Combining jazz, pop, dance and electronica is a dangerous game. Some succeed mightily in the pop realm, such as Portishead, Seal, Everything But The Girl, and Air. Many fail - just tune into your local Lite FM/Smooth Jazz station. Others suffer the slings of close-minded critics and fans (Herbie Hancock). The instrumental duo Torso (bassist Louis Selvitella and guitarist Lee Leffler - both distinguished Berklee alums) are firmly entrenched in the former category with the understated yet enchanting Naked Came The She Squid. Torso’s in-the-pocket grooves, slinky motifs and cosmic sound-scapes blur the lines between the aforementioned genres. Post-modern jazzers and fans of Miles Davis’ Doo Bop and Tutu will certainly dig the updated swing of “If You Prefer” - though this is no blow fest as the focus is on the ensemble and not the individual. The scintillating Latin flavor of “Herky” is further abetted by percolating conga beats and a series of adventurous acoustic/electric guitar call and response breaks. “Equilibrium” exudes the new cool most closely associated with Nicholas Payton and Roy Hargrove’s most recent releases - that being a bitches brew (pun intended) of melody and rhythm. Naked… comes highly recommended for fans of Marcus Miller, Weather Report, Zawinul Syndicate, Manu Dibango, and Hugh Masekela.
--Tom Semioli
