An odd reissue of sorts,
Bending New Corners combines tracks off two of trumpeter
Erik Truffaz's previous albums. It is unclear why Blue Note felt the need to repackage these tracks yet again; however, here they are and they are worth a listen. Containing tracks from the sessions that produced
The Mask and its European version, The Dream,
Bending New Corners is a groove-oriented work that draws heavily on late-'60s and early-'70s
Miles Davis. To these ends,
Truffaz is a forward-thinking improviser with a plangent tone and knack for writing funky, modal compositions. Adding to the hip quotient, rapper Nya guests on a few tracks, delivering a gruff, philosophical vibe that is more
G. Love than
G Unit. Recorded in 1999, the tracks seem more connected to the post-rock, jazz-rap movements of the '90s; in the post-2000 world they don't feel as cutting edge as
Truffaz would probably like them to seem. ~ Matt Collar