17
Dec
2002
The big attraction at Saturday's show at RIBCO will be the Grammy-winning acid-jazz outfit Liquid Soul, but the opening act is a fresh breeze that should appeal to fans of both jazz and hip hop.
The J. Davis Trio has been called Chicago's Next Big Thing in a poll by UR Chicago magazine, and with good reason. The quartet is as sly, cheeky, and low-key as its not-very-accurate name. It's a hip-hop band with a minimalist-jazz setting and a patient pace, casting an airy sonic spell not unlike trip-hop specialists Massive Attack. The basic tracks are simple, built on drums and bass, with the barest augmentation from chimes, flute, or horn. It's a hypnotic mix, one that focuses attention on the rap of vocalist Stuart. And it's nearly all live - no DJ, and few samples.
The group's debut, Yo Yo 1, was a bit of a drone, with a sameness that made its 70-plus minutes move too slowly. It is effective and pleasant bedtime music, but not something that tolerates close listening. The compositions are so austere that they feel to some degree like some modern art - to be appreciated intellectually more than enjoyed.
The band's new record, The New No. 2, represents a major step forward - more varied and dynamic. It uses similar structures but pumped up with more energy. Different rapping styles enliven the proceedings, and the beats are harder and bit more conventional. There are also some new sonic textures, including strings and guitar, that help differentiate the tracks.
Normally, news of a unique band such as the J. Davis Trio moving a bit toward the mainstream would be cause for concern, but here it works. The first record was so hell-bent on keeping itself pure that it locked out a lot of the audience. Here, bobbing heads are replaced by moving bodies.
The record announces itself with the third track, "A Disgrace to Leopards." The subdued texture of the first album is chucked for a big beat supplemented by congas, a heavy two-note bass, and rapping that refreshingly recalls the pinched whine of Cypress Hill's B-Real. It also features a perfect pop-culture word image: "Two worlds collide like MasterCard."
Yet even that track, compared to most hip hop, comes off as soporific. That's not a criticism, just a way of saying that the J. Davis Trio specializes in hip-hop music for people who might not generally like hip hop; these four guys produce, in their own words, "rap music for the rest of us."
It's an apt description. The subdued instrumentation gives the rapping breathing room, and sometimes it provides an interesting contrast. The delicate background of the title track - trumpet and what sound like finger cymbals - seems an unnatural accompaniment to the fast-and-furious rapping, but that tension makes for a curious listening experience. The beats and bass melt to the background, and the gentle music tries to pull attention from the vocals. When the rap breaks, though, the focus slams on the music, and the band smartly throws in some lounge-y guitar noodling.
Chimes provide a haunting melody for "Not Have Way," and the clarinet offers the perfect sad complement. Throughout the record - and unlike on Yo Yo 1 - music flourishes pop up to surprise the listener, re-focusing attention. Flav-R-Ice (bass, clarinet, flute, and sax), Ron-of-Japan (trumpet, hand chimes), and the Professa (drums) have crafted avant jazz that might make latter-day Radiohead proud.
The star of the show, though, is vocalist Stuart, who approaches his job as more of a poetry slammer than a rapper. His emphasis is on clearly articulating his words rather than speed or attitude. He's clever and smart, and you can see his wit even in song titles such as "Sorrow Is the Key That Gets Your Tears Out of Eye-Jail" and "Squinty-Eyed Justice."
For all the progress that The New No. 2 shows, though, the band can't quite figure out how much is enough. The new record runs just under 80 minutes, and the album's 13 tracks nearly all roll past their ideal lengths. But if the worst you can say about the foursome is that they offer too much of a good thing, they're doing pretty well.
The J. Davis Trio will be opening for Liquid Soul on Saturday, December 21. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. For more information on the J. Davis Trio, visit (http://www.jdavistrio.com). For more information on Liquid Soul, visit (http://www.liquidsoul.com).
The group's debut, Yo Yo 1, was a bit of a drone, with a sameness that made its 70-plus minutes move too slowly. It is effective and pleasant bedtime music, but not something that tolerates close listening. The compositions are so austere that they feel to some degree like some modern art - to be appreciated intellectually more than enjoyed.
The band's new record, The New No. 2, represents a major step forward - more varied and dynamic. It uses similar structures but pumped up with more energy. Different rapping styles enliven the proceedings, and the beats are harder and bit more conventional. There are also some new sonic textures, including strings and guitar, that help differentiate the tracks.
Normally, news of a unique band such as the J. Davis Trio moving a bit toward the mainstream would be cause for concern, but here it works. The first record was so hell-bent on keeping itself pure that it locked out a lot of the audience. Here, bobbing heads are replaced by moving bodies.
The record announces itself with the third track, "A Disgrace to Leopards." The subdued texture of the first album is chucked for a big beat supplemented by congas, a heavy two-note bass, and rapping that refreshingly recalls the pinched whine of Cypress Hill's B-Real. It also features a perfect pop-culture word image: "Two worlds collide like MasterCard."
Yet even that track, compared to most hip hop, comes off as soporific. That's not a criticism, just a way of saying that the J. Davis Trio specializes in hip-hop music for people who might not generally like hip hop; these four guys produce, in their own words, "rap music for the rest of us."
It's an apt description. The subdued instrumentation gives the rapping breathing room, and sometimes it provides an interesting contrast. The delicate background of the title track - trumpet and what sound like finger cymbals - seems an unnatural accompaniment to the fast-and-furious rapping, but that tension makes for a curious listening experience. The beats and bass melt to the background, and the gentle music tries to pull attention from the vocals. When the rap breaks, though, the focus slams on the music, and the band smartly throws in some lounge-y guitar noodling.
Chimes provide a haunting melody for "Not Have Way," and the clarinet offers the perfect sad complement. Throughout the record - and unlike on Yo Yo 1 - music flourishes pop up to surprise the listener, re-focusing attention. Flav-R-Ice (bass, clarinet, flute, and sax), Ron-of-Japan (trumpet, hand chimes), and the Professa (drums) have crafted avant jazz that might make latter-day Radiohead proud.
The star of the show, though, is vocalist Stuart, who approaches his job as more of a poetry slammer than a rapper. His emphasis is on clearly articulating his words rather than speed or attitude. He's clever and smart, and you can see his wit even in song titles such as "Sorrow Is the Key That Gets Your Tears Out of Eye-Jail" and "Squinty-Eyed Justice."
For all the progress that The New No. 2 shows, though, the band can't quite figure out how much is enough. The new record runs just under 80 minutes, and the album's 13 tracks nearly all roll past their ideal lengths. But if the worst you can say about the foursome is that they offer too much of a good thing, they're doing pretty well.
The J. Davis Trio will be opening for Liquid Soul on Saturday, December 21. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. For more information on the J. Davis Trio, visit (http://www.jdavistrio.com). For more information on Liquid Soul, visit (http://www.liquidsoul.com).
