Attack Of The Indies – Independent Jazz Buyer’s Guide (About.com)

By: Michael Verity

Along with reviewing records by well-known folks like George Benson and Terence Blanchard, I’m compelled to keep you up to speed with what’s going on with the indies, as well. Included herein, a look at a tasty record by San Francisco drummer Brian Andres, music by flawlessly talented guitarist Lawson Rollins, a set by a gutsy singer named Agachiko and a listen to an innovative sax player named Matt Parker.

Matt Parker’s music starts out anxious and noisy, retreats into the dreamy soundscape of early early morning, then shocks you out of your sleep by blowing back your hair like an oncoming train in a New York subway. And that’s just the first song! The rest of the Fort Lauderdale native’s debut on BYNK is equally beautiful and shocking and disarming, a set of music that takes you places you never expect.
“I Can’t Help It” is an inquisitive 90-second piece that tries on a traditional jazz melody just before kicking its shoes off and leaving the room, like a woman who’s lost interest. “Lists” is an echoing walk down a desolate street, a lovely yet disconcerting soundtrack to one more lonely night.

Seldom (hardly ever!) does one hear a sax and tap dance duet these days but Worlds Put Together solves that dilemma, pairing Parker with Jimmy “Taps” Sutherland on the cut “WPT,” (which we can assume stands for “World’s Put Together). The two-and-a-half minute tune seems tame enough, with Parker and Sutherland sparring together. Then the band spins off into a disjointed vaudeville adventure and, like every other song on the record, the listener ends up asking how he got where he stands.

There are times when the noise gets a little self-indulgent (“Alien Baby”) but, overall, Worlds Put Together is a gloriously challenging record that makes beautiful noise into beautiful music.