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Alternate Artwork |
Available on CD, recorded 2004, released May 2005, ACME KO56605-89202
recorded September 2004 at Airtime Studios, Bloomington, IN. Digital editing by Matt Everhart and Dave Weber. Mixed by Dave Weber. Produced by Kwyjibo. Cover art by Arthur Dent. |
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What is Kwyjibo? The liner notes provide a quick definition. A kwyjibo is a big, dumb balding North American ape, with a short chin and a bad temper. Sounds like a description of the president of one of those oil companies. You know, the guy who appeared on TV to explain away their record profits of ten billion dollars during the hurricanes that hit this fall, as having nothing to do with gouging and artificially created shortages. OK. All that is topic for some other kind of review. In any case, none of the musicians in the group appear to be kwyjibos in the dictionary definition sense of the word. But, their own definition fits perfectly: an electric jazz ensemble from Midwestern North America. Clive Griffin, JazzImprov Magazine, Vol 6 Number 2, February 2006 If one is wondering about the definition of KWYJIBO (pronounced kwee-jee-bo), there are four different, sometimes humorous, descriptions inside the booklet to THE RISE OF KWYJIBO (Acme 56605 89202) that, by combining bits and pieces, could be summed up as “an electric Jazz ensemble from Midwest North America which plays original, electric Jazz as well as the music of the mid-to-late twentieth century Jazz Fusion.” Basically a quartet (Joe Donnelly, ts, bari s; WX5; Peter Kienle. g, Chapman Stick, VG8; Danny Deckard, multi-perc unit, d; Matt Everhart, bass. 9/2004. Bloomington, IN.) the majority of the tracks are composed by the guitarist with a couple of recognizable takeoffs based upon Hoagy Carmichael classics (Sign Broken, Come In For Message/ Alice's Cool B***s/ Apples And Oranges/ I Can't See Your House From Here/ Broken Windbreak/ Georgia Beyond The Blue Event Horizon/ Maximum Overlap/ Peter’s Party Pooper/ Suburban Stardust/ Siberian Kathru Blues/ Uninovation. 65:39). These guys seem to be having a blast playing their stuff and that sense of fun transmits to the listener and would probably translate to a lot of grins off a bandstand. Check 'em out! Cadence 9/2005 Musicianship – 10 out of 10 Though it is difficult to do in such a short space of time, I will attempt to discuss the positive qualities that each musician in this group brings to the table! Starting with the foundation of the group, we focus first on the percussion and rhythm of Danny Deckard, the group’s drummer! He has a strong sense of timing, as well as a flair for the dramatic in his playing. In short, his work is flawless on this album! Accompanying him in all endeavors related to rhythm, we find Matt Everhart on bass. His work is also flawless, as he blends just the right amount of flash with his solid playing. He holds down the bottom end quite well, playing with a tone that is ballsy and very clear. Very few artists are able to get the recorded sound that he has achieved on bass, and to me, that speaks volumes about his abilities as a musician, and also about his technical expertise in the recording studio! Bringing the melody are the group’s leader Peter Kienle on guitar and Chapman Stick, and Sax man Joe Donnelly. No offense to Peter, but Joe is the star of the band, in my opinion! His tenor and bari work is awesome! He has the attitude and chops of an alto sax man, but his playing sounds much fuller, with a lot of oomph and character! His work is my favorite on the album! I never intended to leave Peter out! He is the soul of the group, the spiritual leader, the man with the plan, so to speak! His guitar work, and his work on Chapman Stick provides a rich, luxurious feel to the band’s sound. Thanks to his talent, and that of the other members of Kwyjibo, there are layers and layers of sound that true jazz aficionados will spend hours peeling back! I loved the band’s music, and I think that Peter, Joe, Danny and Matt are some of the best musicians I have ever had the pleasure of hearing! Songwriting – 10 out of 10 I enjoyed the twist in the rhythm of Kwyjibo’s songs, as well as the strength/conviction behind their playing! Many tunes start off low and slow, building on the growl of the tenor/bari sax as it weaves in and out of the funky bass rhythms. As the songs progress, the rhythm section falls into the pocket, allowing the sax/guitar work of Donnelly and Kienle to soar above the groove! It’s amazing to me that everyone works well together within the song’s structure, and manages to create an incredible experience! I like the overall concept and sound of Kwyjibo’s music! It is fun and frivolous at times, but it is also beautiful and powerful. The band should be very, very proud of their compositions, because The Rise of Kwyjibo is a stellar example for other artists to follow! Sound Quality/Professionalism – 10 out of 10 Packaging – 9.5 out of 10 Favorite Tracks Overall Rating – 10 out of 10 If you want to hear incredible jazz music with funk, and with soul, get a copy of The Rise of Kwyjibo. If you want incredible tenor/bari sax playing, smooth guitar work, funky bass and driving rhythm, get a copy of The Rise of Kwyjibo. If you want a memorable and fun jazz experience, hear and see Kwyjibo play! Every jazz recording that I hear from this point on will be compared to this one as the standard by which I judge their merit! Yes, the album is that good! Do me a favor, and get a copy of The Rise of Kwyjibo! I’ll stop frothing at the mouth, and you will not regret a second of the time you spend listening to the album, I promise! —Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com, 9/10/05 Quote: "A mix of guitars, chapman stick, sax, bass, and percussion pulled me out of my apartment and sent me on a funky, high-energy hallucination punctuated by quiet, mystic interludes. Either that, or someone spiked my Crystal Light." —Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com (read the full review here)
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