Mid Spiral (XL Recordings)
BadBadNotGood
Released October 25, 2024
AllMusic Favorite Jazz Albums 2024
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About:
At the start of 2024 BADBADNOTGOOD were brimming with new creative energy. Having just come off a run of one-off international tour dates and a series of sessions for projects with artists Daniel Cesar, Charlotte Day Wilson, reggie, Baby Rose, and Turnstile, the Canadian-trio of Al Sow, Chester Hansen and Leland Whitty were eager to get back into the studio to simply create. The trio called on some of their closest friends and collaborators, BADBADNOTGOOD touring member Felix Fox-Pappas (keys) and a few key-players in the Toronto jazz scene including Kaelin Murphy (trumpet), Juan Carlos Medrano (percussion) and LA musician Tyler Lott (guitar), for an intensive and productive one-week of recording at Valentine Studios in Los Angeles in February 2024. The result of those sessions is the Mid Spiral series, originally released as 3 parts – Chaos, Order and Growth – digitally earlier this year and now collected altogether on a double LP and CD.
The Mid Spiral suites see BADBADNOTGOOD return to their roots of instrumental jazz while once again pushing the boundaries of how they cross pollinate genres, incorporating their love of hip-hop, neo-soul, psychedelic, funk and more. For the sessions, the trio incorporated additional musicians to add more voices of instrumentation, resulting in a deeply collaborative and expansive new sound. As the trio sifted through the weeks’ worth of material, it was clear that three distinct moods emerged, a deeper reflection of where the musicians are within their own personal lives, along with the state of the wider world: Chaos, Order and Growth.
Track Listing:
1. Eyes on Me (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 04:41
2. Take Me With You (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 03:18
3. Weird & Wonderful (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 04:46
4. Mid Spiral (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 03:51
5. Last Laugh (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 03:08
6. Your Soul & Mine (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 04:18
7. Playgroup (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 06:55
8. Juan’s World (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 04:23
9. Taco Taco (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 02:13
10. Sétima Regra (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 05:31
11. Sunday Aternoon’s Dream (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 03:36
12. Rewind Your Mind (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 04:49
13. First Love (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 04:45
14. Audacia (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 03:31
15. Celestial Hands (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 05:33
16. Ways of Seeing (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 05:32
17. White Light (Felix Fox-Pappas / Juan Carlos Medrano / Kae Murphy) 03:23
Personnel:
Al Sow: drums, chimes (3), synthesizer (5)
Juan Carlos Medrano Magallanes: congas, bongos, percussion
Chester Hansen: bass, keyboards (3, 8, 11, 17)
Leland Whitty: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, bass clarinet, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Kae Murphy: trumpet, trombone, oboe, EVI
Felix Fox-Pappas: Wurlitzer, piano, organ, synthesizer
Tyler Lott: electric guitar (3), acoustic guitar (17)
Recorded at Valentine Studios
Producer: BadBadNotGood
Recorded and Mixed by Travis Pavur
Recording Assistants: Andy Petr & Kyle Henderson
Mastered by João Carvalho
Design: ALASKA ALASKA
Photography by Ivan Narez
Review:
BadBadNotGood recorded Mid Spiral in a spontaneous rush during a week-long session in a Los Angeles studio in February 2024, right after finishing a series of international tour dates. The Canadian trio were augmented by several other guest musicians from Toronto and Los Angeles, including touring keyboardist Felix Fox-Pappas, trumpeter Kaelin Murphy, percussionist Juan Carlos Medrano, and guitarist Tyler Lott. Numerous tracks were cut, and the results were initially released as a thematic series of digital EPs (Chaos, Order, and Growth) before the whole thing was presented as the full-length Mid Spiral. Considering how elaborate and conceptual their previous few records were, this one feels like a back-to-basics reset, and the most casual-sounding release they’ve made in a while. Yet their musicianship and songwriting skills are so strong that several tracks immediately stand out among the band’s best work. “Your Soul & Mine” is a splendid example of the group’s funk side, with a breezy rhythm and a killer horn hook. “First Love” is the easy highlight, beginning with gentle, harp-like keyboards and gradually easing its way into another amazing horn melody, then taking off with a busier rhythm. “Mid Spiral” and “Last Laugh” are more rock-oriented than usual for BBNG, with both tracks starting out more straightforward and eventually adding more psychedelic flourishes. The Order EP leans heavily towards Latin influences, from the percussive “Juan’s World” to the mellower “Sunday Afternoon’s Dream” and “Rewind Your Mind,” though “Taco Taco” was clearly a jokey throwaway that the band must have thought was funny enough to include. Later cuts like “Audacia” and “Celestial Hands” are closer to warm, comforting soul-jazz, with laid-back grooves and plenty of simmering organ. Mid Spiral is a remarkable, sprawling effort that demonstrates BadBadNotGood’s endless creativity and inspiration.
Paul Simpson (AllMusic)
