Navigation

Mocean Worker

There are two criticisms frequently leveled at the current jazz scene: The musicians are too slick and averse to risk, and the industry is concentrating on repackaging past glories rather than encouraging innovation. Both of these concerns apply in some measure to Adam Dorn. He's definitely a jazz guy, a...

Help us weather the uncertain future

We know — the economic times are hard. We believe that our work of reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now is more important than ever.

We need to raise $6,000 to meet our goal by August 10. If you’re able to make a contribution of any amount, your dollars will make an immediate difference in helping ensure the future of local journalism in Miami. Thanks for reading Miami New Times.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal
$6,000
$3,400
Share this:
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

There are two criticisms frequently leveled at the current jazz scene: The musicians are too slick and averse to risk, and the industry is concentrating on repackaging past glories rather than encouraging innovation.

Both of these concerns apply in some measure to Adam Dorn. He's definitely a jazz guy, a trained bassist/vocalist with plenty of session work under his belt, and his famous old man Joel produced Mingus and hung out with Miles. As Mocean Worker, he has spent the past several years fusing those roots with jungle, house, and trip-hop. Stylish and skillfully executed? Sure. But he seems to have arrived at the party too late -- his jazztronica marriage was a lot more exciting a decade ago.

His new album, Enter the Mowo!, rarely offers new twists on the script. Swingin' tunes like "Chick a Boom Boom Boom" and "Move" recall Us3's Blue Note raids and Lionrock's mod obsession. Elsewhere, moods and grooves well-farmed by the likes of St. Germain, Cinematic Orchestra, and DJs Krush and Cam turn up. Dorn even reanimates the dead for a couple of numbers -- Rahsaan Roland Kirk's flute powers "Shamma Lamma Ding Dong," while Nina Simone's husky voice haunts "Blackbird." Mining the vaults for samples is okay, but drawing from jazz's protean, adventurous spirit to create something fresh and exhilarating would have been a lot better.