Label: Tzadik, 2019
Personnel - Brian Marsella: piano; Trevor Dunn: bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums.
The Hierophant is a collection of John Zorn compositions performed by a tight classic piano trio composed of Brian Marsella on piano, Trevor Dunn on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. Active for 40 years, the prolific Zorn has earned his stripes as one of the most creative composers of our times and this album, inspired by the mystic world of tarot, gives us another reason to be head over heels for his music.
The title cut sets everything in motion as a fervent, kinetic, turbulently swinging post-bop effort where impetuous piano notes race across the harmony. Its progressive vision is shared by the longest track, “The Hanged Man”, one of my favorite compositions. Here, the artistry of the trio is demonstrated with intense moments loaded with serial spinning movements, challenging rhythms, and pronounced accentuations. Also noticeable is a passage where Wollesen’s burgeoning mallet percussion comes to the fore, pinned by regular hi-hat intermittence.
Contrasting with the described atmosphere, there’s the surreptitious avidity of “The Devil”, a sheer avant-garde experience with weirdly scratching bass noises, patterned piano convolutions, and expandable drumming. “The Death” also falls into this darker category, presenting spine-chilling prepared piano strokes and oppressive arco bass, whereas “The Hermit”, a showcase for Marsella’s solo piano, has its improvised sense of mystery regularly disrupted by heavy, low-pitched chordal routines.
A mindset of reverie is not only achieved by the illusory kind of waltz delivered on “The High Priestess”, which combines beaming pianism, assured bass lines, and scintillating brushed drums, but also by the classical arpeggiated nuances of “The Magician”.
After the relentless, hard-swinging “The Tower”, where the rhythm bounces and melodic ideas collide, the trio rounds out the proceedings with “The Lovers”, a breezy, passionate, and rapturous treat with the capacity to urge us into a daydream state of mind.
The Hierophant perfectly integrates scored parts with intense moments of improvisation, and its expansive directions are no less than breathtaking. The variety of the picturesque moods results in an exciting and adventurous listening experience.
Grade A
Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Hierophant ► 02 - The High Priestess ► 06 - The Hanged Man