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Written by Lydia Hillenburg, posted by Jason Hillenburg
Artwork
by John Lind Whitby
Jim
Hagen’s nine song release Jazzical highlights his unique talents for
refurbishing a long-standing musical art form, but it also shows his creativity
for recasting recognizable formulas and motifs in an idiosyncratic fashion.
Hagen certainly has a command of the necessary fundamentals; his guitar work
freely moves between styles without ever losing its creative direction and his
mastery of invoking mood ensures many of these songs are every bit as memorable
as the standards they, in some cases, emulate. Purist and casual listener alike
will hear much to admire on Jazzical. The genre chops of Hagen and his
collaborators are apparent from the first, but they present their excursion
into smooth jazz in such a melodic and accessible fashion that even those
unfamiliar with the genre will find much rewarding on this release. This Kansas
City native and Southern California transplant has written and recorded a work
with great musical merit and deep personal meaning. We are being for having
heard it.
The
album opens with its first single “Pismo Beach” and the smooth jazz label is
warranted here. The term, unfortunately, has a vague of condescension to me and
it’s clear that there’s nothing self indulgent or inauthentic about this song.
The graceful and elegiac manner of the musical arrangement’s unfolding makes it
all the more memorable – Hagen and his cohorts don’t waste any notes or time
communicating the song’s ideas and mood. Jazzical’s second track “Manha de
Carnaval” hits an unexpectedly muted note thanks to the relatively sedate
tempo, but its languid mood soft pedals its lush sophistication and melodic
excellence. This is one of the album’s most tasteful efforts and the keyboards
lead the way with only well timed and measured support from Hagen’s guitar. A
brief keyboard flourish ushers in “Alexandra” and the slightly mournful, smoky
ambiance exuded from Hagen’s guitar never lacks for melody. It’s a consistent
standard he maintains throughout the length of Jazzical – no matter the mood or
direction, melody is foremost among his concerns. Bass plays a much more
prominent role in the song “On the Scene” and Hagen’s guitar takes an even more
compositional approach than on earlier numbers. The unwavering support from
light percussion helps keeps this moving with urgency and the gradual addition
of elements like keyboards help expand its musical reach.
Bass
once again plays a key role in a song as “All Blues” unrolls with a loping,
patient bass opening. It’s nothing song where effects are accumulated over time
rather than achieved with one fell swoop. There’s some particularly lovely
guitar, fluid and with great feel, in the song’s second half. The title song
does an excellent job embodying itself musically – the quasi classical guitar
style employed in the introduction soon morphs into a delicious bit of jazz
riffing, an entire band playing together rather than against one another, and
marks another high point for Hagen on this release. The album’s final cut “Lazy
Sunday” finishes Jazzical on a bluesy note without ever dampening the energy
level. It’s a soft landing for a great album. Jazzical establishes Jim Hagen
and his collaborators as among the finest jazz musicians writing and recording
today.
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