Categories: Archives

The David Bond Group isn’t all that jazzed

The Spirit Speaks

David Bond Group

Vineyard Records

The Spirit Speaks

David Bond Group

Vineyard Records

Recommended if you like: The Bad Plus, some John Coltrane

The current college generation doesn’t seem to have a deep-rooted love for jazz. Then again, no one can wear a Charles Mingus T-shirt or have Thelonious Monk patches or pins all over his or her backpack, so it’s not like anyone can wear it on his or her sleeve.

Regardless, jazz is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Artists like Ornette Coleman, Bo Diddley and Dave Brubeck should be played on more radio stations — not just by the poorly funded jazz stations of today.

However, the David Bond Group isn’t Mingus. It isn’t Coleman or Monk. This jazz quartet isn’t really anything special.

The band plays well together. David Bond, the saxophone player, is decent at what he does, but sometimes his music sounds like elevator music. Meanwhile, pianist Bob Butta does a pretty good job of mixing things up, but doesn’t do anything that screams — “this is what makes me a great piano player.”

The rest of the band sits idly in the background doing what they do–not much.

To listen to a band that doesn’t do much in terms of their music isn’t as much fun as, say, watching grass grow. It’s too much small change that doesn’t do anything. It becomes too consistently inconsistent, and thus boring. Smooth, but still boring.

However, the music is rather pleasant. It’s not something that’ll distract you from work or keep your mind on your radio — distracting you from the road, causing a four-car pile-up.

It’s suitable for easy listening and eating at a nice sit-down restaurant like Joe Mama’s, but not the kind of record you’d really pick out of a crowd and listen to because you can’t get enough of that David Bond Group.

This band should “jazz” it up.

Pitt News Staff

Share
Published by
Pitt News Staff

Recent Posts

Students gear up, get excited for Thanksgiving break plans 

From hosting a “kiki” to relaxing in rural Indiana, students share a wide scope of…

21 hours ago

Photos: Pitt Women’s Basketball v. Delaware State

Pitt women’s basketball defeats Delaware State 80-45 in the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday, Nov.…

21 hours ago

Opinion | Democrats should be concerned with shifts in blue strongholds

Recent election results in such states have raised eyebrows nationwide, suggesting a deeper shift in…

1 day ago

Editorial | Trump’s cabinet picks could not be worse

Over the past week, President-elect Donald Trump began announcing his nominations for Cabinet secretaries —…

1 day ago

What Trump’s win means for the future of reproductive rights 

Pitt professors give their opinions on what future reproductive health care will look like for…

1 day ago

Police blotter: Nov. 8 – Nov. 20

Pitt police reported one warrant arrest for indecent exposure at Forbes and Bouquet, the theft…

1 day ago