The Nigel Kennedy Quintet – …Shhh! – EMI Classical 50999-6-08502-2, 53:44 [7/16/10] ***:
(Nigel Kennedy – electric violin, keyboards; Tomasz Grzegorski – tenor sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet, vocals; Piotr Wylezol – piano, Hammond organ; Adam “Szabas” Kowalewski – contrabass, electric bass, vocals; Krzysztof Dziedzic – drums, vocals; Xantone Blacq – percussion; Boy George – vocal (one track); John Themis – guitar.)
Certainly not uncommon, Nigel Kennedy, a classically trained musician, experiences an epiphany. While studying at the prestigious Julliard School of Music, Kennedy, a prodigy on the violin, would accept an invitation by Stephane Grapelli to appear at Carnegie Hall. He would continue to perform and record classical music, withdraw from the public eye, and return with a 1999 collection of Jimi Hendrix songs, with a rare classical approach. His voyage has continued to include a wide variety of genres, with an emphasis on jazz.
Shhh! Is an interesting exploration of this artist’s concept of jazz. Supported by a quintet of Polish musicians, the album (with six original compositions) has a moody, tentative sonic fabric. There is an ample display of violin mastery on the title cut, as Kennedy utilizes diverse tones in this haunting melody arrangement. A delicate solo opens the reworked version of Nick Drake’s “River Man”, which adopts a subtle rhythm shift, and features a surprising bluesy vocal by Boy George. The classical undertone is accented on “The Empty Bottle” with a dulcet piano and saxophone accompaniment.
The band stretches out with “Transfiguration”, propelled by a funky walking bass line, rock guitar and a floating soprano sax. There are extended improvisations that enhance the rhythm and energize the session. Two uptempo pieces, “4th Glass”, and the hard rocking, “Oy!,” seem incongruous, but showcase a collective passion. The bandleader’s lead play is prodigious, but the supporting musicians, seem restrained at times.
Imaginative but uneven, this effort is an incisive observation into a mercurial artist.
TrackList: Transfiguration; River Man; Silver Lining; Shhh!; The Empty Bottle; 4th Glass; Oy!
— Robbie Gerson
