It’s tempting to describe what bassist Anna Butterss and their Los Angeles colleagues are up to as “redefining jazz,” but that assumes jazz had a solid definition in the first place. In the 21st century, jazz continues to elude classification, with a resurgence of interest in old, previously overlooked and underappreciated material and the appearance of a new cadre of adventurous, genre-fluid players. But Mighty Vertebrate is a different beast. Neither improvised nor manipulated, begun as through-composed songs but later expanded upon and spun out, it’s groove-heavy, lyrical and spacious, with an energy that feels distinctly postmodern even as it acknowledges the past.
Category: Anna Butterss
Anna Butterss :: Activities
On her solo debut, Activities, Anna Butterss embraces expansive electro-tinged jazz. Revealing the full depth of her musicianship, she performs the record almost entirely herself, utilizing a gamut of upright and electric bass, guitar, piano, Rhodes, analog and digital synths, drums, drum programming, percussion, flute, and vocals.