Review - Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey: Walking With Giants

JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY
Walking With Giants (Hyena)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

A combination of impressive individual talent on their respective instruments and a marathon road schedule (about 150 dates a year) has given Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey a near telepathic empathy that's put them at in the top ranks of the improvisational music scene. Call it jam, call it jazz, call it groove - just call it great.
From their origins as a Tulsa based octet, they've evolved into a world renowned trio, consisting of pianist Brian Haas, bassist Reed Mathis and drummer Jason Smart (nope, no Jacob. No Fred either. Long story, short review. You can find the scoop at www.jfjo.com.) They've also taken an acoustic direction, with Haas leaving behind his trusty Rhodes in favor of an acoustic piano, which dances with, through and over Mathis' bass and cello, while Smart provides a rock solid foundation for their musical adventures.
Adventure is a great word to describe the sounds on Walking With Giants. After over three years away from the studio, they're exploring new musical territory with the confidence gained from studying the map onstage night after night. It's appropriate that they present this material on a new label, Hyena. In keeping with Hyena's commitment to provide both words and pictures, the disc is accompanied by a bonus DVD featuring four tracks filmed live at Yoshi's.
It's also fitting that a label that already features a catalog encompassing releases by Dr. John, Thelonious Monk, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and other masters of modern music would provide the home for an album titled Walking With Giants. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey proves they're ready to march shoulder to shoulder with those titans, and to show the way for a new generation of jazz.
Track List:
Daily Wheatgrass Shots * Nibbles * Skeeball Over The Ocean * The Arrival * Walking With Giants * Lola And Alice * Muppet Babies Get Lost At The State Fair * Sean's Song * Son Of Jah * Calm Before The Storm * As It Will Be * Perfect Wife's Flannel PJ's * Hover

© 2004 - Shaun Dale