Label: ARC Records, 2021
Personnel - Samantha Boshnak: trumpet; Erica Lindsay: tenor saxophone, clarinet, alto flute; Salim Washington: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, oboe; Michael Ventoso: trombone; Sumi Tonooka: piano; David Arend: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.
The Alchemy Sound Project often blurs the line between notated music and improvisation while carrying a pronounced modal flair and spirituality in the style of John Coltrane, Billy Harper, Horace Tapscott, Pharaoh Sanders and Charles Tolliver. As had been the case with the previous records, the core quintet - woodwind players Erica Lindsay and Salim Washington, trumpeter Samantha Boshnack, pianist Sumi Tonooka and bassist David Arend - invites a trombonist and a drummer to join them. Michael Ventoso and Chad Taylor, respectively, were the elected ones for this third outing.
Comprising five original pieces, one by each member of the group, the record opens with Arend’s triumphant “The Fountain”, where a mix of articulated unisons and counterpoint traverses powerful harmonic vibrations in a compact, slick arrangement. Following the initial tenor solo by Washington, there’s a bridging vamp with ebullient drumming that takes us to the adventurous pianism of Tonooka. Before the catchy main theme is reinstated, Lindsay juxtaposes two different tenor statements.
The latter contributes “Kesii” to the track list, a 5/4 expedition launched by a bass clarinet figure and anchored in several bass grooves. By shifting pace and mood along the way, the group enjoys the incantation of self-invention, attaining equal parts mystery, bliss and relaxation in its itinerary.
Whereas Tonooka’s “Dark Blue Residue” flows within an asymmetrical structure, incorporating a middle passage in six for collective reflection and a drum solo at the end, the Randy Weston-like “Afrika Love” tinges its African-rooted fabrics with intriguing and balladic tones. Washington, who is based in Durban, wrote it for the South African pianist Afrika Mkhize, but, according to Tonooka, the title also applies to the group’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The amiably ramble of “The Cadillac of Mountains” denotes a very personal touch and compositional contrast that come from Boshnack, who penned it and put her trumpet in the lead. Juggling excitement and pondering, the piece is about being in awe of the nature’s magnificence, and becomes a wonderful showcase for the talents of Taylor, whose elegant propulsions come to a climax in the 15-beat cycle vamp that leads to the ending.
Alchemy Sound Project is a solid group with charismatic vibes.
Grade B
Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Fountain ► 03 - Afrika Love ► 04 - The Cadillac of Mountains