Guns N’Roses

MUSIC
MUSIC
134 TONE AUDIO NO.78 Brooklyn Blowhards
Brooklyn Blowhards
Littleimusic, LP or CD
Connecting the dots between
these two hypothetical experiences
probably isn’t on the
minds of many musicians. But
as century-old sea shanties
entwine with raucous free-jazz
nuggets of the 60s on the debut
by this intriguing New York
outfit, you realize Blowhard boss
hollers of the ocean. Known for
his scholarship in all things Ayler
(2012’s Sunwatcher serves
as stop one when acquainting
yourself with his lyrical roar),
Lederer built the Blowhards to
marry two seemingly disparate
interests. As the brays and
booms of each realm spill into
of the shanties Lederer has revamped.
When you hear the
traditional “Santy Anno” sitting
a couple of tracks away from
Ayler’s “Heavenly Home,” the
similarities are hard to miss. The
Blowhards smear the particulars
of each until the blend becomes
unique. With its splashy rise-andfall
design, the traditional “Black
Jeff Lederer likely spent a chunk each other during this 14-song
of time mulling over such scenarios.
reveal themselves.
taken for an Ayler original.
program, parallels continually Ball Line” could easily be mis-
©Photo by Rob Lowell
A fan of the way collective
voices can align towards frolic. The sing-along nature lends itself towards full-throated
The octet’s book is full of The group’s instrumentation
Imagine being at the bow of a 30-foot whaleboat with one
goal: Heaving a harpoon into the beast and taking command
of its last moments. One good slap of that tail and
reworked the trance-like rever-
the red-zone wail he and his gooses the material. The reeds
a common goal (he previously of Ayler’s themes help buoy howls, and the squad’s verve
ies of Shaker “vision” tunes), trumpeter brother Donald often
your hunting cohort would be on its way to Davy Jones’
of Lederer and Petr Cancura,
saxophonist Lederer is also brought to their performances the brass of trombonist Brian
locker. Now imagine sitting in front of Albert Ayler’s
smitten with the work songs of in the mid-60s. Sometimes, it’s Drye and cornetist Kirk Knuffke,
quartet—revered for the clout of its holy shriek and often
seafarers. Classics like “Haul hard to tell if their emotionally the wheezing keyboards of accordionist
Art Bailey—over and
deemed one of jazz’s most fiercely joyous outfits. One
on the Bowline” and “Shallow rich mix waxes melancholy or
Brown”—originated while sailors beams with elation. Regardless,
the melodies are all ear-
shared shout that harks to the
over again, they fuel the kind of
proper pique of frenzy on, say, “Universal Indians” could
went about their rigorous daily
be a heart-stopper, sending you and your nightclub cohort
to St Peter’s golden gates.
milk a groove. Call ‘em the field that make them distant cousins its third month at sea.
duties—set up a rhythm and worms with repetitive designs bluster of a ship-bound crew on
(continued)
AUGUST 2016 135