Receiving the Rainbows…Evcharist in the Dark?  Not sure what to call this one, but who cares! We’re carrying over the fun from yesterday into a weekend double feature.  What are Sundays for, if not for jazz brunches and day drinking anyway?  Drink from the cup of heresy.  This week’s offerings: Sons of Ra’s Tropic of Cancer and Illuminated Brew Works’ Hallucignosis.

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The Tunes: Sons of Ra’s Tropic of Cancer

The Hometown Homies, Chicago’s own Sons of Ra have been around the jazz-fusion block once or twice (or more) before, but the trio now break out on their own with their next EP, Tropic of Cancer.  A six-part instrumental suite that puts the stellar musicianship of each member on display, Tropic of Cancer blends Mahavishnu-esque technical prowess with tangentially metallic rock via Gordian Knot (RIP Sean Malone) and some vaguely Mars Volta style progressive tendencies, minus a lot of the overtly Latin flair.  Right off the bat, “Tropic of Cancer I” features a lockstep groove between drummer Michael Rataj and bassist/saxophonist Keith Wakefield over which guitarist Erik Oldman executes deft sweep-picked arpeggios and tight melodic lines.  While improvisation is always the name of the game in jazz, when the three of them are locked into a groove, it is about as tight as tight gets.  Rataj’s drums seem chaotic on the surface but never stray too far from center, and Wakefield’s picked lines outline the harmony deftly while Oldman gets a chance to shine.  Later, on “Tropic of Cancer III,” the roles become reversed, with Oldman emphasizing harmonies through delicate chords and synth work, while Wakefield soars off into the stratosphere on his saxophone and trades off with guest violin.  Every member gets to shine at some point, but it’s when they all come together and take musical chances in unison that Tropic of Cancer gets very very good.  It is experimental, yes, but it is also adventurous jazz, and that is something that takes Sons of Ra beyond imitators and into the realm of originators.  While sometimes there can be a lot happening at once on some of the tracks, it really can’t be overstated how unbelievably tight these grooves are.  Even when it seems like the instruments are competing with each other, they always manage to come back to a center and ground themselves in the groove.  They’re cookin’, as is the parlance of the times.

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The Booze: Illuminated Brew Works’ Hallucignosis

I love lactose in beer.  I said what I said, and I’m not taking it back.  I also love a hoppy IPA, perhaps because it’s in my DNA as a white man, but again, I make no apologies for being who I am.  Often I have wondered why the twain never quite seem to meet in a simple, satisfying way.  Beers with lactose often are cut with a slew of other additives to give them pastry or milkshake like qualities.  Don’t get me wrong, I love those too, but I always thought it would be interesting to let the lactose bring out the pure quality of the hops themselves.  Apparently, Illuminated Brew Works have also been thinking about this, because Hallucignosis is exactly that: a double dry hopped double IPA with lactose, but no other fruit or sugar flavoring.  It’s not the first of its kind from here, but it was just rotating into season when we visited IBW Lodge #1 a week ago.  I got a can pour and immediately bought a four-pack to take home.  Like most DDH DIPAs, the piney notes of the Sabro hops jump out at you right away, but the lactose is right there to mellow everything out with a moderate sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel that balances out the bitter resins and accentuates the grapefruit and apricot notes present. It’s stunning in its simplicity, and entirely effective in its execution.  Definitely one of my new favorite beers for the upcoming summer.

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Until next time, cheers and be good to each other.

— Ian