Posted on 05/07/2008 5:10 PM
We know somewhere in the back of our minds that Shawn Lee must sleep, even if his release schedule suggests otherwise. With Christmas and pop-cover albums yapping at our heels, it’s a little surprising to realize that Miles of Styles is only the first Ping Pong Orchestra release of 2008. As one of the most visible figures operating in a style comparable to the jazz producer/arrangers of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Lee’s mostly organic instrumentation, electronic flourishes, and prolific habits can be gratifying for interested listeners. This current release takes on an international theme, incorporating various world instruments into his funky instrumental fold and presenting something like Shawn Lee’s take on an exotica record. Of course, Lee is more informed about the cultures and places he invokes and so relies less upon stereotype than exotica-flavored records of the past; when kung-fu noises are used in “Chinese Chillin” it is clearly done with awareness of the cliché, unlike the gong that might have introduced an Asian-themed jazz track of the late ‘50s.

Even though some tracks are clearly inspired by a very specific sound and locality, such as the Fela-derived guitar patterns of “Lagos Calling,” much of the album is simply tightly-arranged jazz-funk that happens to make use of international instruments such as tablas, harmoniums, balafones, and steel drums alongside more obscure (or at least lesser-known) instruments like waterphones. The soundtrack-y guitars of “Dinosaur Island” bring out shades of Axelrod while the flutes and funk of “Tokyo Dancer” call the Mizells to mind. “Brazillian Bubble” is rooted, obviously enough, in bossa nova, but the distortion and effects applied to the token wordless vocal melodies twist the piece into weirder, darker places. Lee uses style as a springboard for his creativity rather than to compensate for a lack thereof; his identity is present throughout.

Twenty tracks in 72 minutes doesn’t leave much room for expansion, each of these (with one or two exceptions) is a compact exercise in development. It follows that what improvisation is present seems very limited by the writing, even though the jazz textures would sometimes benefit from a little more space, an occasional drawn-out vamp. Lee seems to have so many musical ideas that he must keep moving forward or else get bored with himself. This isn’t such a bad thing, as the quality and enjoyment of the music don’t suffer for these short, intense bursts of concentration, but the length of the album may suggest that a shorter, more spacious approach would have been more digestible in one sitting.

- Justin Deremo