CD Reviews, Highlighted

Bens Jazz Kit – Dizzy Minds

Funk, Rock, hip-hop, R&B, twisted together in an unnatural order that somehow works in a perfectly natural flow. This Seattle trio, Bens Jazz Kit, is comprised of Ben Reece on guitar, Jazz Turnbow on drums, and Kit Vanderjagt on bass and vocals. Get it now??? Bens Jazz Kit.

Few would attempt such an eclectic project; however Bens Jazz Kit did exactly that on their latest, Dizzy Minds. Each track is distinct from the next and brings the listener many different flavors, all the while maintaining tight musicianship. Ben Reece on guitar brings many powerful funk rhythms throughout the recording and Kit Vanderjagt is a phenomenal bass player with a distinctive voice. He has the ability to adjust his vocal styles to meet the demands of each song’s requirements. And Jazz Turnbow, (after all this is Drum.com), is the connective tissue between the trio. His ability to lock in with Kit on bass as well as his command of multiple musical styles; is a big reason why the trio could undertake the challenge of Dizzy Minds.

Check out the hard driving funk on opening track, Kutter, which spontaneously combusts into multiple genres. Or Mouth w/ a Liquid Eye, where Jazz Turnbow opens with very powerful drumming and keeps the beat fat. Each track has it own personality, albeit schizophrenic. I can assure you it’s a path of insanity you’ll want to travel. I was thinking of some the musical influences I heard on Dizzy Minds, and I was reminded of the likes of Primus, Rage against the Machine, and Stan Ridgeway (back when Stewart Copeland was recording with him). Let your guard down and take Bens Jazz Kit, Dizzy Minds, out for a long ride.

Tags: Ben Reece, Bens Jazz Kit, Dizzy Minds, Jazz Turnbow, Kit Vanderjagt, Seattle Trio Bens Jazz Kit