Burnt Sugar

• That Depends on What You Know: Fubractive: Since Antiquity Suite [Trugroid, 2002] A-
• That Depends on What You Know: The Sirens Return: Keep It Real 'Til It Flatlines [Trugroid, 2002] ***
• That Depends on What You Know: The Crepescularium [Trugroid, 2002]
• All You Zombies Dig the Luminosity [AvantGroidd, 2017] ***

See Also:

• Burnt Sugar/The Arkestra Chamber
• merge all

Consumer Guide Reviews:

That Depends on What You Know: Fubractive: Since Antiquity Suite [Trugroid, 2002]
If electric Miles could make the double-LP his métier, why shouldn't eclectic Greg try triple-CDs? Especially since he's got the humanity and business sense to sell each disc singly. This Lester Bowie tribute is the hit because within the permissive parameters of Burnt Sugar's art-ensemble ambience it's the loudest and fastest, and because the blood never leaves its pulse. As does happen on these discs, the best theme was written elsewhere (by Monk, with Miles immortalizing). But the whole thing will fill your earhole from the moment its chant-and-percussion rises out of the ooze. MVP: pianist Vijay Iyer. A-

That Depends on What You Know: The Sirens Return: Keep It Real 'Til It Flatlines [Trugroid, 2002]
atmosphere gathers fitfully into song (and rap), then disperses beautifully ("[Bas] Kiss," "Two Bass Blipsch") ***

That Depends on What You Know: The Crepescularium [Trugroid, 2002]
"If There's a Hell Below"

All You Zombies Dig the Luminosity [AvantGroidd, 2017]
Greg Tate's permanent floating black-bohemian-nationalist big band speaks its truths to power and its beauties to the grays ("The Charmer," "Yung Black & Vague," "Black Fros Black Gold") ***