Country : Canada Label : Independant Genres and styles : Jazz-Funk Year : 2023

Malleus Trio – On/Off

· by Frédéric Cardin

Vancouver’s Malleus Trio have just released On/Off, their third album. The group, which formed in 2017, is back with a somewhat heavy and funky jazz, coloured with shades of blues and rock. The melodies, simple enough so I’d rather call them riffs, are developed without too much harmonic deviation and remain constantly riveted to the rhythmic fulcrum, generally motoric and deliberate (with the exception of a few ballads beautifully elaborated by Dominic Conway on tenor). It sounds like badass jazz inspired by the BadBadNotGood school, but it’s much more polished. Americans will probably say it’s typically Canadian. We don’t like these clichés, but what the hell, sometimes we give them a freebie. It also claims to be Medeski, Martin & Wood inspired, but it is much less exploratory. The urban wiggle is more proletarian than Bobo chic, let’s say. In the end, though, you spend a good 45 of the album’s 70 minutes nodding your head, because it really does groove! And pretty effectively. What’s more, they’ve managed to make a respectable ‘’big sound’’ without electric support! Hats off to them. But perhaps they should have pressed Off earlier and tightened up the final choice of programme. Here and there, it ends up lacking fresh ideas. Just sayin’, even though I liked it.

Ben Brown – Drums

Dominic Conway – Tenor sax

Geordie Hart – Double bass

Latest 360 Content

Semaine du Neuf | A lot of chamber groove from collectif9 and Architek Percussions

Semaine du Neuf | A lot of chamber groove from collectif9 and Architek Percussions

Semaine du Neuf | “A Musical and Philosophical Journey”: Laura Cocks on Performing Star Maker Fragments

Semaine du Neuf | “A Musical and Philosophical Journey”: Laura Cocks on Performing Star Maker Fragments

UdeM | A tribute to the female voice inspired by the Big Band

UdeM | A tribute to the female voice inspired by the Big Band

Les Hay Babies – Some People

Les Hay Babies – Some People

Les Violons du Roy | Trios inattendus: The Intimate Charm of Chamber Music

Les Violons du Roy | Trios inattendus: The Intimate Charm of Chamber Music

Semaine du Neuf |  “Quelque part, mon jardin / My Backyard, Somewhere”, A Two-Headed, Bilingual Creature

Semaine du Neuf |  “Quelque part, mon jardin / My Backyard, Somewhere”, A Two-Headed, Bilingual Creature

SAMWOY ft. Virginie B – Simon Says

SAMWOY ft. Virginie B – Simon Says

Semaine du Neuf | Baptême du Haut-Parleur… Home Run !

Semaine du Neuf | Baptême du Haut-Parleur… Home Run !

Semaine du Neuf | Kristin Hoff : Singing about love in 100 languages

Semaine du Neuf | Kristin Hoff : Singing about love in 100 languages

Semaine du Neuf | A Spiritual Journey Through Matter and Sound

Semaine du Neuf | A Spiritual Journey Through Matter and Sound

Rachel Therrien – Mi Hogar II

Rachel Therrien – Mi Hogar II

Semaine du Neuf | 25 years of Bozzini! Interview with the Quartet

Semaine du Neuf | 25 years of Bozzini! Interview with the Quartet

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Semaine du Neuf | Paramirabo/Musikfabrik: old school avant-garde meets cool post-modernism

Semaine du Neuf | Paramirabo/Musikfabrik: old school avant-garde meets cool post-modernism

Semaine du Neuf | Tim Brady and The Symphony in 18 Parts

Semaine du Neuf | Tim Brady and The Symphony in 18 Parts

Violons du Roy | Mozart, Dvořák, Kodály and Johann Strauss: an unexpected aperitif encounter

Violons du Roy | Mozart, Dvořák, Kodály and Johann Strauss: an unexpected aperitif encounter

MARO + NASAYA – Lifeline

MARO + NASAYA – Lifeline

Semaine du Neuf | Quatuor Bozzini: “Effusion of Friendship” With Oesterle, Smith and Arnold

Semaine du Neuf | Quatuor Bozzini: “Effusion of Friendship” With Oesterle, Smith and Arnold

Semaine du Neuf | Martin Bédard’s “archaeosonic” excavations

Semaine du Neuf | Martin Bédard’s “archaeosonic” excavations

Melodînes | Cyrille Angers and Bruce Gaulin, a Trio of Questions for a Flute-Piano Duo!

Melodînes | Cyrille Angers and Bruce Gaulin, a Trio of Questions for a Flute-Piano Duo!

Shunk – Shunkland

Shunk – Shunkland

Manu Katché: Star drummer, star communicator

Manu Katché: Star drummer, star communicator

Semaine du Neuf | Decidedly Acousmatic !

Semaine du Neuf | Decidedly Acousmatic !

A Celestial Journey: Holst’s The Planets with the OPCM

A Celestial Journey: Holst’s The Planets with the OPCM

Subscribe to our newsletter