Nick Bisesi: Free Time
Friday, December 17th, 1999
Free Time, a (mostly) quartet set from emerging saxophonist Nick Bisesi, offers a fresh helping of modern jazz spanning the range from edgy funk to all-out free. Bisesi’s talents as a player are remarkable: he takes advantage of his firm, lean tone to construct solos with vision and clarity. The saxophonist got started in New York City with lessons from Dave Liebman (who guests here on a couple of tracks, adding an extra edge without stealing the show). While Bisesi retains barely discernable evidence of his mentor’s fluid improvisational style, he has personalized his sound to achieve a more spare and angular approach.
Popularity: 33% [?]
Sunday Morning Lounge offers up catchy sing-along rock that showcases great melodies, inspirational guitar work, groovy rhythms and memorable choruses. Cofounders Francis DAngelo and Roderick Cabahug banded together in the summer of 2000 in Laguna Beach, Ca. Drawing on their travels, tribulations, love for music and the ocean, SML is dedicated to making music closes to their emotions and expanding the karmic musical journey. Everybody has a story to write, SML documents its first with the “Money is a God” EP, their debut release on FatZebra Records. SML blends together aspects of rock, punk, jazz and pop to effectively establish a new movement of alternative music. The lyrics are true to the heart, offered up with poise and candor. The songs speak to anyone who knows that to welcome the future, you must know your past.
Since Mojo Nixon now makes albums only every few years, his comments on current events can be somewhat dated. It wasn’t until 1995’s Whereabouts Unknown that he took on the 1991 Gulf War, and it wasn’t until 1999 that record buyers could hear his thoughts on the O.J. Simpson murder trial (”Orenthal James [Was a Mighty Bad Man]“) and the death of Princess Diana (”Drunk Divorced Floozie [The Ballad of Diana Spencer]“). Not that you couldn’t imagine what his outraged and outrageous opinions would be. Of course, some issues remained current, such as his dislike of the computer age (”I Don’t Want No Cybersex,” “Machines Ain’t Music/I Got My Mojo Workin’”), Disney and McDonald’s (”Disney Is the Enemy”), and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (”Rock N’ Roll Hall of Lame”). Basically, Nixon would borrow a tune from Muddy Waters or Chuck Berry and let fly, and as usual he was funny, but like most provocative comedy, the record was more fun to talk about, and play for your friends, than to listen to yourself more than once.
Jumpin Jimes: They Rock! They Roll! They Swing! This isn’t subtle music. Loud guitars and brass. The album title tells you what it attains to be. The music is hard driving, the in-your-face neoswing, ala Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. With a rockabilly feel. I’m not crazy about the lead singer’s voice–no range or depth. A mix of originals and covers. The original “Swing Shift” is a decent neoswing song. Mostly fast songs here. 
KPNK: Punk Radio is exactly what a cover record should be, sappy top 40 hits, done by artists who are probably still in high school. The best thing about covers is that people laugh when you put them on, and you always seem to know the words. This is exactly what this album is all about. From Wilson Phillips to John Denver and back to Nena, every single song on it, has been converted from radio friendly to flat out hilarious. Tracks are from bands such as Agent Orange, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Youth Brigade and 7 Seconds. KPNK (Punk Radio) is pretty much more about amusement than anything else, but hey, I know the words to the songs!