Jazz Is Politics?

Jazz that's on par with Monk/Coltrane

     

The last good jazz album I bought was a John Coltrane/Thelonious Monk album. I wondered what I could possibly purchase after that. Thank goodness I stumbled upon Chicago Yestet. The title song "Jazz is Politics" is difficult to listen to, with it's George W. Bush soundbyte. Yes, the song should be preserved for all times as historical context. But I guess getting past that point in history, it's hard to be reminded of that time. Maybe that's the mark of brilliance in this song. But my skin crawls every time I listen. From first glance, this album looks anemic, with only 7 songs. But each song draws out into a journey. Some songs are over 10 minutes long. The shortest song is 7:25. The use of all the instruments weave and dance within one another- and with lyrics. The rhymes on this album are tight. Incredible use of the spoken word, used very sparingly and powerfully. Also what really strikes me about this album are the tempo changes and the switch-ups. "Yo-yo" (8:06) and Solace (7:37) are perfect examples. They meander like a long stroll through Central Park. The depth comes from its layers: Piano, bass, trumpets, saxophones, rythem drums. This album is anything but boring. Yestet tells many stories in these seven tracks. Let it take you along!