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JAZZ
Trumpet Blasts
Satoko Fujii and her partner Natsuki
Tamura continue to be among the most
prolific recording artists in improvised
music, and their quartet project Gato Libre
allows them to stretch in some unusual
directions. Perhaps it’s the combination of
Fujii’s accordion—which she plays exclusively
here—and Kazuhiko Tsumura’s guitar,
or the dance-like pacing of several of
Tamura’s seven compositions, but Kuro
(Libra 104-018; 50:13) ★★★ 1 /2 sounds like it
was made by a French or Eastern European
band. Only “Battle,” built around a harsh,
staccato theme, has the noisy intensity usually
expected from Tamura. While his trumpet
takes on a bravura edge on “Beyond,”
it’s balanced by the pretty melody of the
title song and the gentle combination of
trumpet and guitar on “Together.”
Ordering info: www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~libra
Something of a chameleon over his
career, Tim Hagans has fit his well-textured
tone into big bands and electronic mashups
alike. Alone Together (Pirouet 3030;
52:53) ★★★ 1 /2 finds him fronting a quartet
that sounds like it’s channeling early-’60s
Miles Davis minus the saxophone. The four
compositions by pianist Marc Copland and
three standards from the ’30s and ’40s offer
a range of tempos, including a pair of hardbop
burners that feature bassist Drew
Gress in an unfamiliar role that seems to fit
him fine. The sound mix is a bit old-fashioned,
too, with Gress much lower than in
many more contemporary-sounding
recordings. Hagans’ trumpet sounds terrific,
though, especially tart and grainy on the
mid-tempo title song.
Ordering info: pirouetrecords.com
The second recording by Swiss trumpeter
Manuel Mengis’ sextet, The Pond
(hatOLOGY 659; 53:33) ★★★★ shifts effortlessly
from near-silence to raucous grooves
that recall Frank Zappa and The Bad Plus.
Mengis’ writing is filled with dense, interlocking
parts, but he’s wise enough to keep
the dynamics constantly moving around. A
mix that pushes the band’s three acoustic
lead instruments above the electric guitar
and bass aids this strategy. When the band
rocks hard the effect is infectious.
Ordering info: hathut.com
Recorded in Rio, Claudio Roditi’s
Impressions (Sunnyside 1190; 69:25) ★★★
has the relaxed feel of a busman’s holiday.
Beginning with a trio of John Coltrane compositions
(“Moment’s Notice,” “Naima”
and the title song), the quintet dances lithely
through 10 sambas. The soloing by
Tim Hagans:
tart and grainy
by James Hale
Roditi, Algerian saxophonist Idriss
Boudrioua and Italian pianist Dario Galante
is efficiently crisp, and bassist Sergio
Barroso has great timing and a lovely,
singing tone.
Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com
There are two things to be thankful for
with Tabligh (Cuneiform 270; 63:28)
★★★★ 1 /2: Wadada Leo Smith’s decision to
continue working in the Golden Quartet format
after the death of bassist Malachi
Favors and the return of drummer Shannon
Jackson. Recorded live in 2005, with John
Lindberg replacing Favors and Vijay Iyer
taking the seat vacated by Anthony Davis,
Tabligh is defined by Jackson’s muscular
energy. A piece named for the quartet’s
original drummer, Jack DeJohnette, splashes
sonic colors, while the opening “Rosa
Parks” builds tension mightily behind Iyer’s
Rhodes and Jackson’s multidimensional
drumming. The centerpiece, though, is the
less-structured, 25-minute workout on the
title composition, where the band unleashes
waves of expression that culminate with
an explosion from Jackson’s kit.
Ordering info: cuneiformrecords.com
Nearing 80 and possessing one of the
most recognizable voices on trumpet and
flugelhorn, you wouldn’t think that Kenny
Wheeler could do much to surprise you.
Yet, Other People (CamJazz 5027; 49:42)
★★★ is a break from the tried-and-true.
While using a string quartet to play
Wheeler’s romantic, wryly melancholic
compositions seems so natural that you
wonder why no one has done it before, the
real departure is Wheeler’s 14-minute
“String Quartet No. 1,” which dispenses
with the leader and is filled with uncharacteristically
bold and vigorous writing. DB
Ordering info: camjazz.com
KONSTANTIN KERN
September 2008 DOWNBEAT 77