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Jazz Reviews Toronto 2006

Review 1 – rinsethealgorithm – Sept 29, 2006
Rich Brown (E. Bass), Rob Brown (drums), Robi Botos (keys) – Trane Studio

I've seen rinsethealgorithm several times. Each time there is a different energy and vibe that brings a different life to the music that is being performed. From the moment that they start to groove (and they start to groove quickly) you know that you're in for a good performance. It's not just the groove, the riff, the melody and harmonies that they choose, it's their interaction, and it's their apparent extrasensory perception to one another. It's like how when one player goes bop, the other player instinctively, whether he knows it or not, answers with a bip.

Rich Brown is a monster on his electric six string bass. I marvel at his ability to somehow make his fretted instrument sing with a vibrato purer than that of a classical singer's without any assistance from an effects pedal. His methodology in playing bass seems to be driven by the principle that the bass is an instrument capable of great agility like any other instrument. With that principle in mind he weaves in and out of the chordal foundation of the music like water current weaves through lake reeds. Never allowing his audience to believe that the bass is a stagnant instrument whose sole purpose is to ride the tonic and accentuate the II, V, I.

Robi Botos, another giant of the Canadian jazz music scene is a phenomenal keyboardist. To the stage he brings incredible dexterity and innovation and also a wit and charm that makes him a very affectionate entertainer. I suppose that his ability to play, adjust and improvise on the fly makes him one of the most sought after pianists in Toronto. He seamlessly moves from heavy swing to reggae to ballad to bossa.

The band played quite a few original songs, ‘Constellation 149', dedicated to the stars of the local musicians union, ‘Forward Motion' ‘Hibiscus' and ‘Black Nimbus' to name a few. Rich is a poignant artist who...