“Never look at the trombones. It only encourages them.”
-Richard Strauss*
*Further research suggests that Strauss never actually said this. But I’m keeping it in the article anyway.
Today, we’re looking at Maximus, To Themselves, an album from the quartet of Jeb Bishop on trombone, Seth Andrew Davis on guitar, and Kevin Cheli and Weasel Walter on drums and percussion, with added electronics from Bishop and Davis.
I’m a big fan of Jeb Bishop, so it’s good to get a chance to write about him. If you’ve never heard Bishop, check out The Flame Alphabet with Rodrigo Amado’s Motion Trio, Ibsen’s Ghost with Joe McPhee, Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten and Michael Zerang or Flayedwith Weasel Walter and Alex Ward. Bishop and Walter in particular make a great pairing. Their playing together goes back to one of the early versions of The Flying Luttenbachers and their albums Constructive Destructionand Destroy All Music (the most Walter-ish titles imaginable). Bishop is a brilliant trombonist with great improvisational skills and the ability to bring the fire as needed. While Walter can no doubt (constructively) destroy all in his path, he can also be a wonderful partner to his fellow musicians. Flayed is an album I find myself returning to frequently.
Another appealing feature of Maximus, To Themselvesis the two drummers. The concern with small bands with two drummers is that the drummers will either trip over each other or overwhelm the rest of the band. Neither happens here.
The opening track, Edge Detection,comes in at a whopping 33+ minutes and not a moment of that runtime feels wasted. The trombone plays off the guitar and electronics in an elaborate conversation, with the drumming propelling the conversation forward. Neither drummer seems interested in playing anything like traditional jazz drums. Davis’s spiky guitar work manages to play off both the electronics and the drumming. There are quiet segments here and fiery ones, each feels entirely appropriate in the moment.
Maximus, To Themselveshas well over 90 minutes of music played by 4 fine improvisers who work together to produce a musical universe one can get lost in, and it’s well worth the trip to get there.
Also, be sure to check out Mother Brain Records, a label started by Davis and Michael Eaton that carries a lot of great music. In addition to the present album, I can recommend Lowland, Orchid, Forgeand Branches Choke.
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