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| David Aaron's Short Memory - New CD Cynical Rat Bastard A decade after the release of his first album David Aaron presents Cynical Rat Bastard, the sixth in a cycle of eclectic jazz recordings that have tracked the saxophonist's progression from sonic experimentalist to singular composer and player. This latest album presents the most complete picture of the musician to date. As in the past the listener is invited to press an ear to the keyhole for a heavy dose of aural voyeurism. The spectacle, however, is now framed in velvet. The Brubeckian hook of 'For Ever Green' or the Middle Eastern swing of 'Schnerdle' will invariably stick to the roof of the cranium like toffee. Despite all the toe-tapping this is still an unsettling and exhilarating place to visit. From the languorous look into the sexually charged 'Sophia's Diary' to the frenetic lunacy dished up in 'Soy Sauce Chicken on Rice' this is ultimately an insomniac's foray through an all-night carnival. Cynical Rat Bastard finds Aaron resurrecting his cryptic Short Memory project. Departing from the horn-heavy ensembles of the past he engages the lush omnipresent harmonics of a guitar to offset the bite of his compositions. His distinctive reed work remains a constant though, and his tones swing from the Rubenesque to the gossamer within a beat. Intact too is the wit and vitality that make every Aaron project a bold, guilty pleasure. Aaron has made a career of seeking out the best of company regardless of media. His playmates have included musicians Bill Ware, Deborah Harry, Roy Nathanson, Marc Ribot and Curtis Fowlkes and the Jazz Passengers, comedian Sean Cullen and choreographer Chris Ferris. He has also composed and played music for works by director/Broadway stage actress Jo Flores Chase, New York Times writer Robert Strozier, and filmmaker Fiore DeRosa For this outing Aaron has surrounded himself with some of the finest young talent on the tear in New York. Guitarist Rob Ritchie is the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing bringing to Short Memory a delicate radiance that ultimately threatens to set things ablaze. Similarly the rhythm tandem of bass player Matt Wigton and drummer Greg Ritchie persistently catches the listener off guard. The pinpoint clarity and muscular tension that dominates the title track simply leaves one breathless. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |