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Glasshopper — I'm Not Telling You Anything
(Bandcamp Clonmell Jazz Social CJS005, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-08-15

I'm Not Telling You Anything Cover art

Jazz that stretches outside the boundaries of tradition can go any of a number of different ways. Glasshopper is a London trio that works with saxophone, guitar, and drums augmented by electronic effects, and while they venture quite far from swing, bebop, or any other kind of jazz, they do so in a way that is not abrasive. Sure, Jonathan Chung wrings sounds out of his tenor sax that are not the kind of notes your high school band teacher would have taught you, but it’s a far cry from the screeching of someone like Peter Brötzmann. He has a way of using the squeaks, honks, and overblowing to augment his melodies rather than obliterate them. Similarly, guitarist James Kitchman mangles his tone with various devices, but howling distortion is not among the results. You’ll hear echoes and reverb and pitch bending, all presented in a friendly way. Corrie Dick plays drums (and, as all the materials point out, cymbals) and an array of other percussive objects, always carrying the pulse in a subtle way that supports rather than overwhelms the music. Their previous album, Fortune Rules (2020), featured guests on trumpet and vocals, but for I’m Not Telling You Anything, the trio goes it alone. The album kicks off with the tasty groove of “A New Thing,” with the guitar and sax working together to cover the lack of a bass. There’s a hint of surf rock in the steady beat, but Kitchman throws in some echoes and loops that take it into a purely Glasshopper place. Other tracks lean into a spacious ECM-like style, full of atmosphere and stark beauty. But they also have a humorous side, evident in the deliberately bland “Major Hit,” which walks a fine line between schmaltz and parody. One of the primary impressions a listener gets is of musicians who are really enjoying what they’re doing. There’s a sense of joy and release, far from angst, pain, and sadness, manifested in a way that is beautiful without ever falling into saccharine shallowness.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Glasshopper

More info
http://glasshopperjazz.bandcamp.com/album/im-not-telling-you-anything

 

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