Tony Malaby's Sabino - The Cave of Winds

January 11, 2022

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2022

Personnel - Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophone; Ben Monder: guitar; Michael Formanek: double bass; Tom Rainey: drums.

Inspired by the turnpike sessions he did in New Jersey with musician friends, the American saxophonist and composer Tony Malaby reassembles the estimable, powerhouse quartet Sabino, which marked an early phase in his career. The bassist Michael Formanek and the drummer Tom Rainey are kept in their original positions, while the guitarist Ben Monder replaces Marc Ducret.

The highly creative spirit of these musicians transpires on “Corinthian Leather”, a loose reading of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Woody'n You”, where a riff serves as a point of departure for an exciting journey of exploration and interplay. At the outset, Malaby and Formanek play very close to each other, having Monder on the loose. The resourceful guitarist makes an interesting bridge between the frontline and the rhythm section, whether opting for single-note texture or harmony work to better consolidate the substructure. It might feel unorthodox sometimes, but you can definitely feel the swinging pulse flowing at the bottom. The concluding theme statement shows guitar and tenor following identical melodic paths.

The enigmatic “Recrudescence” is a collective improvisation that revels in seemingly static waves of kaleidoscopic guitar harmony, timbral tenor fascination, independent bass slides, and understated cymbal sparks. This calm scenario suddenly picks up steam via the beefy intonation of the saxophone, the eerie guitar sounds shadowing the texture, and a skittering bass-drum activity that densifies and propels. The piece ends with the earthy, wooden phrasing of Formanek.

The brooding, guitar-centric “Scratch the Horse” finds a middle ground between black metal and modern creative jazz. Malaby’s throaty and monolithic vociferation on tenor paints the space in expressive midrange without ever losing any melodic notion or the tasteful sense of phrasing that characterizes his playing. He’s no less extraordinary on “Insect Ward”, where he takes the soprano to unstoppable acrobatics. Surrounding and underpinning his actions are Formanek’s arco incisions and Rainey’s thoroughly selective percussion.

The 18-minute title track. “The Cave of Winds”, starts off like a happy chant outlined by folk soprano melodies. Along its meandering course, the piece acquires an expressionistic quality whose energy is later abated with temperate dark moments. If the ensemble moves in a relatively obscure setting here, then wait for the closer, “Just Me, Just Me”, a contrafact of the late-twenties classic “Just You, Just Me” that brings a glimmer of hope in both the unisons and polyphonies created by Malaby and Monder. They are imperative in their movements and majestic in their sounds, forming a rainbow of vast angularities.

There’s nothing dated in Malaby’s The Cave of Winds. It’s all fresh, bold and adventurous... decidedly not for conservative jazz listeners.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Corinthian Leather ► 02 - Recrudescence ► 07 - Just Me, Just Me

Ben Monder / Tony Malaby / Tom Rainey - Live at the 55 Bar

February 9, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Ben Monder: guitar; Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophones; Tom Rainey: drums.

Theoretically, if you have the outstanding guitarist Ben Monder, the inquisitive saxophonist Tony Malaby and the idiosyncratic drummer Tom Rainey playing in the same group, the music has to be awesome. That prognostic is confirmed on this fully-improvised recording captured live last year at the iconic New York venue 55 Bar. The immersive session consists of a long-form three-part suite so-called 3320, which alludes to the date it was performed, March 3rd, 2020.

The finely structured piece takes us to the musicians' recondite and enigmatic sonic world, where light and darkness nail down a deal. Developed with extraordinary intuition, the moods are predominantly foreboding but also catchily obsessive, overcast with gravitas and power alike.

Monder infuses the chorded passages with perplexing sounds and colors, sometimes soaring in suspension with short bursts of light after rising from the occult and the underground. Malaby is often expansive and infectious in his subterranean statements, which sometimes take the form of agonizing, full-throated growls. The tempo is not what certainly matters here, and Rainey is pleased about that, given that he always appreciated freedom and keeps breathing freedom in his playing. His mindfulness and balance help keep things together, whether his rhythmic patchwork is infused with snare drum swirls that cut like knives, high-strung pulses of considerable complexity, or sensitive brushwork that underlines space as opposed to density.

The first part of the suite runs for nearly 17 minutes; the second lasts over 29; and the third, keeping the close interplay but delivered with speed and stamina, adds about 15 minutes more for a total of one whole hour of music. While navigating a marvel of harmonic rivers and unique textures, the group embraces free improvisation with occasional goth and doom metal influences, and the constant ebb and flow in their explorations contribute for a gray state of incertitude and amazement.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Suite 3320: Part II ► 03 - Suite 3320: Part III

Tony Malaby/Mat Maneri/Daniel Levin - New Artifacts

April 11, 2017

Label/year: Clean Feed, 2017

Lineup - Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophones; Mat Maneri: viola; Daniel Levin: cello.

tony-malaby-mat-maneri-levin-new-artifacts

This symbiotic musical gathering between saxophonist Tony Malaby, violist Mat Maneri, and cellist Daniel Levin happened at the Three’s Brewer in Brooklyn in August 2015. This collaboration is not so surprising to me, taking into account that the members of this trio are prone to new experiments and alternative sounds.

Comprising four tunes, whose durations range from seven to thirteen minutes, New Artifacts opens with the title track, a fearless exploration of tones and textures in an innuendo of avant-jazz meets modern classical. Whether jarring or idyllic, the soundscapes are vast and sumptuous, yet the communication remains focused and alert. Despite occasional escapades, Maneri and Levin are in consonance for the most part of the time, leaving the unrestricted Malaby discoursing via tenor phrases mounted with a wide variety of timbres.

The saxophonist makes use of the soprano for “Creation Story” in which he embarks on a dissonant dialogue with Maneri. They speak frankly and only intermittently reach an agreement. At some point, Levin increases the rhythm by tapping the cello and plucking the strings to make it sound like a bass. The sounds of the instruments blend so thoroughly that sometimes it’s difficult to tell who’s playing what. The tune ends with Malaby’s high-pitched whistles over percussive sounds.

Open and atmospheric, “Freedom From the Known” starts by testing the waters through minimalistic fluctuations in order to gradually compose a wide and complex scene. Here, Maneri influences the mood by contrasting sad melodies with rugged tones.
In opposition to the previous compositions, “Joe” hauls us into a spooky musical setting, forcing us to traverse multiple obscure dimensions.

Highly conceptual, New Artifacts is everything but an easy listening and even staunch avant-gardists will have a challenge here. If you’re sufficiently courageous as a listener, go ahead and try to capture the richness of these triangular propagations.

Favorite Tracks:
03 – Freedom From the Known ► 04 – Joe