Nonesuch Records
COOKUP sees prolific L.A.-based musician and producer Sam Gendel take on some R&B classics, joined by Gabe Noel and Philliphe Melanson, with whom he collaborated on his 2020 LP Satin Doll. Gendel takes on some goliath names and hits, covering Beyonce, Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, Ginuwine, Boyz II Men, and more. However, many songs are pulled beyond recognition, and the album resembles more of an artistic sketchbook. Describing the album, Gendel said, “We sculpted in sound our respective memories of this music”.
The performances are loose and off the cuff, the sound of three friends having a jam. You can even hear the trio debating what to play at times; it’s decidedly unpolished but encapsulates jazz’s free spirit. Gendel has long been renowned for his futuristic and psychedelic take on jazz, once described by Pitchfork as a “cornerstone” of L.A.’s ambient jazz scene. He’s worked with an impressive array of artists, including Ry Coder, Moses Sumney, Perfume Genius, and Vampire Weekend, garnering quite the CV. Like the jazz legends of his yesteryear, his output is relentless; only last year, he treated us to the late-night watery ambience of Blueblue, while in 2021, he released the sprawling three and 1/2-hour epic Fresh Bread.
COOKUP sees him move away from creating original compositions, reinventing and reimagining some R&B classics released between 1992 and 2004. Cover versions are nothing new to Gendel, with the trio combining to brilliant effect on 2020’s Satin Doll, where they turned some classic jazz standards into hazy, psychedelic jams. Sadly, COOKUP isn’t quite so successful, but that isn’t really the record’s point. It isn’t designed to be smooth; it’s the sound of three musicians working on memory and talent, cutting loose and having a bit of fun.
The opener, ‘Differences’, is almost entirely unrecognisable from Ginuwine’s original, though Gendel’s saxophone playing combines nicely with the off-kilter percussion. ‘Anywhere’ captures the melody of 112’s original effort, the tittering hi-hats providing a pleasant backdrop to Meshell Ndegeocello’s breathy, soulful tones. The electric bass brings some quiet funk on their take of Aaliyah’s ‘Are You That Somebody‘, accompanied by this bizarre spoken word online dating biography. ‘I Swear’ is stripped of its lushness and turned into a floating, ambient piece of melancholia. The crackling ‘Candy Rain’ is less successful, the electronic percussion giving it a techno vibe.
‘In Those Jeans’ is another almost unrecognisable effort, turned from a sultry jam into a foresty, celestial piece; occasionally, you can hear strains of the original when the bass recorder hits the right pitch. ‘Crazy in Love’ is quickly aborted, a shame, as the percussion, creates the rhythm quite nicely. ‘I Wanna Know’ is a messy take on Joe’s laid-back original, while ‘Didn’t Cha Know’ never gets going, somewhat ironically, as Erykah Badu’s version has distinctly jazzy undertones. Mario’s ‘Let Me Love You’ is turned from smooth to sultry through Gedlin’s saxophone, while ‘SWV Medley’ is sadly very brief, as it pops along harmoniously. ‘Water Runs Dry’ is rather flat, though Gendel captures the song’s sense of melancholia.
Cover albums are always difficult to review, having to walk the thin line of paying homage to the original while not being bland re-creations. COOKUP certainly conforms to the latter, if in a relatively ramshackle manner; its deliberate lack of purpose sometimes hinders it. There are some pleasant moments, however, and Gendel’s saxophone playing is typically sharp, while Melanson occasionally captures the original track’s rhythm through his percussion. If Gendel’s fans are disappointed by COOKOUT, they needn’t worry. His relentless work ethic means it’s highly likely there will be something new around the corner.