THE ATTIC - SUMMER BUMMER (NoBusiness Records, 2019)
Personnel - Rodrigo Amado: tenor sax; Gonçalo Almeida: double bass; Onno Govaert: drums.
The Attic is a European free jazz trio composed of Portuguese saxist Rodrigo Amado, Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida, and Dutch drummer Onno Govaert, who now sits on the chair that once belonged to Marco Franco. Summer Bummer is the trio’s sophomore effort and includes three extemporaneous pieces that spawn a rash of peculiar swinging streams, which may easily escalate into intricate rhythmic entanglements and spiraling rapid-fire phrases with timbral diversity and corrosive ebullience. Invocations of Coltrane, Ornette, Braxton, and Ayler are disseminated throughout. Cautious introductory assemblages expand into denser textural layering, defining the communication as a three-way dialogue before rambling journeys, often set to urgent pacing, become fleshed out by Amado’s muscular horn. Full of passion and exerting a hypnotic spell on the listener, The Attic proved capable of giving giant steps. [A-]
EVAN PARKER - CREPUSCULE IN NICKELSDORF (Intakt Records, 2019)
Personnel - Evan Parker: soprano sax; Matthew Wright: turntable, live sampling; Adam Linson: double bass, electronics; John Coxon: turntable, electronics; Ashley Wales: electronics.
The obsessive circularity of Evan Parker’s soprano is a mutual characteristic of the seven chapters that compose Crepuscule in Nickelsdorf, a live album whose experimental music inhabits an undefined space immersed in light refraction. For this work, the saxophonist teams up with turntablist Matthew Wright and three other electronic manipulators and members of the latter’s group Trance Map+. The result felt a bit short of what I expected. Despite the challenging concept to create permanent abstraction through digitally manipulated sounds that include buzzing activity (variable in pitch and volume) reminiscent of insects, programmed phenomena, and persistent birdlike chirping overlaps, the experience was a bit tiresome. The patterned code-like tones still create some frisson, but they often downshift into autopilot mode. Nonetheless, everything in this aural microcosms sounded relentlessly and unconditionally here and now. [C+]
DARREN BARRETT - MR. STEINER (dB Studios, 2019)
Personnel - Darren Barrett: EVI, trumpet; Santiago Bosch: keyboards; Chad Selph: organ; Daniel Ashkenazy: bass; Gonn Shani: bass; Mathéo Techer: drums; Roni Kaspi: drums; Jeffrey Lockhart: guitar; Roy Ben Bashat: guitar; François Chanvallon: guitar; Judy Barrett: percussion + guests Kenny Garrett: soprano saxophone; Noah Preminger: tenor saxophone; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar.
Totally focused on the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument), Canadian trumpeter Darren Barrett has his second consecutive misfire with Mr. Steiner, a stylized album that, homaging the creator of the cited polyphonic instrument, Nyle Steiner, never hits high peaks. Blending electronic and jazz elements, the album has the short EVI-centered title track as one of its best moments (it also features trumpet interventions and a compendious guitar solo by guest Kurt Rosenwinkel). Another illustrious guest, Kenny Garrett, contributes a soulful soprano peregrination to upgrade the R&B-infused “dB plus KG”, while tenorist Noah Preminger makes use of his developed language, shaking up the insipid melodic narratives of “Botnik”, a stereotyped fusion effort. On “Only You Know”, it’s Venezuelan keyboardist Santiago Bosch who deserves attention as he keeps displaying mind-boggling machine-like sounds. Although respecting Barrett’s musical prism and knowing what he’s capable of (The Opener was one of my favorite albums from 2017), I could never get a real kick out of this new record, which only sporadically draws interest through individual statements. [C]