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- Date Released: February 3, 2009
- Genre: Jazz
- Style: Rock
- Label: The Royal Potato Family / TuneCore
A genre-crossing renegade's covers disc just as unclassifiable as his originals
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We Say...
Pianist Marco Benevento has cultivated a reputation as a genre-crossing renegade who can jam with Phish's Trey Anastasio, go pensively deep into the jazz pocket like his mentor, Brad Mehldau, ply the arty NYC performance scene at the old Knitting Factory or Tonic, or let the circuit toys run amok amid layers of opigan and mellotron for some funky electronica. But what comes through most clearly on this wide-ranging collection of covers (abetted by three originals) is something else again — his fine ear and exquisite taste in gorgeous melodies, songs crafted with the sturdy simplicity of Amish furniture. You hear it in relatively obscure covers made by boomers before he was born (Leonard Cohen's "Seems Like So Long Ago, Nancy," Led Zeppelin's "Friends" and George Harrison's "The Run of the Mill") and in what he takes from his own Generation X/Y cohorts, such as Beck's "Sing It Again" and My Morning Jacket's "Golden."
But while beauty is a recurring touchstone, Benevento is too restlessly creative to leave it at that. If the Beck tune beckoned because it was his first-ever studio recording on solo piano, he was also drawn to the kitschy calamity he could make out of Deerhoof's "Twin Killers," or the skateboard-clackety funk he could program and play on his version of "Heartbeats" by The Knife, a sibling duo from Sweden. And as for his originals, "Now They're Writing Music" is a dynamic juxtaposition of industrial-noise capaciousness and intimate little riffs, inspired by Benevento's circuit-bent toys making their own catchy loop (hence the title). And "Call Home" samples Jamaican frogs and Brooklyn traffic over a relaxed groove.
Benevento's sidemen include bassist Reed Mathis and drummers Matt Chamberlain and Andrew Barr. Like the leader and the songs, they move — sometimes veering, sometimes evolving — from impulsive wiseacre flourishes to warm beats and sensitive interplay. Me Not Me leaves you with few (or too many) clues as to where Benevento will head next, but curious to find out. -
They Say...
Marco Benevento has been heard mostly on organ with his longtime sidekick drummer Joe Russo, but for this recording he's playing a lot of acoustic piano plus effects. Joined by excellent sidemen such as bassist Reed Mathis (from the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Tea Leaf Green,) drummers Matt Chamberlain (David Bowie, Edie Brickell, Tori Amos, Brad Mehldau) or Andrew Barr (the Slip), Benevento cooks up a thick stew of updated instrumental jazz that borrows from New Orleans rhythm & blues, more funky jazz-rock, and a cerebral piano style that infers classical influences. This program, only partially written but highly rearranged by the keyboardist, shows a growth curve away from jam bands like the Bad Plus or early Medeski, Martin & Wood into a more personalized arena, still suggesting prog rock or techno at times while digging into melodic constructs from famed pop, rock, and folk artists that are all quite pleasing and very interesting. The opener "Golden" sets an intriguing tone in that it is soulful and spiritual, buoyed by a Crescent City shuffle, while also incorporating minimalist tonality à la Esbjörn Svensson, and noise. "Mephisto" is a lovely piece, all on acoustic piano, suggesting Keith Jarrett's Euro leanings, Leonard Cohen's "Seems So Long Ago Nancy" expresses the ultimate in a waltz dance of reflective melancholy, while the soul-pop ballad "Run of the Mill," penned by George Harrison, may be as typical as its title, but works on a low-key level. On the flipside, "Now They're Writing Music" is very much like Sun Ra with a circular motion surrounded by tack piano and a rock beat. Benevento's utilization of samples, loops, and the wondrous mellotron is prevalent during "Twin Killers," a dense piece that goes from completely distorted to clear in a groove, then retro soul. "Heartbeats" also sports the natural and industrial combination of rock & roll, jazzy organ sounds, heavy metal, and an acoustic ending all parsed off in developed segments. Then there's the Jimmy Page/Robert Plant song "Friends," completely mutated into a hard driving semi-boogie, especially dramatic when Benevento's electric piano strolls in and takes center stage. This is an excellent example of contemporary jazz for the youth generation that fusion baby boomers can also enjoy, and comes highly recommended.
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| 01. |  |
Golden |
5:32 |
|
| 02. | |
Now They're Writing Music |
4:47 |
|
| 03. | |
Seems So Long Ago Nancy |
4:40 |
|
| 04. | |
Mephisto |
4:58 |
|
| 05. | |
Twin Killers |
3:59 |
|
| 06. | |
Call Home |
3:37 |
|
| 07. | |
Heartbeats |
3:27 |
|
| 08. | |
Sing It Again |
4:25 |
|
| 09. | |
Friends |
4:15 |
|
| 10. | |
Run Of The Mill |
3:17 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 42:57 Total Length
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Credits
- Matt Chamberlain - Drums // Bryce Goggin - Mixing // Fred Kevorkian - Mastering // Andrew Barr - Drums // Reed Mathis - Bass
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