Barbara Dennerlein - Outhipped (1999)

Barbara Dennerlein has 75-and-a-half minutes to indulge her eclectic tastes on her third Verve outing, Outhipped, and she uses them. Working with ensembles numbering as many as nine sidemen, she embarks on such ambitious efforts as the nine-minute "Mabuse," a five-section reflection on director Fritz Lang's 1922 silent film epic Dr. Mabuse. The ten-and-a-half-minute funk workout "In the Mud" leaves considerable space for the horn section to shine. Trumpeter Darren Barrett and saxophone player Craig Handy are also heard extensively in the quintet arrangements of the boppish "Black and White" and "Farewell to Old Friends." And there is a version of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" that sounds like what it might have become in the hands of the Meters, beginning with a second-line New Orleans R&B before becoming another funk number. Dennerlein, who wrote all the other numbers, is often content to comp behind her sidemen, though she does come out and play fluidly on her Hammond B3 organ in a style that emphasizes the instrument's rhythmic possibilities. Outhipped is the music of a composer/performer who has a wide knowledge of musical styles, and wants to play at least a little bit of all of them.

This is one fine jazz CD to come out this year. I love its funky sound. But it also sounds like jazz fusion (what it used to sound like), it has the blues and it can be spacey and beautiful sounding also. This album is extremely varied with many textures and timbres. I had never heard of Barbara but thought I'd give her music a try. A delightful suprise. The sonics are great also. Joe Ferla recorded this session and did a fine job capturing this session.