Label: Between The Lines, 2019
Personnel - Christy Doran: guitar; Franco Fontanarrosa: electric bass; Lukas Mantel: drums.
70-year-old Irish-born guitarist Christy Doran is known for his longtime association with powered rock music (he founded OM in the 70’s) but also a noteworthy presence in the avant-garde scene, especially due to a favorable trio collaboration with trombonist Ray Anderson and drummer Han Bennink.
The third recording by the eclectic Sound Fountain trio, which features electric bassist Franco Fontanarrosa and drummer Lukas Mantel, opens with a punk rock attitude and reaggae-ish riffery. “Every Dog Has It’s Day” is the first of two unrecorded pieces on the album, navigating moods that range from boisterous, with danceable ostinatos and rhythmic punch, to quiet suspensions, in which jazzier modes are dominated by colorful chord extensions, occasional bass fibrillation, and unimposing crisp drumming. Fontanarrosa stretches out under the three-time rhythmic spell generated by the drummer and endorsed by the guitarist.
The other previously unrecorded composition is “Thanks to Otmar”, which evokes an imaginary crossing between Dire Straits and The Police, being, in truth, a static parade motivated by brushes and cyclic bass figures. Doran infuses his playing with effects and bright harmonics, which are also noticeable on the time-shifting fusion “Andromeda”. In that particular context, they coexist with lubricated bass slides in a first phase, before the trio embraces an uncompromising funk rock, reserving some eastern-inflected rhythmic surprises for the last section.
Just like the previous tune, “Bad News Babe” was taken from the album 144 Strings For a Broken Chord (Between The Lines, 2018), which Doran composed for 20 guitars, four electric basses and drums. This number closes the program by intermingling the flaming bluesy riffs of Jimi Hendrix, always a major inspiration for Doran, with the unpolished funk metal once exposed by Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 80’s.
Fontanarrosa and Mantel contribute one composition each, “Abstraccion Felina” and “The Spanish Moment”, respectively. Both tunes were included in the group’s second album Undercurrent (Intuition, 2017), but if the former mixes the prog-rock of Tool with atmospheric electronic vibes, the latter procures abstraction, falling into moderately dreamy tones.
On the title track, “For The Kick Of It”, these artisans of rhythm return to the dance-like pulses and populate them with hooks and jabs. They concentrate energies in punk rock and jazz funk, having lots of fun playing it.
Grade B+
Favoriter Tracks:
03 - Andromeda ► 07 - For The Kick Of It ► 09 - Bad News Babe