Posted on 04/21/2009
The artist and album title really underestimate the value of the work itself. The name Planet Pimp, by the law of stereotypes, does not insinuate a Jazz album, nor does it usually lend itself to anything substantial. Yet, this Koch release, crafted by an ensemble of six Japanese jazz musicians has pumped some fresh blood into the genre’s heart. Their thirteen track album sounds like it was bred on the soil of New Orleans or jammed within a Giant Step studio booth, but the practitioners who gave birth to this opus are as foreign as a rare strand of influenza. The group’s mission, as they have illuminated through their fever-pitched live shows, is to break the barriers of Jazz. Yet, however intentionally or accidentally, they have fathered a diverse sound that is equal parts peace and chaos.

The ensemble grabs ears first with the spirited “STORM,” which sounds like an alloy of “Lazy Bird” by John Coltrane and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” The horns are working overtime, the percussions are invisibly fast, and the piano is highlighting all the cacophony in between. The same goes for the more melodious “Fantastic Planet,” which employs Latin rhythms to meet the piece’s fast pace demands.

But just as Planet Pimp’s heart rate seems inconsolable, the album balances its musical mayhem with more tender tones. The dulcet sounds of “Sea of Tranquility” almost catches listeners off guard in its stark contrast to the frenetic tracks that precede it. In turn, it comes as both a shock and a not-so-shock that Planet Pimp’s standout track is the sentimental “Sorrow,” whose charming horns and seductive keys create a whole atmosphere of serenity.

Jazz has evolved over the years into the safe genre, and Soil and “Pimp” Sessions have strived to reverse the stereotype. Yet, in their travails to combat one stereotype, they have confirmed another stereotype that speaks to the universality of this brand of music. They demonstrate that no matter where one is from, New Orleans, Memphis, or in this case, Tokyo, the music can speak and, in turn, anyone can learn the language.

- Sidik Fofana