DJ Wally

Just as it looked like the terms "acid jazz” and "nu-jazz” might have been on their way out, DJ Wally releases Nothing Stays the Same, that will have everyone buzzing about the similarities in jazz and electronic music again. You can’t blame Keef Destefano for turning down the opportunity to work with legends such as Matthew Shipp and William Parker, taking their live grooves and mixing them into his hip-hop and electronic beats, but the concept has long been played-out and the results are really no surprise to anyone. Having said that, there’s really no denying the talent involved in this project or in the combination of Wally’s break beats overlaid with Shipp’s piano work or David S. Ware’s tenor sax. The results have some stellar moments, like the dreamy old school sounds of "A Day in the Life,” which gives the same vibe as golden age hip-hop did 15 years ago. "Savannah” plays out as a nice lounge number with a repetitive sax sample as does "Out of the Blue,” which has a rich live drum effortlessly accompanying Peter Gordon’s flute solos. Things tend to get out of hand with improvisational jazz spurts, such as the somewhat unbearable "A-Plus,” which lacks form and is a lengthy freestyle. Maybe moments like that are considered a treat for some when these jazz masters are at the helm, but for others it will be seen as just an annoying outro for an otherwise decent recording.