ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Jazz is Dead - Blue Light Rain

 Did you miss me? Taking us away from the Bob Dylan feature of Friday comes something far more amusing. A Grateful Dead jazz cover band... I don't think anyone asked for this but hey, I pulled it out of the randoms that no one seems to know what is. Regardless of your or my feelings, this cover band has had a successful run of 30 whole years. Blue Light Rain is their debut release from 1998.

The album is entirely instrumental, beginning with "Crazy Fingers". It kind of gives me Santana guitar playing vibes. Not as irritating as I initially expected, but I cannot see myself returning to this one. 

"Unbroken Chain" started off nice actually before shifting into all kinds of keyboards that sound somewhat off and also like they just don't even belong in the track. It also feels like the same riff I heard from the previous song, but then, is that a them problem or a Grateful Dead problem?

We now get a take on "Scarlet Begonias", which comes off like some reggae blend that feels like I heard it from the Police before. I am starting to think I will be burnt out by the time I finish this um, special choice. 

"Dark Star" just feels like a whole lot of nothing. It is repetitive and boring.

At least at the beginning I could say they sounded like they were doing something fresh in the slightest. It is now sounding like they are running out of ideas to use for these songs. "Red Baron" is also repetitive and a bit dull.

"King Solomon's Marbles" is certainly named well, since I think I may lose my marbles getting to the end of this mess.

The album closes with "Blues for Allah Medley", which actually gave me some hope for a light at the end of this tunnel. The album finally ended. 

I will close this short review by saying moreless if you enjoy a sort of guitar based, jazzy almost leaning ska style instrumental album this is for you. This was definitely not for me. If I play it again I might gratefully be dead. That should answer this well enough.