Meet Reviewer Damian Erskine ~

The Britton Brothers Band

“Uncertain Living”

(www.myspace.com/thebrittonbrothers)

The Britton Brothers (Saxophonist Ben & Trumpeter John) along with Tenor Saxophonist extraordinaire Chris Potter (guesting on two tracks), Bassist Taylor Waugh & Drummer Austin Walker has been deemed “state-of-the-art creative mainstream jazz”.  I can’t say I disagree!  I wouldn’t generally use a word like ‘mainstream’ for jazz that pushes, explores and pulses as much as this does, but I can only hope that more people listen to music this good than I thought!  😉

Much of the music is fairly straight ahead at first glance, but there is an old-school exploration of sound happening that you don’t hear as much anymore.  So many of todays straight ahead musicians are a little too…. tonally predictable, in my opinion.  Like it can’t be pure straight ahead and still push and rub you both the right and wrong way when it’s appropriate.  I’ve found these tunes both swinging and immensely listenable while simultaneously pushing and that ‘goin’ for something’ style of playing that I love and draws me nearer.

It’s not all ding-dink-a-dink for these guys, tho.  Some of this stuff grooves hard and explores time, feel and sound in ways that span the jazz spectrum.  I guess this music could really is an evolutionary step in what is deemed ‘mainstream’ jazz.  Let’s hope so!!