Tom Bianchi
Tom Bianchi and
Jason Gardner – 24:42
Produced by Jason Gardner
Considering it more prudent to record a palindromically-timed album than a
carefully-considered one, local bass master Tom Bianchi recruits the
formidable talents of trap setter Jason Gardner, but does not do much more
with them than he did on his last solo album. Instead of exploring the
deep rhythmic opportunities they have developed in the past, Tom and Jason
most often opt for smile over substance. Aside from similar signs of
unfulfilled genius on “Rainy Day Blues” and a few other gems, this
temporally and thematically varied album ranges from two-second songs(?)
like “Our Ballad” and the obviously entitled “Short Song” to longer and
more engaging explorations like “Human Jukebox” and “Seven Seconds,” which
smartly depict the often underappreciated life and times of a 24-hour
musician. While Bianchi certainly is underrated as an artist, marketing
fluffy stuff like this may not help him move forward in his career,
despite his well-chosen partnership.
- Matthew S. Robinson
c. 2002, M. S. Robinson, ARR
Tom Bianchi –
Park
Street Blues
Recorded and produced by Michael Ward-Bergeman at Park Street Station,
Boston
Laid down in the underground, bass-man Tom Bianchi’s album demonstrates a
command of a variety of musical styles (not to mention the map of the Red
Line). Combining toe-tapping musical lines with warnings to stand behind
the yellow ones, Tom even gets the rats dancing to his peppy pop
compositions. Though most of the light-hearted, personable tunes are based
on a similarly Polka-d “oom-pah” rhythm, songs like ”Little Star-Spangled
Wing,” “Rush Hour,” the lush washes of “Train Music” and the impressively
beat-boxed duet “Seven Seconds” demonstrate Bianchi’s jazz-ability and his
original improvisational skills. From the Vaudevillian television tribute
“The Cheers Song” to the Boston DPW anti-tribute “Streets Sing sin Boston
(or Lack Thereof), Tom is ever conscious of where he is and who is there
with him. Throughout every song, Tom aims to please and is most often able
to strike at the heart of even the most cantankerous commuter. Though some
of his musical explorations are cut short by the piercing squeal of the
lemmings in their shiny metal boxes, Tom makes the most of his 22 seconds
of fame and sends his captive audiences off on at least a slightly more
merry way.
- Matthew S. Robinson
© 2000 M. S. Robinson, ARR
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