more than just a band with a clever name. Stanton Moore, Charlie Hunter, and Robert Walters hold it down, molding funky beats and rhythms, kickin it old school with a standard jazz arrangement.

The bands of today, not content to remain within the confines of a traditional jazz musicology tend to push the enevelop through the utilization of electronic techniques, manipulating sound effects with distortion etc... The result however can often lead to a cluttered chaotic sound. Certain groups can negotiate this sound, creating tracks that define where their specific genre of music is headed, this album however doesn't have any of them.

It's difficult to compare the masterfully EP to emphasizer simply because of the vast difference in styles, and in my opinion the quality of the two albums. It's one thing to be progressive within your field, however without the structure and quality time spent constructing and incorporating these new sounds, the final product will inevitably sound fake and somewhat forced. The bottom line is if you take a shit and put it in a shiny box at the end of the day all you have is a shiny piece of shit. ** stars with only a few tracks worth your time.

Out of all the Medeski Martin and Wood records I must say that this one is my favorite. The trio has done it again, re-discovering their classic ambient jazz grooves and transforming them into a sound that far surpasses Uninvisible (2002).

By acquiring Dust Brother John King, they were able to produce a new sound with a clarity and depth greater than any album the combo has constructed thus far. Critics in the past have argued that the band's sound is rather esoteric with cryptic melodies and obscure beats. End of the World Party (2005) settles that dispute.


MMW has expanded the styles of a traditional jazz trio over the years by adding new elements and engendering a sound that is individual in its own right, relying equally on rhythm as well as the melodic progressions of each song.

Chris Woods' thumpin' bass lines and Billy Martin's drum grooves join forces with John Medeski's soulful clavinet to create a sound rivaled in coolness only by Steven Seagal's pony tail. A diversity among tracks maintains the album's flow, pushing tunes that are jam-packed with sound yet not congested with noise. One of my favorite tracks "Reflector" shows the band's new found love of high energy grooves as Medeski dominates the keys in a soulful takeover. "Mami Gato" then introduces a Latin trance that really emphasizes a sense of togetherness even amidst such a mixture of sounds. I added this album to the collection with **** stars and recommend that you do the same.

If you ever get the chance to see this band live I would highly recommend it. I first heard them in Boston's Orpheum right after Uninvisible had just been released. I saw them again later that year at Bonnaroo (2002) and then again earlier this year at Pearl St. in North Hampton during the End of the World Party tour and they always put on a good show.

The first album of the collection I'm going to review is John Coltrane's Crescent (1964). This record is representative of a shift in Coltrane's style from the hard-bop structured sounds of Giant Steps (1959), to the tonal freedom of Impressions (1961), to the emotionally driven musical lyricism of Crescent (1964).

Coltrane illustrates his versatility as a composer, creating vertically expressive pieces while maintaining an ability to musically articulate certain moods in the freedom of lyrical lineage.

His quartet including McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums) navigates flawlessly through 5 tracks, crafting beautifully melodic movements with emotionally charged and expressive improvisation.

Track no. 1 Crescent is exactly that, a crescent of sound that is reached and then closed with an intricate cadenza. The first 3 notes Coltrane plays at the beginning of the second track Wise One, immediately reminded me of things to come, namely Acknowledgement of A Love Supreme (1964), a masterpiece to be released later that year. Other notable tracks include no. 4 Lonnie's Lament, a classic jazz ballad rediscovered by Trane and shaped in a sort of melodic simplistic beauty that really speaks to the listener.

This album is a must have that is not to be loved solely by avid Coltrane fans like myself. The emotion with which the quartet plays and more importantly is able to convey to the listener through Crescent's remarkably expressive and lyrically charged tracks is astounding. This is a must have and is added to the collection with 4 stars. ****

What is jazz?

The beauty of jazz is that there will never be a definitive answer to this question. Whether you're watching an old James Bond movie, checking your local forcast on the weather channel, or simply riding in an elevator the association has been made.

Jazz simultaneously represents the single most important historical and progressive form of art in the history of song, while being the only original art form to develop in this country. A combination of syncopation, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation comprise this variety of music ensuring that virtually no performance will ever be the same.

The Fitzgerald Jazz collection is an assortment my favorite albums, some good albums, and some albums you'll definately want to avoid . The records may not all be traditional "jazz," I chose that genre to be able to include everything from A Tribe Called Quest to Yes.