Jazzing Up Pavement

In what has to be one the most unlikely genre-crossing exercises ever (other than the long-anticipated "John Williams & The Boston Pops Play The Jesus Lizard"), several "jazz heavyweights" have released a collection of Pavement covers. Yes, Pavement...everyone's favorite 1990s indie rock slackers. Courtesy of The Onion:

James Carter, Cyrus Chesnut, Ali Jackson, Reginald Veal
Gold Sounds
Brown Brothers Recordings

Not the first band one might think to translate to jazz, Pavement made its name with indie-rock presented as sloppy and laconic even when it wasn't. Moving melodies, rickety song structures, abundant changes in mood—these are the elements of Pavement picked up by a group of jazz heavyweights made up of James Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, Reginald Veal, and Ali Jackson. The quartet's reappropriation works far better than might be expected, as the group takes an alternately playful and peaceful approach to its material.

- Christopher Bahn

Don't believe it either? Listen up:

Summer Babe
Here
Trigger Cut