MUSIC REVIEW BY Tom Haugen, Take Effect
A Chicago quartet, plus Marc Kelly Smith's voice, Last Word Quintet pen stories of urban life here, where 12 lively tracks unfold with nods to beat poetry.
The lively spirit of "Iron Tango" starts the listen with Smith's raw spoken word alongside Sarah Allen's well timed drums and Doug Lofstrom's playful bass, and "Children Of Paradise" follows with a hint of rasp, as Bob Long's warm keys guide the soulful brass.
In the middle, the cautious and poetic "Rage Of Angels" uses Al Day's emotive guitar that suits the gritty delivery, while "Dream Of Flying" employs Brian Gephart's agile sax, which complements the firm keys and vivid storytelling.
Arriving close to the end, "Dominguez" isn't short on melody, where Smith's performance might bring to mind Tom Waits, and "Daylight" exits with booming brass, eloquent wordplay and plenty of thriving jazz meets beat artist energy.
An outfit whose inception stems from a poetry slam, Last Word Quintet certainly bring both intense and creative ideas to their atypical jazz formula.
The lively spirit of "Iron Tango" starts the listen with Smith's raw spoken word alongside Sarah Allen's well timed drums and Doug Lofstrom's playful bass, and "Children Of Paradise" follows with a hint of rasp, as Bob Long's warm keys guide the soulful brass.
In the middle, the cautious and poetic "Rage Of Angels" uses Al Day's emotive guitar that suits the gritty delivery, while "Dream Of Flying" employs Brian Gephart's agile sax, which complements the firm keys and vivid storytelling.
Arriving close to the end, "Dominguez" isn't short on melody, where Smith's performance might bring to mind Tom Waits, and "Daylight" exits with booming brass, eloquent wordplay and plenty of thriving jazz meets beat artist energy.
An outfit whose inception stems from a poetry slam, Last Word Quintet certainly bring both intense and creative ideas to their atypical jazz formula.