A press release that was sent out to the media with
Turned UpTurned On described this instrumental CD as "alt-jazz," which isn't a term that one hears very often (at least not as of late 2009). One hears the terms "alternative rock," "alternative country," and "alternative rap" a lot, but not "alt-jazz." So what exactly is
Michael Bellar calling "alternative jazz?" The material on
Turned Up Turned On is mostly fusion and post-bop with hints of world music at times. Influences range from the
Bad Plus and
Medeski, Martin & Wood (minus the more avant-garde playing) to electric
Miles Davis, and even though this 2009 release maintains a jazz improviser's mentality,
Bellar and his As-Is Ensemble (which also includes bassist Rob Jost, drummer Brad Wentworth, and percussionist Robert Di Pietro) don't hesitate to use electric instruments and incorporate rock and funk elements.
Bellar shines as a soloist, effortlessly moving from acoustic piano to organ to accordion to the harmonium -- and his talents as a composer yield memorable results on pieces that range from the funky "Heavyweight Love Match" to the Middle Eastern-influenced "Fur Turban," to the wistful "Yoga for Prison Girls" (never let it be said that
Bellar doesn't come up with his share of amusing song titles). Although his own compositions dominate the album, he also turns his attention to
Led Zeppelin's "Misty Mountain Hop,"
Ben Folds' "Fred Jones, Pt. 2," and
Björk's "Unravel" -- all of which speak volumes about
Bellar's musical outlook.
Bellar doesn't play note-for-note covers of those tunes; he seriously interprets them and demonstrates that there is no reason why hard rock and alt-rock songs cannot be successfully reimagined as instrumental jazz. If
Bellar wants to describe this 59-minute disc as "alt-jazz," that's his prerogative, but his outlook is essentially a fusion/post-bop outlook, and that outlook serves him well on
Turned Up Turned On. ~ Alex Henderson