By Jake Krzeczowski

Jazz, as it evolved during the post-WWII era, took on two very distinct tempos—most often classified as "hot" and "cold." Hot jazz (exemplified by bebop) was more experimental and got folks on their feet and moving; whereas cold or cool jazz emoted melancholy and was most often personified as mellow, with a swinging vibe that allowed both listeners and players to ease in and ride the notes. Eliot Lipp's latest offering, How We Do: Moves Made, would fall under the latter of those two sub-genres, as it applies to electro.

Seven years ago, Eliot Lipp was working in a Los Angeles coffee shop. Since retiring from life as a barista and dropping his first album, S/X, on Eastern Developments, the Tacoma, Washington-native has released ten studio albums. How We Do: Moves Made, the latest in a line of genre-bending synth-laden albums, evokes the “cool” sentiment as effortlessly as Chet Baker. While the music is stylistically different, the notes and schemes convey the same feeling of airiness and lightness—the sounds of California—as crisp as an ocean breeze, and as delicate as a spray of mist.

For his latest offering, Lipp teams up with fellow Washingtonian Jasia 10. The unsigned artist from the west coast shows what he can do, lending a signature tone that effectively mirrors Lipp’s own style. which meshes elements of several genres and instrumentation to create something wholly unique and distinguishable. Nowadays, Lipp often performs with a live drummer, and it is that element that drives many of the tracks on How We Do: Moves Made.

On "Ace in the Hole," Lipp reaches back to his 70’s-fusion influence, pulling together a tightly wound horn section with a rollicking bass line that keeps the ears in tune and the head bobbing. The clean drumlines that run the length of the cut lend effective transitions for the beat to build to its zenith before toppling down, waiting on the drums to kick it back into place. Of the albums songs, "Acen It" demonstrates a mastery of composition and arrangement that balance and grow in perfect symbiosis.

Lipp and Jasia 10 show off the full smorgasbord of what they are capable of on "Genesis.” Starting off slow and swinging, the tune plays off well-laid synth notes and billowing upbeats that skew towards Lipp's love of hip-hop. The track reminded me a lot of early RJD2 and the light, airy feel is kept constant throughout the track before morphing into something completely different at the 3:20 mark. Adding throbbing synths and quick percussive accents, the walk in the park takes on a transient, dream-like state that throbs out until the end of the track. Where many producers would have felt satisfied, Lipp pushes the envelope to create something endearing and memorable.

Lipp and Jasia 10 united to produce a complete package with How We Do: Moves Made. The ethereal beats make for easy listening, and the album is perfect to vibe out to in any situation.  It is impressive that Lipp brought on an old friend to inspire the new album, but the gamble pays off; a throwback to earlier times while moving the genre progressively forward at all costs.

Lipp will be rolling through Arizona with shows in Tempe and Tucson October 6 and 8.

Ace in the Hole