Shortly after the New Year, I received a package from drummer Karl Latham. I wasn’t familiar with him, but I saw Living Standards, his band, were new members of the Foundation, and a copy of his latest CD, Living Standards II released on January 17th, and some promotional material were included. After reading his impressive resume in both the rock and jazz worlds, I gave him a call, and it turns out he was a last-minute replacement for James Popik’s drummer at last year’s Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival.
On this effort, Karl has melded two of his favorite music styles, classic rock and jazz, to create a jazz sound that would be familiar to those in the rock world who might not otherwise be familiar with the genre. The eight songs here are brought to life by a cast of stellar musicians including Mark Egan on bass, Mitch Stein on guitar, Henry Hey on keyboards including the Hammond B3, Roger Squitero on percussion and Special guest Wolfgang Lackerschmid on vibraphone. Google any of the above and you will see the impressive list of well known names they have played with.
The first cut, the Doors “Break On Through (To the Other Side),” is a nine-plus minute opus that draws the listener in with Mitch’s lush but familiar guitar riff weaving throughout a tune that is propelled by Karl and Mark’s solid rhythm. It features some outstanding vibraphone work by Wolfgang, making the song seem shorter than it is. The next track, Stephen Stills‘ “Rock and Roll Woman,” has more of an urgency, with Mitch’s outstanding fretwork and Karl’s driving beat, it straddles the line between rock and jazz with without sacrificing the spirit of either. Another great selection, the Page/Plant composition, ”What Is And What Should Never Be,” puts the band squarely into sixties/seventies British blues, but is filtered through a jazz sensibility, highlighted by Mitch’s stinging guitar licks and washed in Henry’s masterful B3 sounds. Tackling one of rocks most iconic songs, Eric Clapton’s “Layla,” the band turns the song on its head, as it opens with Karl’s introductory solo launching the song into a Bebop style of frantic playing, eventually giving way to Henry’s own intro to the familiar piano coda, which was never rightly credited to Rita Coolidge (I was privileged to have a personal conversation with her about it), and ending with a beautiful interpretation of his own. The song “Matte Kudasai” by the band King Crimson was an interesting choice, having been released in 1981, it falls outside the classic rock boundaries. Translated from the Japanese, it means “Wait, please.” It is a beautiful ballad that is treated lovingly in the hands of this band. To my ear, I hear a direct connection to the Fleetwood Mac song “Albatross,” and I mean that as a sincere compliment as both songs have that fragile sound, as if they could vanish into the ether at any moment. From there they jump into Steppenwolf’s signature song “Magic Carpet Ride,” which is done over a NOLA style beat to great effect, with Mark’s bass solo a real tour de force here, putting him in the company of players like Victor Wooten. Karl returns to Stephen Stills for “Cary On, Parts I & II” to wrap up this musical journey, and Mitch’s guitar solos played against Henry’s keyboards take center stage in Part I, resulting in a spirited reading of this classic. Part II goes in a different direction, with the band creating a spacy vibe that touches on the bones of the original briefly but is musically interesting in its own way.
Any jazz aficionado will certainly appreciate the musicianship displayed here while rock fans can here some of their favorite songs done in a totally different way. Being a fan of both, it couldn’t miss. It’s available on CD and all streaming platforms.