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Jeff Ballard: Fairgrounds
ByLeader Jeff Ballard has been on the scene for years and is probably best known for his work with pianist Brad Mehldau. This is actually Ballard's second album as leader, the first being Time's Tale (Okeh, 2014) and Loueke appeared on that one too alongside alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon. Perhaps the unifying characteristic of Fairgrounds is, paradoxically, the disparate nature of each track. Every number is different, sometimes remarkably so. This is, to some degree, due to seven of the eleven tunes being collective compositions, often sounding spontaneously improvised.
There's some catchy rhythm and blues in the form of Kevin Hays' song "Hit The Dirt," on which his laid-back vocals are interspersed with Chris Cheek's lithe tenor soloing. Ballard's dissonant "Twelve8" offers a different direction yet again and demands instant replays to better absorb its complexity. The trance-like "Marche Exotique" is as exotic as its title suggests, subtly West African in feel. It's enhanced by Loueke's guitar and vocals. Reid Anderson's enticingly sedate "Miro" contains more tasteful guitar interjections and "Soft Rock" has a strangely spacey early-era Pink Floyd quality about it. Cheek's ballad "Cherokee Rose" is distinguished by a semblance of pulsating Native American drum beats combined with a wistful, memorable melody.
Track Listing
Grounds Entrance; Yeah Pete!; The Man's Gone; I Saw A Movie; Hit The Dirt; Twelv8; Marche Exotique; Grungy Brew; Miro; Soft Rock; Cherokee Rose.
Personnel
Jeff Ballard
drumsLionel Loueke: guitar, vocals; Kevin Hays: piano, keyboards, vocals; Reid Anderson: electronics; Pete Rende: piano, Fender Rhodes; Jeff Ballard: drums, percussion. Guests: Mark Turner: tenor saxophone (6, 8); Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone (5, 11).
Album information
Title: Fairgrounds | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Edition Records