Political Blues in Bloomington, MN

World Saxophone Quartet
has built a large, impressive and diverse catalog that ranges from the extreme to the relatively accessible.
Political Blues
falls into the relatively accessible category, but for
WSQ
's 2006 lineup (
Oliver Lake
on alto and soprano sax,
Bruce Williams
Hamiet Bluiett
on baritone sax and
David Murray
on tenor sax and bass clarinet), relatively accessible doesn't mean unchallenging. In fact, the songs that have lyrics pack a strong sociopolitical punch. The title track (which features
Murray
on lead vocals) expresses the group's disdain for the administration of
President George W. Bush
, and
"Spy on Me Blues"
(with
Lake
on vocals) is a biting yet humorous commentary on
Bush
's embarrassing performance during the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans in 2005. But
isn't strictly an album of protest lyrics; many of the tracks are instrumentals, including
's funky
"Let's Have Some Fun,"
's somewhat Ellingtonian
"Hal's Blues"
and
Craig Harris
' dusky
"Harlem."
While some
recordings have favored a saxophone-only policy -- no bass, no drums, no guitar, no brass instruments -- this January 2006 session features several non-sax playing guests. Among them: trombonist
Harris
, electric bassist
Jamaaladeen Tacuma
, drummer
Lee Pearson
, trumpeter
Jeremy Pelt
and guitarist
James Blood Ulmer
(who is featured as a singer on a spirited performance of
Muddy Waters
'
"Mannish Boy"
).
' mixture of
jazz
,
blues
funk
is mildly
avant-garde
, but it isn't radically
-- and those who have admired
's spirit of adventure will be happy to know that the saxophonists are still taking chances even at their most accessible. ~ Alex Henderson