moodmat

Twenty years ago the Aussie improv trio The Necks recorded one of my absolute all time favorite jazz jams. A tip of the nod to Encore records employee Tadd Mullinix for dropping this in my bag about nine years ago.

“Sex” is an hour long jam which lives up to its name. A slow burner for sure, the first five minutes are a simple repetetive bass line interplaying with a ride cymbal and very diminutive percussion. From time to time a nice piano line will gloss across this setting, almost like a nice Guaraldi line from a long lost Charlie Brown score. From there the trio create a tension around several variations on the same motif, playing more with dynamics than composition shifts. It doesn’t show exactly the best of their abilities, but the trio focuses more on atmosphere than technique in this composition. And it works. Brililantly. While I was unable to find a sample of the track anywhere, here’s a YouTube video of a recent performance on their last tour that’ll give you an idea of what they’re about.

It’s a bit pricey on Amazon and has been out of print for a spell, but I’m sure if you dug hard enough you’d be able to find it in digital form somewhere. It’s perfect for winter. Absolutely perfect.