Uncle Art
Transmogrified,  Beezwax CD BW-1580A, 1997

 I don’t know anything about Art, ...

Speaking as a Zappa fan, I like this CD. It’s jazz, but it’s different. It also makes me wonder  seriously about Indiana, since this is where the troupe is from, I believe.

"Polar Patrol" says it all for my Zappa theory. Anyone who’s a fan of Joe’s Garage will say "Hmmmmmmmmm." The Central Scrutinizer lives! Good drum work on this fourth track, which is mainly a keyboard solo, with a voice popping in to silence you with lines like "time is running out" or "do you know we are coming?" But, believe it or not, I’d rather listen to the rest of this cool album, with its slick bass, sprightly guitar solo and rapping drums.

"At the Moment" is three minutes of fun jam, with the occasional bark of a dog, or the spit of a whistle. But it’s not as "out there" as I make it sound. No. This is lite jazz in the best traditions of the traditional. Yet, there’s an edge to it that makes it clearer than some live smoky club thang. Ho! And "Carmine" rocks with plucky guitar. I keep wanting to sing "bringing down the house" even though there are no words to this tune. Fudge.

"News To Me" would make good backing for a Disney feature about kids who think they are spies. The title track, "Transmogrified," pops through my earphones as if there’s a new drummer in town, and he’s trying to get the beat  down by playing the drum track over one that’s already been laid. Well, that’s what my ears tell me.

"No Doubt" has power, with clanging symbols and interesting keyboard sounds that,  thank God, aren’t cheesy! But this is a 1997 CD, and pretty damn good. So, they were right–and brilliant to a degree–to combine fun jazz with musical jokes that make you want to listen more rather than laugh out loud. Smart Art.– Ben Ohmart

getting it

When you order this self-production, you get a  personalized copy. See the full selection of Beezwax albums on display at CD Street, or write the old-fashioned way to:

Uncle Art
c/o Beezwax Enterprises
P O Box 4816
Elkhart, IN 46514-0816

performers

Dave Seyboldt, keyboards and percussion; Bill Boris, guitars; Peter Ballin, woodwinds; Rafe Bradford, basses.

song titles

At the Moment • Cat Paw Skipper • Carmine • Polar Patrol • Song for Winchester • Eastbound Local • Metro Dreams • Jupiter Jubilee • News to me • Transmogrified • No Doubt • Trip Trigger Avenue