First posted on Mark Is Cranky:
About a week ago this midnight, the Rolling Stones had just finished up their second show at Boston's Fenway Park. Rather than going out on the Internet to weep over a setlist that I didn't get a chance to witness, I took a trip through this quite interesting jazz-oriented Stones tribute recording. Sometimes It just feels right dragging my pencil across some crisp, white paper (and nearly always preferable to pointing, clicking and clacking away at a keyboard).
Ahem...
In the jazz world, the swingification of popular music is very common. Sometimes the results are so great that a well-known pop standard is transformed into a jazz standard. One of the best examples of this is Coltrane's take on "My Favorite Things". A melodious mega-hit from The Sound Of Music reimagined as a soaring fit of passion.
More recent pop and rock music seems somehow less malleable. Maybe it's the simpler song forms. It's tough to say. When the transformation does work, the source material is usually stretched completely out of shape (Bill Frisell's deconstruction/obliteration of Madonna's "Live To Tell" comes to mind). Parodies seem to work given a devious enough intent (Hayseed Dixie and Dread Zeppelin). Shifts into related genres can be fun too. The Reggae spins of pop hits on Brand New Second Hand were fantastic: you've probably heard Toots & the Maytals do "Take Me Home Country Roads" from that record.
Tim Ries' The Rolling Stones Project is a different animal. Instead of attempting to distort the music, Ries (with a little help from some friends) takes the gist of each song and amplifies it...off in a slightly different direction.
That approach makes a lot of sense when you learn that Ries has played (sax, keys, organ) with the Rolling Stones on both the No Security and 40 Licks tours. A jazz arrangement of "Moonlight Mile" on his own recording Alternate Side gave him the idea that the Stones' music had further jazz potential.
Part of what makes this tribute unique is that the Stones, after hearing a few demos, became part of the project. So Charlie, Keith and Ronnie (who also provided the cover artwork) were added to the already stellar cast of Larry Goldings, John Patitucci, John Scofield, Darryl Jones, Brian Blade, Ben Monder, Bill Frisell and Norah Jones.
So what do jazz instrumental versions of these iconic tunes sound like? Well, that varies from song to song.
The snotty opening riff of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is turned on its side and made to preach the funk thanks to John Scofield's rippling guitar lines and Larry Goldings' organ.
Article comments
1 - JR
I don't know, it does seem to skirt awfully close to smooth jazz in places; although that may be down to my general reaction every time I hear soprano sax.
Still, there are enough left turns - "Paint It Black" (did they change the time signature?), "Street Fighting Man" (which I found barely recognizable) and "Ruby Tuesday" - to make it worthwhile.
How about Bill Charlap and Ben Monder? I didn't know Charlap could tear it up like that, and I hadn't heard of Monder before - I'll have to pick up some of his stuff.
2 - Mark Saleski
i'd heard of Monder but hadn't heard much of him.
Charlap was smokin'.
and i know what you mean about the soprano sax...damn that kenny g!
3 - Jim
Interesting takes on some of the songs, I like the more experimental approaches rather than the "smooth" run throughs.
It's funny I was just reading an interview with Keith who said most of the Stones were into a jazz approach in trying to find variations in the themes of some of the old warhorses Stones songs.
4 - v32
Funny. I played the cd for non-jazz folks and a couple of them (who actually like smooth jazz and the Stones, go figure) thought it sounded like Kenny G (when Ries played the soprano) I tried to point out that Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, etc played the same instrument and that Ries doesn't do the trite circularly breathy repetitive drivel that Mr. G has laid on the less-discerning world. Then again, listen to Wayne's "Native Dancer" - I played it for said listeners and they, again, thought it was Kenny G. Shame that one lone guy can ruin an instrument (and a noun - smooth - Getz, Miles and Desmond were smooth when smooth and slick were positive descriptions) for the rest of us.
The nice thing about this cd is the diversity. According to Ries, Stones fans are coming to his gigs in droves and digging it. If "Smoothies" and rockers and folks like us who dig the edgier stuff can all enjoy this disc, he's done what he's set out to do: expose the possibilities and depth of the Stones music and bring a few new folks to the jazz side. Good man. Interesting too that, in addition to the jazz ringers, just about everyone in the Stones touring band is on the disc - bassist Darryl Jones, 3/4 of the horn section, 3/4 of the main quartet, 2/3 of the backing vocalists (all but Chuck Leavell - who recorded a tune but it was never finished - Mick, Bobby Keys and Blondie Chaplin.) Speaking of Chuck his new cd Southscapes has Tim Ries on a few tracks. The cool thing is how Ries mixes up the rock players and the jazzers with no seams showing.
5 - Bart
I bought this album tonight based on the interview and playing segment with Tim Ries I heard this morning on KLOS. I am listening to Slipping Away right now. I love the jazz take on these songs. Very nice thus far.