Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Friends Of Mescalito/World Of Tomorrow: Nagual Music For...

109

Friends Of Mescalito/World Of Tomorrow: Nagual Music For Tonal People/III

By

Sign in to view read count
Friends Of Mescalito/World Of Tomorrow: Nagual Music For Tonal People/III
The “W.O.O Direct” record label features a plethora of creative musicians emanating from the New York City area. The following signifies two recently issued productions by artists who seemingly share similar aspirations, while frequently performing as micro-collectives via live performances and recordings.

The members of the “Friends of Mescalito,” derive influences from Frank Zappa, Sun Ra, “Soft Machine”, Captain Beefheart and others. On its third release, the trio (along with a little help from their friends) melds psychedelic guitar parts and vocals with a huge wall of sound. Comparisons? Well, on this outing – visions of early “Pink Floyd” aligning with “Sonic Youth” come to mind. However, the band conveys a sound and style that might elicit notions of one of those now infamous acid-rock style outdoor fests. Yet, this group effectively captures the spirit of rock exploration via the obligatory incorporation of electric sitars, crunching rhythms and oscillating backbeats. On the piece titled “Dream from Poon Hill,” guitarist/vocalist, Mr. Starry Night sounds as though his mic was placed underwater in concert with a background of fuzz induced crunch chords and droning treatments. All in good fun, we might add. Essentially, this is an entertaining listen, whereas the band also injects melodious interludes and tongue-in-cheek lyrics into the grand scheme of things. Otherwise, the space rock/avant-garde troupe known as “World of Tomorrow,” incorporates horns into its improvisational-based itinerary. With this effort, saxophonist, Bonnie Kane spearheads a quintet, also featuring drummer/trumpeter, Cliff Ferdon of the “Friends of Mescalito.” On their third release, the band’s brash and somewhat homogenous approach to free improv and hard rock suffers from an irredeemable homegrown live recording. Hence, it took quite a bit of patience and fortitude to stagger through the entire set. Unfortunately, the soloists and rhythm section surface as one expansive blur amid much distortion and background noise, although budgetary considerations might have loomed as the determining force here.

W.O.O direct

Track Listing

Friends Of Mescalito1.Deviations from the Master Plan 2.Dream from Poon Hill 3.Float if you can

Personnel

Friends of MescalitoMr. Starry Night: guitar, tampura, bass, vocals

Album information

Title: Nagual Music For Tonal People/III | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: W.O.O Direct

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.