Although notable for being guitarist Wayne Krantz's first studio recording in fifteen years this is, as the title plainly suggests, very much a trio outing. Previously, Krantz, bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Keith Carlock have released live recordings through Krantz's website which whilst lacking to a degree in audio quality, nevertheless capture the power and excitement of one of the great electric trios.
The challenges and freedoms engendered by recording with a serious outfit like Abstract Logix, for whom the music comes first, has helped fully reveal a music full of subtleties and imagination. Add to that the raw energy and bags of improvisational swagger that these three possess and what's left is a wonderful document of a trio whose life began in 1997.
As with two of the greatest electric trios, Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience—whose studio recordings highlighted songwriting depths and musical nuances rarely displayed in a live setting—Krantz Carlock Lefebvre boasts a range of styles and textures; deep funk grooves sit alongside whimsical pop passages, even within the same song, as on the catchy "It's no fun no to like pop."
Krantz is in top form, conjuring up imaginative lines at will, and gliding between grungy, hard-driving riffs and string-caressing melodism. His solos are short, well placed and searing. As such, Krantz bears comparison to Jeff Beck, to whom he plays tribute in the eponymously titled track. Krantz also sings on a few tracks, most notably on the lovely "Wine is the Thread."
Carlock and Lefebvre are no mere pillion passengers, and their respective playing is just as arresting as that of Krantz's. The best moments are those when the trio is in full flight, as on "Jeff Beck," the indie-rock flavored "I was like" or the short but driving "Holy Joe," which slings mud in the eye of religious evangelism.
It's easy to see why Carlock was Modern Drummer's 2009 Readers' Poll Winner; in addition to his phenomenal propulsion, his playing is rhythmically fascinating. He produces Indian-sounding beats from his kit on "It's no fun not to like pop" and drum 'n' bass grooves on the industrial "Left it on the Playground," a roaring steam train of a song. Lefebvre is the perfect rhythm partner, his rich sound and keen sense of melody and harmony underpinning and carrying everything.
Krantz's gig recordings are posted on his website for a month or two before being removed, in keeping with his philosophy that the music is of the moment. He has little interest in looking back; once it's gone it's gone. This recording is a little different. The improvisational highs are matched by songwriting of some strength, and the polish that a fine production team brings to the music has resulted in a powerful recording which will surely stand the test of time. - Ian Patterson (allaboutjazz.com)
he American guitarist Wayne Krantz is a real one-off. He sounds somewhere between John Scofield and Bill Frisell at times, and he has toured in the legacy version of Steely Dan, which has had an audible impact on his playing. But Krantz is also an unflinching adventurer who dislikes repeating himself or imitating others, and possibly dislikes the music industry even more. This trio's famously long residency at New York's 55 Bar used to be documented by downloadable recordings of the gigs the same night, and though the guitarist has access to a conventional recording studio here, he has kept the same improvisational live feel, augmenting it with some overdubbed theme statements and quirkily offhand vocals on four tracks. Krantz is accompanied by his regular partners, Tim Lefebvre (bass) and Keith Carlock (drums), and the bone-crunching three-way conversation they keep up joins the impact of a heavy rock power-trio to the harmonic sleight-of-hand and melodic slipperiness of a contemporary jazz band. Some pieces are dark, churning, raw-sound growls, while others are drawlingly countrified; there's a rock-virtuosity tribute to Jeff Beck, and Rugged Individual is almost a reassuring ballad. - John Fordham. (The guardian.com)
Fans of electric guitarist Wayne Krantz have been waiting well over a decade to hear something new or commercially available on CD, and here it is. It seems he's a more mature player, not as raucous or raw as in previous years where volume and screaming, high-pitched sounds were favored. Not to say he's refined his approach, but it seems as if Krantz is more interested in flowing composition, symmetry, and teamwork within funky beats rather than trying to stand above the plethora of rock-oriented jazz guitarists. With bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Keith Carlock, Krantz has a solid idea of what he wants to portray, and compact ideas swimming around in his head and fingers. There's only a modicum of noodling, some inane vocalizing here and there, but it does not detract from the overall message he's attempting to get across. He might even be heard as a thoughtful tunesmith on the languid "Rushdie," a slow and introspective "The Earth from Above," or "Moseley." While faster externally, "Left It on the Playground" is a nine-minute jam, at times wonky, but for the most part exploring some interesting industrialized effects. Then again, there are those untamed moments, as on the appropriately titled "War-Torn Johnny" or the hard-edged "Holy Joe" where the razor-edge impulses of Krantz cannot be denied. It is his tribute, "Jeff Beck," where the guitarist adds something unique, as vocal-type, faux-wah-wah sounds from Lefebvre set up some choppy and looser lines, while a much more defined blues in 6/8 time signifies "Rugged Individual." Of the vocal selections, the anthem for sommeliers "Wine Is the Thread" works best in its soulful, song-style repast, but it is not a strong suit. Krantz admitted he became discouraged with the music business, as working diligently on a project did not mean the recording would get proper promotion or distribution. Since the advent of the Internet, he's made live performances available as downloads. This project has a spontaneous, liquid quality to it that may very well establish a new concept for a figure far too talented to take any more time away from the studio to document his pithy, intriguing music. - Michael G. Nastos. (All music.com)
Tracks
01. It's No Fun Not To Like Pop
02. War-Torn Johnny
03. Rushdie
04. Wine Is The Thread
05. The Earth From Above
06. Left It On The Playground
07. Jeff Beck
08. I Was Like
09. Mosley
10. Holy Joe
11. Rugged Individual
WAYNE KRANTZ guitar, vocals
TIM LEFEBVRE bass
KEITH CARLOCK drums
All music composed by Wayne Krantz
Recorded at Matt Wells' 1 East NYC, early March 2009 and at Manhattan Beach, NYC
Abstract Logix - ABLX 018
http://www.abstractlogix.com/