Uri Caine - Shelf-Life

Release date 2005

Shelf-Life For most of the past ten years, Uri Caine has led a double life. On the one hand, he's been one of jazz's most daring and dynamic keyboardists - whether playing in the award-winning ensembles of Don Byron and Dave Douglas or his own take-no-prisoners trio and solo settings. On the other hand, he's been a world-acclaimed conceptualist, mounting radical reinterpretations of the European classical canon - and evocative audio journeys through modern-day Rio de Janeiro and turn-of-the century Tin Pan Alley. Shelf-Life cribs a little from one hand and a little from the other, stirring up a simmering, satin-smooth fondue. It's a record that's all about the playing - Caine's and that of drummer/percussionist Zach Danziger and bassist/guitarist Tim Lefebvre, along with a handful of heavyweight guests.

But the album is also a conceptual tribute to the spirit of groove. And not just the contemporary variety, but also the kind that ruled the polyester '70s - in discos, on cop shows, and all over the FM dial. Bedrock, which proved its airtight chemistry a few years ago on a self-titled Winter & Winter debut, expands the formula here to include old-school booty music, with a tone that's irreverent but affectionate. No irony, no nostalgia - just a sly and savvy excursion, wide-ranging but musically intense. Now, a word about those guests. Trumpeter Ralph Alessi and vocalist Barbara Walker will be familiar to fans of Caine's world-acclaimed classical reconstructions, as will the irrepressible DJ Olive. Tenor saxophonist Bootsie Barnes is a mainstay of Caine's hometown of Philly, jazz division. From that city's R&B division hails Bunny Sigler, whose tenure with Philadelphia International Records helped define the Philly Soul sound. Rounding out the mix are electronica producer Luke Vibert, clarinetist Ruben Gutierrez, percussionist Arto Tunçboyaciyan, and string programmer Dan Zank. The total package is seamless: Nobody steals the spotlight, but everybody gets a taste. Speaking of taste, Bedrock pulls off its pastiche with plenty of it. Taste, along with liberal doses of humor, chops and sass. The end result is irresistible: Shelf-Life revives the sound of a bygone era with a style that's in sync with our time.

- Nate Chinen