Zhenya Strigalev has long been a favourite at at Kind Of Jazz. His latest project, JZ Replacement, sees him team up with drummer Jamie Murray (Sun Ra Arkestra, Native Dancer). They have worked together numerous times over the years, most frequently on Murray’s solo project, Beat Replacement (2018). Both musicians enjoyed free-flowing improvisation, and wanted to explore this further with this new project, which also features Tim Lefebvre on bass (David Bowie, Donny McCaslin).
The resulting album, Disrespectful, takes in elements of breakbeat, free jazz, John Zorn and mid-1970s Miles Davis to create a unique melting pot of free-form jazz.
Opener Displacement begins with frenzied, Coleman-like blowing from Strigalev over frenetic percussion from Murray. The level of understanding between the two of them is remarkable, and when Lefebevre joins on bass, the three of them create an almighty collage of sound. The pace does let up, occasionally, allowing the tune to head off in different directions. Halfway through, the tune becomes more experimental and electronic, veering off in a different direction altogether, which leaving the tune feeling less cohesive than it might have done.
Listen to a live clip of an early take of Displacement here:
Tubuka was easier on the ear, a slowed, more meditative piece, with elements of East European folk feeding in to Strigalev’s playing. I enjoyed Lefebevre’s cool bass line, too. Guilty Look 3 was composed by Strigalev with Radhika De Saram, and begins with a slow but ominous groove, with Strigalev improvising over electronic effects, courtesy of Lefebevre as the tune builds to a climax.
Bee Bee sees the trip return to the frenetic pace of the opener. Again, the degree of cohesiveness between the three musicians is impressive to behold, but it’s not an easy listen; one that I’d probably prefer to witness in a live setting, rather than at home or on headphones.
Marmalade For Radhika is equally free, but a little easier on the ear. Five Cymbals For Jamie, as the title suggests, picks up the pace once more, delivering some heavy jazz-fusion that was easier to admire than to love. Take The JZ Train brings the album to a close, opening with some squawking sax over electronics, which soon gives way to more breakneck fusion.
I enjoyed Disrespectful in small doses. The interaction between the musicians is quite outstanding, but overall, the album is a bit too free for my taste - it is music that I would enjoy in a live setting, where the visual element would probably add to the experience, but not one I can imagine returning to otherwise. Strigalev’s playing never fails to impress, but I prefer his more lyrical excursions, which are few and far between here.
