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Post by petea on Jul 1, 2021 7:42:19 GMT
"Peppers" is the forth album by the experimental jazz group, Polar Bear. At that time is was led by Seb Rochford, an extraordinarily imaginative and skillful drummer (with an equally extraordinary head of hair!). He was accompanied by two tenor saxophonists (Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart) and a double bassist (Tom Herbert) and another muscian (John Burton performing as Leafcutter John) who often contributed electronic elements to the the songs, via game consoles, self-made electronics, more conventional electronic instruments and occasionaly guitar and mandolin. Although I like the earlier albums very much as well, I think "Peepers" is probably their most 'coherent' work and they had truly established their style and way of working by the time they made it. Live recordings of the title track reveal their way of working and also allow you to be mesmerized by the utter ease which Mr Rocford brings to his drumming, often belying the underlying complexity. The inter-play and back and forth of the two saxophonists is always interesting to see as it is not so obvious when one listens to the album 'blind' as it were. I am less keen on the later, more 'ambient' work by Polar Bear, but I do like many of the side-projects and collaboration that Seb Rocford has been involved with, especially his work with Basquiat Strings: what a shame that there was only ever one album though. Anyway, give it a spin and see what you think.  Fair use, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46820616play.qobuz.com/album/lszz3cacane5a |
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Post by John on Jul 1, 2021 9:49:05 GMT
I give this a listen I did listen to one off their albums a good few years ago and not really enjoying the music so be interesting to go back and see if my tastes have changed
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Post by MikeMusic on Jul 3, 2021 19:36:12 GMT
Experimental jazz this is, yes
Interesting.
Not for me.
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Post by John on Jul 4, 2021 4:12:08 GMT
At times a bit too outside for me such as Drunken Pharaoh so can only give it a 2. I did like the drumming however I don't think I could listen to it again but really glad you choose something I think most will find challenging. Hopefuly you get at least one person who likes it.
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Post by jandl100 on Jul 4, 2021 4:52:14 GMT
Well, that's a bit of a surprise.
Not at all keen on the general "random jazz" of the whole album.
But I enjoyed the vid of the Peepers track. Maybe it helps me to see what they are up to. Or maybe the track just has more structure to it. I generally crave structure in music.
So, Peepers, the track not the whole album which would score a Yuck from me.
Great drumming.
Really enjoyed the main solo from the sax guy on the right, not so keen on what the sax guy on the left got up to.
For the vid an enjoyable 2 from me.
Now listening to their more recent albums on Spotify - I quite like the ambient vibe of In Each and Every One.
Edit; 1 is top rating, 5 is Yuck. Is that right? I find the rating system is a bit obscure!
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Post by John on Jul 4, 2021 8:01:38 GMT
Opps a 4 forgot the weird marking system 😉
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Post by petea on Jul 4, 2021 20:40:59 GMT
Sorry about the rating scale: I got a bit obsessed with Polar Bears. Top is best, bottom is worst.
I guessed it might be a bit 'Marmite'!
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 4, 2021 22:21:38 GMT
I think it's great.
I'm reserving comment on the voting system, though.
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Post by rfan8312 on Jul 4, 2021 23:18:21 GMT
Pretty cool. Love the drum sound and their direction reminds me of something right in-between the groups Tanake and Kneebody and The Thing.
Listening to Bap Bap Bap and Beartown on spotify. The track 'Be Free' is quite cool.
What interests me here is that they seem to take the endless noodling on the saxophone, which I can never seem to stick with in jazz classics that sound to me like they are going nowhere with no beginning, middle or end, and inserts it into a context that I can hang with and even adds some kind effects to that noodling.
Will explore.
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Post by ajski2fly on Jul 6, 2021 11:38:22 GMT
I can only say this reminded me of a Polar Bear adrift on an iceberg out at sea with no idea where it was going to end up.
I was hoping to get more out of this album as I do like modern Jazz and even some advantgarde, however this sounded like some college jazz music students experimenting with different sounds and trying to be different. Yes they are musically accomplished but the compositions just did not go anywhere as far as I am concerned. At the beginning I thought it sounded promising but then the sax playing became rather annoying with a monotonous style. A lot of the songs had a dirge feel about them and it became a hard listen by the time I got to the end. Having played a bit of Jazz I get what they were trying to do but it was not for me.
So its a 2/5, and that's only because they obviously can play their instruments.
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Post by Slinger on Jul 6, 2021 14:53:37 GMT
I'm finally giving this a listen.
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Post by Slinger on Jul 6, 2021 15:24:50 GMT
I gave up halfway throught track 6. Sorry, it's juist not for me. I found myself clinging to the odd passage I classed as "musical" like a drowning man clutching a plank.
I wouldn't class it as "horrible," or anything so definitive. I just didn't like it. A two I'm afraid.
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Post by petea on Jul 6, 2021 15:41:33 GMT
It is faring better than I expected!  |
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Post by MartinT on Jul 10, 2021 19:16:19 GMT
I'm back and finally giving this a listen. The opening track was not too promising and, like others, I can't find a hook to hang onto. Peepers is definitely a cut above. I like the live jazz feel and the musicians are highly competent.
Not quite a mauling by Binky(?), it gets 2/5.
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Post by Barrington on Jul 13, 2021 13:03:06 GMT
Jazz .. eek, experimental Jazz arrgh ! Did play it twice though and it wasn't as bad as I expected , 2/5
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