In 2016, jazz and rock drummer Karl Latham released Living Standards, an album featuring jazz renditions of classic rock numbers, including a few Beatles songs. Now he gives us Living Standards II, taking several more rock songs and presenting them in a jazz context, or rather jazz fusion. There are no Beatles songs on this disc, but there are Doors, Led Zeppelin and Crosby, Stills & Nash songs, among others. These are likely all songs you know, and Karl Latham presents a fresh look at them. Marc Egan, who played bass on the first volume, returns for this album. Also joining Karl Latham on this release are Mitch Stein on guitar, Wolfgang Lackerschmid on vibraphone, Henry Hey on keyboards, and Roger Squitero on percussion. So this album has a different sound from the first volume, which featured a trio.
Karl Latham opens with album with a popular Doors song, “Break On Through (To The Other Side),” which was the lead track on the band’s first album. Karl Latham’s rendition begins with some delicious drumming, so I am immediately on board. And from there, the song grows and features a good bass line. The guitar work has something of a psychedelic element at times, and the band stretches out on this one, delivering a version that is more than nine minutes, plenty of time to get into some interesting places, which is precisely what we’re looking for. I’m especially digging that vibraphone lead in the middle. And check out that great drumming, particularly in the second half. “Break On Through” is followed by “Rock And Roll Woman,” a song written by Stephen Stills and originally included on Buffalo Springfield’s Again, which was released in 1967. This is the first of two Stephen Stills songs to be included here. The band doesn’t stretch out on this track as on the first, but the musicians still add their own touches, and this track features some really nice guitar work.
This album’s version of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be” interestingly begins with a drum roll, and then gets into a good bluesy realm. This is a song from Led Zeppelin’s second album, one of the songs on it that the band didn’t steal. This version has a cool, laid-back vibe, and finds some nice peaks, particularly during that lead on keys. It also contains some excellent work on bass. And I love when the guitar takes over in the second half. That’s followed by the Derek And The Dominoes song “Layla,” written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon. This one too begins with drums, a really nice solo. And when the other instruments come in, things are moving at a faster pace than you might expect. The jazz element is more pronounced on this track than some of the others, and the results are excellent. The band is really digging in here, taking things in interesting directions. A piano solo leads the band into that other section of the song, and this solo feels contemplative and personal. As it comes to that familiar theme, there is an undeniable beauty to the playing, and it’s then that the other musicians return. They keep it on the mellow side, which works wonderfully. We are completely invested in it now. This ends up being one of my personal favorite tracks.
Karl Latham takes us into more progressive territory then with a cover of “Matte Kudasai,”a song from King Crimson’s 1981 album Discipline. It begins with some atmospheric guitar work, setting the tone. And the guitar continues to be the expressive soul of the piece. This one is all about mood, and we can just allow ourselves to fall into it. That’s followed by “Magic Carpet Ride.” It’s interesting to me that two jazz drummers released albums of classic rock songs this month (the other being Jae Sinnett), and both included “Magic Carpet Ride” on their respective discs. Both recordings feature a good groove in the first section of the song. But each goes a somewhat different route after that. Karl Latham jams on that groove, the band finding interesting places to go with it. In particular, the guitar work is quite good. And I love that stuff on bass, giving this rendition a loose feel, which I enjoy. This disc wraps up with “Carry On,” its second Stephen Stills composition, this one recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and included on the Déjà Vu album. Interestingly, the song here is split into two parts, presented on two separate tracks. This kind of makes sense, as there are two sections to this song, one section of which actually comes from an earlier Buffalo Springfield song called “Questions.” The first part begins with some good work on drums, and kind of eases in and soon starts rumbling, hinting at a growing energy. And then the guitar emerges with what would be the vocal line. The band jams from there, delivering an exciting rendition. This first part is nearly seven minutes, and the second part is nearly five minutes, so these musicians give themselves plenty of room to see where this song will take them. The first part sort of runs into the second, but each part can also exist on its own, especially as the first part is nearly completely faded out when the second begins. The second part also begins with drums, and the jam has a wild force behind it, leading into the familiar “Questions” area, and then immediately getting back to the jam, with some psychedelic elements. What a great way to conclude the album.
CD Track List
- Break On Through (To The Other Side)
- Rock And Roll Woman
- What Is And What Should Never Be
- Layla
- Matte Kudasai
- Magic Carpet Ride
- Carry On (Part I)
- Carry On (Part II)
Living Standards II was released today, January 17, 2025.
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