Alex Koo – ‘Blame it on my Chromosomes’

It is always interesting to listen to an artist who challenges being pigeonholed into a particular genre or style. Belgian-Japanese pianist Alex Koo’s new album surprises you from one track to the next, while at the same time assuring the listener that it is all coming from the same pair of hands, mind and soul. And there are common elements in the ten varied tracks he has composed. An exquisitely velvet tone, wonderful rhythmic timing, memorable melodic riffs and a preference for harmony over dissonance, the latter used judiciously in the overall blend. The versatility on show is enhanced by the space left for interplay with the excellent Dré Pallemaerts on drums and Lennart Heyndels on double bass, with celebrated trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire featuring on the tracks “Hey Man, We Should Play Sometime” and “Jonass”. This is top-notch jazz produced by some of the best European (and US) players and it is a pleasure to soak it in.

Technically, Koo’s early schooling in the classical piano repertoire is apparent, and there is a Debussy-like fineness to the compositions, which also often evoke the angularity of Keith Jarrett as well as the quiet thoughtfulness of Bill Evans. Koo’s occasional singing is strong and well-modulated, as on the piece “Slowly”, released as a single in November 2024. At this and several other points in the album, such as the track “Elements” you sense that Koo’s aim is to make you forget yourself and be carried along trance-like for a short while, until you regretfully realise the tune is over. There’s a lot to be said for being able to lose yourself in this way.

There is also a filmic quality to some the music, most obviously perhaps on the track “Eagle of The Sun” with its whistling entry and an overall feel of a western movie, all carried along by Koo’s vocal and the great repeating riff. This somehow bespeaks an awareness of how our music is so often consumed, sitting in a train or car, watching the city or landscape roll by, characters in our own movie.

And that visual sense is repeated in the track “Jonass”, also released as a single and dedicated to one of Koo’s childhood friends who tragically passed away. It is probably the highlight of the whole album. In the opening melodic riff section, you can almost see the happy riotous play of youth. It gives way suddenly to a deeply felt passage of loss and sadness, beautifully delivered through Koo’s delicate playing and Akinmusire’s solo, gradually building back and returning to happier memories of earlier times. It’s a masterclass in evocative playing that is very affecting, in a way which is rare in modern music.

The album concludes with the title track “Blame it on the Chromosomes”, which opens with a wonderfully deliberate solo from Heyndels before building to a complex rhythmic piano and drums climax and authoritative finale. I almost stood up to applaud.

[TUBE]It is always interesting to listen to an artist who challenges being pigeonholed into a particular genre or style. Belgian-Japanese pianist Alex Koo’s new album surprises you from one track to the next, while at the same time assuring the listener that it is all coming from the same pair of hands, mind and soul. And there are common elements in the ten varied tracks he has composed. An exquisitely velvet tone, wonderful rhythmic timing, memorable melodic riffs and a preference for harmony over dissonance, the latter used judiciously in the overall blend. The versatility on show is enhanced by the space left for interplay with the excellent Dré Pallemaerts on drums and Lennart Heyndels on double bass, with celebrated trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire featuring on the tracks “Hey Man, We Should Play Sometime” and “Jonass”. This is top-notch jazz produced by some of the best European (and US) players and it is a pleasure to soak it in.

Technically, Koo’s early schooling in the classical piano repertoire is apparent, and there is a Debussy-like fineness to the compositions, which also often evoke the angularity of Keith Jarrett as well as the quiet thoughtfulness of Bill Evans. Koo’s occasional singing is strong and well-modulated, as on the piece “Slowly”, released as a single in November 2024. At this and several other points in the album, such as the track “Elements” you sense that Koo’s aim is to make you forget yourself and be carried along trance-like for a short while, until you regretfully realise the tune is over. There’s a lot to be said for being able to lose yourself in this way.

There is also a filmic quality to some the music, most obviously perhaps on the track “Eagle of The Sun” with its whistling entry and an overall feel of a western movie, all carried along by Koo’s vocal and the great repeating riff. This somehow bespeaks an awareness of how our music is so often consumed, sitting in a train or car, watching the city or landscape roll by, characters in our own movie.

And that visual sense is repeated in the track “Jonass”, also released as a single and dedicated to one of Koo’s childhood friends who tragically passed away. It is probably the highlight of the whole album. In the opening melodic riff section, you can almost see the happy riotous play of youth. It gives way suddenly to a deeply felt passage of loss and sadness, beautifully delivered through Koo’s delicate playing and Akinmusire’s solo, gradually building back and returning to happier memories of earlier times. It’s a masterclass in evocative playing that is very affecting, in a way which is rare in modern music.

The album concludes with the title track “Blame it on the Chromosomes”, which opens with a wonderfully deliberate solo from Heyndels before building to a complex rhythmic piano and drums climax and authoritative finale. I almost stood up to applaud.  

Release date is 7 February 2025

from https://ukjazznews.com