Ron Carter Esperanza Spalding - Downbeat

Tia Fuller
Angelic Warrior
Mack Avenue 1068
HHHH1/2
As Tia Fuller declared clearly with the title of
her previous disc, this saxophonist/flutist
resumes making decisive steps in mapping
out a solo career firmly rooted in modern jazz
with this bristling followup, Angelic Warrior.
She pretty much picks up where she left off,
changing her working ensemble only slightly
with Rudy Royston replacing Kim Thompson
on drums, adding Shirazette Tinnin on percussion
on a few cuts and inviting guest appearances
from Terri Lyne Carrington, John Patitucci
and Dianne Reeves.
From the blistering opener, “Royston’s
Rumble,” Fuller shows that her aggressive jazz
chops haven’t diminished due to her long tenure
in Beyoncé’s band. With Royston furiously
tousling underneath his wife Shamie Royston’s
equally percussive piano accompaniment,
Fuller powers her searing alto improvisations
with daredevil velocity. Throughout, she proves
as rhythmically astute to handle the most convoluted
phrases as well as melodically savvy to
deliver memorable material.
Also, she’s always demonstrated burgeoning
talents as a composer, even back when she
recorded regularly with trumpeter Sean Jones.
Several compositions like the title track, featuring
Carrington’s ebullient yet paramilitary
rhythms, and the breezy “Simplicity” nod discreetly
to Wayne Shorter, especially in the way
some of her passages build from small cells and
through her keen use of contrapuntal melodies.
The leader employs her special guests strategically,
too; she gives them plenty to work
with without making their contributions sound
superfluous. Such is the case on “Descend To
Barbados,” on which Patitucci supplies silvery
electric-bass counterpoint melodies alongside
Fuller’s piquant melodies, all while her regular
rhythm section buoys the song with a slippery
Caribbean vibe. Both Carrington and Patitucci
show up on the suspenseful mash-up “Show In
Love/All Of Love.”
—John Murph
Angelic Warrior: Royston’s Rumble; Ralphe’s Groove; Angelic
Warrior; Lil Les; Body And Soul; Descend To Barbados; Ode To Be
(Interlude); So In Love/All Of You; Tailor Made; Core Of Me; Simplicity;
Cherokee; Ode To Be (Outro). (64:43)
Personnel: Tia Fuller, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute;
Shamie Royston, piano, Fender Rhodes; Mimi Jones, acoustic
bass; Rudy Royston, drums; Shirazette Tinnin, percussion (2, 6,
9); Terri Lyne Carrington, drums (3, 8, 12); John Patitucci electric/
piccolo bass (1, 2, 4, 6, 9), acoustic bass (8); Dianne Reeves, vocals
(8).
Ordering info: mackavenue.com
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Medeski Martin & Wood
Free Magic: Live
Indirecto Records 14
HHH1/2
Free Magic: Live opens with tinkering simultaneously
leaning in several directions. A
melodica toots and interjections that sound
birthed by pawnshop accordions and outof-tune
violins fill vast spaces. The improvised
sequence, actually anchored by a balafon,
recalls the “Space” interludes the Grateful
Dead performed. Something tangible in the
form of the beginning of a melody is within
reach, but the musicians aren’t in any rush to
get there before committing sins of indulgence.
The transgression corroborates Medeski
Martin & Wood’s links to the jam-band scene,
and the backlash such membership inspires.
Ironically, this live disc—captured during an
acoustic tour in 2007—is the album most likely
to persuade audiences that usually shy away
from the trio’s trademark noodling to take
another listen. Yes, there’s a pots-and-pans
drum solo from Billy Martin during “Where’s
Sly” that practically begs for the appearance
of rising drum throne and dry-ice fog. Yet the
unplugged approach and John Medeski’s tran-
sition from vintage keyboards to a real piano,
instill conduct rooted in the blues. Nowhere
is the organic grounding more evident than
on a piano-driven version of Charles Mingus’
“Nostalgia In Times Square” segueing into
Sun Ra’s “Angel Race,” which wraps hardbop
grooves and chewy bass lines into one tidy
package.
—Bob Gendron
Free Magic: Live: Doppler; Blues For Another Day; Free Magic/
Ballade In C Minor, “Vergessene Seelen”; Where’s Sly; Nostalgia In
Times Square/Angel Race. (66:45)
Personnel: John Medeski, piano, prepared piano, struti box, melodica,
mylotica; Billy Martin, drums, percussion; Chris Wood, basses.
Ordering info: indirectorecords.com
90 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2012