Record Reviews

ANDY SHEPPARD ~ NOCTURNAL TOURIST PROVOCATEUR 1029 (Barcode: 5038491102922) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001 British saxophonist / composer Andy SheppardFind albums by this artist takes a bold step into creating a one-man-show concept album, which is a big step away from his usual subject matter as a mainstream Jazz musician. Playing several instruments (saxophones, keyboards, guitar and synthesizers) and accompanied only by French drummer / percussionist Stephane San JuanFind albums by this artist, Sheppard brilliantly employs also an array of studio wizardry, using samples, pre-recorded background sounds, fragments of recorded conversation, lops, etc., all these to create a very interesting collage of sounds, on top of which he improvises. His highly developed sense of melody prevails of course and his improvisations are kept strictly within the melody lines. Nevertheless the overall effect of this music is quite fascinating, as it presents another way to expand the Jazz idiom into new and contemporary vistas. Although some Jazz purists might shrug about this music, let’s make no mistake here – it is still good music, even if unconventional in the traditional Jazz aspect. As a matter of fact this album might serve as a perfect tool to introduce many listeners to Jazz, especially the younger generation. Comparing this music with many lounge and ambient projects created in the last decade, the result will still place this album way above other efforts. I had a lot of fun listening to this and quite a few surprises along the way. Definitely worth checking out!

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