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Europe

Europe in Bloomington, MN
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Bop
snobs can be quite rigid and dogmatic when it comes to
jazz
drumming; if you aren't playing like
Philly Joe Jones
or
Jimmy Cobb
circa 1957, they'll insist that you're a heretic who is in desperate need of repentance. But
Paul Motian
has never been taken in by such dogma; the veteran drummer likes to keep his options open, and he hasn't been afraid to hurl himself into a variety of
situations.
Europe
is essentially a straight-ahead
hard bop
/
post-bop
date, and yet, it isn't necessarily an album that
purists will be comfortable with. That's because
Motian
doesn't stick to the type of all-acoustic format that purists expect.
Anders Christensen
is heard on electric bass exclusively, and the two guitarists (
Steve Cardenas
and
Ben Monder
) don't shy away from amplification. So even if
isn't quite
fusion
, it is straight-ahead
with an electric outlook. Purists will approve of the songs --
tackles material by
Charlie Parker
,
Thelonious Monk
, and
Tadd Dameron
-- but they are likely to carp about the way they are played. For those who aren't dogmatists, however,
has a lot to offer.
's lack of dogma is refreshing, and songs that were written during the
bop
era sound perfectly natural on electric instruments. To his credit, he doesn't insist on sticking to
standards
that
fans have heard time and time again.
often picks lesser-known pieces by well-known artists (such as
Parker
's
"Birdfeathers"
Monk
"Oska T"
), and the only song that has been done to death is
Dameron
"If You Could See Me Now."
The drummer also interprets
Herbie Nichols
'
"2300 Skidoo,"
acknowledging one of
's unsung heroes.
is a solid effort that will please those who admire
's flexibility and open-mindedness. ~ Alex Henderson
snobs can be quite rigid and dogmatic when it comes to
jazz
drumming; if you aren't playing like
Philly Joe Jones
or
Jimmy Cobb
circa 1957, they'll insist that you're a heretic who is in desperate need of repentance. But
Paul Motian
has never been taken in by such dogma; the veteran drummer likes to keep his options open, and he hasn't been afraid to hurl himself into a variety of
situations.
Europe
is essentially a straight-ahead
hard bop
/
post-bop
date, and yet, it isn't necessarily an album that
purists will be comfortable with. That's because
Motian
doesn't stick to the type of all-acoustic format that purists expect.
Anders Christensen
is heard on electric bass exclusively, and the two guitarists (
Steve Cardenas
and
Ben Monder
) don't shy away from amplification. So even if
isn't quite
fusion
, it is straight-ahead
with an electric outlook. Purists will approve of the songs --
tackles material by
Charlie Parker
,
Thelonious Monk
, and
Tadd Dameron
-- but they are likely to carp about the way they are played. For those who aren't dogmatists, however,
has a lot to offer.
's lack of dogma is refreshing, and songs that were written during the
bop
era sound perfectly natural on electric instruments. To his credit, he doesn't insist on sticking to
standards
that
fans have heard time and time again.
often picks lesser-known pieces by well-known artists (such as
Parker
's
"Birdfeathers"
Monk
"Oska T"
), and the only song that has been done to death is
Dameron
"If You Could See Me Now."
The drummer also interprets
Herbie Nichols
'
"2300 Skidoo,"
acknowledging one of
's unsung heroes.
is a solid effort that will please those who admire
's flexibility and open-mindedness. ~ Alex Henderson