Sir Chronicles "Who?"

Welcome back fellow progheads! After setting the clock back one hour, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that summer is over--but the campfire is still burning strong in the Concert Closet.  This week I took the search for all things prog to one my favorite places in the prog garden...that section where fusion meets jazz meets contemporary prog; Italy.


It seems there is a never-ending export of great experimental  and cutting edge sound emanating from the Italian section of the prog garden.  This makes visit #3 with Sir Chronicles for me as I check out their new release, "Who?"  Here's hoping the third time is at least half the charm the first two were...
                                               
I feel the need to post a disclaimer here; first for Sir Chronicles fans familiar with their sound...this is not a "rank and file" album.  By that I mean the band really stretched themselves--so be ready.  For those of you hearing Sir Chronicles for the first time, leave your preconceived notions at the door because you are in for a treat.

 I begin with "What," a piece of music that puts the focus on fusion.  As the song opens I immediately hearken back to Can and their freestyle approach to prog.  Sir Chronicles leans a lot more on some incredible sax than Can ever did, but the vibe is there.  I pick up a touch of Flim & the BB's also; perhaps a bit more energy here but again, that sultry vibe.  This is the song you'd play in your '59 Cadillac Eldorado with the rag top down, gliding down the interstate...good times...

This album moves across the prog garden as smooth as  single malt in a dark, smoke filled nightclub.  And to set that mood my next choice is "When."  Once again Gabriele haunts you with his masterful sax playing; this time some wily keyboards slither in and wrap themselves around each note.  I sense aromatics of Eno in his ambient days with Moebius melding into his later work with David Byrne.  There is a hint of Happy Graveyard Orchestra  wandering through as well...

Liner Notes...still calling Italy home, for this project Sir Chronicles is a quartet comprised of founder Alessandro Bordino on electric bass and keyboards, Andrea Sartore on keyboards, Gabriele Borgogno handling that amazing saxophone, and Efrem Nota on drums.  Ettore Coraglia does the mixing and mastering.

Showing signs of maturity, Sir Chronicles seems to have grown up with this recording.  Their music always had a dark edge, that raging storm just on the perimeter that teases you with it's alternating fury and beauty.  To me this is a coming of age album for the band; their moment not so much in the sun but rather under the silver hue of a full moon.  Call it prog fusion, experimental, ambient,
avant-garde, jazz fusion...this album is a lesson in blazing your own trail.

Third time around I chose "Why." There is an amazing simplicity to the music streaming through the headphones.  Not to say it's basic--quite the opposite.  Sir Chronicles lays out simplicity quite beautifully, in an intricate kind of way...like how da Vinci painted a simple Mona Lisa...

The percussion work is refreshingly gentle.  There's the scat-like jazz lead-in you get while sitting in that smoke filled nightclub I mentioned earlier,  a hot spotlight illuminating the stage.  Once again Gabriele's sax mesmerizes like a siren at sea as keyboards ride the undercurrent.  I am reminded of Dave Brubeck throughout the entire album; it's almost a throwback to an era when music was appreciated for the bare bones, stripped down elegance that permeated the room.

Purchase the music of Sir Chronicles at Amazon and follow the band at Facebook and Twitter @AlessandroRiche.  The music can also be found on YouTube and Spotify, but the sound is so much better when you purchase the music and support the band... 

The sounds emerging from the clip below are the song "Where," and Alessandro's opening bass line is a groove even Tony Levin would be proud of...then Gabriele opens his saxophone case and once again magic flows through the headphones.  This cut is a bit funkier as Sir Chronicles shows their ability to fill the canvas by going back to basics.  Splashes of bright color intermingled with the grays you expect from a jazz fusion project.  Think Weather Report having an informal jam session in studio with Pat Metheny and David Sanborn, and off to the side Jaco Pastorius is just doing his thing...enjoy...


                        

Once again fellow progheads, we have reached the other end of the tunnel--and the focus is on the music.  Sir Chronicles took a minimalist approach to their latest project and the result is an album to truly appreciate; allow yourself to marinate in sound.  The music is clean and the images take you all over the fusion section of the prog garden.  What the album lacks in flash and glitter it more than makes up for with dedication to the art of making great music; and isn't that the objective after all?

Now the journey begins anew as the search for all things prog explores another untrod road...until next time...