Michael Patrick Brady

My review of Just Like This by Keefe Jackson’s Project Project ran today at PopMatters.

Very satisfied. The album seems like a pretty natural follow up to Ready Everyday, taking some of the Fast Citizens and adding to the sound with more instrumentation and more talented players.

The addition of clarinets, trombones, and tuba really bring a lot of color to Jackson’s compositions, but the overwhelming horns aren’t what I found most impressive.

After seeing the Fast Citizens live and being really captivated by Frank Rosaly’s drumming, the work he does on Just Like This is a real stand out. I go into a little depth on this in the review; his presence over the kit is very physical, very animated, and the aggressiveness he displays certainly helps him push through the din and make himself heard on this disc. “Which Well” and “Title” both show him off very well.

The fun thing about these Chicago jazz records is that everybody on them has their own group, or is part of 10 or 15 other groups, so each new name I see I simply start tracking down what else they’ve done. It’s a great way to be introduced to new music and new musicians. That’s how I found the Fast Citizens in the first place, after first hearing Fred Lonberg-Holm’s Bridges Freeze Before Roads and following my curiosity.

Just Like This at Amazon