By Don Phipps
Recorded at Sisters in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, alto saxophonist and composer Sam Weinberg’s trio performance “Of Peeling Passage: Live at Sisters” is a fascinating combination of odd syncopation, angular phrasing, and dervish ripping - whipping notes that crash and clash like waves against rocky shores. His effort here is bolstered by a top-notch rhythm section of Henry Fraser (bass) and Jason Nazary (drums).
The opening, “Arunthru,” starts up things with a collaborative bang. Blowing full and floppy, complete with dit-dot exclamations and circular breathing, Weinberg creates controlled and purposeful lines. And in head nodding fashion, Nazary’s drum retorts and Fraser’s solid bass provide a strong anchor for Weinberg’s sonic explorations. In similar fashion, “Hurry Carry” is a wild ride. Weinberg again leaps about and is not shy about repetition that adds a slight element of formalism. The rhythm section adds an additional dimension, with play that sounds at once disjointed yet in sync.
On “Yakker,” Weinberg demonstrates why his sax style is unique. His playing never screams but instead works its magic through precision and unexpected leaps. It’s clear that for each number, Weinberg has a vision on where he will go, but cleverly, he retains a freshness that implies directed spontaneous improvisation. You can hear a bit of Roscoe Mitchell in his work too. Weinberg grows more intense towards the end of “Yakker,” with slurring phrases before an abrupt ending.
Fraser’s bass effort offers up more surprises. Take his fog-distorted bowing to open “Improvisation” or his modern baroque line to kick off “Back Matter.” Or the Hitchcockian menace his anxious rapid walking notes imply in “Freda.” Or his pointillism on “Suffocant Roses Here.” Or even his solo on “Write Whim,” introspective and intimate; even with light strumming and pinched plucking, his rolling effort retains a somber quality.
Nazary too adds splashes that create interest and colorful expressions. Even when laying low, as he does on “Suffocant Roses Here,” his snare rolls and cymbal work shift constantly. And on “Stanek Sections,” Nazary uses the drum kit to create a controlled maelstrom – his manipulation of the bass pedal, toms, snare, and light work on the cymbals, to employ a chess expression, bring all the pieces together.
Throughout the performance, Weinberg demonstrates unusual voicings – abstract and yet alive, bounding about like ten lords a leaping or wailing like some howling creature. On “For Jocky Wilson” and towards the end of “Improvisation,” where the rhythm section supports Weinberg with swashbuckling parries and thrusts, the trio TOGETHER create a rolling contemplation, a frenetic gathering of the synapses. An irregular wall at a distance may seem uniform, but, when examined more closely, the texture is varied, the blocks different dimensions. Yet it all fits together. So it is with the music of Weinberg’s “Of Peeling Passage – Live at Sisters.” Enjoy!
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