Questlove is someone who basically needs no introduction. Aside from his role as drummer and musical director of The Roots (including being part of Jimmy Fallon’s house band) he is also a famous DJ, podcaster, record producer and Soul Train aficionado to name a few of his many accolades.
What is perhaps lesser known is his association with people in the jazz avant garde. Sure, there are jazz musicians featured on records by The Roots (especially early records like Do You Want More?!!!??!) but he also plays on records that are strictly in the jazz realm.
One earlier example was an album called The Philadelphia Experiment. This album featured a trio including pianist Uri Caine and bassist Christian McBride. An excellent record that saw them playing originals along with cool covers of Sun Ra (“Call For All Demons”), Elton John (“Philadelphia Freedom”) and Grover Washington (“Just The Two Of Us”).
So it should come as no surprise that a new collaboration album has been recently been released featuring Questlove playing with another jazz great, saxophonist David Murray, and keyboardist Ray Angry. The record is called Plumb and is today’s pick!
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David Murray is most famous for being a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet, which formed in the late 70s. They were an incredible ensemble. Here is some classic footage of them in 1987:
Of course, David Murray also has long been associated with The Roots. One song from Illadeph Halflife is named after him and obviously features him: “Dave Vs Us”:
Ray Angry has been a member of The Roots since about 2010, featuring heavily on all their albums since then. This includes their collaboration with Elvis Costello Wise Up Ghost in 2013. Here is a cool video of them playing “Wake Me Up” from that album:
So what does Plumb sound like? To me it sounds like heavy jazz fusion from the early 1970s. Think of Miles Davis’ Get Up With It or Tribute To Jack Johnson and you’re in the right ballpark.
The band really stretches out on Plumb. In fact, the 4 of the first 5 songs are approximately 15 minutes apiece! The whole record clocks in at a massive 2 hour and 15 minute runtime…so there is definitely a lot to absorb here.
Along with songs playing as the complete trio, there are also shorter pieces which feature solos from one member. “Pleiades” is solo synths from Ray Angry, “Love” is a Questlove drum solo, and “False Dawn” is a sax solo to name a few examples. This really helps showcase each individual member of the group and highlight what they bring to the overall ensemble.
JMI Recordings is releasing Plumb as a massive 4-LP box set early next year and I am seriously considering purchasing this.
In the meantime, I’m going to just immerse myself in their heady sound universe. There is certainly a ton to explore throughout the entire album.
