Give the Composer Some

By Paul Acquaro

In the most recent of El Intruso's Encuesta 2024 – Periodistas Internacionales poll, in which participating music writers are asked a series of questions asking about the best of in many categories, drummer Devin Gray and bassist Max Johnson made it into my choices under best composer, even though these two are probably considered more frequently under the best drummer and bassist category. Although no one has asked me, I thought it would be interesting to share what prompted my decision. While I cannot claim to have a scientifically valid selection method, both Gray's Melt all the Guns II and Johnson's I'll See you Again really stuck out to me as great examples of disciplined trios featuring compositions that allowed the individual players to express themselves freely.

Devin Gray - Melt All the Guns II (Rataplan, 2024)

Last we heard from drummer Devin Gray was the solo recording Most Definitely that mixed electronics with percussion for an expressive outing, which itself had followed in the a duo recording with fellow drummer and electronics experimenter Gerald Cleaver, 27 Lick, a few years earlier. Orienting here back to more melodic terrains, Gray reconnects with his compelling trumpet, piano and drums trio with a lively set of tunes.

 

The trio on Melt All the Guns II is a continuation of Gray's trio with trumpeter Ralph Alessi and pianist Angelica Sanchez with whom he released a self-titled EP in 2021. Now, on this full-length recording, we meet French pianist Myslaure Augustin, a convert from the classical piano world who studied with trumpeter Ralph Alessi in Switzerland. Augustin does a commendable job bringing energy to the compositions, starting from the jaunty grooves of the opener 'East Berlin 2024' to the fractured solo in the swooning 'Administration Rulez' and the sparsely beautiful arpeggios on the ruminative opening of "No More Walls.'

 

Alessi's trumpet is sharp and precise, imbuing the clear melodic statements both a lithe laser focus and an emotional gravity. Again the opener, 'East Berlin 2024,' after the drums and piano introduce the underlying groove, the trumpet goes from highlighting the contours to delivering a forceful melodic statement. On the other side, Alessi's work on '77 Posaunen' is probing, seemingly in a questioning mode with the piano. On the closer, 'Broom Lyfe,' Alessi adopts a muted tone, employed to a melancholic end. The track provides a contemplative ending to an energetic recording.

 

I haven't singled out Grey's singular contributions here, but it is his compositions that really make their mark here. It is safe to say, however, that he is everywhere, his expressive playing supporting, guiding and shaping each track of this excellent album. 

 

 

Max Johnson - I'll See You Again (Adhyâropa Records, 2024)

One thing that both of these recordings have in common is introducing newer names on the scene. Not that Johnson is an old name himself, only in his mid-30s, Johnson has a mind-boggling discography and feet in New Music, bluegrass, modern and free-jazz (no, he's not a quadruped, it's just a saying). Currently a doctoral candidate and an active educator, Johnson still finds time to make some very impressive music. Though I'm not sure if I'll See You Again still qualifies as his latest, it certainly is a hell of a trio recording, that in addition to featuring his own playing, introduces some newer faces on the scene, namely Neta Ranaan on tenor saxophone and Eliza Salem on drums. 

 

From the moment that the feisty opener, 'Barberous Jape,' explodes from the speakers, Ranaan is ready. She burns through the head, a vigorous post-bop melody played over a syncopated rhythm and takes the first solo as Johnson and Salem drive the piece forward. After a slowly building solo, the way is cleared for Johnson's hearty bass solo, which segues seamlessly into a nuanced drum solo from Salem. The group comes back together, reprising the head - a classic compositional form and a high class performance. The next track, 'Chestnut Squid,' is a more contemplative tune, Ranaan begins with a legato melody and soon lets Johnson take over laying the songs foundations. 'Tiny Beautiful' is a ballad but with some bite, while 'Scribbles' cooks along at mid-tempo, allowing the melodic nature improvisational approach to boil at an unhurried pace. The closer 'Farewell to Old Friends' showcases the most heartfelt piece of the album. Starting with melody that is likely encoded somewhere in our cultural DNA - a bit of Old Lang Syne, a bit of an old American folk-song that you maybe sung in music class in your New Jersey elementary school, and every bit as evocative as it should be. Ranaan treats the melody achingly, lending it a feeling of loss and resilience that sticks around after the music fades. 

 

A solid piece of work from this working trio that is both a great example of Johnson's compelling compositional work and a perfect introduction to Ranaan and Salem's playing, if you don't know them already.