The Distance Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus (ECM) by Stuart Broomer Michael Formanek is best known as a bassist, whether leading his own quartet with saxophonist Tim Berne or in cooperative groups like Thumbscrew with guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. However, he also has a significant interest in large ensembles and large-scale composition. His duties at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore include directing the Peabody Jazz Orchestra and he has performed his Open Book there, a composition for symphony orchestra and jazz soloists. The Distance brings this side to the fore, introducing his Ensemble Kolossus, an 18-member group that follows the traditional big band model of five reeds, four trumpets and four trombones then complements it with the strings and percussion of Halvorson, Fujiwara and Formanek as well as pianist Kris Davis and Patricia Brennan on marimba, lending an orchestral breadth to the traditional notion of a rhythm section. To devote himself to his role as bassist, Formanek enlists another bassist, Mark Helias, to act as conductor. The scale of the band is no greater than the scale of the work. The CD begins with the brief title piece, an aptly named work that is filled with space, matching June 14th Mike Longo Trio annual Oscar Peterson Celebration June 21st Bill Garfield Band June 28th Rosemary George Ensemble New York Baha’i Center 53 E. 11th Street (between University Place and Broadway) Shows: 8:00 & 9:30 PM Gen Adm: $15 Students $10 212-222-5159 bahainyc.org/nyc-bahai-center/jazz-night airy held notes with a mysterious and dissonant melody and a moody, reflective solo by tenor saxophonist Brian Settles. Then follows an “Exoskeleton Prelude”: it’s initially a similarly impressionistic piece, which builds from deeply resonant unaccompanied bass, through lyrical orchestration to the improvising trio of Formanek, Davis and Fujiwara and increasingly tense and anticipatory lines from the brass. These two works serve almost as meditations, preparing the listener for what’s to come, the eightpart “Exoskeleton”, a work that is sometimes intense, sometimes relaxed, exploring in myriad ways the title’s notion of reversal, mixing compositional styles and traditions while providing solo spots for a wonderful collection of improvisers, ultimately turning increasingly to collective improvisation. The brassy punctuations of “Impenetrable” may suggest something from Anthony Braxton’s Creative Orchestra Music 1976 while “Beneath the Shell” owes a certain debt to the slippery sounds and harmonies of Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla; there are more than passing allusions to Charles Mingus’ methodology while “Echoes” may not sound out of place in a Maria Schneider performance. “@heart” and “Without Regrets” are highlighted by the transformative individual contributions of trombonist Ben Gerstein and Halvorson, respectively. With Part 6, the happily titled “Shucking while Jiving”, group improvisation becomes a key component, both with and without composed components, initially with a brawling ensemble of Settles, Berne on baritone saxophone, trombonist Jacob Garchik and bass trombonist Jeff Nelson. “A Reptile Dysfunction” includes a bright, chirping maze of marimba, drums, piano and Oscar Noriega’s clarinet while the concluding “Metamorphic” has an improvised passage by the full orchestra, a standout solo by trumpeter Dave Ballou and dense, composed conclusion appropriate to the work’s breadth and ambition. This is a remarkable debut for Formanek as orchestra leader and composer. He has put together a work in which the compositions and the band fuse multiple voices into a singular entity. For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Formanek is at The Jazz Gallery Jun. 10th-11th with Mary Halvorson, Urban Meadow Jun. 12th with Tomas Fujiwara as part of Red Hook Jazz Festival and Ibeam Brooklyn Jun. 17th-18th with Devin Gray. See Calendar. Behind the Vibration Rez Abbasi & Junction (Cuneiform) by Ken Micallef Back in fusion’s heyday Frank Zappa was quoted as saying, “Jazz isn’t dead—it just smells funny.” Rez Abbasi’s latest release could be called a fusion record, but it’s also a serious jazz recording and it thankfully has no odor. Of late, Abbasi has changed hats more often than the Queen of England. 2014’s Intents & Purposes turned ‘70s fusion on its ear, Abbasi reimagining classics from Weather Report, Return To Forever, The Headhunters, The Eleventh House and others with an entirely acoustic palette. Prior to that Abbasi investigated all manner of contemporary electric improvisation. Behind the Vibration peeks into a different fusion era, one without definitive roads to its destination. Joined by Mark Shim on tenor and MIDI windcontroller, Ben Stivers on gritty Hammond B3, Rhodes and additional keyboards and rising drum star Kenny Grohowski, Abbasi rips his liquid D’Angelico semihollow body guitar through material recalling Allan Holdsworth’s Secrets, Bill Connors’ Step It and even further back to The Headhunters and, if stretching the reference, Brand X. Abbasi and Co. perform his originals with feet planted in fusion’s past while carving out a brave new future. The rhythmic burn can be credited to 25-year-old Grohowski, who pours his influences—including Vinnie Colaiuta, Chris Dave and Jon Christensen—through a uniquely kinetic vision. Abbasi’s tunes fly and soar, sail around corners and bang upside your head. For all its acetylene burn, Abbasi’s band is graceful and the melodies sustainable and engaging. “Holy Butter” opens with an itchy unison guitar and wind-controller melody juggled over a displaced groove. Hammond B3 steam and lyrical guitar drive the humid pulse of “Groundswell”, followed by the intimate ballad “Inner Context”, which recalls a lost gem from John McLaughlin’s Extrapolation. “Uncommon Sense” begins slowly, then lifts off into metric-modulation hyperspace. The cerebral chiming of “New Rituals” slips and slides, glowing like shooting stars, saxophone and guitar tracing its circuitous melody over multi-rhythmic groove. Closer “Matter Falls” rages like an electric shark, splitting waves, surfing whitewater, sleek in its mission as king of the sea. Similarly, Behind the Vibration cuts a swift course through contemporary jazz with style and substance. For more information, visit cuneiformrecords.com. This project is at Greenwich House Music School Jun. 11th and Urban Meadow Jun. 12th as part of Red Hook Jazz Fest. See Calendar. 20 JUNE 2016 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
EX-SS PHOTO BY MARCO GLAVIANO World-renowned guitarist and composer Fabrizio Sotti with his signature D’Angelico EX-SS. His trio, featuring Peter Slavov and Francisco Mela, releases their highly-anticipated new album, “Forty,” on June 10th, 2016. Available everywhere. WWW.DANGELICOGUITARS.COM
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