Robin Taylor has been a pioneer in free jazz with many outfits. His Taylor's Universe is a power jazz trio featuring Mads Hansen on drums, Jan Marsfeldt on Keyboards and Taylor playing bass, guitar, keys, percussion, etc. After successful offerings over the last several years, Right Tone Music has re-issued the 1994 debut CD entitled Taylor's Universe. This rock-jazz combination may be the most varied of the Taylor's Universe offerings. Guest musicians show up with saxophones, trumpet and some excellent free flowing guitar solos by Henning Plannthin.
The music here is creative and interesting. Although I found that many of the shorter songs sounded like studio quirks instead of writen pieces, they are important to break up the often schitzophrenic longer pieces. "Strange Meetings" has the choppiest saxophone solo ever played around sparse guitar fills and background solos. "Saturday Night" and "Jeff's Office" are two of the highlights on Taylor's Universe. Both feature good bass groves with interesting keyboard work.
There is no stopping the styles on this CD. From the near rap of "Flemming Junker" to the new age soundscape of "Secret Wedding", this CD will keep you guessing. There are quite a few spots on the CD that don't work for me, but that is what you would expect when every moment is an experiment. Overall a solid addition to the Taylor's Universe discography. A welcome re-release.
Track List:
1. Entering Universe 1:58
2. Emmadusa 3:12
3. Strange Meetings 6:43
4. Secret Wedding 3:49
5. Hearing Noises & Imagining Things 4:34
6. Pulling Icon 1:51
7. Saturday Night 4:50
8. Trick Or Treat 6:03
9. Joie De Vivre 2:57
10. Flemming Junker 2:50
11. Mr. Garlic 4:37
12. Jeff's Office 5:48
13. Meetings 5:13
14. Feel 1:11
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