Ralph Peterson 35th Annual Student Music Awards - Downbeat

Blindfold Test | BY PEtER MARgASAK
Mats Gustafsson
Swedish reedist Mats Gustafsson has been one of improvised music’s
most restless and energetic figures for the last two decades, whether
in ad hoc settings or with hard-hitting working bands like the Thing
and Fire! He’s a close collaborator of fellow reedists Peter Brötzmann
and Ken Vandermark. Recent albums include Live At The South Bank
(Smalltown Superjazz), an improvised session with the late drummer
Steve Reid and laptop musician Kieran Hebden, and Barrel Fire, a collaboration
with the Gord Grdina Trio. This is his first Blindfold Test,
conducted during the 2011 Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
Julius Hemphill
“dogon a.d.” (dogon a.d., International Phonograph, 2011, rec’d 1972) hemphill,
alto saxophone; abdul wadud, cello; Phillip wilson, drums; baikida carroll, trumpet.
[Instantly] Julius Hemphill. The drumming is genius—he’s like the
Zigaboo Modeliste of free-jazz. There’s so many grooves and standards
for how to play jazz and free-jazz, and the simple fact of using the saxophone
or the cello as a kind of bass—why not? It’s so obvious. Any musician
who doesn’t like this should just stop—this is what it’s all about. It’s
such a raw sound, right up in your face. This is the perfect introduction to
someone who’s never heard free-jazz before. I wouldn’t mind if this piece
went on for a couple of hours.
Yosuke Yamashita Trio
“chiasma” (chiasma, mPS, 1976) Yamashita, piano; akira Sakata, alto saxophone;
takeo moriyama, drums.
I’ve played this piece with the Thing. It’s Yosuke Yamashita. Yeah, it’s
“Chiasma.” This is, perhaps, the least known supergroup of jazz. This trio
made a name for themselves in Europe, but the influence they had on the
Japanese scene at the time was huge. The first time I heard this, it was like
I was flying out of the window. The intensity. But it’s totally jazz-based.
I probably heard about this from working for [Stockholm record shop
owner] Harald Hult. That was my school. I still help him. I’ve played with
Sakata in Japan with the Thing, and we played with Yamashita, too. It was
through the ceiling.
Lars Gullin
“Fedja” (Baritone sax, collectables, 1999, rec’d 1956) Gullin, baritone saxophone;
carl-henrik Norin, tenor saxophone; arne domnerus, alto saxophone; George vernon,
trombone; Rune ofweman, piano; George Riedel, bass; Nils-bertil dahlander,
drums; Rune Falk, baritone saxophone.
Ah, Gullin. You have to change the rating to 7 or something. Classic
Swedish shit, “Fedja.” Maybe no one can hear it in my playing, but this is
my main inspiration for my baritone. I heard Gullin around the first time
I heard Brötzmann for the first time, on record. It’s a real shame he could
never go to the States to play. He had some minor drug thing, so he could
never get in. He is totally a lyrical player, with long melodic lines. For the
two extremes in jazz baritone, you have Gullin on one side and then you
have someone like Serge Chaloff on the other side, all rough and like, pow!
They call this the golden era of Swedish jazz, and it’s really true.
Peter Evans
“wa” (nature/culture, Psi, 2008) Evans, trumpet.
[About one minute in] It’s Peter Evans. I thought it was a saxophone, doing
multiphonics and really pushing it hard. I know a lot of musicians who
don’t like Peter’s playing because they think it’s too technical. But for me,
what he’s doing, what he’s exploring, it’s because of his technique he can
push it so far. If you don’t have the technique, you can’t reach for where you
want to go. This is so filthy, so dirty. I think in the past 10 years Peter and
[saxophonist] Christine Sehnaoui are the best things that have happened to
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the scene. They took their instruments in totally new directions, and that
doesn’t happen so often in jazz. I couldn’t believe it the first time I heard
him. He’s a super great improviser, but I have to say I think I most enjoy
him solo. Let’s be mean to Peter and give this 41/2 stars, saying that he will
make his masterpiece next year.
Steve Lacy
“Stamps” (Blinks, hat hut, 1997, rec’d 1983) Lacy, soprano saxophone; Steve Potts,
alto saxophone; Irene aebi, cello; Jean-Jacques avenel, bass; oliver Johnson, drums.
That took a while. Lacy, of course. My brain is working so slow!
Immediately I thought 5 stars, but I knew I had to figure out what it was
first. Must be Steve Potts, Irene and Oliver Johnson. This is about the time
I first heard Lacy live, I think, in New York in 1981. It was this group with
Bobby Few and George Lewis. I had heard Lacy’s name before, but not his
music. It was one of the concerts that changed my life. I played with him
once at the old Velvet Lounge [in Chicago]. Another of those unreal experiences.
I was so nervous. When we got up on stage he whispered in my ear
and he said, “To tune or not to tune,” and it scared the shit out of me. He’s
one of the few people I would consider a genius, the way he was thinking
about stuff and connecting the wide perspective with poetry, art and dance.
Magnus Broo
“thoughts are things” (swedish Wood, moserobie, 2010) broo, trumpet; torbjörn
zetterberg, bass; Joe williamson, bass; håkon mjåset Johansen, drums.
[Laughs] Surprising. I have not heard this before. It’s contemporary. Stupid
theme. Really good trumpet player. To compare Jason Moran and this,
since it’s contemporary—I like the sound of this more. I really like the two
bassists. Oh, it’s Magnus Broo! This is Magnus at his best. Fantastic. This
is as close to 5 stars as you can get. I’m glad not to make a fool of myself. It
is a stupid theme, it’s a little cheesy, but it makes complete sense. Magnus is
such an amazing human being, and he can pull off a theme like that. I love
that it’s just his trumpet without saxophone or piano. DB
thE “bLINdFoLd tESt” IS a LIStENING tESt that chaLLENGES thE FEatUREd aRt-
ISt to dIScUSS aNd IdENtIFY thE mUSIc aNd mUSIcIaNS who PERFoRmEd oN
SELEctEd REcoRdINGS. thE aRtISt IS thEN aSKEd to RatE Each tUNE USING
a 5-StaR SYStEm. No INFoRmatIoN IS GIvEN to thE aRtISt PRIoR to thE tESt.