Search - Nigel Hayes :: But Is It Art

JazzHouse

Guga | Georgia | 09/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you thought European dance music meant crashing industrial techno you are behind times. Europe has gone Jazz. It is jazz filtred through house and electronica and aimed at the dance floor, but it is none the worse for that.But Is It Art? - Funkdafied fusion from Nigel Hayes on the Austrian Sunshine label. Groovy rhythms of all tempos with a distinct jazz influence and live-sounding instrumental elements give this release an interesting crossover appeal. A couple of 4/4 beats in the house range, some bossa nova, a little breakiness...diversified beats for the easy-to-please beatfiend.
From the the synth and sample funk of "Shriek" to the electronic weirdness of the house-fuelled "Detonate the Charge" this is an impressive outing. Sparse and cerebral but with a strong rhythmic pulse throughout this is where jazz-house should be at the beginning of a new century. If you are a big fan of the tuneful end of techno - to which this seems quite close - but at the same time you remain essentially a soul and jazz fan, then this cd is for you.Fortunately this album stays close enough to those values to satisfy and even throws in the odd vocal to give a human feel to what at times could become a rather arid enterprise. There is an intelligence and a coherence about all the tracks but just enough muscularity to avoid it being too academic an exercise. One for dancers and listeners alike - which is what jazz-house has always been about. Nigel Hayes plays programmed keyboards to a very good effect.This recording is the step towards jazzhouse that everyone else failed to make.Just listen to "Ode To Odyssey" you'll understand what I'm talking about.Get this cd if you want to own something special, something superb, Nigel is marvel :-) Enjoy"