Bann
as you like
Jazz Eyes 010
www.musiceyes.com
By George W. Harris

The musical team Bann is an anagram of the letters from the last name of members Seamus Blake/ts, Jay Anderson/b, Oz Noy/g and Adam Nussbaum/dr. Blake himself put out an impressive live release last year, and Noy does some amazing stuff when he comes to Catalina’s for his semi-annual gigs. Here, they play an impressive assortment of standards and originals, with the ringer of David Crosby’s “Guinnevere” being a special treat. Blake’s horn is protein rich, and grabs tunes like “Played Twice” and “Isotope” like a wrestler, while Noy’s unique sounding guitar does some impressive things with his own “Minor Shuffle.” As with so many of the newer-but-not-too-new musicians, they are looking for a way to take the jazz tradition to a different plane, place and audience, keeping some old but looking for the uninitiated as well. They have no problem incorporating a bit of electric sensibilities, harmonics and sound effects, and it works quite well here. They are searching, which is always an impressive move for artists.