Once again, a fusion of musical styles strikes when I least expect it. Never in my life have I heard a Michael Jackson song done as a jazz tune. And that was just the start of this strange journey into the world of J.Viewz. It's like stepping into a pool filled with color. Each song lays out just so with elements of electronica, jazz, unique vocals, and keyboards, all seamlessly blended together.
Jonathan Dagan established J.Viewz while working with his band Violet Vision on their second album back in 2002. Muse Breaks, Dagan's first album with the group, was released worldwide in 2005 by Deeplay Music. Since then, it doesn't seem like he's taken much of a breath, working to create remixes with artists like Nina Simone while producing soundtracks for the BBC, National Geographic, Fox Kids, and Discovery channels, while touring to support J.Viewz. Though Dagan hails from Israel, there are definitely no language barriers for his music as it travels the world.
The Besides EP was released overseas in 2008 and is just gaining ground in the U.S. with tour dates at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City and the Bohemian Caverns in Washington, D.C. in November.
The EP starts off with a jazz cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" which absolutely snuck up on me. As a child of the '80s, I certainly had heard the original version but somehow must have blocked the lyrics from my mind. So when I heard the vocals of Noa Lembersky I simply got lost in the song until I heard "You've Been Hit By / You've Been Hit By / A Smooth Criminal". After that I was just along for the ride.
Each song grooves right into the next, smoothly transitioning us through a jazz landscape I wouldn't mind exploring for a while longer.
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