DIGITAL PRIMITIVES

Hum, Crackle, and Pop

2009-10-25

This third album from modern jazz trio, Digital Primitives, offers original compositions performed on both modern and primitive instruments, thus the band name. It's fun listening to this just to figure out what's being played. There's not much detail in the liner notes here, but the first song, "Walkabout", is one of the best offerings and, from what I can figure, uses the m'bira and the mouth bow to help keep the beat and a bass clarinet to play the repetitive melody. The effects on the tenor sax make the track "Crackle and Pop" seem more rock than jazz with its kit drums and awesome noise. "Love Truth" is a pretty ballad with tenor sax that crescendos into the ethereal. Is that a "twinger didly bow" that's being used on the track "Hum"? Whatever it is, it reminds me a bit of the sounds that Adrian Belew pulls out of his guitar. Digital Primitives is doing its part to keep the jazz genre fresh with this release. Rebecca Ruth