JOE BLESSETT is an American alto-saxophonist. Interestingly, however, he claims he’s not a musician. He says that music is his vice and the new technologies allow him to indulge it. He doesn’t play live either –he simply doesn’t enjoy it; rather, he prefers to write and record on his own and you can enjoy the benefits (or otherwise) of that stance on ‘Everything Changes’ – his sixth album. JOE is responsible for everything on the 19 tracker – even the artwork and marketing … and everything from that artwork and marketing through to the actual music is stamped with his own enigmatic individuality.
BLESSETT’S music is hard to pigeon-hole; it defies genre. It’s hard jazz; it’s smooth jazz; it’s R&B grooves; it’s funk… and then again, it’s not really any of those things. Witness ‘Talking To Miles’ – on the surface a tribute , we think, to MILES DAVIS, but sounding nothing like MILES ever recorded – coming on like JUNIOR WALKER’S take on smooth jazz! Sounds bizarre? Well yes it is…. and that’s the agenda that this album sets. Moods change, directions are switched and nothing is what it appears to be
Perhaps the album’s defining moment is ‘Jazz R.I.P.’ (maybe the title explains BLESSETT’S philosophy). It’s an ever shifting tune that, like the rest of the long player, defies any sort of definition…. a visit to the musical outer reaches, if you would. In simpler terms I suppose it represents JOE BLESSETT’S musical vision and if you want to share that vision or indeed believe that music needs changing – you can find out even more @ www.joeblessett.com
