Somebody Else's Nightmare: Strength and Kindness

San Francisco based Somebody Else's Nightmare is a jazz group led by band leader Joe Holiday. Holiday has been around the scene for quite some time and has now released his first album Strength and Kindness.

The players are Joe Holiday (bass, vocals, duduk), Cherie Chooljian (keyboards, background vocals), Miles Tune (percussion), Alex Garcia (woodwinds), Adam Mick (woodwinds) and Adam Mick (sax).

Strength and Kindness is an enjoyable pop flavoured contemporary jazz album filled with great melodies and solid playing. The band's groove is led by Holiday's superb bass lines and Tune's solid stick work. The horns and sax also stand out throughout the disc and some tracks have a bit of a Steely Dan feel.

Soft electric piano and melodic sax open the jazzy pop of "Destination Nowhere". The vocal harmonies are melodic and very easy on the ears. "Yard Full of Joes" has a funky be bop groove with some nice extended sax soloing. "Worker Bees" continues in the pop/jazz genre with excellent woodwinds whereas "Snake Hair" features the duduk, an Armenian flute, giving the tune an Eastern flair. The band really get their groove on here and the playing is much more adventurous than on any of the previous tracks. The bass and drums are superb.

The album ends with the upbeat and feel good grooves of "Again Dawn" where melodic woodwinds, rippling bass lines and perky electric piano give this one a positive uplifting tone.

Strength and Kindness is a solid debut album from a band that plays together exceptionally well. For a melodic contemporary jazz album there is much here to get excited about.

Track Listing:
1. Destination Nowhere (5:05)
2. Yard Full of Joes (4:25)
3. Worker Bees (5:17)
4. Strength and Kindness (4:56)
5. The Light Will Show the Way (6:25)
6. Drones (4:58)
7. Generic Happy Song (3:47)
8. Snake Hair (7:54)
9. Lonely Town (5:18)
10. Again Dawn (4:21)

Added: January 3rd 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 2223
Language: english

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