Jim Black Alasnoaxis Genres:Alternative Rock, Jazz, Special Interest, Pop Drummer Jim Black, probably the most in-demand collaborator-sideman of the Downtown New York improvised music scene, brings rubbery, hypnotic compositional smarts to the stage on Alasnoaxis. Saxophonist Chris Speed--with w... more »hom Black cofounded Human Feel in the early 1990s--shoots long and shapely tones through Black's more clattering tunes and his spacey, gauzy material with the same sense of how to make the music emotionally dynamic. Electric bassist Skuli Sverrisson nimbly dances when things are raw and loud, as does guitarist Hilmar Jensson. Black again makes clear why he ranks with Han Bennink as one of jazz's foremost full-kit, crashing and thrashing players. Like Bennink, he creates echoes and nuances out of drum thwacks and cymbal smacks that lend the overall music tremendous passion. --Andrew Bartlett« less
Drummer Jim Black, probably the most in-demand collaborator-sideman of the Downtown New York improvised music scene, brings rubbery, hypnotic compositional smarts to the stage on Alasnoaxis. Saxophonist Chris Speed--with whom Black cofounded Human Feel in the early 1990s--shoots long and shapely tones through Black's more clattering tunes and his spacey, gauzy material with the same sense of how to make the music emotionally dynamic. Electric bassist Skuli Sverrisson nimbly dances when things are raw and loud, as does guitarist Hilmar Jensson. Black again makes clear why he ranks with Han Bennink as one of jazz's foremost full-kit, crashing and thrashing players. Like Bennink, he creates echoes and nuances out of drum thwacks and cymbal smacks that lend the overall music tremendous passion. --Andrew Bartlett
CD Reviews
An Awesome Recording
John Grunwell | Washington, D.C. | 03/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I saw Jim Black perform some years ago with sax-player Assif Tsahar and violinist Mat Maneri, and he absolutely blew me away. When I found out that he had his own band I immediately rushed out to get this CD, and I wasn't disappointed. While it obviously owes a great deal to free jazz, that's only one point of departure. If you could imagine free jazz spiced with ambient, heavy metal, Morphine and "Moving Pictures"-era Rush, it would probably sound something like this."
A Monument to integrity and orginality
T. Klaase | Orange Park, Florida United States | 05/22/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Jim Black is a fantastic drummer (just see his works w/ Dave Douglas, Pachora, etc.) and now we know he's an inventive composer as well. I'd buy this album again in a second. It's truly an amazing work of art. Ambient, Jazzy (at times), Rockish (at times), Abstract, Original, all rolled up into one. Hilmar Jenson, at time, reminds me a bit of Bill Frisell, and Chris Speed really shines by playing slower rather than faster. The patience displayed is agonizingly beautiful and the instrumentation is well recorded. It has been a pleasure to listen to this recording many times. Even my friends who don't like jazz get interested in this recording. Is it even Jazz? Labeling it as such does not do it justice...."
Moody and atmospheric.
Douglas T Martin | Alpharetta, GA USA | 12/04/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Not as much of jazz recording as an avant-rock recording. One minute the quartet is playing some riffs built around a simple theme then suddenly the bottom drops out and the piece becomes more ambient (Auk and Dromedary). There's some rock thrashing (Poet Staggered), some spikey jazz (Nion), haunting ballads (Icon), and pieces I wouldn't know how to describe. Hidden in track 15 is an unlisted wicked groove. Hilmar Jensson's style on this recording is somewhat like Bill Frisell's making the more atmospheric tracks sound like something from Frisell's recordings with Joey Baron and Kermit Driscoll. Everyone gives an excellent performance, particularly the leader."
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME.
Yanek | GLASGOW, Scotland | 07/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It was by pure chance I bought this album. Whilst browsing through a local music store, I bumped into a friend - a fellow musician - and he brought my attention to this CD saying, "This is right up your street, you'll love it". I looked at Alasnoaxis and instantly noticed Skuli Sverrisson's name on it, so I asked the guy behind the counter to play me a bit. Within seconds I bought it!
I wasn't familiar with Jim Black at all [shame on me!], considering I was a working drummer at that time. Hilmar Jensson was on guitar, with Chris Speed playing sax and clarinet. What can I say? On first listening I was hooked! It's one of these albums you'll either love or hate. I loved it.
The album is perfectly titled. I guess that Alasnoaxis means; music impossible to categorize. I hate categories anyway in music, but the closest description would be "odd", but in a nice way. This is simply beautifully crafted music. It's quite varied compositionally. It can be both challenging and relaxing at the same time.
Although it may sometimes sound VERY experimental, it's actually all composed. Alasnoaxis explore a whole range of musical styles, without ever sounding disjointed. As far as the musicianship is concerned, the whole band shines. If you've heard Skuli playing in Allan Holdsworth's band, you'll see another side of this enigmatic bass player! He does some extremely strange things using a combination of bass and weird electronic devices - ingenious stuff.
Jim Black is both drummer and composer. His drumming style is unique. He also incorporates all sorts of percussive things into his acoustic drum set up, creating bizarre sounding beats. There is complex writing on this album, but it's cleverly disguised. Hilmar was a familiar name to me, having heard him being very experimental with his guitar on other recordings. He's not quite as far out in this band though. Chris Speed switches between sax and clarinet and plays "unusual" melodic lines.
To conclude - this album is likely to be something fresh and new and probably different from anything you've heard before. It's worth a listen at least. It's best listened to late at night through headphones from start to finish, and you just drift into another world. The band was gigging in London soon after this was released, some of which was broadcast on the radio. They carry it off live. Fantastic!
