JUNIUS PAUL — Ism (review)

JUNIUS PAUL — Ism album cover Live album · 2019 · 21st Century Modern Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
js
Think of all the great musicians that have come from Chicago’s AACM and its influence. If you are not already familiar with Junius Paul, then you can add him to your list. Paul has been around for a while, jamming with heavyweights like the Art Ensemble, Roscoe Mitchell, Oliver Lake and Fred Anderson, but he didn’t release his first album, “Ism”, until 2019. With an album out as a leader now, Paul’s name will start becoming more familiar because he is a powerhouse on the acoustic bass. I forget which famous bass player once said that the most important part of playing the bass is being heard. On “Ism”, Paul comes through loud and clear as he keeps a strong presence amid some very busy ensembles.

“Ism” is made up of various jam sessions, many recorded live, arranged cohesively to make a sort of collage album. Despite being recorded in different locations with different musicians, the album has a nice flow and logic. Junius is a very versatile musician and the music on here veers from free jazz, to hip-hop grooves, high energy McCoy Tyner styled modal trips, electronic psychedelics and simulated African percussion ensembles. Through it all, Paul is always a bass player and avoids any gratuitous soloing, he is a bass player’s bass player and that is what makes so much of this music sound so good and tightly together. An all-star cast of musicians appear on here, including Tomeka Reid, Marquis Hill, and many more.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Izumi Kimura / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway : Six Hands Open As One Avant-Garde Jazz
IZUMI KIMURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Raging Bulgakov Avant-Garde Jazz
SIMON NABATOV
Buy this album from MMA partners
New Start Fusion
TOM KENNEDY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Love Songs Live Avant-Garde Jazz
JOHN ZORN
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Data 21st Century Modern
MATTHEW SHIPP
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

??·??·?·???·?·????
SADAO WATANABE
snobb· 18 hours ago
"Miles Between" // by Shawn Schlogel & Nancy Erickson Lamont
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
js· 1 day ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 2 days ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 3 days ago
T-SQUARE 45th Anniversary Celebration Concert & Tour 2023 @Zepp Nagoya ?CLIMAX?
T-SQUARE
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed