Twooriginals, Lennon/McCartney’s “Julia,” and one apiece from Monk, Kirk, andIbrahim rub alongside each other amid a meditative, bottom-heavy groove and theconstant ivory plinking of leader Brian Haas. Essentially a piano trio with alap steel guitar added on top, this string section actually creates a spaced-outEastern tinge rather than the rustic root that might be expected from a quartetof Oklahomans. Dynamically, there’s a whole lot going on: In turns quiet,haunting, and straight-up funked, everything mostly coalesces by the closingslink-strut of “Four in One.”
Of course,with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey there is music-school vibe and classical chopsto boot, but the boys still cut their teeth on the road opening for the likesof Phish’s Mike Gordon. This in fact allows them to double as the jazz-funk actfor flunkiessurely fertile ground (just ask Medeski Martin & Wood) totrod.
