Undiscovered Television Jazz Up Debut Album
The debut improvisational album of Undiscovered Television features a quartet of highly experienced musicians. The four gentlemen from the UK bring in credentials ranging from BBC TV, several international festivals, and collaborations with composers from the Royal Philharmonic. One member from this quartet alone would pack an impressive resume of music experience, but the blend of all four members’ talents has created a fantastical and cohesive contemporary jazz album.
Writer and guitarist Andy Lale says the eight tracks were written to be part of a whole, which may be why the shortest song on the album still clocks in at five minutes long (the longest being a whopping 9 minutes.) The group’s vision of the album representing “the formation and regrouping of life patterns” is spot on, as each track seamlessly flows and builds upon the next.
A Quartet You Won’t Forget
The album rightfully starts with the track “Hopeful Morning,” which begins with soft guitar and faded cellos. The introduction of a jazzy saxophone around the one minute mark brings a feeling of an easy-going morning cafe. With percussion and a slightly Latin guitar sound being thrown in the mix, the track slowly and steadily builds enough to gain energy, but not so much as to overwhelm the easy-listening vibe.
Immediately following is the lead single of the album, “Smedley Butler’s War.” This track features minimal vocals, which sound faded and grainy as if being heard through a radio. The vocals speak of a man’s journey through war and his reflection on what it meant to be a solider for the United States government. The instrumentation features a snappy “drummer boy” type snare and haunting trumpet and cello mixtures. There are moments of light jazz between the vocals and reminiscent-of-war instrumentation.
The track from which the album was named, “Gypsy In A High Rise,” has the same easy-jazz tone but also has spurts of definitive Gypsy influence. The first image that crossed my mind when I heard this distinctive cello chorus is Charlie Daniels as a Gypsy, stomping his feet in the dirt and getting everyone up and moving with frantic but clean notes. This Gypsy music, paired with the jazzy saxophone and faster-paced hi hats, brings a sort of neon glow to the song. The earthy feeling of the cello and city-like blues feeling of the saxophone contrast yet coincide with each other.
Undiscovered Television has no doubt impressed with Gypsy in a High Rise, bringing the best of eclectic, earthy music and soulful jazz-blues. The quartet has redefined post jazz by building a strong concept album and backing it with talented musicians.
