City of Angles

City of Angles

Description: 
Thelonius Monk goes to the circus drunk
Composers: 
Andrew Durkin
Cory Wright
Evan Francis
Performers: 
Industrial Jazz Group
Catalog Number: 
#571
Genre: 
Jazz
Collection: 
big band
Location: 

Los Angeles, CA

Price: 
$15.00
Release Date: 
Jul 23, 2002
Liner Notes: 
View
1 CD
City of AnglesiTunes Artist's PageiTunes Album Page
Song TitleTimePrice
1.Theme from City of Angles04:20$0.99
2.The Most Adaptable of All Weed Species00:23$0.99
3.Interlude In Krupa03:12$0.99
4.Void When Detached03:48$0.99
5.Tribute to Chrome01:21$0.99
6.Pince Nez04:12$0.99
7.Tuxedo Trouble04:45$0.99
8.Now That's What I Call Music01:10$0.99
9.Mwahaha03:42$0.99
10.Full-On Freak06:47$0.99
11.Losing Proposition04:34$0.99
12.Los Feelies00:56$0.99
13.Dear Sir or Madam03:18$0.99
14.Anger Management Classes04:42$0.99
One Sheet: 

"Thelonius Monk goes to the circus drunk" is how one listener describes it. Put another way, the music of the Industrial Jazz Group (IJG) is a new-fangled amalgamation of 50s, 60s and 70s acoustic jazz (bebop, hard bop, cool jazz, free jazz, modal jazz, third stream, etc.) with the kind of sounds, effects and compositional approaches often associated with the avant garde (xenochrony, multiple meters, musique concrete, sped-up tape, etc.). And as if that's not bad enough, all of this is filtered through a sometimes absurd sense of humor and a love for melody. 

Like their previous release Hardcore, City of Angles is a kind of jazz "concept album," a loosely-organized, slightly sardonic and yet affectionate portrayal of the city the group calls home; Los Angeles. Throughout the set the group retains its trademark wit, demonstrating a refreshingly ironic self-consciousness not often found in postmodern jazz. 

The word "industrial" in the group name is not a reference to "industrial" sounds, but a label for a compositional approach that focuses heavily on structure and form--an approach that gets at the "industry" (or craft), so to speak, of musical creation.

Formed by composer/pianist Andrew Durkin in the spring of 2000, the IJG performs regularly in the Los Angeles area. Members include: Evan Francis (alto sax/flute), Aaron Cohen (bass), Daniel Glass (drums), Scott Steen (trumpet), Cory Wright (saxes and clarinets), Noah Phililips (guitar), Garrett Smith (trombone), Lauri Goldenhersh (vocals), and Joe Tepperman (theremin).

Reviews: 

SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE

The nine-piece Los Angeles-based band is one of the most intriguing jazz ensembles in Southern California. It is stocked with fearless young improvisers and strangely beautiful arrangements that jump and skitter every which way. 

Intrepid listeners who purchase a disc without having actually heard the band will be delighted or bemused to discover thoughtful, often-captivating jazz that mixes free improvisation with striking melodic lines and complex, kinetic arrangements. - Andrew Gilbert