The Claudia Quintet - Semi-Formal
Cuneiform Records, 2005
I’ve listened to a couple of tracks here and there on Pandora stations, and that’s what got me into them enough to buy this album. So after a few weeks of waiting for another iTunes gift certificate, I finally bought Semi-Formal.
All I have to say is that this albums is so tight, conceptually engaging, utterly unclassifiable by genre to such a point so that I’m… left almost completely wordless save for the pseudo-pitchfork like ramblings of elevated language typed in awe and utter praise of John Hollenbeck’s gift to the old world of jazz, nay music itself!
This album, like other Claudia masterworks, is a magnum opus unto itself while remaining consistent near the point of repetition (but not quite) in comparison to their other albums.
I can only liken this experience of listening to them to the first time I was truly captivated by the first time I really listened to Frank Zappa. Yes, this group/album is THAT good and THAT unique, ladies and gentlemen.
With all my musical credentials, I implore that anyone who loves, TRULY loves jazz, or music in general, to at least listen to a track or two from this wonderful album.
And now in what has become the tradition of these reviews, sort of;
I bestow upon this wonder, Semi-Formal by The Claudia Quintet a 5 out of 5.
Review by Squishy
Track List:
1 Major Nelson (3:35)
2 Drewslate (7:33)
3 Kord (3:09)
4 They Point… Glance… Whisper… Then Snicker… (9:32)
5 Bindi Binder (1:41)
6 Susan (5:18)
7 Two Teachers (6:07)
8 Growth (2:22)
9 Limp Mint (7:52)
10 Guarana (8:12)
11 Where’s My Mint? [Mint=President] (2:55)
12 Boy With A Bag And His Guardian Elephant (2:44)
13 Minor Nelson (3:43)
