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Review of Joris Teepe’s workaholic on JazzFlits

By admin | Published October 11, 2014 | No Comments

Just a cursory glance at the biography and discography of bassist, composer and producer Joris Teepe makes you smile in the title of his latest album. Since his arrival in New York (in 1992) he is a much sought after musician. And that’s an understatement. His contributions to recordings of others, as bassist, composer and producer are not small and the list of musicians with whom he played is great. And then there are the albums he released under his own name of which “Workaholic” is the eleventh in the row. It is inevitable that one is formed by all these experiences. Joris Teepe, who deliberately developed as a musician through his career. “Workaholic” is there like a reflection of this, but perhaps also as a way of listening to a statement of his musical development and
the formation of an idiom that could be described as eclectic expressiveness. That’s what you hear in his compositions and in his bass playing. The mixing of the different styles and bringing together different influences does  not lead Joris Teepe to an unmanageable hodgepodge. On the contrary, the compositions create an ambiance in “Workaholic” that is fresh and spontaneous. It is strongly expressive with a notion of history standing in a rich jazz tradition. This is partly due to a group of outstanding musicians, including
Mike Clark, once drummer with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters. The
band plays tight, fancifully, swinging and playful. The recording is
well produced, sounds clear and “close”, giving you the feeling of
being there. ‘Workaholic’ is the statement of a lover – a jazz musician that sings.
Frank Huser Original article in Dutch HERE