Slow Breath, Silent Mind

Album Review

The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a fascinating group. The trio explores seven jazz standards by the likes of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, and Wayne Shorter, but they are not exactly excessively reverent. In fact, in many cases they deconstruct the piece altogether, particularly "Up Jumped Spring," keeping the melody but dropping everything else. "In a Sentimental Mood" has Reed Mathis in the lead on his octave-induced acoustic bass guitar, making colorful sounds. Monk's "Off Minor" is quite eccentric while "Central Park West" is taken slow and almost out-of-tempo. The key to this group is the close interplay between the three musicians, and their willingness to take the music outside whenever inspiration strikes. This is a consistently unpredictable CD (one of the finest of 2003) and one that grows in interest with each listen.