Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eugene Chadbourne: The Hills Have Jazz

307

Eugene Chadbourne: The Hills Have Jazz

By

Sign in to view read count
Eugene Chadbourne: The Hills Have Jazz
Since starting his homegrown label a few years back, Eugene Chadbourne has had no end of opportunities to digitize his whims and send them to market. Among the many projects on his Chadula label has been a series (eight at present) of "horror CDs that run the gamut from arrangements of horror movie themes to unnerving found sound. So what terror to expect when Herr Doktor dedicates a disc to director Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street)?

Chadbourne and Craven have been friends for years—Chadbourne even had a role in Scream, but didn't make the final cut—and Craven is a jazz fan, so the results are far from frightful. Joined by a crew of Los Angeles session players, Chadbourne works through a surprising set of jazz comps, covering Tadd Dameron, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Sun Ra, and, daringly, Roscoe Mitchell's "Noonah.

It's got something of the punch and swagger of a Chadbourne date, but—as with his 2000 Texas Session—when he sits down with a roomful of hired guns, he doesn't waste time; antic and concept might sometimes obscure the fact, but Chadbourne's got chops to high heaven.

He plays a little too hard and a little too fast to perform in polite company, but then so did Albert Ayler (for that matter, hunt down a copy of Chadbourne's Ayler Undead tribute disc from 2001). If anything, jazz is about bringing something of yourself to the music—what else could explain Sun Ra? Chadbourne does that well, and with love.

Track Listing

Good Bait; Heavy Spirits; Saturn; 17 West; Noonah; Space Jazz Reverie; Miss Toni; Miles' Mode

Personnel

Eugene Chadbourne (acoustic guitar, banjo), Richie West (drums), Brian Walsh (tenor saxophone), Carey Fosse (electric guitar), Bill Barrett (harmonica), Dan Clucas (cornet, flute)

Album information

Title: The Hills Have Jazz | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Boxholder Records

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.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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