Joe McPhee/Eli Keszler - Ithaca (8mm, 2012) ****

By Martin Schray

I guess we all agree on the statement that Joe McPhee is a real free jazz/improvisation giant. He is a master on his instrument, he can play almost everything from Coltrane-inspired tunes to lyrical blues and he is able to let the demons loose as well. In the last few years he has played many duos with a lot of different drummers like Paul Hession, John Heward, Chris Corsano, Paal Nilssen-Love or Michael Zerang (with whom he recorded one of my last year’s favorites: Creole Gardens). On his new record, which was recorded at Lincoln Hall, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, he has teamed up with Eli Keszler, a young outstanding drummer and sound sculptor, who is – frankly speaking - the real sensation here.

Keszler starts the set with an almost bumpy pattern before McPhee falls in with a long mournful cry sounding like a muezzin calling for prayer. One of the concert’s characteristics is that it is a constant up and down, there are alternating beautiful soaring passages and almost silent moments, which are all of a sudden replaced by wild rides. On his part, Keszler takes the load off from McPhee, no matter if he is playing hectic crazy rhythms or if he is creating fragile sounds. He is contrasting McPhee’s beautiful melodies with rolling drums or minimal patterns, forcing him to give up his beautiful, often eastern inspired lines in order to battle with him again. Silence, speed competitions, and wild outbreaks perfectly balance each other here, it is improvised music in its literal sense.

The b-side of the album is the more beautiful one, starting almost shy, tender, timid, as if the two were hesitating to dance with each other again. McPhee is very cautious and lyrical while Keszler is rolling silently with his brushes before he starts using a bow on the cymbals which makes them sound like a musical saw. He did that in the first part as well but there the sounds were incredibly shrill, almost unbearable. Here they are of the utmost beauty, it is like watching crystal snowflakes falling from the sky in a winter night. A moment that could last forever – but Keszler stops abruptly. McPhee then drops in playing a bebop melody and Keszler seems to jolt behind him in the background. Unlike the first part McPhee is pushing Keszler now, who is almost losing his breath playing single beats on drums and cymbals before they ride into the dark again together, where the sets stops out of the blue.

Of course the two combine tradition and new ideas, that is what makes this record so fascinating. McPhee uses all his skills and Keszler covers him no matter which way he goes.

Unfortunately, the record is limited to 250 copies only, it is pressed on 140 g vinyl and has a great voluminous sound.

There are still copies available on the internet but you better be quick.

You can listen to a sample of the concert here:




Buy from Instantjazz.  

© stef

Read More

Art Bailey Trio - Quiet As A Bone (HRL Records, 2012) ***½

By Paolo Casertano

I have the belief, not necessarily valid, that it is kind of difficult to be unconventional as a piano/bass/drums trio - admitting if that being unconventional is the criterion you choose to measure innovation in music or that this feature itself may at all be regarded as a value. And, well, unless you’re not speaking of Shipp/Parker/Brown playing a composition by David S. Ware.

Quiet as a Bone, named after Dylan Thomas’ “Once Below a Time” poem’s closing line, marks the debut as a leader of the New York based pianist Art Bailey. Sounds and their evocation play a major role in Thomas’s poetry, which is why I find it so appealing that reference is made to such a quotation that masterfully embodies the idea of silence, to introduce an album that certainly is not silent and quiet.

From the very first notes a strong cinematic taste spreads through the listener catapulting him into a seventies exploitation movie. An ideal score to a car chase scene or to a “could please someone save the world?” climax. You can choose the subgenus and enjoy yourself seeking which track you would link to a peculiar passage of the plot. And I’m telling this as an absolute preciousness of the album.  Take a look to the “Des Femmes disparaissent” soundtrack  by Art Blakey and make your own comparison.

No extended techniques divert the listener from the strong cohesion of each single composition; an enjoyable interplay of the rhythm section set up by bassist Michael Bates and drummer Owen Howard faithfully build a solid foundation on which the piano can deploy its beguiling voice between baritone layers and galloping lyrical Hancockian melodies. The trio is never self-indulgent, guiding each arrangement through a clear and pleasant development, giving to every “scene” of the work its intelligent length.

It may be not a new and undiscovered path but it is a solid and pleasurable one indeed or in any case a valid option to some not unforgettable movies.

Concluding as we began with Dylan Thomas, the album is not as quiet as a bone and you won’t be  hearing any raven coughing in winter sticks (from “Especially When the October Wind”) if hoarse and icy squawks are what you’re looking for.

Listen and watch here:





Buy here: (http://www.artbailey.org/listen/)


© stef

Read More

Anders Nilsson - Night Guitar (Soundatone, 2012) ****

By Paul Acquaro

Anders Nilsson cites fellow guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim's solo guitar album Apocalypso as well as solo works by John Mclaughlin, Sonny Sharrock and bassist Ken Filiano as inspirations for 'Night Guitar,' his collection of solo pieces for electric guitar. The songs feel as spontaneous as they feel composed, and contain an air of mystery and exploration.

In the liner notes he admits "my desire is to create an atmosphere and a tension, which trigger the individual mind to create its own storyline."  And so he does by overdubbing his Les Paul to construct layered compositions. The mood of the album is well encapsulated by the albums title and post-apocalyptic art work. Drawing on swampy blues forms well as more abstract and free form song shapes, Nilsson creates an aural world of darkness.

The opening tune 'Meet me in the Back Alley' starts quietly like a soundtrack to a movie, envoking images and feelings. Suite-like, it morphs and changes along the way to end with a finger picked blues. 'Ax to Grind' is an effects laden affair with sharp angles and dangerous edges. Swirling about in arpeggios and chunky rhythms, the biting melody winds around and builds menacingly. The album's center piece is the 13 minute 'Nocturne' that begins deliberately, a free form melody stretching languidly over an ethereal harmonic canvas. Bursts of sound and grinding rhythms puncture the mood and lend texture and, in some sense, some a bit of danger. There is even what sounds like a nod to Hugh Hopper, perhaps unintentionally, in the song 'The Journey Beyond', which at points has thick, slow moving buzzing chords.

This album is a expert mix of free and well established blues forms, replete with contrasts between darkness and light. It all helps paint a picture that is subdued at times and screaming at others. These songs, soundscapes really, are gateways to the introspection and stark reflections that can be encouraged by the quiet of the night.

Check out "Breakfast Boogie Nightmare Ballad" ...

Read More

Sylvain Rifflet – Alphabet (Self-Released, 2012) ****

By Steve Mossberg

The age of the cloud, where one can hear music from any time, place and tradition in the blink of an eye, presents the contemporary composer and player with an unprecedented array of material to draw upon. This infinitely wide mass of streaming media is emblematic of the chance an adventurous artist has to create music outside of old linear traditions, but presents him/her with the simultaneous challenge of forging a daunting variety of discarded sounds into an alloy of individual distinction and power.

In the hands of less-able smiths, the results often fall apart, but French composer and multi-reed player Sylvain Rifflet presents a bright, strong, smooth-surfaced amalgam on his 2012 release “Alphabet.” His self-proclaimed blend of influences ranging from minimalism to art-rock and film scores sings out across eleven instantly compelling and memorable compositions. Rifflet’s end results are not contemplative, multi-layered, “listen with your headphones-on” music. They are bold, straightforward, and warm despite their immaculate design.

With the two-part “Hyper Imaginative JuKe (box), ” Rifflet and Co. ease us into the recording using both real and faux “samples” of pulsing woodwinds, chopping guitars, glistening bells and darkly-tuned percussion. At first, the effect recalls much of the anodyne electronica of the early 2000s, but as soon as the listener’s ear begins to relax, it is struck by the aggressively driving minimalist film music of “Electronic Fire Gun.” From this point on, the material becomes decidedly more inventive, varied and unique. “® and Silence” features a melancholy song dodging in and out of percussive human breaths. The plaintive theme of “À l'heure” pirouettes lightly away from its moaning, primitive beginnings, sending out sparks as it spins ever faster and more intensely.  The caravan of melody in “Vowels, Kids and Balloons” canters gracefully over sand dunes of guitar feedback.

The selection of musicians on “Alphabet” is as potent a blend as that of Rifflet’s musical influences. Benjamin Flament, the sonically nimble percussionist who plays electrified vibraphone with the trio “MétaLophone,” uses a wide variety of metal scraps and drums in lieu of a traditional kit. The unusual combination liberates him from the impulse to play traditional rhythmic patterns. Flutist Joce Mienniel, who made his instrument sound like a 1980s Nintendo console on the John Hollenbeck/Orchestre National de Jazz album “Shut Up And Dance,” plays with the intensity and grit of a rock guitarist. The actual guitarist, Phil Gordiani, also heard in the excellent Syd Barrett tribute band “I.Overdrive Trio,” is perhaps the most versatile and innovative in the group, a true individual in the realms of sound creation and musical support.

The music on the album is composed so tightly and finished so cleanly that the improvisational efforts of Rifflet and Mienniel often struggle to stand out against its postmodern architecture. The leader’s probing modern jazz lines and the flutist’s cascading Philip Glass-like streams are entirely harmonious with their surroundings, but neither are exciting enough to draw much attention away from the lush scenery. Gordiani offers some markedly more compelling moments on “C≠D (Part One)” and “A=B,” pushing at the electric guitar’s upper limits from its blues and rock roots.

Amongst the bounty of great contemporary jazz albums released so far this year, there are many that are more risky and exploratory than Rifflet’s, and a good deal that reveal more delicacy upon repeated listens. There are few, however, that contain compositions and performances possessing the conviction, immediacy, and joie de vivre of “Alphabet.”

Highly Recommended.


Alphabet Teaser (In French)



Enjoy!


© stef

Read More

Trumpet Trios!!!!!!

By Stef    

Trumpet trios are among my favorite line-ups, but incredibly difficult for the musicians to bring something substantial and meaningful. Don Cherry, Lester Bowie and Roy Campbell were among the first to try it out on record, and with great success. Check out the "Trumpet Trio" tag in the right column to find more of them.

Here are three recent examples that are not to be missed.


Max Chabrol, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Marc Brochard - Ulysse (Ajmi - 2011) ****½

So it is pretty unique to review albums that are not available anymore. Yet on the other hand the quality and the impact of the music is so good, that I cannot leave it just there. Someone needs to pay attention to these three musicians and to their music.

They are Max Chabrol on drums, the initiator of the trio, the youngest musician too, who invited Jean-Luc Cappozzo on trumpet and Eric Brochard on bass to join for this one-time studio recording, of which possibly not more than 100 copies exist.

The music is fully improvised, open-textured, meditative and utterly compelling. Cappozzo plays fully voiced throughout, at times extremely bluesy and melancholy, with Don Cherry and Lester Bowie sounding through once in a while, and when Brochard adds his bowed bass to this, and Chabrol bows his cymbals, the effects are spectacular. No energetic fireworks, but subtle and nuanced impact.

The third track is as dark as it gets, with the bass bowing a mad and slow and repetitive phrase, supporting low and gloomy trumpet tones, with Chabrol adding little percussive effects left and right, creating contrast for the horizantal flow of the two others.  On the next track Brochard adds some Tuvan throat singing to his bowing, making the improvisation sound like a mystic incantation, with Cappozzo's trumpet now playing high-toned souns, reminiscent of Wadada Leo Smith. And then if you think it can't get slower and more eery, you're wrong, because the trio goes even further on the next track, yet ending the performance in more dissonance, surprise and intensity.

An absolute goose-bump album.

And I cannot say "not to be missed", because you can't get it at the moment. Maybe if you send Max Chabrol an email he may be willing to press some additional copies.


Snus - Can't Stop Snussing (Ayler, 2012) ****

Three years ago, this trio released it's debut album also on Ayler, and I was immediately sold to the concept.

Raw and authentic free improvisation, with three artists carefully co-shaping, not just loose sounds, but coherent instant constructions, spatious and open, with deep emotional resonance, whether in the more sensitive or the more abrasive moments. The trio is Niklas Barnö on trumpet, Joel Grip on bass and Didier Lasserre on drums.

"Admitting" is a fluid piece, "Believing" adds intensity by the weird sonic backdrop created by the rhythm section for Barnö's sad or distressed phrases. "Deciding" is not decisive at all, yet has a strong against-the-grain unpredictable rawness. With "Surrendering", the trio lures us into even weirder territory, with bouncing reactions, swift interactions and a soft yet tense finale. The last track, "Awakening" is the most intense piece of the album, evolving with a stringent necessity of force and expressivity, increasing the volume, and with the rhythm section driving the trumpet forward into ever shorter and powerful blasts.

Great stuff.


Nate Wooley, Christian Weber, Paul Lytton - Six Feet Under (No Business, 2012) ****½

The most intense of the three albums is without a doubt "Six Feet Under", already reviewed earlier on this blog by Daniel Sorrells. The power of this album is not only in the stellar interaction, but the creation of in-the-moment musical innovation is possibly even stronger. What you hear is at times pretty unique, as in the mesmerising ending of the first track, or in the granular juxtaposition of phrases on the second.

The long "La Grande Mort" is the centerpiece of the album, and is again a fascinating example of common creation. Weber's extended tone with his arco bowing and Wooley's circular breathing of a single note set the tone for the rest of the track : this is beyond what you've heard before, and not by using extended techniques, which is often the easy way out for the less talented, but by creating something new full-toned. It is the music itself that speaks, not the sounds.

Here it results in a dark suspense, in line with the album's theme of death. You know death is coming, you don't know in what shape or form, you know you fear it, yet you equally know it's inevitable ... that's the kind of thoughts and feelings that are conjured up by the piece, together with some infinite sadness combined with unpleasantness and dread, only to erupt suddenly in almost joyous tones of liberation, or maybe struggle, and ending in slow resignation.

The last piece is the most inaccessible, closed and hermetic, with distorted sounds and minute intimate in-the-moment  playing, low-volume with little sounds clattering against each other, like the death-throes of a dying animal.

An absolutely superb album by three magicians of their instruments.

Highly recommended!



© stef

Read More

Payton MacDonald, Peter Evans, Elliott Sharp - Payton Peter Elliott (Savory Art) 2011 ****½

By Philip Coombs

I have found a new jazz electric fence. A record that I can play at home or at the office to guaranty 65 minutes of peace and uninterrupted critical listening time. Age, however, has led me to a better place, a place where I want to share the joys of jazz. On any given day, as I listen to the Payton Peter Elliott album, a lost soul would walk into my office and ask for something. Inevitably, the question is asked; "What is this?" In response, I would pull my chair a little closer to my desk, place my elbows on it and grin while saying.......

"This, my friend, is Payton MacDonald on marimba as well as Elliott Sharp on guitar and Perter Evans on trumpet, three wonders in their respective fields on an album that is totally worth the effort to find. Listen and absorb every last second of it."

I start the album again. The opener, Warm Up Étude, is their study of just that, a warm up. They all start blowing, strumming and hammering in a syncopated rhythm which increases in tempo as they run through their own techniques for getting ready to perform. The exercise increases in intensity until Elliott hits the note that the other two musicians fall into. The tone has been set, they are ready to begin.

The three longer tunes are titled as trio efforts; Paytonpeterelliott 1 (Track 2), 2 (Track 4), and 3 (Track 7). Spread out over the duration of the album, these tracks give each musician a chance to be a part of an ever shifting improvisation. The real treat here is listening to them listen. They give each other plenty of room to explore the various sounds of their instruments whether it be the tone generation of the marimba's lower resisters or the controlled feedback of the guitar or the sputter of the trumpet. And it works. There are moments when I wake up from being transfixed, that I want to start the track over again. The only thing stopping me is the knowledge that something else great is about to follow.

Then there are the solos. On these three tracks, literally named for the player, the focus shifts to the soloist as the remaining pair design the mood for him to play over. On Elliott Solo, (Track 3) Sharp, who has many composer credits under his belt, takes us on a journey that seems focused and determined to get as much out of the listener as he gets sounds from his guitar and amp. He goes from muted tapping to harmonics to full distortion like they were chapters in his tale.

It is during Payton Solo, that I gained my first real appreciation for the way MacDonald plays the marimba. There is a real earthiness that exudes from the instrument's resonance as sticks hit wood. Another great story weaving though the mind and hands of a percussionist who has also written chamber music and music for percussion ensembles.

Peter Evans, on Peter Solo, proves once again that he doesn't need oxygen the way the rest of us humans do. His solo doesn't seem as settled as the other two which allows him to squeeze as many new sounds as possible through his horn. Some of these new explorations need time to stew and he is not afraid to give us that time.

The final track, Cool Down Étude, continues where the opening track left off, finishing the album with the barely audible sound of an amplifier being turned off. Great touch!

Definitely one of the best things I've heard in quite awhile.

I look up and someone else has entered my office. I smile and start the album again.

Can be downloaded through emusic.

Buy from Instantjazz.  


Both Payton and Peter together:



© stef

Read More

Extended Review Team

Hi music fans,

As you may have noticed in the past few weeks, our team of contributors has been broadened so that we can have more albums reviewed, more frequently, with more diverse insights and a broader scope of reviewing angles.

We hope that this will help you guide your music choices in the incredible amount of music that is being released at the moment.

You can look at the "Review Team" tag in the column on the right to get some more information (although often of high irrelevance) about our new team members (in random order) :

Phil Coombs
Denti Alligator
Paolo Casertano
Dan Sorrell
Steve Mossberg
Tom Burris
Martin Schray
Troy Dostert

... hailing from the US, Canada, Singapore, Italy and Germany.

We have some more additional volunteers from whom we hope to hear shortly.

I want to thank them for their enthusiasm and insightful contributions. Needless to say that each of them comes with his own vision, personal preferences and writing style. But that adds to the diversity.

I also want to thank Paul Acquaro for the onboarding of the new contributors and for the general organisation of this blog.

Enjoy the music!!


stef

Read More

Narada Burton Greene –Live at Kerrytown House (NoBusiness, 2012) ****

By Martin Schray

In an interview with Dan Warburton in 2003 the pianist Narada Burton Greene made it clear that the problem jazz has today is that there is “a whole generation of copycats” who try to “recreate the museum”. He continues telling a story about his early days when he was “strutting like a peacock” after a jam session because he thought “he nailed it”. Then a man from the audience approached and told him to his utter surprise that he should go home in order to practice because he sounded like Horace Silver and if someone wants to listen to Horace Silver he goes out watching the original. So Greene realized that he had to find his voice.

Listening to Live at the Kerrytown House, a solo piano performance recorded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA in 2010, you can immediately hear this original voice. 75-year-old Greene, who has become a legend in the meantime,  is able to draw on abundant musical resources ranging from his bebop beginnings in the 1950s to free jazz and classical music like Bela Bartok up to klezmer music and almost balladesque melodies reminding of Keith Jarrett’s solo performances.

The central piece of the album is “Freebop”, which is split in “4th”, “1st”, and “6th”, a track Burton Greene composed with German vocalist Silke Röllig. All three parts follow a similar structure. They start with a jumpy bebop theme, the left hand playing a walking bass. The tracks are polyrhythmic and they seem to climb up and down a musical ladder, getting finally out of hand. Sharp strong chords cut off what has remained of the melody before the piece returns to the main theme which is then immediately deconstructed again. This part of the album is shrill, sometimes spooky and harsh. It’s what the title of the track says – free bop.

But the album has another face as well – and this one is extraordinarily beautiful. Burton Greene once claimed that playing freely also includes playing cadenzas. “Tree”, for example,  is built around a central harmonic trunk from which lyrical and lush melodic lines rise like branches and twigs. They are sometimes jubilantly dissonant and incline to getting out of hand but in the end they always return to the trunk. This is where the album is pure joy.

Live at the Kerrytown House is splendidly recorded, the piano seems to echo in the performing space, something Clifford Allen discusses in his superb liner notes.

The album is available on CD and LP (strictly limited to 300).

If you want to get an idea what the album sounds like you can have a look at a 2007 solo concert here:




© stef

Read More

Kay Grant and Alex Ward - Fast Track (Emanem, 2012) ****

Reviewed by Joe

I haven't got any information on this one so I did a quick scout round the net to find out a few details. It seems that this is a collection of 8 live tracks taken from various concert performances and 2 extra tracks which were recorded in the studio, bringing a total of ten wonderfully detailed improvisations. On a couple of the tracks - three I think - the duetting couple added some electronics to their instruments which adds another dimension to the music.   

If you don't know who Ward or Grant are you'll be in for a real surprise (and a good one) as this is not only creative improvisation, but also great fun to listen to. The voice of Kay Grant and clarinet of Alex Ward run playful circles around each other's ideas constantly inspiring the other to new heights. In fact it can't get much more fun than this, the two instruments of voice and clarinet match each other perfectly and one hears how when one person moves towards an idea the other follows within a matter of milliseconds either copying or complimenting. In fact they should (could) have called the record 'twins' or even 'old couple', as they seem to think alike, anticipating or finishing each others ideas and thoughts - uncanny!

I could give individual descriptions for the ten tracks but I think there's really no point, the titles are just here (I imagine) to give the listener an idea of which track is which. Each track is full of ideas such as trills, shrieks, flutter tonguing, laughing, crying, not to mention the pure melodic content ... singing and playing. Yes, it's all here you just have to hit play and sit back and enjoy. As for the tracks where there's a use of (very simple) effects - one should not think of laptop manipulations -  it's really just small flourishes which (if you're not careful) fly past you before you realize. These tracks come across well, but are certainly not essential neither adding (or subtracting) anything to the music. However, it seems obvious that there's plenty of room for another record which maybe investigates this area in greater depth.

Very nice record, certainly for all fans of pure improvisation.

© stef

Read More

Cross-cultural Visions: Vijay Iyer, Tirtha and Rudresh Mahanthappa, Samdhi

By Troy Dostert

Both Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa have enjoyed a lot of visibility and accolades over the last few years. Iyer’s Historicity, from 2009, made a lot of critics’ best-of lists for that year. And Mahanthappa struck gold with his partnership with the great Bunky Green on 2010’s Apex. On the discs being reviewed here, both recorded in 2008 but not released until last year, both artists cover terrain that they have explored throughout their careers: namely, offering ambitious attempts to draw liberally from the Indian classical tradition in shaping their distinctive jazz visions. For the most part, they are very successful, and each of these recordings has a lot to offer.



Rudresh Mahanthappa – Samdhi (ACT, 2011) - ****
 

Mahanthappa’s release is the most diverse stylistically, as it embodies classical Indian elements but also adds electronics on several tracks, and utilizes rhythms that are often funk and rock-influenced. Indeed, in many respects one could label this a “fusion record,” particularly with the groove-driven work of guitarist David Gilmore, electric bassist Rich Brown, and drummer Damion Reid. However, percussionist Anantha Krishnan continually adds another dimension to the music with his lively playing of the mridangam and kanjira. It’s prominent enough to spur the other players along, while not weighing down the recording or becoming too obtrusive. Mahanthappa’s melodies are strong and intricate throughout, and the rhythmic underpinnings provided by the rest of the group consistently anchor and propel the music forward. This is especially evident on the second track, “Killer,” which offers an aggressive and complex melody but which is really sustained by the fantastic rhythmic foundation provided by Mahanthappa’s associates. Gilmore in particular offers terrific unison and responsive playing with Mahanthappa in establishing the melody, but then later in the tune kicks into crunchy rhythmic support behind Mahanthappa that takes the track to another level altogether. “Playing With Stones” and “Breakfastlunchanddinner” are other examples of the rhythm team providing the bounce and direction needed to keep the songs interesting and cohesive. And it’s worth noting that Mahanthappa’s playing throughout the record is superb: he combines a powerful melodic sensibility in his playing with a hard-edged intensity that allows him to blow the roof off when it’s called for.

Admittedly, it’s not a perfect recording. Depending on one’s tastes, Mahanthappa’s use of electronics on a few of the tracks is either invigorating or a distraction. It works in some situations and not in others. It’s most troublesome on the seventh track, “Parakram #2,” which involves what sounds like Mahanthappa overlaying another sax part (or two) on top of his melody line, and which then brings in an awkward funk beat and additional synthesizer parts later in the song, as the whole thing gradually pulls apart. It’s all a bit much, and seems almost gimmicky at times. In addition, the closing tune, “For All the Ladies,” veers perilously close to pop-jazz with a melody that’s a bit too saccharine for my preference. But a couple missteps aside, this is a very enjoyable and engaging record, and it definitely holds up to repeated listenings.


Vijay Iyer with Prasanna and Nitin Mitta – Tirtha (ACT, 2011) - ****

Iyer’s record also has its charms, although it’s somewhat less ambitious in terms of merging disparate musical styles. It’s nevertheless a fine showcase for the range of Iyer’s playing, as well as that of his colleagues, Prasanna (on guitar and voice) and Nitin Mitta (on tabla). In contrast to Mahanthappa’s Samdhi, which is clearly Mahanthappa’s project and features him as the dominant voice in the ensemble, this record feels more like a fully collaborative venture, with all three musicians playing a more or less equal role in the proceedings. This is especially evident on “Tribal Wisdom,” which begins with Prasanna’s Carnatic singing and Iyer’s strong rhythmic pattern in the left hand, with Mitta’s tabla floating on top. From there, Prasanna comes in on guitar, and all three musicians wind their way through a memorable musical journey with each playing a critical role. This is also evident on “Gauntlet,” which though clocking in at just a couple of minutes gives all three musicians a chance to work closely together with a rapid-fire musical pattern being developed equally by Mitta, Prasanna and Iyer. One wishes the track had lasted a bit longer, in fact, as just when it really gets going it abruptly ends.

As a pianist, Iyer has always stood out for the percussive sensibility and rhythmic diversity of his playing. We can hear plenty of that in most of these tunes—including “Tribal Wisdom” and “Polytheism,” where Iyer offers consistently imaginative and jaunty phrases in dialogue with Prasanna, who also stands out on this track. Iyer likes to build tension through repeated patterns that gradually evolve and develop in different directions, and this makes his playing particularly engaging and intriguing.

The only drawback to the recording is a certain sameness to a few of the tunes, which while pleasant, didn’t do always enough to distinguish themselves or sustain attention. Iyer’s at his best when he’s really working it—with the dynamic, assertive side of his playing coming to the fore. On a few of the tracks, he simply seems too reserved—this was especially noticeable on tracks like “Abundance” and “Falsehood,” where Iyer’s playing was pretty and meditative, but I found myself wanting him to let loose a bit more.

All told, these discs represent the kind of cross-cultural vision we’ve come to expect from Iyer and Mahanthappa. Both excel in finding ways to bring the jazz tradition into conversation with Indian classical forms, and the caliber of musicianship is very strong throughout. Both discs are enthusiastically recommended.


© stef

Read More