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| New Scott Detweiler CD "Mercy Of The Groove" Jazz recording artist, Scott Detweiler, has released his latest CD, "Mercy of the Groove". It is the 5th (fifth) in his series of live CDs released since 2009. It was recorded with a single microphone in July 2011 at world-famous Los Angeles area jazz club, Jax Bar & Grill, where Detweiler and his quintet have performed for years. There are no overdubs or retakes in the recording. The stellar lineup includes longtime sidemen, Ed Cogan on piano/organ, Dale Jennings on bass, Bill Johnston on saxophones and Paul Van De Riet on drums. Cletus Jones, the engineer who mastered the project, said, "Other than bringing up the overall volume, rounding out the overall sound and slightly fading into and out of each track, there was very little that I could do in the mastering lab. But there was very little to be done. Scott did an incredible job of placing the microphone in just the right spot on stage where it could pick everything without being distorted. All of the instruments can be heard, along with his directions to the musicians and the sounds from the audience. By today's standards, the sound is raw, but th essence of the caliber of the performance is undeniable. There is a special magic about this live show that could never be captured in a recording studio". Cletus went on to say, "At first, when I heard the master, I did not think he was serious about releasing it. Be he was. Most artists are worried about every sound on a CD being perfect. But Not Scott. I had never come across an artist who is as uninhibited as Scott Detweiler when it comes to taking chances and pushing into new musical directions. He is notorious for presenting charts of fresh compositions to his band members, right on the bandstand, in front of the audience, and then counting off a tempo and delving into the material for the first time. He constantly challenges himself and his band by playing familiar material in unfamiliar ways by spontaneously changing rhythms, keys and even lyrics during live performances. What you hear on 'Mercy of the Groove' is real. It is fresh. It is a testimony to the artistry of Mr. Detweiler and is a true chronicle of live music in our time". Though the total running time of Mercy of the Groove" is almost 50 (fifty) minutes, there are only 5 (five) tracks on the entire CD: 2 (two) spontaneous medleys (one is over 12 minutes long and the other is over 20 minutes long), a new song called, "Jesus Went Down To New Orleans" (about unscrupulous undocumented labor practices in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans), a rich quintet version of the Detweiler-penned, guitar-burning instrumental, "Fleur De Lis", and a killer rendition of the Dave Brubeck classic, "Take 5". Detweiler has long been recognized as a mesmerizing rhythm player, but his last few releases have revealed lead worked of a higher and higher caliber, and the culmination of which can be heard on "Mercy of the Groove". Cogan and Johnston deliver stunningly noteworthy solo work and tastefully executed comping, as well, over the smoking, relentless rhythm maintained by Jennings and Van De Riet. "Mercy of the Groove" is, by far, Scott Detweiler's most daring and most relevant release to date. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |