Issue #1

U-Turn

Sebastiaan Cornelissen

Dutch drummer, guitarist and keyboard player Sebastiaan Cornelissen looks like a teenager staring back from the cover of his latest CD U-Turn. Perhaps he wears a beard and moustache to get away from that look. It doesn’t work. But this music certainly does. Cornelissen brings together a bevy of gifted jazz and rock players to play 13 of his compositions and 1 of Gary Husband’s. The album comes across mostly as a 21st Century version of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way. There are some more modern sounds and approaches heard but the spatiality of the music shares the same characteristics as Davis’ classic record. (There are no absolutes in life. Some of the music sounds this way and some of it doesn’t). And speaking of trumpets, the flugelhorn of Gerard Precenser, with its effects, comes awful close to capturing that Miles vibe from IASW. This music is thoughtful fusion. Its power will not knock you over by any means. (Though guitarist Richard Hallebeek kicks ass on “Up There.”) But you will dig the easy but deep grooves that flow from one tune to the next. Cornelissen’s compositions are solid and provide the necessary fodder for some superior improvising. This is a very pleasing outing that verifies that fusion doesn’t have to kick you in the face or be smooth as a baby’s behind to be noticed. There is middle ground. – Walter Kolosky

Personnel: Sebastiaan Cornelissen –drums; Gary Husband, Steve Hunt, Scott Kinsey –keyboards; Richard Hallebeek, Alex Machacek, Susan Weinert, Leonardo Amuedo, Mike Dutram –guitar; Jimmy Earl, Tom Kennedy, Frans Vollink, Hadrien Feraud, Johnny Copland –bass; Gary Willis –bass loop; Ruud Cornelissen –bowed acoustic bass; Gerard Presencer –flugal horn

Released in 2009

Abstract Logix Records (ABLX 017)

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