Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jim Wellman: Dawn to Dusk
Jim Wellman: Dawn to Dusk
ByTaking musical cues from disco, smooth jazz, and many kinds of rock, Dawn to Dusk brings to mind Earth, Wind & Fire, Steely Dan and, though with significantly less energy, Snarky Puppy. The arrangements and melodies are compelling, but as Wellman himself played and produced everything but some of the vocals, the performances lack the intensity and tightness of the aforementioned bands.
Wellman's playing undoubtedly deserves kudos though; his funky guitar comping and solo on the opener "Lucy" give the track character and help bring it to a satisfying climax. His percussion work adds a subtle yet very evocative element to many tracks and evidences his rhythmic concept. "Night of the Meme" begins and is based of an interesting 6/8 figure that underlies the song's interesting harmonic shifts. Wellman is obviously a skilled producer, as well. On tracks like, "Premature Truth," he makes effective use of multiple instrumental tracks to create a lush stereo image, and when he inserts spoken word segments they take center stage yet don't bury the musical accompaniment.
While the lyrics, which cover many heady themes and, despite their sophistication, never really feel un-singable or contrived, could be a subject of a review and discussion in and of themselves, the music both serves the function of setting up the themes and keeping the listeners attention, which is no easy task. Fans of smooth jazz and R&B will thoroughly enjoy Wellman's latest, especially if they are fans of political commentary.
Track Listing
Lucy; Lewontin Campbell; Probably Good; Premature Truth; Feedback Loop; Night Of The Meme; Red Or Blue; Pause; Happy Song; For The First Time; Cynical Century; Let The People Rule Ya
Personnel
Judy La Rose: Vocals; Tara: Vocals; Terron: Vocals; Jim Wellman: Vocals and all other instruments
Album information
Title: Dawn to Dusk | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced
< Previous
The Bronx Pyramid
Next >
Stan Getz: Spring 1976