swell henry reviews



Junk Media
Swell Henry is the best fusion record I've heard so far this year. And no, that's not a bad thing. Although fusion has its roots in endless 1970s prog-rock vamps that featured string upon string of endless solos, what we could best consider fusion today is exemplified by Chris Speed’s Yeah No ensemble.
Chris Speed and his cohorts make jazz for the indie rock set (i.e. Tortoise, GYBE and The Dirty Three). There is no endless grandstanding pretension to these performances, the basic structure of the song is always first and foremost in importance. There are individual solos, but they are more often collective in nature. Rhythm and melody are the foundation here, with the soloists acting more as colorists than the sonic focal point.
Chris Speed's Balkan influenced writing, as featured on many of his solo projects, is still found here, but is much more integrated into the whole this time out. Jim Black's rock solid drumming and Skuli Sverrisson’s electric bass lines anchor the group, but they sound as comfortable with rock rhythms as with Eastern dirges. Cuong Vu's trumpet lines weave among Speed’s own saxophone playing to create a web of melodic, but strong statements. There are other ensembles mining the same territory, but this album is definitely a cut above most.
-Troy Collins

*kitty magik*
The allure of listening to music that emphasizes the skills of individual players over the music itself has always been lost on me. I can pick out a good drummer or guitarist easily enough, but to listen for something as opposed to listening to something has made contemporary jazz and er, prog rock, genres I mostly stay away from.
Yeah NO's fourth album features Chris Speed, Cuong Vu, Skuli Sverrisson and Jim Black. This is important to contemporary jazz fans. It’s not important to me, nor is it important in order to like this album. Clarinetist and saxophonist Christ Speed wrote or co-wrote every track, but there are no particularly long solos or really anything that says 'featured plus others.' This de-emphasis on star musicians is kind of rare for a jazz recording but like I said, it isn't important.
Swell Henry is melodic and surprisingly enjoyable. At least I was surprised- since I expected a fairly boring album. It experiments with Eastern European melodies but mostly maintains this sort of constant rhythm that made me edgy, like waiting for someone to pop a balloon. Explosions do happen- like the spazz-fuck drum freak out at the end of track seven (my favorite). But I think this only confirms that this is a cool instrumental album, no jazz qualifier required.
-Jessica Suarez

The Broken Face
I know I’ve been waiting for a certain kind of jazz record for quite some time, but I’ve never been really sure what I wanted to hear until Yeah No’s Swell Henry arrived at my doorstep the other day. Chris Speed’s Yeah No quartet is definitely a free jazz combo but by including elements of folk, melodic jazz, Balkan references and downcast pop they manage to push it all in a slightly different direction. The graceful opener "She Has Four Thorns” sets the tone from the very beginning with accordion meandering over a riverbed of mellow horns. “Last Beginning” continues where the opener left off but as it evolves into hazy jazz pop and later borders skronky free jazz territories it’s no longer just a gloriously soft-spoken statement, but also the ultimate genre-defying proof of why I enjoy this recording so much. On "Camper Giorno," Yeah No continues to mix sections of crystal clear horn-laced melodies with grooves that inevitably will make your body move, no matter if you want it or not. This track includes some tasty mellotron work from Jamie Saft and given this I guess it doesn’t come as a big surprise that we besides trumpet, clarinet, sax, bass, drums, guitar and accordion also get snippets of keyboard and Wurlitzer. After a few gentle tracks it’s somewhat relieving to find the short “Flanked” packed with skronky free jazz/rock energy and the polyrhythmic “He Has A Pair Of Dice” is equally chaotic (but still surprisingly groovy and melodic) while the sad “Dead Water” more sounds like the mourning for a dead wife. This fragile piece is saturated with an inconsolable sense of loss but still includes some mysterious kind of beauty and hope for what is to come.
It’s difficult to describe in words what makes this release so successful but I believe that it might have something to do with its potential to create a never-ending loop between the mind and the heart. Fans of traditional jazz need this, free jazz fans should grab it, but most of all fans of soul-touching and innovative music owe it to themselves to check it out. Recommended.

Fake Jazz
As far as mailing addresses are concerned, yeah NO is a New York band, a product of the downtown scene that took root in the 90s and practically, to some, became the face of avant jazz in the US during the 90s. Chris Speed, though, and the trio of musicians who make up the core of the group, have roots that reach far deeper than the five boroughs. Speed grew up Seattle, playing, at times, with drummer Jim Black, who lends his talents here. Trumpeter Cuong Vu is also a product of Seattle, though he was born in Vietnam. Bassist Skuli Sverrisson, though he studied in the US and resides in New York, was born in Reykjavik and continues to be a part of Iceland’s unique jazz community. That Speed, Black, and Sverrisson are 3⁄4 of Pachora, a band that melds modern jazz with Eastern European folk, is also an influence, it seems that informs much of Speed’s work, including, at times, the music on Swell Henry.
Perhaps what’s most initially striking about this disc, yeah NO’s fourth, is the ease with which the musicians interact. There’s nary a moment on Swell Henry that doesn’t flow quite smoothly. It’s jazz at heart, but not without a healthy influence of rock, folk, and, at times, even classical idioms. More than anything, though, it’s simply a beautiful album, with a deep pathos and harmonic interplay that easily win out over any qualities of the music that might fall a bit too close to muzak territory in another context. Speed and co. aren’t exclusively balladeers, but even when they improvise, or turn to something upbeat, the unison playing of Speed and Vu often rounds the edges of the music, erasing sharp corners and ragged notes. Sverrisson’s bass, even during the flurried solo in “He Has a Pair of Dice,” is always polite, sometimes mixed too low, but always a temperate anchor to yeah NO’s approach. Swell Henry is a seductive album, slowly alluring even when it shouldn’t be, and when Rob Burger adds his accordion, it’s almost unfair how much I find myself liking this. Really, I don’t quite get it, but Swell Henry is one of the most enjoyable jazz releases I’ve heard all year, and it doesn’t matter what guise the quartet plays under, there’s not a single misstep on this disc, a seriously beautiful release.
- Adam Strohm

Exclaim!
Boldly stating that this record is jazz for those who don't like jazz, this album is in fact completely successful. Most tunes would make fantastic guitar and drum pieces, but here they're expressed through leader Chris Speed’s tenor sax and clarinet and cohort Cuong Vu’s trumpet. There is no hint of jazz rhythm at all in the bass and drums. Skuli Sverrisson’s bass often lays down bass lines that groove on one note, sometimes one chord, and in this way he acts as the rhythm guitar or piano, dictating the changes everyone else follows. Speed and Vu can be going through some complex, interleaved Balkan-spiked improvisations through suite-like compositions, but they always follow the bass changes. Jim Black's drums are just wonderful: no matter how complex the rhythm he knows how to find the deepest and simplest part of the groove, even when things are moving along in a klezmer-like 7/8 time as with "Born in the Air." There is a whole pile of influences at work here; "Cloud Stopper" sounds like something Milton Nascimento might have written, "Flanked" has a Schlippenbach-type arrangement over a near-hardcore rhythm section and "He Has a Pair of Dice" is pure Ornette Coleman. Other unconventional touches are the frequent use of accordion and mellotron, to provide a psychedelic feel to some tracks. Swell Henry never feels like wanton genre-hopping; while everyone here is very knowledgeable about different forms of music, at heart, they’re just rocking out.
- David Dacks

Scaruffi Avant
Yeah No's fourth album, Swell Henry (Squealer, 2004), featuring Rob Burger on accordion, Jamie Saft on electronic keyboards, Cuong Vu on trumpet, Skuli Sverrisson on bass and Jim Black on drums, displays, first and foremost, Speed's ability in crafting moods. Each piece revolves around a simple melody and relies on simple arrangements, but, somehow, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The mournful accordion-driven She Has Four Thorns, the breezy aria that surfaces amid the minimalist repetition of Born In The Air (with a spectacular clarinet solo), the plain sentimental song Dead Water, the exotic surreal vignette Kip Files are impeccable exercises in sound crafting.
The nearest reference is Lol Coxhill's Welfare State. The melodic standout is a folkish Lol Coxhill-ian fanfare, Last Beginning, whose crescendo is almost rock. The almost circus-like fanfare of Camper Giorno and the almost marching-band pace of He Has A Pair of Dice are also both prime Coxhill.

 

Jazzwise
There’s overlap between this group and Jim Black’s Alasnoaxis, but Yeah NO is very much Chris Speed’s band and defined by his distinctive burnt umber sax and its interplay with Cuong Vu’s caroling trumpet. The magnificently titled She Has Four Thorns begins the album in mournful mode reminiscent of Alasnoaxis, but the attractive melody of Last Beginning lightens the mood quickly before launching into enjoyable free passages. Clarinet and accordion create an east European folk feel to some tracks. Cloud Stopper is a lovely piece that simultaneously floats and descends in gradual steps. Flanked is a fast-paced dash, it’s only 1:49 long, but packs in as much incident as a Naked City thrash track: great fun. Yeah NO is a smart, flexible ensemble, able to deliver subtle surprises and sudden changes. This is their fourth release and it’s an attractive, ingenious beast whose flavours and depths reveal themselves gradually. Recommended.
- © Colin Buttimer

 

Lost At Sea
Jazz music is a lot like chocolate. There is a large variety of chocolate available, each with varying degrees of quality. The underlying ingredients are deceptively simple – cocoa beans, milk, and sugar – but depending on where it’s made and the various blends of each, you can taste countless textures and flavors. If you are a chocolate fan, then there is, in many ways, no such thing as bad chocolate. At the same time, those fans must recognize that some chocolates are rich and deeply satisfying and others merely bland and forgettable.
To follow through with this metaphor, consider Swell Henry, by Chris Speed’s ensemble yeah NO, to be a large sampler box of incredibly expensive Swiss chocolates. This is jazz of the highest quality.
Each track can be savored on its own, as each is slightly different than the next. There are free-jazz pieces, along with slower, more traditional sounding pieces. There’s a little bit of fusion and even a dub-influenced track. All succeed. There is not one bite you'll want to spit out, or to try and sneak back in the box. Whether you are in the mood for a little taste, or to take several in at once, you will doubtlessly enjoy the experience.
Just as chocolate is only as good as the ingredients that go into it, and the skill of those that craft it, so is Swell Henry a product of fine musicianship. This is truly an ensemble piece, as group playing is emphasized over solos, so as such, all members should be mentioned equally: Chris Speed on tenor sax and clarinet, Cuong Vu on trumpet, Skuli Sverrisson on bass and Jim Black on drums. There are no false moments, no rough spots, and no bad bites that make your face scrunch up in disapproval. The quality is consistent throughout every minute, every ounce of every piece.
Okay, so I’ve stretched this metaphor about as far as I can, right? Let’s just sum up: Swell Henry is one sweet record. .
-Dan Filowit

Hartford Advocate
Hip young jazz players tinkering with odd instrumentation and genre combinations are not hard to find. Swell Henry distinguishes itself from the crop of spirited improvisors with its somber and hushed washes of muted harmonies. Accordion and back beats pop up in surprising places. Swell Henry reminds one of the best mid-1980s work of John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards. There are shades of Ornette Coleman’s giddiness on “He Has a Pair of Dice,” though this quartet is best when restrained. If some jazz evokes the painting of Jackson Pollock — with spastic splattering, crazy colors, and an almost violent energy — Swell Henry brings the painting of Mark Rothko to mind, with hovering shapes and pensive tones.
— John Adamia

All About Jazz
From a musical history that stretches back to their Seattle youth and tenure together in many projects, saxophonist/clarinetist Chris Speed and drummer Jim Black have both emerged as bandleaders and composers and still draw on each other’s talents. With their groups yeah NO and Alas No Axis, respectively, they have mined different musical territory to forge distinct sounds, despite overlapping personnel that also includes bassist Skuli Sverrisson. On their newest releases, they show a parallel focus on crafting songs, not merely platforms for improvisation.
Speed’s Swell Henry expands on sonic elements first introduced on 2000’s Emit, with guest accordionist Rob Burger and keyboardist Jamie Saft replacing Black’s melodica. They add rich texture, round the sound of the jagged rhythms and fill the space around Speed and trumpeter Cuong Vu’s tight unison lines. Burger does this effectively on “Last Beginning,” when Sverrisson and Black jolt a rocking groove as Speed and Vu’s traded extrapolations build intensity. The rhythm section propels ”Born in the Air,” featuring another lively exchange between Vu and Speed’s clarinet, which alternately mirrors and finishes the line. Black’s off-kilter lope on “Camper Giorno” cushions the infectious unison horns and Saft’s mellotron washes. Sverrisson’s hypnotically melodic bass sets the tone on his composition “Cloud Stopper” and anchors the kinetic flurry of “Flanked,” locked in with Black’s aggressive drumming. “He Has a Pair of Dice” boasts a quirky head and group improvisation reminiscent of earlier yeah NO tracks, with Vu’s breathy squalls standing out. “Dead Water” embodies the group’s focus on the tune, each player carefully articulating the mood—the subtle percussion and repeating bass line support the elegiac horns.
-Sean Patrick Fitzell

All About Jazz
Chris Speed's Yeah NO | Squealer
Four years have passed since the last release by Chris Speed's Yeah NO quartet, Emit (Songlines, 2000). Speed has been busy in those years as a key player in the ensembles of Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, Myra Melford, Matt Moran and John Hollenbeck. He toured and played with three collaborative bands with overlapping personnel—the Balkan-tinged quartet Pachora, with his own Yeah NO players, electric bassist Skuli Sverrisson, drummer Jim Black, and guitarist Brad Shepik; Jim Black's AlasNoAxis, with Sverrisson and Icelandic guitarist Hilmar Jensson; and, of course, Yeah NO, with trumpet player Cuong Vu. He also managed to lead another band, Trio Iffy, with keys player Jamie Saft and drummer Ben Perowsky. But the waiting paid off. Swell Henry, released by another small indie, Squealer Music, is a much more assured and mature version of the Yeah NO quartet. The band’s sound is much more cohesive, and surprisingly, more melodic. This time, Yeah NO is augmented by Tin Hat Trio's accordionist Rob Burger, Saft on mellotron and wurlitzer (and the man in charge of recording and mixing the disc), and Jensson on guitar. There are the same elements that signified Yeah NO's past releases—Black's fractured, polyrhythmic timekeeping, Sverrisson's supple bass chords, Vu's wide array of textures from smooth, almost Clifford Brown-ish playing to eruptive slurring, and Speed’s beautiful, warm tone on the clarinet and the tenor sax—and of course the untimely Balkan references, but this time the quartet delivers more. Swell Henry offers ten short tracks, totaling less than forty minutes. Burger's presence on five tracks brings a sonic palette quite similar to Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet (and indeed, Claudia Quintet accordionist Ted Reichman toured with Yeah NO earlier this year). Burger is offering more room for Speed and Vu to improvise while he is outlining the melody, as in the catchy slow opening track, “She Has Four Thorns.” Two tracks—”Born In The Air” and “Camper Giorno”—allude to Balkan influences and featuring the close chemistry between Black and Sverrisson. Only the short “Flanked” brings the same reckless raw energy that was part of Yeah NO aesthetic on its last three releases. “He Has A Pair Of Dice,” one of the two tracks where only the quartet plays, sounds like one of the chaotic songs out of John Zorn's Masada songbook. The most beautiful track, “Staircase Genius,” is based on a short riff by Jensson's guitar, that is recaptured again and again by Speed and Vu till the anticipated eruptive climax and than it quickly dissolves. The disc ends with the mysterious ambient Kip Files.
Karlsson Wilker (the designer of the beautiful cover of Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quintet I, Claudia) designed a futuristic attractive cover for Swell Henry. Too bad that you need telescopic vision to discern that this a Speed release, but maybe that was Speed had in mind.
- Eyal Hareuveni

 

JazzTimes May 2005
Swell Henry, Yeah No's fourth album, cocoons the listener with a plush, warm, flowing sound that remains seductive even with occasional oddball electronic noises or nonstandard timbres disrupting the surface. Yeah No is led by Chris Speed, who plays tenor sax, clarinet and (yes) Casio and wrote most of the songs on Swell Henry; he also, no doubt, fostered the aforementioned plushness among both the core band-trumpeter Cuong Vu, bassist Skuli Sverrisson and drummer Jim Black-and guests Rob Burger on accordion and Jamie Saft on Mellotron and Wurlitzer.
Most of Speed's songs feature long-breathed melodies that get plenty of reps, like the airy, sighing strings of chords in "Cloud Stopper," or the gently swaying accordion ballad and its cooler sax-and-trumpet countersubject in "She Has Four Thorns." Ambiguous harmonies and (sometimes) odd meters help the melodies keep their luster; so do the occasional solos, mostly taken by Speed or Vu, in which even the squeakiest playing fits into the context of the song and the fat grooves established by Sverrisson and Black are never disrupted.
This being a Downtown record, Swell Henry does throw us a few curves. "He Has a Pair of Dice" takes off from a ragged fanfare undermined by irregular drum rhythms, which inspires heated solos from Speed and Sverrisson; "Flanked" puts forth a quick-stepping groove that is just as quickly routed, after which it spends a full minute grinding into nothing with hysterics from Speed and Vu. These exceptions to the cushy rule, however, simply help make Swell Henry intriguing as well as inviting.
-Andrew Lindemann Malone

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