Jazz Police - Perchance To Dream: Marbin

Marbin is a Chicago-by-way-of-Israel duo of Dani Rabin on guitar and Danny Markovich on saxophone. They deftly layer their voices, assemble and deconstruct them in a way which makes for a full, trancey sound in which the listener's head is washed over by a sonic multitude of two.

As everything must be labeled for point of reference, they bill themselves as “ambient jazz” but, really, even a cursory listen will show how easily they jump if not outright defy genres. They continue in the tradition of artists such as King Crimson and John Zorn, and some of the more organic/acoustic component turnbulists (Kruder& Dorfmeister, Amon Tobin, et al.). To be sure, some of their influences show but not as template mimicry executed with new technology as to try to hide it, but as inspiration to fuel their own outward journey toward the muse. It would also be easy to lump them into a jam band category, but even a casual listen to their work shows it does not contain the same repetitions, which can quickly become dull. Nor should they be lumped in with a lot of the “new” thing people often get excited about, in which novelty (non-jazz cover songs, rock influences) is cited as a thing which may inject new life into jazz. Rather, Marbin's work transcends gimmick and possesses a greater degree of tension and release.

Their first, self-titled album captures the spark of the duo in action. The first track “Abadaba” starts with soft electronic blips, small birds heralding dawn under the chiming of guitar. Very quickly the cadence of the guitar switches to sound like an impressionist slide or lap steel. This track, like others, is layered with many voices, a constant reiteration that the headphone album is not dead. There is a sort of lush melancholy bent to the song, further captured by the entrance of the saxophone. What I enjoyed even upon my initial introduction to the duo's work is that they make the layering of sounds, collage-like, seem easy and never need get indulgent nor overly minimalist to fill in space. Each track is the perfect narrative to a daydream. The layering of guitars towards the end of the track is reminiscent of some of the more adventurous outings of their artistic forefathers, Jimmy Page and David Gilmore. Structurally, there is not an ending as to be found in typical rock, which announces itself to the listener. It sort of drifts away and ends, an abstract thought.

“Yodo” has a percussive main theme which sounds like a sped-up gamelan pattern over which the horn plays, its voice sometimes doubled up. It is a very short track, almost an amuse oreille. “Mei” is my favorite track on the album. It has a slurred guitar reminiscent of some type of James Bond/spy theme. There is wordless vocalese by Mat Davidson which further bolsters the neo-noir vibe. The piece naturally exudes an air of cool, the saxophone aurally mirroring streets lit up at night by streetlights reflecting off the freshly rained-upon pavement.

“Biwako” is a series of rapidly moving, treated guitar patterns which sound almost like a child's calliope over which a long synth line comes and goes. It conjures up images of some future cityscape a la “Blade Runner,” but perhaps with less rain and more sun. “Cuba” is one of the album's more infectious tunes. It is klezmer by way of a cha-cha and the purveyors of downtown sound cool.

The album clocks in at a little over half an hour with pristine sound. It comes in a cardboard slipcase with fun Ralph Bakshi-like art. This album is perfect for people left cold by the current zeitgeist of rock/pop but who also want to broaden their music palette beyond jazz. It stands up to repeated listening and is a work of art, showing that the headphone album is alive and well.

More information: http://marbinmusic.com