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Wondercap Records is the newest label from What Records? founder Chris Ashford and it marks a turn in stylistic direction for the DIY entrepreneur. Far from the raw punk rock of the past, Wondercap focuses on jazz and has released albums from the likes of David Winogrond, Sam Phipps (aka Oingo Boingo‘s Sluggo) and DJ Bonebrake (drummer of LA’s X). With this live recording of trumpeter Elliott Caine, Wondercap takes yet another musical turn.
Rather than the markedly avant-garde releases mention above, Caine’s music is tightly controlled hard bop, the stuff of Miles Davis and John Coltrane with his “classic quartet. Charlie Parker‘s in there, too, as he well should be. To keep things interesting, though, there’s a progressive element to the chord progressions reminiscent of early Sun Ra, say Sun Song or Jazz in Silhouette. Backed by a crack team of virtuoso musicians (Mahesh Balasooriya on piano, Bill Markus on bass, tenor saxophonist Carl Randall, drummer Kenny Elliott and Nick Mancini on vibes), Caine propels his music forward with passion, grace and that certain charm that seemed to disappear at the end of the ’60s when things went either “out there” or the fusion route (not that anything’s wrong with either, just a different frame of vibes).
This is an album you want to turn up with a bottle of wine to forget the constant assault of everyday living, whether it’s commuting to work or commercials on TV. Take a break, relax on the couch and enjoy some fine music. You deserve it.
