I discovered Jove! with 'Tohu Bohu' I had enjoyed the energetic and groovy sound, without compromising on the composition and improvisations. 'The Icebergs Also ...' was the same barrel. I associate probably too big band swing at dad who, if he is pleasant, still ringing in my ears old. Bugger! made me accept the fact that a big band instrumentation is like any other, and that good management and good compos can take her to not only modern but super interesting directions.
To gee I expected! or Not To Jove! (Hereinafter TB! ONTB!) With the impatience of one who has pre-financed the project, so I downloaded the songs from the minute they were available for 'backers'. Exclusive bonuses, remix all the songs on the CD. Well, I'm not a fan of remixes in general, and I must say that those do not tell me more than that. But honestly, who cares, the ten songs that comprise the disc are sufficient and enough dancing for twenty.
There is a quote in Kurosawa's Sanjuro that I love: "You're like a sharpened sword drawn, naked and you well cut sheath But the best swords in their sheaths remain...." The jazzeux of Jove! are swords who can stay in their sleeves: they have a crazy technique, but they are able to implement it rhythmically or harmonically on simple music, not the sword out of the scabbard only when strictly necessary. In this they are part (knowingly or not) in a set of bands that I love as Lettuce, Monophonics, Orgone and others formed groups of guys educated at the jazz school, very strong, but who put their Knowledge for music. No fluff, no desire to lose the listener digressions super beefy harmonics. Just a groove that tears and the right note at the right time.
TB! ONTB! is somehow even more how previous games in the group. It is perhaps less ambitious if we follow a purely jazz reading grid. It's the groove that premium on harmony here with relatively little daring compositions harmonically speaking. But this groove is so devastating that is immediately hooked.
The addition of vocals (in English) in a register soul / jazz makes it even easier drive first even for those who do not perceive the music near perfection. It is available without falling into the commercial. I just asked about the texts, especially In The City seems a rare and probably a little salacious moved for including the lyrics. And at the same time that the French public will listen to the words, right?
One of the magics of TB! ONTB! it is the group's ability to change register at any time, without warning. Thus the song that opens the record, Timba Para Los Gringos attack head-on on a very heavy acid jazz groove, to switch suddenly to the refrain of a Cuban rhythm of hell. Funkovitch, which immediately follows, begins slow and heavy funk, then abruptly accelerated to chain without warning on a Afrobeat sound that Fela would not disown. Later, John's No Dance combines funk, and Latin dance for irresistible mixture.
So, despite its (relative) simplicity over previous installment of Jove !, TB! ONTB! surprises at every moment, and that's what makes it so fresh. That explains why neither my platinum nose my ears are tired after a few weeks of repeated listening.
Warmly, very warmly recommended.
