Reviewed by Matt Cole

Two recent CDs, Cydonia from New York-based Evil Giraffes On Mars, and Rocket In The Pocket from German trio Hammer Klavier Trio, showcase two somewhat different approaches to making and flavoring modern jazz, while being just close enough to make for an interesting hypothetical double bill.

Artist: Evil Giraffes on Mars
Title: Cydonia
Label: Evil Giraffes on Mars (884501145428)
Genre: jazz

Cydonia, while rooted in jazz, draws sounds and influences from many other musical genres. At times, the sound is almost that of prog (“Where’s Dave,” “Black Tongue”) with odd and angular meters, metal guitar tones, and on the latter an overall sound that reminded me a little of Dream Theatre. Other songs took the feel of modern jazz (“Murky Water”), almost-Southern rock with a twin saxophone lead (“Morning on the Red Planet”), funk (“Merge”), and even a tango (the aptly named “Shango Tango”), while almost always retaining the band’s core sound. The band flows together tightly (but not so much so that it sounds rigid), has a wide and well-used dynamic range, can go from exuberant to ominous in the space of a song, and has a high energy throughout the album. The only thing I might have changed would have been to add a slower number; the frenetic pace does not slow down until the album’s eighth track (“Michael’s Ladder”); however, that is only a matter of taste. In general, the excellent playing by John Cave (guitar), Matt La Von (alto and soprano sax), Doron Lev (drums, percussion, hand claps, and giraffe noises), Jamaal Sawyer (tenor sax), and Ryan Slotnick (keyboards, and most of the songwriting) make for an enjoyable listen. This is a band which could do well both at progressive jazz clubs and prog rock festivals.

Continue reading →