Artist: Ulterior Lux
Label: Fazzul Music
Release: 2005
Rating: 4.2/5
Ulterior Lux is a project by three seriously talented musicians – Jean Chaine, Markus Stauss (where have I heard that name before?) and Jim Rite (also known as Dimthingshine). Chaine is an occasional collaborator of David Moss, and that alone says plenty about the guy’s chops. If you’re good enough to play with David Moss, you can play with anybody. Stauss hardly needs an introduction either. To me he’s Switzerland’s top jazz saxophonist, and over the years he’s put out a heap of unique, intriguing albums. Add Jim Rite’s drumming skills and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a perfect jazz extravaganza. The Dancing Man is a live recording from Switzerland in 1990 (reissued in 2005) that catches an astonishing band at the peak of its powers.
You could file Ulterior Lux’s music under fusion, a blend of jazz and rock. You can hear that a lot of it is composed (the structure is pretty obvious at times), but you can also hear that a good chunk is improvised. So you get the best of both worlds of jazz. You’ve got solid compositions (this time Stauss and Chaine are credited almost equally, unlike Stauss’s other projects, where he’s pretty much always the main composer – not that I’m complaining!) and free improvisations that show how the band handles a jam – and they’re usually flawless and full of fresh ideas. You could almost call this an album of total jazz ecstasy. The music is paradise for jazz fans. But there’s plenty here for rock fans too. There’s a fair bit of rock and blues influence, most of all when Stauss kicks into Sunshine of My Love (Cream) at the start of Outputblues.
Of course Markus Stauss shines as always, though to my ears the star of the record this time is Jean Chaine. Stauss’s playing is once again both mighty and mellow, but Chaine’s bass is so present that it really stands out even next to Stauss’s sax – and that’s no easy feat. The bass is no longer just a rhythm section instrument, it often takes the lead. A one-man rhythm machine going by the name of Dimthingshine (aka Jim Rite) rounds out the music brilliantly with his versatile drumming. Besides playing bass and drums, Chaine and Rite also handle some vocal parts, which might be the weakest link on the album, but even they have something to offer. All three guys are incredible musicians, and a live recording is definitely where you hear that best.
This is a live recording from 1990 that wasn’t touched up in the studio at all, so you can hear every last nuance of the band on stage. You get first-rate fusion with plenty of improvisation, especially since this is, well, a live recording. The record shows off the band’s outstanding abilities, both improvisational and compositional. That’s why I’d recommend this album to all jazz/rock lovers. If you’ve heard any other Markus Stauss project, you’re surely hooked already and have to hear this Ulterior Lux beauty too.
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Ulterior Lux is a project started by three very talented musicians – Jean Chaine, Markus Stauss (where have I heard that name before?) and Jim Rite (also called Dimthingshine). Chaine is an occasional David Moss collaborator and that alone is enough to prove this man’s credentials. If you’re good enough to play with David Moss, you can play with anybody. Stauss also needs no introduction. He is Switzerland’s leading jazz sax player (as far as I’m concerned) and has releases a number of unique and intriguing albums through the years. When you add the drumming skills of Jim Rite, you have the perfect recipe for a total jazz extravaganza. The Dancing Man is a live recording from Switzerland from 1990 (reissued in 2005) which portrays an amazing band at the height of its powers.
The music of Ulterior Lux could be classified as fusion, a fusion of jazz and rock. You can hear that a lot of pieces are composed (the structure is sometimes fairly evident), but you can also hear that a great deal of the music is improvised. So this really is the best of both worlds when it comes to jazz. You have the tight compositions (which were this time handled almost equally by Stauss and Chaine, unlike Stauss’s other projects where he is the main composer – not that I’m complaining!) and the free improvised sections which showcase the band’s jamming abilites – they are flawless and full of ideas. You could almost call this an album of total jazz ecstasy. This is paradise for jazz lovers. But there’s also something for all the rock fans. There’s quite a bit of influence from rock and blues music, most notably when Stauss starts playing Sunshine of My Love (Cream) at the start of Outputblues.
Naturally, Markus Stauss is again brilliant here – as always, however, this time the star of the show is Jean Chaine, at least for me. Stauss’s playing is as powerful and full of grace as usual, but Chaine’s bass is so omnipresent that it really stands out even when compared to Stauss’s sax prowess – this is by no means an easy task to accomplish. The bass is no longer an instrument which belongs to the rhythm section, but it often takes on the role of a leading instrument. The one-man rhythm machine Dimthingshine complements the music perfectly with his versatile drumming technique. All of the guys are fabulous players and I think a live recording is the best way to prov. Besides playing bass and drums, Chaine and Rite also perform some vocal duites, which are perhaps the weak point of the album, but still enjoyable nevertheless.
This is actually a live recording from 1990 done without any overdubs, so we can really hear every nuance of the band on stage. We can hear first class fusion with many elements of improvisation, even more so because this is a live recording. The recording displays the enormous capabilities of the band – both improvisationally and compositionally. I would therefore reccommend this album to all lovers of jazz/rock. If you’ve heard any of Markus Stauss’s other projects, then you’re probably hooked, so this Ulterior Lux beauty must also be heard.
Lineup
Jean Chaine – electric bass and vocals
Markus Stauss – saxophones and extras
Dimthingshine – drums and vocals
Production
Markus Stauss
Tracklist
1. Waste of time
2. Slant lines
3. Bloodriffs
4. Outputblues
5. K1
6. Mental in a peachcan
7. Look for your own way
8. Ghosts
9. A 90
10. K1, the ballade
