A healthy spirit of irreverence permeates the recordings of the ensemble Mostly Other People Do the Killing. Like the Art Ensemble of Chicago in their prime, they address genres of music in a playful, fun-poking way. They are like a kid at the dining-room table who doesn't want to eat his dinner so he pushes the food around his plate. MOPDTK are playful like that.
Their new, fourth album, Forty Fort (Hot Cup) exemplifies this tendency perfectly. Maestros Elliott, Irabagon, Shea and Evans fool with classic Basie and the overblown drum solo, the excesses of fusion, the Tijuana Brass, and much else, always with a certain good-hearted affection. They kick like a furious mule when they feel it, and both ensemble and solo work are really first-class. That's because these players are gifted and on a mission.
When something just clicks, one is almost at a loss of words. Check out Peter Evans' trumpet work on this. Whew! But then everybody is on the mark and the arrangements just pop. Humor and excellence are a rare combination. That's what you can expect with these folks. Do not miss this one!
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