Erik Truffaz - In Between

Wow, so far this month the only thing harder than finding time to listen to music has been finding time to write about it!  But with Christmas having come and gone I'm working on a couple of posts now.

First off is one of my Christmas finds, Erik Truffaz's excellent 2010 release "In Between".

The overall vibe of  "In Between" is melancholy.  The CD starts strongly with my favorite track, the 10 minute "Secret of the Dead Sea".  This track sets the stage for both the general vibe of the album as well as the sonic soundscape - the keyboards are up front, providing a nice base for Erik's trumpet.  In fact Benoit Corboz's keyboard work is superb throughout, both as more of a moody layering as it is on "Secret of the Dead Sea" as well as on the funky Rhodes-driven "Lost in Bogota".

Two tracks feature the vocals of Sophie Hunger, the original "Let Me Go!" and a Bob Dylan cover, "Dirge".  Both tracks are pleasant, if not the highlights of the album.  Sophie has an interesting voice, I'll have to check out some of her own work.

All in all "In Between" is a strong work in the "Nu-Jazz" genre, generally a little more somber and understated than a lot of music in that niche.  A good recording to take in during the late evening with the lights down.

Erik Truffaz - "In Between"
01 The Secret of the Dead Sea (10:08)
02 Let Me Go! (featuring Sophie Hunger) (3:12)
03 Mechanic Cosmetic (5:48)
04 Fujin (4:10)
05 Dirge (featuring Sophie Hunger) (3:42)
06 In Between (4:39)
07 Lost in Bogota (5:09)
08 Balbec (6:13)
09 BC One (4:29)
10 Les Gens Du Voyage (5:08)
11 Giuseppe (2:49)
12 Dead Sea Stones (3:20)

Jimmy Herring Band

Jimmy Herring is wrapping up his 2010 fall tour in the next week or so, and I've been listening to a few of the shows that have turned up on the torrent sites.

Jimmy's 2008 release "Lifeboat" was a real treat of modern fusion.  The guy has some serious guitar chops, and with a top notch band (the core band consists of Oteil Burbridge on bass, Jeff Sipe on drums, Kofu Burbridge on keys and flute, and guest appearances by Greg Osby and Derek Trucks), the album cooks from start to finish. Kofu's flute provides some nice texture as an offset to the more aggressive guitar, I don't know why there isn't more flute in fusion as I love that instrument in jazz (Charles Lloyd comes immediately to mind).


Herring is "taper-friendly", so the shows surfacing on the torrent sites sound great as the tapers don't need to work with stealth set ups.  My favorites so far (links to etree or dime trackers):

11/14/10 - Portland ME
11/18/10 - Charlotte NC
12/2/10 - Athens GA

The band this tour is a little different, Jeff Sipe remains on drums, with Matt Slocum on keyboards and Neal Fountain on bass.

If you like what you hear from the live shows, then by all means pick up Lifeboat!

Jimmy Herring - Lifeboat
01. Scapegoat Blues - 6:37
02. Only When It's Light - 6:08
03. New Moon - 6:10
04. Lifeboat Serenade - 6:00
05. One Strut - 7:31
06. Jungle Book Overture - 6:34
07. Lost - 6:18
08. Transients - 5:32
09. Gray Day - 7:02
10. Splash - 6:27