EABS (ELECTRO ACOUSTIC BEAT SESSIONS) — Reflections of Purple Sun (review)

EABS (ELECTRO ACOUSTIC BEAT SESSIONS) — Reflections of Purple Sun album cover Album · 2024 · Eclectic Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
About a decade ago, New Yorkers "Mostly Other People Do the Killing" made a lot of noise releasing their "Blue" album - a note-for-note reiteration of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue". Similarly, one of the well-known abroad Polish bands, Electro-Acoustic Beat Sessions(EABS) started their career five years ago deconstructing the renowned music of the best Polish artists like Krzysztof Komeda and international jazz greats from the past as well. Today on "Reflections of Purple Sun" they play the early Tomasz Stanko album "Purple Sun" in full.

Quite often (partially in Polish media) Stanko's "Purple Sun" is qualified as avant-garde jazz work. For my ears, this album, released in 1973, is heavily influenced by early Miles Davis jazz-rock/fusion ("Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew") but sounds less American (or less groovy). Recorded in Germany (and with a German bassist on board), "Purple Sun" incorporates a lot of kraut-rock aesthetics and repetitive mechanistic rhythms instead.

EABS take on Stanko's material is very much in the spirit of today. "Reflections of Purple Sun" is a very rhythmic album, just the rhythms are different. Renowned by their love of hip-hop and electronics, EABS transforms Miles type classic fusion to quite tuneful dance-able electronic music, with some free improvisations and a noticeable touch of Polish tradition - slightly melancholic and emotionally colored.

Probably there is no sense in comparing Stanko's original work with EABS' new release. First, "Purple Sun" was quite a rare album and was mostly known and popular among Stanko's hot followers. Second, and more importantly - a few new generations of music listeners have already grown up during that half of a century, separating these two releases, so for many younger jazz fans, the EABS album sounds just like new music.

There are no guests here on "Reflections of Purple Sun", as on some of the band's more current albums. As usual, band members demonstrate a high level of interplay with great keys and sax soloing, imaginative electronic loops, and in general music of the highest level. What else do we need from our jazz?
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