Search - Joe Kap Organ Trio :: Street Noise

Bubbling Cauldron of Jazz Stew

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 07/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Joe Kaplowitz, aka Joe Kap, has been performing professionally since age 15. Sixteen years later after a degree in music from Youngstown State and sharing the stage with luminaries like Koko Taylor and Lucky Peterson, his "Street Noise" set is a rare jazz treat, pushing the boundaries in an era of smooth jazz where most play it safe. This is a man in love with his instrument as the liner notes relate, "I believe the B3 is capable of making any sound a person can hear." My favorite track is "The Cold Chill" dedicated to Bill Heid with a smoking slow funk groove that Marty Morrison keeps percolating on drums while Kap gets insanely cool on the B3 as Paul Pieper jabs in tasty guitar licks. This is one of those rare tracks that keep you reaching for the repeat button. Of the two covers, the Organ Trio dig back to Marvin Gaye's 6th LP, 1965's "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You," which included this single from the previous May "Try It Baby" that went to #15 on the pop charts. While not the most recognizable of Gaye's long string of hits, this Berry Gordy tune gets a cool treatment as Kap milks the juice out of the B3. Played back to back, Gaye's tune gets a great treatment here lovingly rendered as Pieper's guitar and Kap's B3 interplay masterfully.The other cover digs back to the 1953 musical "Can Can" for one of Cole Porter's memorable compositions, "It's Alright With Me." The track starts out with Kap stroking the familiar melody bringing to mind the lyric, "It's the wrong time & the wrong place; though your face is charming, it's the wrong face," before Kap's B3 gives the melody a life of its own with trills blooming like unplanned flowers in a garden, Pieper's guitar improvisation and Morrison stopping the proceeding for a couple quickie drum solos. The track is highly creative and tremendously enjoyable.My other favorite on the disc is the bubbly original "Neurosis" that boils like a cauldron of jazz stew to close the set. Each musician generously shares the spotlight in this entrancing mix. For those of you who thought jazz creativity died with Miles Davis, it's time to tune into the Joe Kap Organ Trio. "Street Noise" is an instrumental delight. Enjoy!"