Re: MM&W/ Jimi Tenor

jay ivan weinstein (jivan@unm.edu)
Mon, 10 Mar 1997 14:40:03 -0700 (MST)

i'm a big fan of friday afternoon in the universe, primarily because the
album moves smoothly between experimental jazz and groovier, more "pop"
like jazz. i saw them live on this tour (one of only two aj bands to
have set down in albuquerque in the last couple of years, along with
Galactic), and friday afternoon captured much of the incredible live
dynamic which the band possesses. i gave their newest shack man a listen
to the other day. on first listen it seemed like an excellent album,
though i missed some of the more abstract tracks from friday. there
were other priorities on my shopping list that day so i didn't pick
shackman up, though i plan on giving shackman an enthusiastic second listen.

On another note, full length releases are coming out this week for
Jhelisa and Jimi Tenor. There's already enough hype about Jhelisa--every
ounce of it deserved, though i haven't read much on the list about Jimi
Tenor. I picked up a 10" of theirs/his (is jimi tenor a man or a band?),
and both tracks, Outta Space and Tesla are excellent. Outta Space
reminds of a less-pop oriented Jamiroquai--good beats, great funk, and a
party-like spirit, which gets me more and more excited about playing some
outdoor events now that the weather is getting warmer. Tesla has some
deeper beats, at a hip-hop tempo, with some gorgeous, crooning, almost
wailing female vocals. I've seen Jimi Tenor described as Sleaze Lounge,
which somewhat appropriately describes the loungey-infused acid jazz of
the 10". But one question I definitely have, is why is a band like Jimi
Tenor on Warp Records? Has Warp expanded beyond electronica?

--jay.