Moses Yoofee Trio: MYT Redefining Contemporary Jazz

Berlin has long been a fertile city for fermenting new and influential music. While recent activity appears to have been centred on music for clubs, there is also a thriving jazz scene from which this exciting young trio has emerged. MYT combine elements of hip hop and other forms that create a musical bridge for those unfamiliar with jazz. What makes MYT jazz is the nature of the instruments involved, Moses Yoofee plays keyboards, Roman Klobe-Baranga˘ weilds electric bass and guitar, and drums are provided by Noah Fürbringer, and it’s the latter who gives this music it’s breadth of appeal.

The drums on MYT are the sort of thing that breakbeat enthusiasts were sampling from jazz and soul records in the nineties. MYT brings that up to date and captured by modern recording technology, which gives it a fresh and contemporary sound. Suffice to say that MYT is not a piano trio in the usual jazz sense, for a start none of the 13 tracks break the four and a half minute mark and not a great deal of the playing sounds improvised, this is jazz for the age of reduced attention spans.

The album kicks off with a meaty bass line over a slightly ghostly synth and a slow drum tempo on ‘Into You’, the piano is mellow and the groove ambles along nicely. It gives some idea of the MYT sound, which is amped for impact with compression that discourages high playback levels but will certainly appeal to many. ‘Ridgewalk’ ups the ante tempo wise and brings in guitar to add propulsion to the snappy snare work but switches styles to keep you alert to the fact that this is still jazz, it’s a typically concise piece, something MYT are particularly good at, this a taut fat free album that favours immediacy over noodling.

‘Green Light’ features the rapped female vocals of Enny but even she doesn’t stick to the hip hop norms, mixing a sung chorus with snappy lyrics, keeping musical flow at the centre of the action. ‘Bond’ is a highlight with a charming piano intro that segues into another speedy beat with a rolling bass line and a degree of melody that marks it out among the tunes on offer, again tempo is varied to maintain interest and the bass playing is superbly phrased. Album standout is ‘Gemini’ where the drums and bass deliver a lovely intro alongside guitar, leaving plenty of space and introducing restrained phrases from the keyboard before a guitar break that’s worthy of John Abercrombie. This the longest piece on the album and leaves enough space for the band to kick back and let loose, a little, there’s always direction but here it isn’t so precisely defined.

‘Till Tomorrow’ brings back the dynamic snare and combines it with muscular bass over piano and backing synth, the second half allowing for more of Yoofee’s melodic playing that is the central appeal on the album. The rhythm section does a fine job and sounds great but it’s the keyboards that provide the emotional pull, that said the drum break in the last minute is particularly inspired. ‘Trust’ is a beauty with restrained drums, lovely melodic bass and some big piano chords. ‘Push’ lives up to its name with drums that are metronomic yet supple while electric keyboards create a pulsating rhythm that won’t let you sit still, there’s a short break in the middle to cath your breath back but this one isn’t for chilling, it’s for moving and that’s before some beautiful guitar comes in.

‘Show Me How’ sounds a bit odd to start with but develops into a Weather Report style vibe as a result of the keyboard sound and a beat that just won’t let it lie but never overstays its welcome. ‘Deep’ combines a punk jazz beat with Wanja Slavin’s saxophone and sits slightly at odds with the album overall but certainly deeps things varied. The album ends with ‘Whip’ which goes a little larger than usual by combining synth and piano in equal measure, producing a smooth and spacey sound that contrasts with what precedes it. MYT are by all accounts a thrilling live band and if this album is any indication that’s not hard to believe, it would be fascinating to see if they let loose and get into some longer grooves on stage but as it stands this debut is a cracking start to a very promising career.

https://mosesyoofeetrio.com

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