REVERSO - THE MELODIC LINE (One Note Records, 2020)
Personnel - Ryan Keberle: trombone; Vincent Courtois: cello; Frank Woeste: piano. .
Reverso is a perfectly integrated American-French trio whose newly arrived sophomore release, The Melodic Line, features material composed by Les Six, a French collective of composers from the early 20th century. Emerging the classical and the jazz worlds whilst understanding each other’s ideas, the trio limits pressure to a certain amount in favor of a more melancholic chamber artsiness that lives in conformity with the first three pieces on the record. However, I was not dragged into their mood until the fourth track, “Montparnasse”, which stroke me with Courtois’ sublime cello cries and general spellbinding ambiance. The trio explores sonic roadmaps with an intuitive sense of adjustment, but “Absinthe” develops like a pop song with melodic transparency and efficient harmonization. Showcasing Woeste’s bright pianism at the center, this piece has Courtois punctuating throughout with resolute, timely plucks, and Keberle improvising on top of a circular progression. The elevated melodicism revealed here is also crucial to the last track, “Clara”. In turn, “Major Jack” feels quasi-theatrical in its classical-oriented dramatics. [B]
TOBIAS HOFFMANN NONET - RETROSPECTIVE (Alessa Records, 2020)
Personnel - Tobias Hoffmann: tenor and soprano saxophones; Stefan Gottfried: alto saxophone; Fabian Rucker: bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; Simon Plotzeneder: trumpet, flugelhorn; Daniel Holzleitner: trombone; Christopher Pawluk: guitar; Philipp Nykrin: piano; Andreas Waelti: bass; Michael Prowaznik: drums.
German saxophonist/composer/arranger Tobias Hoffmann explores the nonet format, advertising 10 of his own compositions with moments of orchestral quality, flanked by peripheral details that help coloring the core with a wider palette. A close rhythmic connection is immediately perceived on the opener, “Retrospective”, which indicates contemporary embodiment and metrical defiance. The orchestration feels simultaneously gleeful, optimistic, and ardent, just like on “Happenstances”, but this time around, the soloists, stretching with lush horn fills in the back, can enjoy a gorgeous swinging rhythm. “Fruhlingserwachen” and “Remembrance” feel like quiet oasis when put side by side with high energy numbers such as “Procrastinator”, a favorite that catches your ear with a polychromatic rhythmic drive, horn interactions, and swellheaded melodies, or even “Who’s To Blame”, a self-absorbed swinger. On both pieces it’s hard not to notice the deep sounds and soloing artistry of Fabian Rucker on bass clarinet and baritone saxophone, respectively. Hoffmann excavates sounds with both rigor and freedom, and the instrumentation feels just right for every take. It’s a tuneful waltz that brings the record to a conclusion. [A-]
CHICAGO UNDERGROUND QUARTET - GOOD DAYS (Astral Spirits, 2020)
Personnel - Rob Mazurek: piccolo trumpet, electronics, bells; Jeff Parker: guitar; Josh Johnson: synth bass, organ, piano; Chad Taylor: drums.
The versatile members of the Chicago Underground Quartet have an entrenched ability to surprise whether playing within a relaxed context or on the edge of tonality. The opener, Alan Shorter’s 1969 “Orgasm”, starts off with trumpet and guitar speaking in absolute accordance, dark synth bass and jittery drumming, but ends with experimental guitar chops over a dub, jazzy groove. On the hypnotically paced “Strange Wing”, a 6/4-metered effort penned by Mazurek, the twisty intervals brought in by guitarist Jeff Parker alternate with fine trumpet melodies. The trumpeter interweaves anthemic lines and brusque serpentine stretches on the percussive “All the Bells”, and if Chad Taylor’s “Batida” sinks into an intoxicated funk layered with ostinatos and polyphony, his prog-rock-ish “Westview” has a feverish urban feel adorned with odd-metered passages. “Good Days (For Lee Anne)” and “Unique Spiral” inhabit different worlds - the former is a ballad lulled by guitar tremolos and understated brushwork, while the latter, following a more geometric linearity, embraces a danceable rocking pulsation. Good Days marks a very strong return of a formidable quartet. [A-]