Hugh Hopper- Numero D’Vol
(Moonjune Records)
From Aural Innovations #38 (Jan 2008)
Bassist Hugh Hopper was a founding member of the seminal proto-Canterbury group
The Wilde Flowers, and was with the legendary band The Soft Machine from almost
the very start through till the early 70’s. He was instrumental in pushing
their sound away from psychedelic pop towards the new and groundbreaking styles
of jazz-fusion that they would become known for. Since then, he’s worked
with numerous artists, in various bands and collaborations, mostly in a jazz
context, but always with an ear for the innovative and avant-garde.
Numero D’Vol finds him teaming up with saxophonist Simon Picard, keyboardist
Steve Franklin (playing piano, organ and synth), and drummer Charles Hayward
for a set that runs from mellow atmospheric jazz to edgy fusion to completely
off-the-wall experiments. The album kicks off with the nearly 10-minute title
track, a rich and somewhat spacey exercise in pure jazz. But after that, all
bets are off, as the band explores various fusion and avant-garde territories.
Tracks like On the Spot and Earwigs Enter utilize buzzing synth stabs and spacey
atmospherics with driving rhythm lines. Other tracks evoke eerie, experimental
soundscapes, like Get That Tap, which makes use of delay and creepy synths to
great effect, and Straight Away, which has a rather freeform rhythm section,
with some nice melodic bass from Hopper. Admittedly, there’s often a very
1970’s feel to the proceedings, but that’s certainly not a bad era
to evoke, especially when you’re playing experimental free jazz-fusion.
But none of it sounds tired or cliché, there’s still a freshness
here that is quite palpable, brought on by modern touches such as ambient textures
and rock style beats and rhythms. It’s obvious the musicians are all pouring
their passion into their playing, as they search a well trodden territory for
ground that hasn’t be trod upon before. Occasionally they find it, and
you can almost see them grinning at each other when they do, despite the fact
that those moments most often occur when the music gets it’s darkest and
edgiest. From relaxing, mellow passages to moments of chilling weirdness, Hopper
and friends make it all work, providing a truly pleasurable listening experience.
Check out the record label web site at: http://www.moonjune.com
Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald