Florian Ross Elektrio - Wheels & Wires

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 50:20
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:06)  1. Doors Closed
(5:36)  2. Okay
(4:54)  3. Heather Deep
(5:23)  4. Sarinah
(6:23)  5. Swing By
(5:18)  6. Scratch
(5:16)  7. Biscuit
(4:10)  8. West Babylon, Nj
(4:54)  9. Kat & Penny
(3:16) 10. Tremor

German pianist/composer Florian Ross has been making provocative music since his early Naxos Jazz recordings. He is a rolling stone, moving from one format to the next, always bringing something new and leaving something newer. The organ trio, specifically that of the organ-guitar-drums variety, has proven to be as durable an instrument format as it has a fertile ground from the whole of jazz, as well as rock. This format has included groups as disparate at Wild Bill Davis/Floyd Smith/Chris Columbus, Jimmy Smith/Eddie McFaddin/Donald Bailey, Big John Patton/Grant Green/Ben Dixon Quintet, Larry Young/John McLaughlin/Tony Williams and Keith Emerson/Greg Lake/Carl Palmer (throwing in Ray Manzarek/Robbie Krieger/John Densmore for good measure). Well-documented German keyboardist Florian Ross has been known to front an organ trio from time to time: the Florian Ross Elektrio. 

In the above spectrum of organ trios, the Elektrio falls this side of Tony Williams; Emergency! (Polydor, 1969) band and that side of the Doors' rhythm section. Ross is even tempered as is guitarist Jesse Van Ruller, who only occasionally hits an over-driven segment and never so much that it annoys.  "Doors Closed" opens the recital with an intricate, descending figure that makes its way into a driving momentum sustained by drummer Martijn Vink channelling his best Stanton Moore. Ross' playing is super-scrubbed no chitlin' circuit grease here. His B3 is taut and controlled even when he steps out in solo. However, none of the three fear turning up the heat as heard in the opener's coda. "Okay" shows a rhythmic-melodic side to Ruller, who establishes a polished, mid-tempo ballad for Ross to ruminate over. The closest thing to a "traditional" organ trio piece is "Heather Deep." 

Ross adopts an apostolic tone to his B3, modulating through a considered prelude where he dances with Ruller's guitar before getting down to his sanctified business. The song recalls the Crusaders' "Way Back Home" being played over a simple church figure. Ruller plays above and beyond the lines. Ross shows himself a very capable small band leader and one not afraid to recast older formats in new and creative ways.
~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-little-and-big-of-florian-ross-florian-ross-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.U6S4pLEguSo

Personnel: Florian Ross: Hammond B3; Jesse Van Ruller: guitar; Martijn Vink: drums.

Wheels & Wires

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