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Jazz Notes by Steve Futterman Rolling Stone, June 29, 1995 |
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Is the world ready for bass-less jazz
trios? Evidently, given the decades-plus success of Paul Motian's drums-guitar-sax
group. And now there's Babkas: Brad Schoeppach, guitar; Aaron Alexander,
drums; Briggan Krauss, alto saxophone. Ants to the Moon (Songlines), their
second album, shares a bare-boned lyricism with the Motian group. But
Babkas' sound is even more propulsive and pointillistic. A warped Eastern
European groove permeates "Rocky and Rachel," while the title
track and "Lost" are chilling ballads made all the more lonesome
and affecting without the warm bass grounding. |