Label: BAG Records, 2021

Personnel - Ben Goldberg: clarinet, bass clarinet; Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Michael Formanek: bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

Anyone with strong ties to modern jazz has clarinetist/composer Ben Goldberg in high account, not only because of his free-minded posture and adventurous sound but also for the exciting groups he puts together. His latest outing, Everything Happens To Be, features him in a malleable quintet with some of the most in-demand New York risk-takers, for whom he specifically composed the music. Goldberg combines his melodic resources with the ones of tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin in the forefront, while the rhythmic department features the illustrious members of Thumbscrew - guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.

Hyped by Halvorson’s phenomenal comping, “What About” demonstrates to be a romantic, cinematic and easy-on-the-ear opener, having Goldberg and Eskelin work closely together to draw a chorale-type of narrative arc. Fujiwara’s command of the brushes is noticeable here, and he finds a time for himself near the ending.

“21” offers a superb avant-garde psychedelia that gleams with sonic delights. It starts with the melody right at the center, passing through a period of moderate rhythmic fuzziness - thanks to Formanek’s woody plucks and Fujiwara’s snare drum - and then jumping into a steadfast swinging motion over which a collective improvisatory feast occurs. The two-horn coalition exudes a dixieland/swing type of allure during the theme, a disposition that returns on “To-Ron-To” and, less pronouncedly, on “Cold Weather”.

The group is symbiotic in its communication and tunes like “Fred Hampton”, a hummable pop song for the political activist that the title refers to; “Everything Happens To Be”, which flows with an underlying bossa touch; and “Chorale Type”, which flourishes with melody-drenched focal points (clarinet-guitar interplay / bass solo / tenor solo over pop-rock chord changes), make new and exciting music swirling into being. There’s also a groovy, asymmetric klezmer-flavored piece called “Long Last Moment”, which was previously included in the clarinetist’s 2006 quintet album The Door, The Hat, The Chair, The Fact.

Yet, the most impressive piece on the album is “Tomas Plays the Drums”, a tour-de-force that integrates the magnetic, sonorous tones of the bass clarinet with a mix of dry snare, wet toms and rim sounds provided by the drummer. The last section is reworked on the strength of an infectious rhythm atop which Eskelin’s multiphonics, Goldberg’s intensely vibrating blows, and Halvorson’s distorted tweaks, stand out.

This is an album that conveys optimism and joy, blending empathic familiar sounds with carefully measured tension.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - “21” ► 07 - Tomas Plays the Drums ► 08 - Long Last Moment

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2019

Personnel - Ben Goldberg: clarinet, contra-alto clarinet; Ron Miles: cornet; Nels Cline: guitar.

Poetry that influences music, which, in turn, inspires new poetry, is a basic description to describe clarinetist Ben Goldberg’s interesting concept for his new album Good Day For Cloud Fishing. The album, inspired by Dean Young’s book Solar Plexus, exists on a plane of its own, delivering musical moments replete with compositional structure and unfettered improvisation. Goldberg puts together an excellent triumvirate for this effort, joining forces with cornetist Ron Miles in a productive two-horn frontline that operates over the quirky foundations engendered by the ever-unpredictable guitarist Nels Cline.

Carrying a somewhat scary and enigmatic title, “Demonic Possession is 9/10th The Law” is just a short, innocuous chorale that kicks off the session a balladic quality.

Revolving around a specific melodic idea, “Parthenogenesis” requires Cline to function almost like a bass player. During the earlier laid-back 4/4 section, it’s Miles’ mildly distorted stretches that stand out, but the tune veers into a folk-impregnated vintage section that changes course once more, going toward bluesy and freer improvisation.

“Phantom Pains” thrives with Monk-ish humor and an avant-garde posture. One can detect an ad-lib collective loquacity that morphs into a worry-free passage with predominantly folk intentions.

Both “A Rhythmia” and “Corpse Pose” are vividly cinematic, unraveling an impressive mobility and clarity in sound. The former features Golberg’s propulsive contra-alto clarinet guiding at the lower level, Cline’s bouncy retro rock chops, and Miles’ amusing melodies. Conversely, the latter piece makes an unexpected u-turn after offering sturdy unisons and an orbital rock sequence with some Pink Floyd psychedelia in the mix. At some point, it shapes into a soaring passage susceptible of an uncharacteristic romanticism. Both pieces testify that the trio come off as equal partners.

The experimental “Sub Club Punch Card” is infused with multiple trills and psychedelic effects, differing from the funk-tinged “Ant-Head Structures”, whose groovy gestures slow down for a meditation period where sustained guitar chords accommodate zigzagging melodic activity. The atmosphere gets thicker as distortion and extra effects are added to the concluding stage.

Clocking in at roughly 9 and a half minutes, “Surprised Again By Rain” is the longest track on the album, and displays the group exploring two discrepant ambiances while making use of an intelligent instrumentation. Poignant and lyrical at the very start, the tune feels like a true poem. However, the clear skies gradually darken, shaking things off with a relentless, oppressive, and slightly-macabre sonic pollution. After painting this sort of dystopian scenario, the trio concludes the session by returning to what they had started on the very first track: a tonic, optimistic, and multi-layered chorale. Its title is “An Ordinary Day Somewhere”.

Alternating between perfect curvatures and sharp angles, softness and harshness, space and entanglement, this is an appropriate setting to become acquainted with Goldberg’s sonic depth, improvising skills, and compositional creativity.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - A Rhythmia ► 05 - Corpse Pose ► 11 - Surprised Again by Rain