The range of styles found on drummer
Ronald Shannon Jackson's
Decode Yourself is amazing, but what really impresses is the way
Jackson unifies the disparate strains with his unique arrangements and varied rhythmic support. The combination of focus and expansiveness in this Texan's approach is not surprising, considering his tenures with both hard boppers, like
James Clay, and explorative jazz figures, such as
Albert Ayler,
Ornette Coleman, and
James Blood Ulmer. From
Coleman's trailblazing Prime Time group in particular, he developed a taste for electric ensembles, abstract R&B, and musical variety. From that multifaceted perspective,
Jackson not only pays homage to jazz with the inclusion of a manic cover of
Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop" and the futuristic big-band swing number "Decoding," but he also works in some funk ("Undressing"), blues ("Love Words for a Queen"), Western swing ("Software Shuffle"), Afro-Caribbean rhythms ("Thieves Market"), and thrash ("Tricky Vic").
Jackson reconfigures and updates these genre elements with synthesizers and electric drums, a load of harmolodic improvisation, and a pleasingly incongruous mixture of jittery, yet firm rhythms and murky, elongated horn charts. The cavalcade of music is expertly handled by
Jackson's band,
the Decoding Society, which includes heavyweights like saxophonist
Eric Person, trombonist
Robin Eubanks, guitarist
Vernon Reid, and bassist
Melvin Gibbs.
Decode Yourself is an excellent title for newcomers and fans alike. ~ Stephen Cook