Athens’ Dan Nettles has been attempting to remedy the listening public’s misunderstanding of jazz for years with his Kenosha Kid project
By Gabe VodickaTuesday January 19, 2010 03:00 PM EST
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Despite its position as the all-American art form, jazz is still tragically misunderstood by much of the listening public. Athens’ Dan Nettles has been attempting to remedy this for years now with his Kenosha Kid project – a relatively accessible yet exploratory brand of crossover jazz-rock. Fahrenheit is Nettles’ strongest offering yet, loose and swinging while exhibiting all the modern, rock-influenced flourishes one might expect from a record by one of Nettles’ better-known compatriots such as Dave Douglas or Bill Frisell. Album opener “Pleasure to Burn” is a lovely track, its lithe melodies playing beautifully off its subtle eeriness. Elsewhere, the playful “Denham’s Dentrifice” sandwiches energetic bursts of hard bop in between well-placed electronic bleeps and free melodic meanderings to exhilarating effect. With a vibrant, curiously uplifting album, Nettles seems increasingly more comfortable with his position as jazz ambassador and comes one step closer to teaching the world to swing. (Nowt) 4 out of 5 stars.
