Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs Blog
GENE ESS – “APOTHEOSIS” Simp Label
Gene Ess, guitar/synthesizer/composer; Thana Alexa, vocals; Sebastien Ammann, piano; Yasushi Nakamura, bass; Clarence Penn, drums.
Jazz is an open door for new and refreshing musicality. I am always in search of new doors to enter and new spaces to explore; spaces that stretch creativity to the maximum. Gene Ess uses his fourth album release, along with his quintet ‘Fracial Attraction,’ to celebrate the spirit of humanity; a spirit that rises to crush adversity. With this in mind and propelled by his composer abilities, this guitar wizard incorporates funk, electronics, modern jazz, acoustic jazz and old-school scat to present his music. The title of his album, “Apotheosis” defined as the highest point in the development of something, or the culmination or climax of something.” So, I would expect nothing less from this project, spear-headed by Mr. Ess. He does not disappoint me.
The lovely vocals of Thana Alexa add much to the production of the Gene Ess compositions. She is a free vocal spirit, fluttering among his chord changes like a rare bird from paradise. He allows her to be a relevant instrument in the ensemble, and not just a singer of lyrics. She has co-written one song with Gene Ess titled, “Same Sky” where she has an opportunity to sing these words. In part, they read:
“There is beauty in our differences. In learning from our brothers, only then will we truly know. I choose to live a life including you. If we accept our brothers, only then will we truly grow.”
Pianist Sebastien Ammann woos me with his incredible talent on the grand piano. He’s a dynamic player. Yasushi Nakamura holds the rhythm tightly in place with his bass dexterity. On the fourth cut, “Bluesbird,” Nakamura takes an opportunity to strut his talents across the bass strings during a formidable solo. Clarence Penn, on trap drums, is ever constant and manages to use his busy sticks to accent and color this musical experience. He aptly rises to the occasion by ‘trading eights’ during the performance of “Bluesbird,” a composition more straight-ahead than the tunes I’ve heard thus far. The following song, “Tokyo Red” swoops us back to funk and swagger, invigorated by Gene Ess’s guitar and Clarence Penn’s percussive excellence. The music of Gene Ess is passionate and demanding. He moves from straight ahead to modern jazz, embraces the blues and tenderly caresses folksy ballads like “Same Sky,” all in the blink of a creative eye. His music snatches you by the ear and drags you along willingly. With this project, you will experience nearly an hour-long concert that is bound to invigorate and expand your consciousness.
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