AMALGAM — Innovation (review)

AMALGAM — Innovation album cover Album · 1975 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Sean Trane
Can’t remember if Innovation is Amalgam’s fourth or fifth album, but its probably their better known, or most readily available (distribution-wise), despite a boring blue artwork. On the present, the original Trio is now a sextet that includes Tippett’s piano, Quaye’s congas and features the double bass combination of Lindsey Cooper (of Henry Cow fame) and Kent (un-Ron) Carter and the usual original drummer John Stevens and of course your very own Trevor Watts on sax. One of the amazing feat of this album is that most of the tracks are John Stevens compositions, as opposed to previously being of Watts.

Despite a fairly difficult opening moment, theca most-12 mins Staggering quickly finds its feet and settles on a cool groove, allowing Watts and Tippett to wander around, sometimes melodically, sometimes more dissonant and the interplay between Gennocky, Kent and Keith is amazing, and it augurs well for the rest of the album. The 10-mins+ When Is Now is just as enthralling and its round groove is quite communicative as well, and you’d swear at one point that Watts toyed with a flute in the background. Needless to say that the happy mood is really due to Quaye’s delightful congas.

On the flipside, the almost 8-mins Hello is again hinting at the happy-go-lucky-mood/groove of the band, even if Watts goes somewhat dissonant at times, but the music is simply too exciting that most standard jazz-heads won’t mind. The mood suddenly grows more serious with the modal Suzie Jay, the only Watts-penned song that sort of sticks out like a sore thumb, because we definitely hear the change for a more-standard jazz with Lindsey Cooper’s contrabass, but we cannot call it experimental at all. Suzie could’ve fitted on their PFP debut album though, better than here. The closing 6-mins Austrian Roll returns to the cool groove of the rest of the album.

Innovation is really a different kind of album in Amalgam’s discography, and it probably caused a rift between Stevens and Watts, because I believe Gennocky would take over the drum stool from now on. Not representative to say the least, but I like it.
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