One album I’ve been listening to quite a bit lately is the most recent work by Vernon Reid. Remember Vernon Reid? “Glamour Boys?” Yeah, yeah. Well, he’s been doing edgy, avant-garde stuff for years. I saw him do a solo gig called “My Science Project” at the Knitting Factory maybe 10 years back that blew my mind.
Anyway, the new one, “Masque,” is a rock-jazz instrumental mindscrambler that is funky, tuneful, fun and, at times, beautiful. One of the highlights is a slow-as-a-dirge cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” with feedback and turntables. Quite extraordinary.
