DR JAZZ IN THE GROOVE is a complex jazz album by composer and programmer The Always Right Reverend Doktor Robert Are and recorded by the Nine Unknown Men. Immediately, I was gripped by the fabric of compositional density and the maturity in the themes and arrangements. At moments it sounds like Mingus, others like Zappa. The songs have strong melodies and bold rhythmic decisions that lead to cascades of notes and whole moments that sound like extended runs. Elements of fusion permeate but this would probably be described compositionally as some sort of advanced style of "third-stream".
The bass programming may be amongst the most standout aspects of the record along with a timbre palette evocative of 80s or 90s era of the Residents sequenced to aggressively rapid yet humanistic instrumentation. There are elements you'd find in Stravinsky, Varèse, Noncarrow, and even television theme music.
The sheer amount of detail that went into each moment of each track of this record is very impressive. The harmonic direction of each song is dense to the point where at times it sounds like Romantic Era classical music but with unpredictable certainty (specifically the track A Past Outside of Time). Another element I greatly appreciate is the diversity in style from track to track, if not moment to moment. There are a lot of stop on the dime twists and turns on this album. Some of the songs even sound like they'd be perfect for action scenes in a David Lynch film.
All and all, this was a great, great listen. The Always Right Reverend Doktor Robert Are is a brilliant composer and this album is worth some re-listens.
Wow... thank you for the wonderful review !!!
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