Florian Ross Elektrio: Wheels & Wires

Perfectly comfortable working in improvisation and composition (despite objections from his traditionalist peers), pianist/composer Florian Ross has built quite a respectable career over the last few decades. With Wheels & Wires, he and his team craft smooth, melodically engaging pieces that strike a perfect balance between aggressive virtuosity and stagnant meandering.

Ross often works with different people, and here, the Florian Ross Elektrio is completed by guitarist Jesse Van Ruller and percussionist Martijn Vink. Ross seems himself as striking a balance between his European colleagues who "consider it a virtue to distance themselves from the mainstream" and those who "[make] an effort to continue the American jazz tradition in Europe as authentically as possible." Essentially, his attitude is to make the music feel warm and vibrant, no matter the method. On Wheels & Wires, he certainly does.

Opener "Dropshot" launches with the restrained yet silky playing of Ruller. He dances around a central melody while Vink and Ross provide subtle accompaniment. It's surprisingly that, contrary to many composers whose names are prioritized, Ross doesn't mind another musician taking the spotlight. It builds to include some intriguing riffs, too, and Ross eventually battles Ruller's intensity with his keyboard. "Okay" is a calmer piece, and Ross and Ruller's roles are more equal.

The dynamic prowess and psychedelic timbres of "Heather Deep" is definitely a highlight, as is the commotion of "Scratch" and "Biscuit," which feature some tight, quick playing. Vink displays great ability in syncopating odd time signatures and keeping it all together here. "Kat & Penny" ventures into Zappa-esque territory at times with its ascending scales, and album closer "Tremor" is quite a speedy, intricate conclusion.

All in all, Wheels & Wires is a very pleasant and admirable collection of tightly arranged jazz. Of course, there's a bit of the inherent repetition that the genre is known for (timbres and approaches rarely change drastically), so if you usually find jazz to be a bit monotonous, this album won't change your mind. However, if you're an avid fan of the style, Ross offers a lot to like.

Track Listing
1. Dropshot
2. Okay
3. Heather Deep
4. Sarinah
5. Swing By
6. Scratch
7. Biscuit
8. West Babylon, NJ
9. Kat & Penny
10. Tremor

Added: May 20th 2012
Reviewer: Jordan Blum
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 2272
Language: english

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