Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Jazz never really went away; it perhaps got selective about who would enjoy it, a little choosy on who would really sit down and listen to the idea and perhaps its brief dalliance with Prog overtones during the whole Brand X era was too much for many to get into but it certainly never went away.
In the last few years the resurgence of the genre has been exponential, not only are fans looking back at the creative boom of the 1920s and 30s with a new appreciation but with the likes of the incredible Caro Emerald proving the genre is beautifully artistic and clever and audiences being reintroduced to works by a master in Frank Zappa through his genius like son, Jazz has got, if not sexy, then downright scintillating again.
One of the great exponents of the medium in the post 80s is Jason Rebello and whilst he has been away from showcasing his own stuff for a while, Anything But Look is a timely reminder that a person and their art is never out of fashion, never knowingly undervalued, and when the time is right will jump out at audience hungry for something new, something so exhaustingly good that it can only bring back pleasant memories for those who have listened to the genre for so long and thrill the next generation of lovers fed up of the falseness that some genres rightly or wrongly bring to the table.
Having worked extensively with the legends Sting and Peter Gabriel has only fed this man’s prodigious talent, liberating to the ear and the heart strings and yet at all times so honest it makes George Washington look like a rampant liar as he hides a chainsaw behind his back.
As well as a welcome return to his music, Anything But Look also stands out for the way he brings so many different musicians, vocalists and influences along for the ride. All of these collaborators enhance the experience greatly. Whether the cool tones of Pino Palladino’s exotic bass, Tim Garland’s flute, Mike Bould’s percussion or the dulcet and melodious voices of Sumudu Jaytilaka (Man On the Train), Will Downing (Is This How), Joy Rose (New Joy) or Alicia Carroll (Dark Night of the Soul), all make Anything But Look a sojourn worth having.
Sometimes what is personal to the artist doesn’t come through, it gets lost in a haze and cloudy fog. There is no such problem with Jason Rebello’s sincerely given and keenly felt lyrics that adorn the artistry afforded the music, each song is perfectly framed by the music and the music gladly takes the lyricist’s hand as if guiding them towards an inner peace that is often unobtainable.
Anything But Look is a great album to plunge back into the re-emerging world of Jazz.
Ian D. Hall