Label: Shifting Paradigm Records, 2026
Personnel - Jon Irabagon: stritch; James Davis: trumpet; Jim Baker: piano, ARP 2600 synth; Christopher Dammann: double bass; Mike Reed: drums.
Chicago-based bassist and composer Christopher Dammann has a very limited discography as a leader, but that shouldn’t discourage you from checking out his latest work, Dead Words. On this album, five spiritual contrafacts are reimagined by Dammann’s cohesive and highly synergistic quintet, featuring the incomparable talents of saxophonist Jon Irabagon, trumpeter James Davis, keyboardist Jim Baker, and drummer Mike Reed.
With stately grandeur, “Montrose B” is an assertive opener, a pure post-bop piece that dazzles and invigorates. Following a magnetic bass introduction, the attractive theme is brought to the fore by the horn players, who exchange ideas freely under the spell of the swinging vibrancy coursing beneath them. Characteristically outgoing on stritch, Irabagon takes the first solo with the force of nature—he has a special edge to his playing—followed by Baker, whose delicate lyricism unfolds through dreamy sonorities, and then Davis, who, eschewing unnecessary flourishes, relishes the fleeting Latin-inflected passages woven into the swing.
Interesting enough to keep you fully engaged, “Untitled” is a hymn to avant-garde expressionism, shaped by the spacious, woozy, electronics-infused glitches and feedback of Baker’s semi-modular ARP synthesizer. Dammann’s constantly probing bass supports cyclical saxophone bursts interspersed with terse trumpet commentary and incisive synth textures. “Two Themes for Improvisation” also features Baker’s asynchronous synth transmissions and Irabagon’s spontaneous saxophone interjections, yet it is Dammann who takes the lead with his resonant arco work. Reed’s thoughtful snare and tom patterns stand out as the group navigates an abstract limbo, moving between climactic peaks and serene atmospheres with equal assurance.
If the two previously described pieces showcase the group’s indifference to orthodoxy in favor of freer experimentation, “White Gladis”, with Dammann’s haunting bow sweeping across the bass strings, returns the music to earth, finding its footing through counterpoint. Its lilting, blues-inflected modal mood bears resemblance to works by Sam Rivers, Charles Tolliver, and Stanley Cowell. Irabagon’s timbral flamboyance finds the perfect foil in Davis’ more restrained yet perfectly articulated phrasing. Both are also prominently featured on the closing track, “This Is an Unraveling”, where Dammann beautifully states the melody after introducing it with a catchy bass figure.
Dead Words offers propulsively swinging, muscular music delivered with an ideal balance of discipline and freedom, feeling simultaneously nostalgic and forward-looking. The equilibrium achieved is masterful, leaving us hoping Dammann returns soon with more music of this caliber.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Montrose B ► 03 - White Gladis ► This Is An Unraveling