| Pete Considine - Big Street MP The Big Street from Sweden to California We used to have a saying when I was in school – never mind the professors; it's your classmates that you really learn from. Thanks to the University of Music in Gothenburg, Sweden, the members of Big Street are now giving lessons in how West Coast jazz ought to be done. The three songs currently on SoundOrbit (from Big Street's debut CD Acoustic Kindergarten) show that things like "soul" and "feel" are universal. From the breathy trumpet sounds whispering underneath the nicely syncopated rhythm on "Stay" to the sinuous acoustic guitar solo on "Mercy Remix," Big Street's sound is pure color. On top of that, Big Street adds vocals with the harmonic sensibility of late-era Motown and R-and-B, proving that sometimes the best students of American musical styles aren't anywhere near the States. There are times when jazz musicians take themselves just a little bit too seriously. The members of Big Street seem to be far more interested in having a good time, and for that, they all deserve an A. |
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