Label: Tundra / New Focus Recordings, 2020
Personnel: Jen Curtis: violin; Tyshawn Sorey: piano, percussion.
Here’s what I call a perfect musical match. Invisible Ritual brings together violinist/composer Jen Curtis, a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble, whose technique is awe-inspiring, with multi-instrumentalist/composer Tyshawn Sorey, heralded as one of the leading jazz innovators of our times.
Funneling their advanced musical practices into eight spontaneously composed movements, these open-minded artists subvert standards and provide new genre-defying perspectives by employing a sublime symposium of timbres and sound combinations in their music.
“I” exudes a tremendous avant-folk spell. Curtis strums, bows and plucks with edginess and power while Sorey responds with precision and brio. His unpredictable accompaniment, filled with true grit, allows him to whether make the drums pounding irregularly, rocking with some more form, or simply react with instinctive yet logical ideas.
The motivic-filled “II” alternates forward-moving thrust with calmer Eastern-flavored inspirations; it ends with peaceful flute-like tones and understated percussion. In turn, “IV” stresses strong rhythmic accentuations and turns loose motifs that can be simultaneously lustrous and rasping in tone. A powerful combination of mosaics drawn from classical, avant-garde jazz, rock and folk is on display, while synchronization, integration and reaction play key roles. In this particular movement, we have Sorey’s powerful drumming exploding with a superior sense of groove, occasionally adorned with inventive stunts for a grandiose effect. This piece marks a peak in the duo’s effortless communication.
Sorey is also extremely talented on the piano, and several pieces demonstrate his deep understanding of harmony, usually designed with quirky combinations of chord extensions. Take the examples of “III”, patiently sculpted with dreamy harmonic ambiguity and ghostly fiddling technique in the form of insistent hurried plucks and long multiphonic bows; “V”, whose balletic movements bring both circular and free-flowing activity to the table; and “VI”, a contemplative, lyrical offering where the piano breathes and the violin soothes. The record ends with a violin composite of veiled glissandos, bending plucks, and shrilling bowed notes in consonance with a panoply of percussive sounds, from gongs to chimes to vibes.
Probing with finesse and depth, the duo shows off an invulnerable musical affinity that makes me want to hear more. Invisible Ritual offers beautiful, incantatory moments and a great deal of outstanding playing.
Grade A-
Favorite Tracks:
I ► III ► IV