What is it about jazz that vexes people? Why is this quite creative and exploitative medium of music such a focal point for hatred by the faint of heart? Hate it or love it, that is the question. And while some may discard the genre altogether (and, subjectively, they would be in their right mind to do so), others embrace it so thoroughly it becomes more than a love: an obsession. Enter 12Twelve‘s “Mr. Gesus” and I’ve got myself a jazz crush on these sax-heavy Blue Note sounds!

But honestly, a music video for jazz? I must be kidding you? Right? Wrong. The video arrives, displaying imagery like a black-and-white David Lynch film (well, it’s no match for Lost Highway, but damn!) with less of a reality check (is that possible?) and more religious philosophy than Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

What “Mr. Gesus” does is take me back to my undergrad (and graduate school) days of ordering pitchers of lager microbrews at the cultured Pullman pub Rico’s, heading down a short flight of stairs to the lower level, and finding a dark corner perfect for taking in live jazz. That’s the music. The “Mr. Gesus” imagery, on the other hand, is one trippy ride.

This review was originally published May 3, 2007 on the old version of FensePost.