Zen Zadravec – Human Revolution – CD Review
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Plastic – CD
Surface noise: N/A
Dynamic Range: 5-
Stereo Imaging: 4+
Image depth/perspective: 4-
Overall frequency response: 5-
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Track List:
- The Nature Of All Things
- Mentor Discipline
- Live!
- Climb
- Jamiliah
- Soul Eyes
- Lilies And Roses
- Human Revolution
Line Up:
- Zen Zadravec – Piano
- Todd Bashore – Alto & Soprano Sax
- Derrick Gardner & John Douglas – Trumpet
- Kenny Davis & Mike Pope – Bass
- Mark Whitfield Jr. – Drums
- Dylan Bell – Vocals
Background:
Zen Zadravec is a jazz pianist, saxophonist and composer. His chameleon musical skills letting him stretch his talents to encompass jazz, R&B, funk, rock or pop. He runs two bands; the Zen Zadravec Quartet, and the fusion group Human Revolution. He has also performed or recorded with a large number of well known musicians to include: Ron Carter, Ali Jackson, Gloria Gaynor, Bob Newhart and Joan Rivers to name but just a few.
This album was recorded at Canterbury Studios, Toronto, Canada by Jeremy Darby, mixed by Marcus Paquin, Montreal, Canada and mastered by Joao Carvalho Mastering, Toronto, Canada. The album was originally released on the Marmite Records label on July 24th, 2020 and is supported by FACTOR – The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings.
Musicianship and scat vocals are very good providing a tight, enjoyable and entertaining dynamic performance. Stereo imaging was very solid with just a touch of reverb being added to all instruments and vocals that you occasionally hear tail out. Every track is full of solos and breaks from the piano to the alto and soprano saxes, the trumpet and acoustic double bass. Alas there isn’t a drum solo really, just a few short breaks. This is quite a dynamic performance and showed few signs of excessive use of compression and there was no significant audible noise floor or hum present at anytime.
The recording appeared to use panned stereo to place the performers into the stereo image. The kit wasn’t set very far back being placed centrally between my speakers from left of center to right center, and at times appeared very close to the front mix line. As a result the sax and trumpet players seem to be almost sat on the kit on occasions. The resulting image lacked in depth but provided very good separation between all instruments and a good kit image. The lineup placed the alto and soprano saxes left of center, the trumpet right of center with the piano spread across the image between my speakers. The bass remained dead center in the same plane as the other instrumentalists with the scat vocals being front and dead center.
All instruments sounded very natural having plenty of detail, sparkle and openness. The alto and soprano saxes sounded mellow with a clean brassy edge, little key, wind or reed noise was noted. With the alto providing a richer deep bass resonance. The trumpet too had a clean bright sound with no stridence or tendency to be hard even at elevated listening levels. Both the alto sax and trumpet had just enough presence to ‘appear’ in my room. Solos of note would include: sax; T2, T4, T6, T7 and T8, trumpet; T4 and T6. The sax and trumpet often played together creating rich harmonious combination.
The piano occupied the entire forward stereo image, being in front of everything except the vocals. It had a terrific sound and reminded me of my own baby grand, having a rich mellow bottom end with a bright mid range and clean top registers. It had plenty of attack and no key or damper action was noted, providing several stellar tail-outs at the end of a couple of tracks. It too had very good presence. Excellent breaks and solos abound on every track so take your pick.
The kit didn’t show too much reverb detail. It created a strong central image from midway left to midway right with a shallow setback. The toms were very damped with almost no ring, creating a well damped hollow thwack. The kick drum providing a very dull, heavily damped thud, with no beater noise. The snare had a short well damped ring, provided a few very impactful rim shots with gentle, detailed brush work on tracks T5, T6 and T7. Cymbals and hi-hat were detailed, bright and clean having a pleasing brassy ring with no signs of a hard edge. There were no solos or real breaks of note except T1 and the opening on T4.
The acoustic bass was always dead center, never getting lost in the mix and occasionally popping to its front. However, there were two distinctly different sounds. One was rather muffled and drab lacking in dynamics, the first couple of tracks, the other very dynamic, open and natural but occasionally sounding a little boomy. The second bass sound dominated the remaining tracks with good solos on T5 and T7. Finger work could be clearly heard on couple of tracks particularly T5 and T7 helping to increase the basses presence and realism.
Scat vocals were front and center of the mix, there seems to be few restrictions to the dynamics of his vocal range that was was very natural, having good annunciation, with little undue emphasis on any part of the vocal range, creating a rich, mellow and warm tone, his close miking rarely accentuating any sibilance. Dylan’s vocal presence was very good, making an “appearance” in my room. Note: the album notes say vocals are on T3 & T4, they are actually on T3 & T5.
Overall reverb was short and low level providing just sufficient ambience to fill the sound out and provide a little warmth.
All tracks are well recorded and musically well performed, providing accomplished performances by all musicians. I am sure that many jazz fans, and in particular fans of Zen Zadravec will thoroughly enjoy this album as much as I did.
Playback note: Reviewed using my Denon DBP A100 over Denon Link 3. Speakers; a stereo pair of Genelec 1038’s and four SVS subs.
Disclosure: This CD was provided by Kari-On Productions for my review. No financial compensation was provided.
Zen Zadravec – Human Revolution – CD Review
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