CD Reviews

Rudder

Rudder | Rudermusic.com

By TED DROZDOWSKI | October 1, 2007

3.0 Stars

This New York City instrumental quartet hold their ground somewhere in among Morphine, Kraftwerk, Joy Division, and Bitches Brew–era Miles. They make dark, rambling music that percolates in an organic way, even if Henry Hey does use sampling via his keyboards. They’re all stiletto-sharp players with credentials in fusion, folk, rock, TV, and soundtracks, but drummer Keith Carlock is the star of this set, which grooves to the Sting and Steely Dan sideman’s beat. It can sound like classic fusion (“Stablemaster,” for one), but there are plenty of odd wrinkles. One of the oddest is “Juray,” a weirdly warbling number that trundles along to a shambling rhythm — until a downpour of dissonance led by Chris Cheek’s electronically enhanced saxophone comes storming in. Whether this is jazz for stoners or jam music for tech heads, it’s always mysterious and appealing.

Rudder + Club D’elf | Regattabar, Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St, Cambridge | October 9 | 617.396.7757

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