Mostly Other People Do the Killing – Red Hot – Hot Cup HC125, 52:33 [9/24/13] ***1/2:
(Peter Evans – trumpet; Jon Irabagon – soprano saxophone, C melody saxophone; David Taylor – bass trombone; Brandon Seabrook – banjo, electronics; Ron Stabinsky – piano; Moppa Elliott – bass, producer; Kevin Shea – drums, percussion)
The outrageous quartet, Mostly Other People Do the Killing (abbreviated by fans as MOPDtK), have reappeared with the band’s second 2013 release, following Slippery Rock!, which was allegedly influenced by slick 1980s smooth jazz (the colorful cover revealed more homage than the music did). Now, the foursome has stepped even further into the jazz past with Red Hot, an all-original set which explores pre-war jazz with an appropriate instrumental approach which stylistically juxtaposes Louis Armstrong-esque material with noticeably modern twists. Anyone who has listened to MOPDtK knows to expect the unexpected, and over the course of 52 minutes and nine tracks (with names inspired by Pennsylvania towns or villages, an extended joke which goes back to the band’s beginning), the quartet’s vigilantly plotted anarchy, intentionally tilting divergences and characteristically cheeky methods are on ample display.
This time trumpeter Peter Evans, soprano saxophonist Jon Irabagon (who also uses a C-melody sax), bassist and composer Moppa Elliott (who is also the producer), and drummer Kevin Shea augment their record with guest performers: bass trombonist David Taylor, banjoist Brandon Seabrook (who adds electronics to his aural arsenal) and pianist Ron Stabinsky. The supplementary instruments supply a surplus of tones and noises, but it also means Evans and Irabagon’s usual front-line improvisation is curtailed more so than on previous outings, to make room for others to solo. There’s a sense of an idiosyncratic demeanor on every tune, but more so on curlicued numbers like the title cut, which begins with a discordant electronic sine wave contrasted against quick flashes of banjo, before the full group kicks in with what sounds like a mash-up of various 1920s-era tunes: after the bracing introduction, “Red Hot” modifies into a whirling funhouse. The impression of measured mayhem continues on the lengthy “King of Prussia,” which opens with a dizzying Stabinsky intro which quotes from Billy Joel, Steely Dan, Scott Joplin, the Beatles, and more. From there, the piece slips into a warm arrangement which gradually shifts as different instruments change the parameters into something a tad disorienting: notable intrusions include Seabrook’s Theremin-like electronics, a banjo/piano klezmer duet accentuated by clattering percussion, sudden sax blasts, harmonious trumpet lines, and stop-start effects. “Zelienople” commences with Shea’s funk-fueled, on-the-brink-of-collapsing drum solo, and then the arrangement switches to an upbeat and cheerful shuffle gassed by friendly trumpet/sax exchanges and some aptly smeared trombone: the track has the feel of being more traditional than other cuts (but isn’t, upon closer inspection). “Orange Is the Name of the Town” launches as another time-warp progression, with yet more references to pop music, jazz, and other historical slices. Similar to what he did on “King of Prussia,” Stabinsky offers themes, motifs or melodies from numerous sources, including classical music (is that Mozart or Debussy which flits in and out?), Joe Jackson and jazz standards.
The unleashed breakdowns, left and right turns, and impulsive performances which permeate Red Hot are not for all listeners, but then neither is the music of Raymond Scott or Spike Jones. There is a sassy brazenness which fills Red Hot. This is no stuffed-shirt chronicle of times past, or an academic lesson concerned with replicating a bygone period, but rather Mostly Other People Do the Killing has crafted a loosen-the-collar, and throw-off-the-shoes, celebration of how much lively (but seriously accomplished) fun can be had with unconventionally conventional jazz.
TrackList: The Shickshinny Shimmy; Zelienople; Red Hot; King of Prussia; Turkey Foot Corner; Seabrook, Power, Plank; Orange is the Name of the Town; Gum Stump; Bird-in-Hand.
—Doug Simpson
