Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2020

Personnel includes: JC Stanford: conduction; Quinsin Nachoff: saxophone, composition; Nathalie Bonin: violin/soloist; Michael Davidson: vibraphone; Mark Helias: double bass; Satoshi Takeishi: drums, percussion; and more + Molinari String Quartet.

Toronto-raised saxophonist/composer Quinsin Nachoff’s new album, Pivotal Arc, is a modern chamber opus with three distinct long-form parts. The record, offering more than 75 minutes of music conducted by JC Sanford, consists in a Violin Concerto presented with the classically-trained violinist Nathalie Bonin as a featured soloist, a String Quartet work, and a large ensemble piece enhanced by the great rhythm section of bassist Mark Helias and drummer Satoshi Takeishi.

Carrying a contemporary feel and the influence of composers such as Bartok, Stravinsky and Ligeti, the three-movement Violin Concerto mixes cerebral written parts with the freedom of improvisation. According to Nachoff, “Movement I” is a ‘deconstructed, transfigured tango’. Its orchestration includes plucking-against-bowing string techniques in fluid motion, knitwork from Takeishi (his brushing is utterly captivating), Bonin’s deft improvisation on top of the colorful harmonic tapestry weaved by vibraphonist Michael Davidson, and interlocking combinations that showcase the sharp, intricate sonic world created for these musicians’ interplay.

The busier, Balkan-influenced “Movement III” is set in motion with a swaggering pace, suggesting that one may find moments of revelation and mystery ahead. Dabbling in chromaticism, Helias delivers an expedite bass solo that gets prompt and clever responses from Takeishi. And then it’s Davidson who entangles us in enchanting articulations.

The next four pieces are non-improvised chamber odysseys for string quartet that still exhibits a strong sense of openness. The Molinari String Quartet is enlisted for the task, driving their glissandi and segmental fixations in a permanent sonic lane marked by steady tonal colors and more-curvaceous-than-angular forms.

This is a work that requires patience from the listeners, requiring them to be in the mood to fully appreciate what’s going on. After the wide recognition obtained with the colossal Path of Totality in 2018, an album of reference in today's jazz, it’s interesting to see Nachoff working with new languages as he sharpens compositional and arranging skills. We have to wait until the last piece - the title track was written in response to the climate change - to hear the saxophonist in real action. He does it beautifully, even if the unorthodoxy of the percussive flow doesn’t really infuse extra enthusiasm.

Ambitious in its conception, Pivotal Arc is no ordinary record. Chewing up all its episodes at once is strenuous, but this music manages to carve out a space for itself.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Movement I ► 03 - Movement III ► 08 - Pivotal Arc