Vs. the Forces of Evil Ted Sirota

• 1Grendel08:37
• 2Tight Rope05:57
• 3You Know Me05:19
• 4Tubby07:12
• 5Dig To China03:07
• 6Becky's Bash07:58
• 7Impengu Dek Bengikai05:56
• 8Wonder07:49
• Total Runtime51:55

Info for Vs. the Forces of Evil

The third and most recent recording of the Rebel Souls features the inspiring addition of Chicago's Geoff Bradfield (tenor/alto/bass clarinet) to help form yet another electrifying and innovative listening experience. Sirota's vision of combining two saxes (often in unison or call and response) is something that has evolved since into what makes the Rebel Souls so identifiable in sound...as if they weren't already!

I hadn't heard Ted Sirotas work before digging into 'Vs. the Forces of Evil', but just a glance through the personnel indicated I was in good company and the Latin groove of the opener 'Grendel' -- reminiscent of Return to Forever ala Light as a Feather -- that came on when I clicked play on the iPod, confirmed that I was in for a treat.

'Vs. the Forces of Evil' is a recording dating back to 2000. Though pushing 11 years old, the sound is quite contemporary and it's great to listen to this group of musicians who have mostly moved on to other projects. The group, at this point in time, was Ted Sirota on drums, Geoff Bradfield on alto & tenor saxophones, and bass clarinet, Kevin Kizer on tenor saxophone, Rob Mazurek on cornet, Jeff Parker on guitar and Noel Kupersmith on bass.

The opening 'Grendel' is a tightly arranged tune, propelled by the strong aforementioned groove and features Mazurek's bright and energetic cornet playing off Sirota's effective high hat. Tight horn arrangements tie the soloists together, and the sax solo about three and a half minutes in builds in intensity, getting tangled up in the blankets of percussion, and finally building to a climax midway through the song. Parker pulls back the volume a bit, though his clean toned runs cannot dampen the rhythm section's smoldering intensity.

'Tight Rope' opens things up with elements of free playing and concurrent melodies. The drums rumble through the beginning and slowly build into a steady vamp. Parker's guitar takes on some different shapes here, employing effects and washes of sound. 'You Know Me', is a ballad with some tender but tough moments. Sirota's drums are front and center, setting the mood. The horn arrangement on reggae-ish 'Tubby' are spot on, and Parkers comping keeps the tune buoyant but still infuses a needed hint of darkness. Solos spin out of the song like little bolts of lightning in a Tesla ball.

'Impengu Dek Bengikai's' calypso like rhythm is infectious and the head arrangement is very cool, for a lack of a better word. Mazurek's cornet shines halfway through the tune, giving it a charge of energy. The two rather straight ahead bop tunes 'Dig to China' and 'Betsy's Bash' are uptempo romps with imaginative solos and some solid heads. Finally, the hard-bop genre is touched upon delightfully in the closing 'Wonder', in which Parker pulls out some sublime bluesy lines.

If there one thing to point out is that the energy is sometimes controlled by the arrangements a little more than I would like - there are moments when I'd love to hear it get kicked up one more notch. Regardless, the high level of musicianship, imaginative solos, solid arrangements and sheer variety of musical styles make this a recording something to come back to again and again. (Paul Acquaro, freejazz-stef.blogspot.com)

Kevin Kizer, Tenor Saxophone & Clarinet
Rob Mazurek, Cornet
Jeff Parker, Guitar
Noel Kupersmith, Bass
Ted Sirota, Drums
Geof Bradfield, Tenor & Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet

Recorded in True Stereo analogue by Ken Christianson, Pro Musica, Chicago
Recorded at Union Church, Hinsdale, Illinois (30th May - 1st June 2000)

Chicago based drummer Ted Sirota formed the avant-garde post-bop ensemble Rebel Souls in 1995 and quickly became one of Naim's stalwart jazz artists, with three stunning True Stereo recordings from Naim engineer Ken Christianson in five years (between 96-01). The Rebel Souls have a unique formula comprising of afro-pop, funk, reggae, ska and hip-hop underpinned by the rebellious jazz and socially aware improv of the 1960s.

Cultivating what the Chicago Reader describes as "immediately recognizable sound". Over the years Sirota has hand picked some of Chicago's finest up and coming jazz cats to perform and record with, including Jeff Parker, Kevin Kizer, Jeff Hill, Rob Mazurek, Noel Kupersmith, Geof Bradfield, Greg Ward, Dave Miller and Jake Vinsel.

Sirota boasts a varied arsenal of influences with jazz from Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk right through to reggae icon Bob Marley and world music from Nigeria's Fela Kuti.

Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls strive to use their music as a weapon in the battle against oppression and reactionaries worldwide, and not merely as ‘art for art's sake'.

This album contains no booklet.