Album Review: The Chronicles ‘Spanning the Gap’

spanningthegap

The Chronicles, a progressive jazz band from Albany have released their second studio album this month, Spanning the Gap. Their newest album was produced and mixed by musician Alan Evans of Soulive, who even makes a guest appearance on a few tracks. The seven-piece band combines the flavors of funk, soul, jazz and hip hop to create a dynamite album that is not easy to put down. The album is available for free listening and immediate digital purchase on their website, where you can also order vinyl copies.

The album kicks off with “Village Living”, a groovy attention grabbing guitar melody from Justin Henricks that soon meets up with the eruption of the full band sound. The horns get dirty as they jazz up the song with a wide range of notes with the organ blasting in full effect. “Interzone” switches into a smooth and chill retro groove with a slow tempo that increasingly picks up pace into a jumping back and forth dance party. “Way Back Home” brings in Tara Merritt for vocals for a sensitive yet tough twist, suitable for The Chronicles diverse sound. This song features a more sophisticated feel with the strong string presences of Iris Mulhern on harp, Phil Ducreay on Violin and Dylan Perrillo on String Bass. “Vibe” features strong cymbal playing and percussion for a relaxed funky feeling with a little help from Alan Evans.

“Just Knew”, an upbeat song with a great blend coming from every musician making for a unstoppable funk machine. Philippe Chow brings his trumpet to the table for an extra and always appreciated boom. “Spanning the Gap” gets a dose of hip hop from Jeff Nania, spitting out lyrics in sync with the modern chill jazz with a light piano solo from Tyrone Hartzog to finish off the song, proving that The Chronicles have no problem bridging multiple genres. “Quartal” is where Nicholas Lue shines with heavenly piano peaks and a consistent locomotive vibe. “Bad,Bad,Bad” features vocals recorded by Tyrone Hartzog, organ player of the band, with funky guitar riffs giving off the bad boy charm. “Reprise” ends the album with robust, soulful keys and steady bass notes from Daniel Lawson, to fade out with echoes of the haunting harmonies.

Key Tracks: Way Back Home, Just Knew, Spanning the Gap

Comments are closed.