Nickell’s Bag

The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a misnomer in almost every way. There is no member of the trio named Jacob, nor Fred. Though “jazz” does generally describe a portion of what they do, the word fails to encompass the time- and space-warping experimentation, the hard-rocking playing, or the genre-jumping playfulness of the group. As to “Odyssey” … well, it is that, for sure; but “Oddity” might have been a more apt word.

Please don’t let any of those facts dissuade you from giving the band a chance. For my money, the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey may be the hottest ticket of a concert-filled season.

Known throughout the world (the group has blown minds and expanded horizons at jazz festivals and rock shows from Brazil to Germany), yet criminally obscure on the group’s home continent (the players hail from – get this – Tulsa, Okla.), the JFJO is the kind of act that will leave people around here buzzing for months after their show (this Saturday, at the Loft Above Higgins Alley).

Back to the name for a moment. “Jacob Fred” was a name that pianist Brian Haas used as cover in high school when girls’ parents answered the phone late at night. “Jazz Odyssey” is, of course, a reference to a hilarious sequence in the heavy-metal mockumentary, “This is Spinal Tap,” when the band decides to become a free-jazz ensemble.

That background should give a hint as to the playful irreverence that forms a core element in JFJO’s music. Songs like “Daily Wheatgrass Shots,” with its harmonically rootless and rhythmically unpredictable structure, or “Tae Parade,” with its haunting mix of turntable scratching, tinkling orchestra bells, and hiccuping drums, show that the JFJO isn’t about to let you slide its albums into one convenient niche on your record shelf.

Here’s a wild animated video of “Tae Parade”:

Textural contrasts seem to be the primary focus of the band’s newest album, “Lil’ Tae Rides Again.” The band’s most electronics- and effects-laden album yet (they’ve released 14 so far), “Lil’ Tae” slides from one number to the next, creating a sense of swaying horizons and shifting perspectives at every turn. On “Santiago Lends a Hand,” handbells chime against a slippery fretless bass line that tangles around a crashing drum beat, contrasting glassy textures with deep rumblings that give an unsettling sense that the foundation is about to slip out from under the whole thing. “Scuffle in the Hallway” pits moaning backwards voice samples up against a glitchy electronic drum beat, while a meandering piano melody tries to find common ground between them.

It’s freaky.

A planned interview with Haas fell through, so I can’t tell you for sure if the trio plans to focus more on wild synthetics or dazzling instrumental acrobatics in its show this weekend.

Either way, it’s a show not to miss. Here’s another video to leave you with, of “Daily Wheatgrass Shots.” These guys can play.

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