J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: El Oh El Ay (2002)

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: February 1, 2002

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: El Oh El Ay

Here's a concisely arranged, quaint and slightly off-kilter effort from a crew of New York City musicians who generally shun the straight and narrow. Organist Jamie Shaft commences the opener, "Whatever Lola Wants," with an eerie, low-pitched groove followed by David Tronzo's wily slide guitar ruminations. The band continues to meld laid back, funk vibes with country blues and rock backbeats on many of these works. Saft's haunting organ motif serves as the underpinning for Tronzo's dreamy guitar and the group's altogether sullen soundscapes created on "Crawl." However, drummer Kenny Wollesen drags the pulse with his brushes while Tronzo consummates "Lane" with a Nashville flavor with his wistful pedal steel guitar work.

The musicians chart a course of quirkily fabricated themes and whispery choruses, although they provide an edge largely due to their unorthodox voicings and intermittent injections of humor and wit. They finalize the recording with a cacophonous, free improv fest on "Figure 1." Overall, El Oh El Ay is a fun outing, as the respective artists' distinct musical personalities provide that winning formula.

Track Listing: 1.Whatever Lola Wants 2.Mr. Lucky 3.Tronz 4.Crawl 5.Karnish 6.El Leo Nora 7.Lane 8.Red Cross 9.Figure 1

Personnel: J.A. Granelli: bass/piccolo bass ? Jamie Saft: organ ? David Tronzo: slide guitar ? Kenny Wollesen: drums

Record Label: Love Slave Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream