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Album review
In Search Of Hope
Kaidi Tatham
Freedom School Japan
Kaidi, like other broken beat practitioners, shuns the limelight. But if you've been paying attention during the past decade, you would've heard his Hancock-esque keyboard playing on tracks by Bugz In The Attic, 2000 Black, DKD and Silhouette Brown. In Search Of Hope is a departure from his previous work, being decidedly jazzier. Nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, like the splendid A Next Set A Rockers — a Commercial Break Album of the Year — In Search Of Hope is a Japan-only release, which means it's expensive for many. And, once you've settled down with the disc, it's all over in 40 minutes. A bit premature. No doubt Kaidi has little control over such commercial matters. However, in areas where he does wield influence, he excels. Perhaps because he's a trained musician, his work displays a level of complexity and sophistication that's absent in much nu jazz. Take These Things Will Pass, a mid-tempo jazz-funk joint enveloped in velvety strings and woodwind arrangements; or So Amazed, where Kaidi's brisk chords punctuate a frenetic, piano-led instrumental. In fact there isn't a bad track here. So what if In Search Of Hope is a little short? Never mind the length, feel the quality
© 2008 Commercial Break
