The Lounge Lizards (debut)

The Lounge Lizards was the brainchild of saxophonist John Lurie, who created a mix of cool jazz and no-wave noise to form a unique sound. Everyone here are excellent musicians – Evan Lurie on keys, bassist Steve Piccolo , guitarist Arto Lindsay and drummer Anton Fier – and their atmospheric combination of instrumental atonality and swing harkens back to the days on Thelonious Monk (who they cover here) while also, somehow, managing to sound post-punk.

The stark, black and white look of the cover gives an indication of what’s inside, which ranges from the sweet sounds of “Harlem Nocture” to the audio “fighting” in “Au Contraire Arto”. While maintaining a fealty to early jazz, they retain enough of a punk sensibility to keep the tunes short and the melodies memorable. Yes, they riff on the lines that they create, but these are actual songs that explore moods and feelings and are not simply extended improvisations.

I am not an accomplished enough of a writer to adequately describe their sound more than I have, so you will have to check it out yourself. If you are open to jazz excursions with a no-wave edge, then definitely give it a try! Personally, this is one of my favorite instrumental albums ever.