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The Fantastic Terrific MunkleMusic To Dance To Jazzgroove Most contemporary jazz ends up caught somewhere between revisionism and over-the-top boundary pushing which, while interesting, often isn't very fun to listen to. Which is why it's so refreshing to hear an album like 'Music You Can Dance To' because, to be perfectly honest, you can. The very talented Sydney quartet (including Martin Kay of the similarly sublime, but very different, The Reaston/ Kay Effect, here playing clarinet) play a peculiar mix of jazz styles and feels - a bit of trad, the feel of ragtime and the occasional experimentation of fusion. However, it's the sense of fun that permeates proceedings most, and it bursts forth joyously from the speakers the moment that opener The Joy Of The Traffic King starts with its off-kilter guitar line. Even in the moments when the group swing towards more traditional jazz (like the 'thirties stomp of Eight-Footed Monster) they play with so much conviction and passion that it doesn't matter. The majority of the rest of the material on offer here is imbued with a delightful sense of irony and satire, from the bouncing Chuggabug to the wonderfully titled The Girl Who Can't Dance Says The Band Can't Play. Once in a while the group explores more arcane and serious territory, like the strange Middle Eastern melodies of Turkish Bath, and they do it remarkably well (who would have thought that banjos could play those scales?). However, the fun here is in The Fantastic Terrific Munkle's oddball, refreshing and quirky takes on a mixture of jazz styles that many would think of as archaic. Imagine a more jazzed-up version of The Squirrel Nut Zippers and you're part of the way there. So much contemporary jazz takes itself so damn seriously, which makes this even more of a treat. In the end though, this is simple - it does exactly what it says on the label. Music you can dance to indeed. |