Relax Attack Jazz Series: Animal Mother

Joe Duran – alto saxophone
Josh Kline – tenor saxophone
Jon Massey – bass
Matt McAllister – drums

From the Washington Post:

The key moment of Sunday night’s set by Animal Mother, a self-styled “garage jazz” trio from Cincinnati, came near the end of their set when they suddenly turned out Duke Ellington’s “Solitude.” It was closer to mid-tempo than the song usually gets, just a beat or two faster than Billie Holiday’s studio recording, and contained a bluesy aspect that was absent from the rest of the show — especially when tenor saxophonist Josh Kline traded fours with drummer and leader Matt McAllister as the song was wrapping up.

It was the key moment not because it was any better than the remainder of Animal Mother’s set; it wasn’t. But the band had spent most of the evening at Twins Jazz pulling well away from jazz convention. Their energy and aesthetic had more in common with punk or post-rock (hence the term “garage jazz”). “Solitude,” however, suggested that these guys — unlike many declared jazz musicians — had mastered the music’s basic foundation before reimagining it.