year/2017
country/US
label/
Mashibeats /
Ropeadope (MB-004)
Mark De Clive-Loweが、
Yusef Lateef、
Sun Ra、
Ahmad Jamal等、ジャズ・ジャイアンツへのトリビュートも込めたEPアルバム『Live At The Blue Whale』をリリース!!
2003年のDJ Mitsu The Beatsの1stソロ・アルバム『New Awakening』収録曲"Rendezvous"にも参加する等、Jazzy Sportをはじめ日本の音楽シーンとも長年に渡る交流を育んできた鍵盤奏者/コンポーザー/プロデューサーMark de Clive-Lowe。ウエストロンドン・シーンに象徴されるロンドンでの活動を経て、現在はアメリカに移住し、西海岸/東海岸を行き来し活動を展開している。
本作『Live At The Blue Whale』でも、その豊潤で広大な音楽ボキャブラリーと経験を反映させながら、ジャズ・ジャイアンツへのリスペクトを、鉄壁のバンド・アンサンブル、ヒップホップ〜ブロークンビーツ迄を引き寄せた引き寄せた躍動的なビート感覚との融合も交えて、楽曲へと昇華させていく。
本作には、サックス/フルートにはWayne ShorterやMiguel Artwood作品に参加するJosh Johnson、Terrace Martin〜Robert Glasper作品に参加するベースプレイヤーBeandon Eugene Owens、そしてThundercat〜Flying Lotus作品でお馴染みのドラマーGene Coyeが参加。
荘厳で美しいピアノ・プレイから幕開け、極上のエレピソロも交えたライブ・サウンドによるブレイクビーツ・ジャズの深化/進化を魅せつける「Evergreen 」から痺れさせられる本作は、Yusef Lateefへのトリビュート「 L+H」、Sun Raへのトリビュート「The Golden Lady」、そしてAhmad Jamalに捧げる「Swahililand」と、濃密な4曲が収録されている。
A1. Evergreen
A2. L+H (For Yusef Lateef)
B1. The Golden Lady (For Sun Ra)
B2. Swahililand (For Ahmad Jamal)
Mark de Clive-Lowe delivers an outstanding 4 track EP recorded live at Los Angeles’ Blue Whale jazz club. The EP finds MdCL revisiting the grand piano, putting his first instrument front and center with his technological world of keyboards and electronics. It’s his signature amalgamation of acoustic sound sparring with new technology, joined by a world-class crew: Josh Johnson (Miguel Atwood-Ferguson/Wayne Shorter) on sax and flute, Brandon Eugene Owens (Robert Glasper/Terrace Martin) on bass and Gene Coye (Thundercat/Flying Lotus) on drums.
The instrumental EP opens with an original composition, ‘Evergreen’. Solo piano sets the mood as the composition evolves into a head-nodding, beat- driven journey of improvisational conversation. As the music progresses, we hear MdCL programming beats and electronics live and on the spot – manipulating and sampling his own piano, keyboards and Johnson’s sax – creating a musical palimpsest inspired by hip hop’s sampling aesthetic. Only here, the samples are all organic - performed, captured and manipulated completely on the fly.
The following tracks pay homage to three of MdCL’s heroes – Yusef Lateef firstly on the loping ‘L+H’ – inspired by Yusef’s ‘Love + Humor’ with Owens and Coye underpinning the groove while MdCL and Johnson play and become live samples themselves. Sun Ra gets honored on the EP’s centrepiece – an 11 minute exploration of his composition ‘The Golden Lady’ – once again, MdCL’s piano is the central focus here, leading the way through a mystically evocative soundscape that reimagines the great master. Johnson switches to flute here bringing his playfulness and musical guile to the mix with the piece culminating in an intoxicating blend of beats, live samples and acoustic band. We close out with an interlude of Ahmad Jamal’s ‘Swahililand’ – most famously sampled for De La Soul’s ‘Stakes is High’ by iconic producer J Dilla.
It’s a real treat to hear MdCL and band in full-flight live show mode with none of the safety nets of studio production. Live at the Blue Whale hints at what’s more to come from a truly individual musician.
sub category - Nu-Jazz
