Domi & JD Beck , Not Tight, Apeshit/Blue Note ****

A few words on keyboardist/drummer duo Domi and JD Beck - it would be careless to disregard the hip-hop and cosmic jazz-rock phenoms who have swept in recently like a hurricane. Offset our review by generational bias. Natch. Older geezers and galz …

Published: 30 Jul 2022. Updated: 20 months.

A few words on keyboardist/drummer duo Domi and JD Beck - it would be careless to disregard the hip-hop and cosmic jazz-rock phenoms who have swept in recently like a hurricane. Offset our review by generational bias. Natch. Older geezers and galz may prefer their Beck the Jeff or beer varieties after all. But different strokes for different folks and we are bending over backwards to be fair. Although hey neg wowser on that flakiness. Not. Hashtag Fail. Oh, man.

Anyway! Domi and Beck are seriously good no matter how much the more grizzled jazzers may grouch. We mean it. And I guess da duo will be the talk of the jazz village. But what a marmite record. 'Smile' the driving motif of which makes me drift away to the Stylistics and 'People Make the World Go Round' is g-g-g-great. It's no copy, tiger. And as the NME reviewer noted the new original creation is ridiculously catchy. And of course some jazz fans HATE IT when something is just so. I KNOW!!!! LOLZ. MEMETASTIC BLAH BLAH. TYPICALLY BOOMER. Mutter away if you are the right demographic. It would be highly unfair to say that the record was dreamt up by the marketing department. Fans of Thundercat will want 'Bowling' because they want everything he does but it's not the best track. The ever youthful Herbie Hancock also guests on 'Moon' (it's a better track). But generally speaking again as the NME again correctly called it Domi and Beck aren't awed by the stellar guests (guitar god Kurt Rosenwinkel makes his presence felt very well on 'Whoa' which is more a wow then a woah, hold on one minute). 'Pilot' with Snoop is the track that may get all the attention and any radio action going on the commercial front.

A breath of fresh air. Hardly one of the best albums of the year although some will probably deem Not Tight as the second coming… and if they do - then I'll get on my knees and pray/We don't get fooled again - the words of the ever wise Pete Townshend leap to mind. But fair play - all hail for sheer derring-do however Domi and JD. They make even Jacob Collier seem like an old geezer. He's knocking on a bit compared to these equally mega talented and far more maverick hopefuls. SG

Domi and JD Beck photo: Blue Note

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The week ahead - jazz gig highlights for 1-7 August Herbie Hancock, Fred Wesley, Ethan Iverson and more

Bobby Quigley's organ trio 606, London Monday 1 August Natalie Floacist Stewart Boisdale, Canary Wharf, London Tuesday 2 Aug Louise Dodds The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh Wednesday 3 Aug Stuart McCallum trio Matt and Phred's, Manchester Wed 3 Aug John …

Published: 30 Jul 2022. Updated: 20 months.

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Bobby Quigley's organ trio 606, London Monday 1 August

Natalie Floacist Stewart Boisdale, Canary Wharf, London Tuesday 2 Aug

Louise Dodds The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh Wednesday 3 Aug

Stuart McCallum trio Matt and Phred's, Manchester Wed 3 Aug

John Etheridge & Pete Oxley, The Handle Bar, Oxford Thursday 4 Aug

Ethan Iverson trio Vortex, London Friday 5 Aug

Read our exclusive interview with the Blue Note pianist

Young Pilgrims Commonwealth Games, Birmingham Fri 5 Aug

Fred Wesley and the new JBs Ronnie Scott's, London Fri 5 Aug & Saturday 6 Aug

Herbie Hancock Edinburgh Playhouse Sunday 7 Aug

Ethan Iverson photo: Blue Note