Label: Secret Hatch Records, 2023
Personnel - Ben Goldberg: clarinet; Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Jenny Scheinman: violin; Adam Levy: guitar; Erik Deutsch: piano; Rob Reisch: accordion; Todd Sickafoose: bass; Allison Miller: drums.
15 years after the release of his must-listen album Tiny Resistors (CryptoGramophone, 2008), American bassist, composer and producer Todd Sickafoose puts out another fantastic long-form octet effort, Bear Proof. This commissioned work, recorded at one continuous take and intended to be played straight-through, allows his ambitious tones and wealth of ideas come to full fruition with the help of creative musicians. Supported by a super busy frontline of deft improvisers such as cornetist Kirk Knuffke, clarinetist Ben Goldberg and violinist Jenny Scheinman, Sickafoose also ensures a resourceful rhythm section with guitarist Adam Levy, pianist Erik Deutsch, accordionist Rob Reisch, and the rock-steady drumming of Allison Miller.
“The Gold Gate” serves as an inviting opener, relying on a formidable collision of chamber riffage and a magnetic beat that further matures into a pulsing 11-beat cycle. ‘This is mighty fine’, we think, but there’s still time to enjoy Scheinman’s agile fiddle playing before grand piano chords take us to “Bent to Shape”. The latter number, strangely conveying hastiness without really rushing things, has Goldberg and Deutsch working closely before finishing in febrile avant-garde excitement.
Sickafoose patterned his groove in quintuple meter for “Switched On”, which highlights Knuffke and Scheinman in the improvisation department. Under their feet, texture and intensity keep changing without affecting the overall balance. On a different note, the cheery and playful “Flush” gets off the ground with wide piano jumps, handing out solos (from Goldberg and Scheinman) built around passionate harmonic accompaniment. It concludes with deep bass reflections over a drone proposed by violin and accordion.
The fluid musical states emerge, evolve, and sometimes expand before segueing into another theme that, like the previous ones, are part of this dynamic musical body. While “Boom Bust Start Up” explodes in epic colors with clear allusions to blues and rock ’n’ roll, “Turns Luck” is orchestrated with meditative depth, achieving a chilled-out atmosphere. Also floating in repose are “Magnetic North” and “Reverse Fortune”, American folk-induced ballads with prominent guitar work. The former piece, definitely a favorite, morphs unexpectedly into a quiet vamp enhanced by Knuffke’s incredible command of the cornet. How beautifully he sounds here!
Sickafoose is adroit at composing, directing, and framing the sprawling energies of a music that was about time to see the light of day.
*** Note: we had the pleasure to hear this music live at Winter JazzFest 2020 in New York City - check it out here: https://jazztrail.net/winter-jazzfest-2020-manhattan-marathon-1-nyc-jan-10/
Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Gold Gate ► 03 - Switched On ► 05 - Magnetic North