AprilCadence2013

HAL RUSSELL
NRG ENSEMBLE
NESSA 21
UNCONTROLLABLE RAGES/
KIT KAT/ LINDA JAZZ
PRINCESS/ SEVEN SPHERES/
LOST OR?/ C MELODY MANIA/
72:10
Hal Russell, d, C melody sax,
cnt, Zither; Chuck Burdelik,
ts, as, cl, flt; Brian Sandstrom,
bass, trp, gong; Curt Bley, bass;
Steve Hunt, vib, d
New Issues
183 | CadenCe Magazine | april May June 2013
NRG is right. High-octane ensemble might be better.
This group just comes out roaring. But, they also
know how to play quietly and know how to mix it up so
listeners are always kept on their toes, or should I say,
ears I knew I had another CD by this group somewhere
and dug it out before playing this, since I haven’t heard
that one in a long time. The personnel is about half the
same and the energy is all the same.
In a sense the first track sums up the whole CD. We
get raging saxophone with aggressive drums, quiet
sections with bass and flute, then loud sections again
with everyone playing. Most is improvised but there
are written sections as well. There is a great composed
ensemble section at the end of the first track, followed a
long drum solo by Russell.
Then “Kit” changes the mood entirely with a lovely flute
melody, followed by Russell on vibes.
There are ensemble sections between solos, but this
track is carried by Burdelik. I don’t know who Linda is,
but after hearing this piece, I want to know her. Another
high-energy piece with quiet sections featuring great
solos by all. Hunt and Russell play both vibes and drums
in similar styles, so I have to check the notes to see who
is playing on which tracks. On vibes both play with high
energy and play lots of notes but they do not use the
motor. And the last big ensemble section effectively
uses the gong. The use of the zither on “Spheres” adds
an almost other worldliness sound to the piece.
While listening to this record I started to think about
other free players and why some stand out.
Part of the answer is energy. Most free players do similar
things---long lines, swirls of notes, little bursts. But here
the energy is so high that the listener just gets caught
up in the music and doesn’t have time to reflect on
anything else. The energy here was so high I felt like I
needed a nap after the record was over.
What sets this group apart is that in addition to the free
improvisations, there are also composed sections, which
the ensemble works beautifully. Highly recommended.
Bernie Koenig