Mark Kelso & The Jazz Exiles - Elementals (2017)

Mark Kelso & The Jazz Exiles - Elementals There he is, mark Kelso, second from right in the photo of the entire ensemble of the Jazz Exiles, placed on the cover of the album Elementals. In 2016, Toronto-based band The Jazz Exiles debuted the album Stealing From My Youth, which was so successful that it immediately went on to be nominated for a Juno award, the canadian version of the Grammy. The new album, prepared by the band, is designed to "keep the bar", and with a successful combination of circumstances, raise it higher. The Jazz Exiles is a new and very successful project of drummer Mark Kelso, but he is far from new to music.
Our regular readers could meet Mark Kelso's name more than once in reviews of discs by canadian jazz artists working in a variety of styles. This is the only way to judge Mark's universalism and his ability to work in any team. This Belfast-born Irishman, having moved across the Atlantic, has become a highly sought-after musician who is readily offered a place behind the drum kit in many canadian jazz projects. And, by the way, not only canadian and not only jazz. Kelso has worked with Pat Matini, the Brecker brothers, Hancock, Coryell, Paquito D'Rivera, and many other jazz stars, as well as pop artists of the rank of, say, Olivia Newton-John or Chaka Khan.
But in his own project, The Jazz Exiles, Mark has set his sights quite clearly: he follows in the footsteps of Weather Report, Yellowjackets, electric Miles Davis and Pat Matini, playing dynamic, distinctly driven funk fusion music. The Elementals album provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate the success of Kelso and The Jazz Exiles in this direction. All tracks of the album were written by Mark himself. Basically, these are energetic, groovy, filled with the true spirit of fusion rather long compositions, like Conor's Crusade or Boom Tune, listening to which it is difficult to sit quietly in a chair. They are diluted with a couple of slower, melodic, ballad-like tracks, such as Solace or Little Princess Aoife. By the way, among those mentioned, there are two compositions that mark dedicated to his children, and differentiating them by gender: son Conor got a more driving Conor's Crusade, and daughter Willow-soft and thoughtful Little Princess Aoife.
The Jazz Exiles is a quintet whose sound takes the forefront to solo parts or dialogues of saxophone, guitar and keyboards, supported by the impeccable work of the rhythm group led by the leader. I would especially mention in this line-up a very cool keyboardist Jeremy with the famous name of Ledbetter in the world of Blues. And in General, the group leaves a very pleasant impression. Elementals can be recommended to anyone who likes positive music with "pepper". There's plenty of it here!