| CD-Review: Buttermilk Channel | by Willem Hijmans | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sit back in your chair and relax. You'll imagine
yourself sitting in the shadow of a tree on a hot, lazy midsummer day, sippin' on a cold cocktail.
On his debut as a leader, ADAM LEVY presents a trio with a unique sound. He creates a laid-back, cool atmosphere soft as velvet and demonstrates he knows how to use space and create variety. Levy mixes different styles, like blues in I GUESS, tropical almost reggea-like rhythms in ORANGE YOU GLAD and classic jazz guitar. The all-Levy originals rarely exceed an unhurried relaxed pase. The songs are played subtle, without an urge to show off, so the music unfolds slowly. A wide range of influences is displayed (Levy has worked with everyone from John Zorn to Tracy Chapman), yet Buttermilk Channel feels like one piece; the different compositions by Levy are adventurous, yet have the same basic idea. Levy is accompanied by his well-matched New York stalwarts Larry Goldings on organ and Kenny Wollesen on drums. LARRY GOLDINGS' excellent Hammond organ work feels warm and absorbing. Check out I GUESS to hear his ability to create different sounds and atmospheres. KENNY WOLLESEN's drumming is right on key and his light and interesting accompaniment contributes to a fresh sound, as THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE clearly demonstrates. Listen to his blues drum solo in I GUESS. All in all, a really strong debut album worth repeated listening when summer is approaching.
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