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During our first family holiday in California this year, I caught the last minute of a three piece band's performance one night, but the following night got to see the last 30 minutes of their show. I was entranced. As I was to find, the band call themselves Nima & Merge and play an exciting jazz rock. I've grown somewhat cynical about Californian based fusion bands over the last few years: these seem for the most part bands laying down formulaic, guitar-lead jazz rock. What I heard on the 12th August had me rejoicing that jazz rock can be done in a new way, and in a way that is attractive and melodic. It has also had me playing Merge‚s music continuously ever since. The Merge I saw is a three-piece band, and no guitar in evidence. Their choice of instruments and music range will suggest their music is far from typical jazz rock fusion. Instead, we were given a marvelously tight live performance from Chapman Stick, woodwind (mainly alto and tenor sax) and drums. Nima Rezai plays the stick ˆ this was the first time I had seen this instrument used in action, and out on the street too. Nima is masterful at providing part of the rhythm, as well as sound escapes and the lead at times. The sax playing is delightful taking in jazz and more traditional folk/world themes*. And the drumming is very special too ˆ no obvious jazz rock pounding here, instead percussion which was more in the style of Trilok Gurtu, reinforcing the world jazz elements in their music. Merge are a hybrid of jazz, fusion, progressive rock and world music for their sound ˆ their live performances and their album will surely testify to this! I had a chance to briefly speak to Nima after the street show. I discovered a number of things; I had missed the band at the London Jazz Festival 3 or 4 weeks before ˆ Merge clearly travel well. Nima is a Yes fan, but though having already been made aware of former Crimson Stick player, Tony Levin, he hadn‚t heard his style of playing. And Merge are San Francisco based. I find Merge a breathe of fresh air in an field of music that has let itself get stale recently. I urge all to buy Merge's album ˆ all those folks who enjoy good music, good playing good tunes, and not just jazz rock fusion fans. Nima & Merge is the October 2003 album of the month for The Alternative Alternative Show on Loughborough Campus Radio in the UK (www.LCR1350.co.uk for the occasional webcast). * Strangely I have been reminded here of the alto sax solo during the opening half of the live recording of "White Rabbit" (on the 1965 recorded(?) Great Society album) ˆ although apart from a Middle Eastern feel, the comparison with Merge is tenuous. -Richard Heath
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