Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Percy Jones US review

Percy Jones Cape Catastrophe HST 2014
One man. One bass. Arguably one of the best unknown bassists in the world.
Brent Black / www.criticaljazz.com

Most people are aware that Brand X was perhaps ground zero for perennial drum titan Phil Collins. Lurking quietly in the shadows and one of the key components to the success of Brand X was bassist Percy Jones. Fretless bass players are a dime a dozen...good fretless players are priceless. While most are considered lyrical players by nature, Percy Jones is a textural bassist, As what I call a textural bassist, Jones hears an uncanny three dimensional sonic depth of field that is rare for what is considered as the role for the more traditional bassist. 

To describe the music on Cape Catastrophe is an exercise in sonic futility with perhaps the only peer that works on roughly the same harmonic level being the great Bill Laswell. Cape Catastrophe may best be described or even evaluated when you take a look at what Jones puts into his one man extravaganza here. 

Wal V Fivestring Fretless Bass
Casio CZ101 Synthesizer
Roland Sequencer
Yamaha RX 11 Drum Machine 
Korg Digital Delay
FSK Custom Sync Tone Encoder / Decoder 
Tascam 244 Four Track Recorder
Casio DAT Machine

The end result of the hardware referenced above is a manipulation of sounds, beats and even of colors one can hear that transcends genres of virtually any description. The term virtuoso is tossed about with such frequency it losses true meaning, not hear. 
Cape Catastrophe plays to both the visceral and cerebral front and is the next progression in the evolution of a true wall of sound.

4.5 Stars

Tracks: The Lie; Cape Catastrophe; Slick; Hex; Barrio; Tunnels; Thin Line; Symphony In F Major

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO:
Tunnels
CD - £9.99

Cape Catastrophe
CD - £9.99


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