Sebastian Cruz - Jim Black: Houseplant

Jim Black is the driving force in bands led by Laurie Anderson, Uri Caine, Steve Coleman and Dave Douglas. His style is characterized by sensitive jazz sounds, driving rock beats and intricate, swinging Balkan rhythms. The music of his formation AlasNoAxis is inspired by Bjork, Bill Frisell, Nirvana and Radiohead. Houseplant sometimes surprises with spherical sounds and quiet passages, without the usual jazz solo excursions. AlasNoAxis is a musical unit that, with its harmonious but also pulsating sound waves, invites you to forget the turbulent world around us. Speed, featured here as a tenor, takes on the role of indie rock/post-grunge singer... his breathy tone sometimes seems aimed at exuding a rather irritating or at least detached state of emotion - in keeping with Yoshitomo Nara's cover art -, which can still burst into fireworks without the saxophonist having to prove his ability... As a melodicist, Black is brilliant... The result is an increasing sense of drama, even at the medium tempos that dominate here - AlasNoAxis knows how Power can be ignited in ballads... Meanwhile, one of jazz's greatest drummers also lets off steam here and there, and no one can do it better - even if Houseplant isn't really jazz. - Dave Lynch