Tal Wilkenfeld - Transformation (2007)

Tal Wilkenfeld
Transformation
(Available through www.theplanetcompany.com)
Tal Wilkenfeld is an Australian electric bassist and composer and Transformation is her first album release as leader. She’s resided in New York for the last five years, a factor which is very present in the music given that all the players also live there and the music was recorded there. Whether you call it fusion, jazz funk, jazz rock, electric jazz or any other name, this album is in that ball park and takes its cue from leading New York fusion artists such as Steps Ahead, Mike Stern/Bob Berg projects and the bands of Wayne Krantz.

As a bassist, I could hear traces of Marcus Miller, Anthony Jackson, Jaco Pastorius and Richard Bona. But it wasn’t just mimicry – Tal makes these things her own. Even though each composition has its own identity the album has definite parameters. There’s no hint of a world music or exotica element to the writing and playing as there is in a lot of fusion music released post-Weather Report. There’s a certain NYC stripped-back directness, a rawness to the music that nevertheless has an optimistic vibe about it overall.

Of the seven tracks, five are mid- to up-tempo funky compositions that nearly always have a twist and three or four sections to them. The music’s well conceived and very clear in its intention and execution. All the players on the album with Tal are monster players and live up to their considerable reputations in amongst her music.

I’ve often enjoyed albums made by bassist/composers because they tend to share the melody playing and solos around more than albums by guitarists and horn players, who tend to play 90 percent of the melodies and solo on pretty much every tune. Tal plays a couple of melodies here and there and takes a few solos but I didn’t get the feeling that this album is only about bass prowess at all. (Thank Gawd!) The fact that she has equally strong ability as a player and as a writer is a big, big plus. All players get a good slice of the action and everybody’s recorded well and are nicely present in the mix.

Transformation is a very cool first album, be it from someone of any age or gender, but the fact that it’s from the head, hands and heart of a 21-year-old woman does add a little extra. Firstly because it’s impressive that a 21-year-old is holding her own in such company and secondly because when thinking of good female bassists the list of names runs out pretty quickly after Carol Kaye and M’Shell Ndegeocello. I look forward to hearing a lot from Tal in the years to come.