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Roots & Transitions<br />
Alan Ferber Nonet (Sunnyside)<br />
by George Kanzler<br />
The eight parts of trombonist Alan Ferber’s suite Roots<br />
& Transitions “functions as a modern theme and<br />
variations”. Ferber wrote the music on trombone rather<br />
than piano to emphasize the predominance of singleline<br />
instruments. The nonet is Scott Wendholt or Shane<br />
Endsley (trumpet), Jon Gordon (alto saxophone), John<br />
Ellis (tenor saxophone), Charles Pillow (bass clarinet),<br />
Nate Radley (guitar), Bryn Roberts (piano), Matt<br />
Clohesy (bass) and brother Mark Ferber on drums.<br />
At times the nonet resembles a modern version of<br />
classic jazz polyphony, as each instrument plays distinct<br />
lines in tandem with others, as on “Flow” and “Cycles”,<br />
sections that also eschew conventional time signatures<br />
and rhythms for a looser or more jangled beat. Rarely<br />
are there sustained ensemble passages with sectionalstyle<br />
harmony, Ferber preferring to pit instruments<br />
against or mirroring each other.<br />
This is how the CD opens, as “Quiet Confidence”<br />
begins with solo trombone soon echoed by bass clarinet<br />
(its use instead of a baritone saxophone is one of the<br />
nonet’s aural signatures), followed by thematic strains<br />
from brass and reeds, segueing into weaving<br />
instrumental voices ushering in deliberately paced<br />
solos by piano and trombone. Although Pillow has only<br />
one feature solo, his bass clarinet is an important part<br />
of the overall sound, contributing to the chorale quality<br />
of the two short ensemble pieces “Hourglass” and<br />
“Echo Calling”. The former is followed by two of the<br />
strongest tracks: “Clocks” begins with a tick-tocking<br />
rhythm that breaks up as horn riffs dominate; Endsley<br />
solos over suspended beats, then horns and guitar<br />
contest in a controlled chaos reminiscent of Charles<br />
Mingus before time returns with a piano solo and coda.<br />
“Wayfarer” is the closest track to a traditional swinger,<br />
recalling Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool band, with a<br />
traditional AABA format and muted brass, but a<br />
surprisingly long, convoluted vamp-coda. Themes and<br />
variations explored on the first seven tracks are reprised<br />
in the concluding “Cycles”.<br />
For more information, visit sunnysiderecords.com. This project is<br />
at Threes Brewing Jun. 9th and Smalls Jun. 16th. See Calendar.<br />
Live at Okuden<br />
Jungle: Mat Walerian/Matthew Shipp/Hamid Drake<br />
(ESP-Disk’)<br />
by Mark Keresman<br />
Polish reed player Mat Walerian is one of those rare<br />
musicians whose approach seems to span several eras<br />
of jazz history, sometimes even within the same solo.<br />
The alto saxophone is his main axe and he plays in a<br />
deliberate, measured manner; while some noodle and<br />
doodle until an idea alights, Walerian takes his time<br />
yet never comes off as ponderous or tentative.<br />
This double-CD set, recorded live in November<br />
2012 at Toruń, Poland’s Okuden performance space, is<br />
the recorded debut of Jungle, the trio of Walerian,<br />
piano ace Matthew Shipp and drummer supreme<br />
Hamid Drake (Walerian, while mostly self-taught,<br />
studied under both; he recorded a duo album with<br />
Shipp, also live from Okuden, in May 2012). Like<br />
Walerian, Shipp is primarily an outside/free player,<br />
but both are of the generation of ‘out cats’ that can<br />
embrace rhythmic impetus, congenial inside playing<br />
and influences outside jazz.<br />
The angular “Gentle Giants” features Walerian<br />
alternating tart, sleek blues phrasing with some<br />
gloriously agitated, slightly vocalized runs, Shipp’s<br />
percussive clusters and Drake’s clattering yet<br />
supportive drumming. “One For” begins with some<br />
luminously lyrical Shipp, then Walerian gets furious<br />
and cathartic, adding smooth, harmonious and even<br />
suave bits along the way, Drake matching each gent in<br />
intensity. The 18-minute suite-like “Coach On Da Mic”<br />
begins with Shipp playing free(ly), spiky notes flying<br />
out of the speakers (or earbuds)—enter Walerian with<br />
some gorgeous bluesy clarinet that grows to growl,<br />
groan and shriek to the heavens. Jungle juxtapose the<br />
cool with the hot, wild ‘n’ wooliness with elegance and<br />
gentle introspection with purifying proclamations.<br />
For more information, visit espdisk.com. Shipp is at Judson<br />
Church Jun. 9th with Jemeel Moondoc and Drake is there<br />
Jun. 7th, 9th and 11th, all as part of Vision Festival. See<br />
Calendar.<br />
The Austrian Cultural Forum New York presents:<br />
Austrian Jazz Guitarist<br />
Andy Manndorff<br />
solo acoustic guitar<br />
performing music from his forthcoming<br />
album, Pandora.<br />
Thursday, June 2, 2016<br />
07:30 PM at the ACFNY<br />
(11 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022)<br />
“Manndorff’s virtuoso technique is both<br />
spontaneous and earthy, bringing forth a<br />
multitude of colors and diversity of moods.”<br />
get your free ticket at www.acfny.org<br />
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | JUNE 2016 19
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