Gary Willis's Slaughterhouse 3!

[greenboy]

Sure it's been out a couple years, but when I put this on in the dark of the storm I realized what a killer groovist Willis is, and funkt with the filters. While the music ranges from stuff akin to Ornette to stripped-down Squarepusher to Morphine and maybe some Sextant- and Headhunters-era Hancock thrown in, it's just good tripping. I'm going to be replaying this lots more instead of sticking to what used to be my fave Willis - Bent - so much.

[jerry]

I dig the direction Willis has gone with both Slaughterhouse and his last solo album. The cat does not stagnate!

[greenboy]

I ordered ACTUAL FICTION after pulling this one out of my backburner pile and really giving it a couple of concentrated spins. Curious about the new project he's got up on his home page too.

[bassrique]

Anyone heard his new thing, "Shaman"?

http://garywillis.com/pages/audio/audio.htm

[Baryonyx]

Hmm I might have to pick this record up. Even though Gary can really play, I find his stuff has trouble grabbing me! Maybe I need to listen to more!

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by bassrique

Anyone heard his new thing, "Shaman"?

http://garywillis.com/pages/audio/audio.htm

I gots it, and likes it!!

[greenboy]

One thing that links these projects is Llibert Fortuny's killer sax playing, roots in other cutting edge saxists of various periods, and his use of effects. He's really good at playing as if part of the rhythm section as well as a soloist/line player. I'm hearing eerie stuff reminiscient of Patrick Gleeson's synth oddities from Herbie Hancock's SEXTANT period, And I'm digging his distortion alto. Like the alto guy in bassists Stuart Liebig's Mentones LOCUST LAND, he gets some cool blues harmonica on a Shure Bullet mic thing going, and moments later he's like a metal guitarist. And always, there's bits of several periods of Ornette Coleman shining out.

Hmmm, Gary Willis's funky bass grooves with some of those guys - that's happening NOW!

[WJGreer]

Actual Fiction sounds to me like something Willis did in his home studio with a bunch of triggers and loops. It's creative, and pretty entertaining as far as it goes. But I prefer the interplay of musicians playing together, so I like Slaughterhouse 3 more.

To me, the Slaughterhouse 3 record sounds like I am out, with a few of my musico buddies, drinking many beers, and happened to step into a very loud jazz club where a band we had not heard of before is tearing the roof off of it. We stay the rest of the night because we can't tear ourselves away.

[greenboy]

I was just digging Willis's subterranean bass stylings on track 9 - Sleep Deprivation. I'm guessing he's getting the ultralow thing happening on V-Bass. I'm getting a Mark Sandman Morphine vibe there: the fretless growling and sliding at times, and the low sax figure at the start that's almost more breath and big room reverb than note, and later the dual sax melody.

[edubb]

and feel he is underrated. Both slaughterhouse 3 and actual fiction are filled with serious grooving. His version of Jaco's "the chicken" on youtube is imho, better than the original. He absolutely crushes that song, I was astounded by how he re-invented it. Just down right nasty. Plus he can make his fretless sound damn near fretted or make it mmwah with the best of them. He's a baaad man, lol.

[kesslari]

Just got Bent.
(that sounds wrong, somehow...)

One thing about Gary's music - it ain't easy listening. That man plays hard, and demands your attention.

[Erick Lam]

I find it much more easier to listen to than "easy listening" "music".

Although not his best album as a whole, I find "No Sweat" has some of his best tunes. The groove in the title tune "No Sweat" is just amazing. "Stagger", "Until the cows come home" (a 12min jam) and "Ancient Promise" are among my fav as well.

The tune "No Sweat" is a must IMO. Just 1$!

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by kesslari

One thing about Gary's music - it ain't easy listening. That man plays hard, and demands your attention.

I understand the context of your statement, but actually I find it very comfortable to put Willis stuff on when I'm working on something else. The emphasis on groove seems to make even the more outside stuff go down easy : }

[bassrique]

Here's a cool Willis fan site [great vids] that I stumbled across yesterday.

http://bassebruno.com/willis/willis.php#concert

It's in French though, so...

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Man, I used to half-way suck at French as a kid, but now.......