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Mystikal (Wallace Roney album)

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Mystikal
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 25, 2005
RecordedMay 28, 2005
StudioSony Studios, New York City
GenreJazz
Length59:40
LabelHighNote
HCD 7145
ProducerDon Sickler
Wallace Roney chronology
Prototype
(2004)
Mystikal
(2005)
Jazz
(2007)

Mystikal is an album by trumpeter/composer Wallace Roney which was recorded in 2005 and released on the HighNote label.[1]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
All About Jazz[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[4]

Allmusic's Matt Collar said "Mystikal is a modern album made up of vintage parts. Which is to say that while Roney has deep affection for the sounds of '60s jazz and '70s funk and fusion, he is a resolutely forward-thinking musician who borrows from a variety of sources and time periods even when the overall sound is funky".[2]

On All About Jazz, John Kelman noted "Mystikal continues Roney's progression. With the same core group as on Prototype ... it's not just about the evolution of the leader's approach, this time it's also about the evolution of a collective sound. ... As Roney's concept becomes more eclectic, it paradoxically becomes more focused. Mystikal continues his path towards combining past and present—with, most importantly, a clear eye on the future".[3] Another review stated "Roney's playing on Mystikal is some of his most lucid on record. The greater achievement, however, is the way he develops a template for how modern jazz can be re-immersed in funk rhythms without sounding dated, and how he then successfully merging turntablism into that same context. ... While all of the last three Roney records have presented different angles, we can't be that conclusive about the quality and insight of his vision until an entire record presents the concept. Eclecticism is cool, but it can make you look tentative, too. Still, this is a good record and pretty fresh music overall".[5]

In JazzTimes, Mike Shanley wrote: "The album alternates between acoustic tracks like the title piece or Kenny Dorham’s “Poetic” and electric songs. One of Roney's more compelling qualities comes in the way he utilizes elements of the latter setting–basic funk riffs, clavinet, electric piano–to keep the fire burning rather than smoothing down the melodic potential. ... The only distraction from the program comes from Jeanty's samples and spoken-word interludes, which seem to pop up every time the horns take a break".[6]

Track listing

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All compositions by Wallace Roney except where noted

  1. "Atlantis" (Wayne Shorter) – 8:41
  2. "Mystikal" – 6:20
  3. "Stargaze" – 7:59
  4. "Just My Imagination" (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) – 5:32
  5. "Hey Young World" – 7:33
  6. "Poetic" (Kenny Dorham) – 5:14
  7. "Baby's Breath" (Geri Allen, Wallace Roney) – 6:21
  8. "Nice Town" (Allen, Roney) – 6:59
  9. "I'll Keep Loving You" (Bud Powell) – 5:01

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Jazz Depot: HighNote discography accessed April 28, 2020
  2. ^ a b Collar, Matt. Wallace Roney: Mystikal – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Kelman, J. All About Jazz Review accessed April 28, 2020
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1236. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. ^ AAJ Staff All About Jazz Review II, accessed April 28, 2020
  6. ^ Shanley, M. JazzTimes Review accessed April 28, 2020