UK-based quartet GREEN TEA was formed in 2011, a band set up with an aim to become a professional entertainment band for corporate and other events, a mainstay fixture at clubs and nightclubs, and just about any other event where a high quality, professional band performing more or less well know positive mood instrumental funk-based jazzrock material would be a fitting presence. I do understand that this plan perhaps looked better on paper than as a business venture, and that the band is currently in hiatus, but it’s still worth the time to write a few words about what I assume was a promotional CD-R production they prepared in 2011.
The 8 tracks at hand here, mostly fairly well known songs as I understand it, showcase Green Tea’s abilities as a live band very well indeed. Or to put it that way: Instrumental jazzrock isn’t the kind of material I have a deep and special interest in, but this live production managed to truly captivate me. Not as much due to style, but due to mood, atmosphere and performance. I kind of presume that those with a strong fascination for jazz might find this album to be a bit too positive and perhaps not as challenging as many might desire, but when it comes to easily enjoyable music you can’t find many flaws here.
The band has a steady backbone in drummer Di Giacomo and bassist Langkamer. Purebred professional musicians from what I can tell, of the kind that will deliver the goods even on a bad night. They know very well what they are doing, probably well schooled and well rehearsed, the kind of musicians I suspect could fill in on a moments notice and save the day in a crisis situation. Both of them adding subtle details to their performances that gives it just that careful bit of character that makes their contributions come across as organic and personal rather than sterile and dry.
But guitarist Pashkin and keys man Novikov are the stars here as far as I’m concerned. Novikov has what I’d describe as feeling, he appears to have an intuitive grasp of how to use subtle variations in intensity, pace and volume that makes him just as able a supplemental contributor as a soloist, a good ear for what sounds to use and when and how to use them, and in his mostly careful way brings life to these cover tunes that elevates them into something a bit than a mere cover tune performed by some band.
That is even more so with guitarist Pashkin. I do like his guitar style, and enjoyed very much the solo albums he released before he was more or less literally taken by the jazz. His grasp of flamboyant, adventurous guitar performances, good riffs and use of distorted guitar sounds one that impressed me quite a lot back in the day. All of them qualities that doesn’t appear in any manner to speak of here. As a member of Green Tea, performing positive mood funky jazzrock, Pashkin gets to showcase his skills in rather different departments. Light toned, elegant and unobtrusive guitar solo runs appear here and there, but careful funky details is his main territory on this occasion. Frequently using careful distorted guitar details rather than the bog standard funky licks, although he is given the opportunity to showcase an expertise in the latter too here. On some occasions his more flamboyant side is given a brief run here, but the guitarists role on this album is to elevate the experience by controlled, careful deliveries and Pashkin does indeed deliver very well indeed in that department.
Just how easily available this promotional CD-R production is I don’t know, but if you enjoy your instrumental jazzrock, and in particular the funky variety of it, you might want to get in touch with the band’s contact person or aforementioned guitarist Jake Pashkin to check. With cover material there’s nothing here that will inspire to any kind of musical revolution of course, but this is high quality material performed in an excellent manner by a high quality band, and that they have taken their name from a John Scofield composition might be regarded as an additional clue as to the kind of music they perform and the manner in which they do so.
My rating: 90/100