Plugged-In Jazz
Stephen A. Smith | Boston, MA | 03/16/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's not clear from the package, but this is a quartet: Ray Anderson on trombone, Jeppe Tuxen on Hammond B3 organ, Niclas Knudsen on guitar, and Stefan Pasborg on drums. The tracks were recorded live at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse on November 21, 2004. The album runs about 50 minutes.
The obvious comparison is to John Medeski, and there's plenty of that going on -- but "Formula" is pure Jimmy Smith, and "The Tuxen Shuffle" reads like a tribute to Jack McDuff. There's something for everyone here, and the beauty is that it strings together nicely. It's a cohesive album that will appeal to organ fans, to Ray Anderson freaks, or even to jam-band followers. It's certainly not "jazz lite"; it's hard, electric, and meant to be played loud."