BarneyMcall
Zephyrix(ExtraCelestialArts)BarneyMcAllpenned this mind-blowing
suite(for 15 players) to evoke the
fivebirdsof alchemy, the music both
programmaticand philosophical. Black
Crow,looselyrepresenting release from
thephysicalbody,is a series of eerie
hazescoagulatinginto sudden shafts of
melody,throughwhich runs a tinkling
streamof McAll’spiano. White Swan, the
firstencounterwith ethereality, is realised
witha chunkyensemblegrooveandblindingtrumpet and tenor solos.
Thetransformationalsplendourof Peacockis evoked by otherworldly
violinovera featherybackdrop,beforeanexoticensemble fans out into
multiplesolos.Theself-sacrificialfacetof Pelicanis initially invoked with a
percussion-heavysection,andthentranslucentsolo piano. With Phoenix
thetranscendenceof thephysicalis realisedbythe album’s most
hauntingmusictransmutingintoitsmostvigorous.andyZiMMerMan
HalfLight(NewvelleNV014LP)Drummer-lessjazzis likeopeningthe
windowsandlettinga breezeblow
throughthemusic.Thisweightless
statementof rhythm,whichhasa
momentumclosertoa magiccarpet
thanthrust-basedpropulsion,suits
tenorsaxophonistAndyZimmerman’s
light,breathyapproach,devoidof bold
statementsorgrandflourishes,and
repletewitheasilyobscurednuances
in thewayhissaxsings.It is self-effacingart,butnevernon-descriptor
beige.Hiscolleagues,trumpeterDaveDouglas,pianistKevinHaysand
bassistMattPenman,commensuratelycontaintheirplayingwithout
constrainingtheirartistry,withHayseschewingdensityin favourof
arpeggiateddancesaroundthesax.Thisvinyl-onlyNewvellerelease
bringstheinstrumentsintotheroomwithsuchclarityit is as thoughno
electronicdevicesintrudedbetweenyourearsandtheoriginalsounds.SilkeeBerhard& SandyevanS
WhatSheSees(RufusRF120)Sometimesthesoundsmergeinto
one,is if controlledbythesame
lips,thesamebreath.Atothertimes
theystrobeagainstoneanother,the
phasingeffectunsettlingandeven
disorienting.Sometimesthemusic
is likea toyshopcometolifewhen
thehumanshaveallgonehome,as
onDromaiidae,whichis twoparts
slapsticktoonepartcreepy.Sandy
Evans(tenorandsopranosaxophones,devices)collaboratedwith
altosaxophonistSilkeEberhardatthe 2017 SydneyInternational
Women’sJazzFestival,andtherapportwassoobviousthatthey
recordedtheseimprovisedduets.Thesharedimpishsenseof
humouris a highlight,asis theirabilitytorespondtoeachother’s
ideasnotonlywithechoesandemulations,butwithcounter-
intuitivecrosscurrentsthatcanhavea hair-raisingsurprisefactor.Paul GraBowSky
Moons of Jupiter (Besant Hall)Listen to the inky darkness that
shadows the notes; that charges the
mood variously with portentousness,
melancholy or desolation; that lurks
just around the corner from a jauntier
moment—much as life likes to slap
you down if things start to go too
well. Composer Paul Grabowsky has
assembled a sextet to realise these
challenging, disturbing sonic visions,
and compound the storm-cloud weight in the air. Besides his own
startling piano contributions, the featured soloists are violinist Erkki
Veltheim, whose exceptional improvising has routinely shown a
predilection for eeriness, and Scott Tinkler, whose trumpet playing
so often carries a sense of anguished, meteoric light blazing through
opacity. Another spooky influence is Peter Knight’s electronics, which
only deepen the musical shadows.JaMeS Muller
LiveatWizardTone(54RecordsCD5405)GuitaristJamesMullertellsusin the
linernotesthathe’sneverbeena
comfortablestudioanimal.Certainlyhis
mostincendiaryplayinghasoccurred
in concert.SoforthisalbumMuller
shippedanaudienceintoa studio
tocombinethelivebuzzwithaudio
precision.Hiscolleaguesarealto
saxophonistWillVinson,bassistSam
AnninganddrummerBenVanderwal,
withwhomMullerfeelsanurgetounleashhisinnerbebopper:Monk’s
EvidenceandBird’sScrapplefromtheApplenestlein a repertoire
fleshedoutwithTristano,Kernandthreeofhisowntunes.Heopts
tokeephissoundcleanandsinging,whereI’vealwayslikedit
whenheflirtswitha littledirtanddanger.If hedidn’tquitecapture
theuninhibitedperformanceshesought,hedidlaydownsome
convincingstraight-aheadjazz.kaMaSi waShinGton
Heaven and Earth (Young Turks/Remote Control YT176)Who else would see the theme from
kung fu film ‘Fists of Fury’ as both
an improvising vehicle and a chance
to erect sonic immensities with a
12-piece band, 26-piece orchestra and
13-piece choir? This double album,
hinged around the concept of the
consciousness looking out and looking
in, has all the Kamasi Washington
trademarks: two drummers, two
percussionists and two keyboards players pave the pieces with the
granite density that is his preferred runway to achieve lift-off on his
zooming tenor saxophone. Attempting jazz-based music on this
scale certainly requires chutzpah, and yet the sound and fury can
ring hollow, the improvising feeling dwarfed by the massive edifices
that house it (sometimes with overblown choir arrangements). I
prefer the drive and litheness when the band is about octet-sized.68 Australian Hi-Fi http://www.aushifi.com
JAZZ TRACK by John Shand