Written by Imani Wj Wright
A Mulatto! An albino! A saxophone?
I'll be honest with you, I've been listening to Nirvana non-stop for the past two months. And of course, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has been in rotation. It takes a certain level of courage to cover a song that many people know. But, when you cover one of the iconic pieces of all time, well, that's flat-out bold. Expectations run high, and room for error is low. To directly emulate their style wouldn't be the best move... and that's why I really dig what Nabil Muquit did with his rendition, he truly made it his own.
The abrasive atmosphere that Kurt, Krist, and Dave create on the original is not prevalent here, and that's brilliant. The soundscape is transformed to jazzy, and reposeful. Though, it still exudes immense passion.
The opening keys, played by Micah Graves, really give the audience a glimpse of their upcoming sonic experience. Each chord is executed with precision. When Nabil comes in, everything truly comes together. While listening to Nabil on the sax, you can hear his professional embouchure, and solid technique. He leads the band effortlessly with his phrases.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how funky Micah is on the keys. At points, he is playing a piano and keyboard at the same time. As the piece progresses, he begins to become more prevalent, and even gives us a memorable solo.
This is one of the best song renditions I've heard in a while.
Check it out:
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