Label: Otherly Love Records, 2024
Personnel - Mette Rasmussen: alto saxophone, preparations, bells; Craig Taborn: piano, preparations; Ches Smith: drums, percussion.
Decidedly quirky and subversive in their approach to individual and collective sound, the trio Weird of Mouth—featuring kindred spirits Mette Rasmussen on alto saxophone, Craig Taborn on piano, and Ches Smith on drums—makes an impactful debut with an entirely improvised session recorded in Brooklyn in 2022. The trio’s expansive and exploratory sound offers an exhilarating dive into the depths of modern creativity, with each piece varying in texture and intensity.
“Wolf Cry” asserts itself with authority, building catchy aesthetics through bold saxophone intervals and sinuous phrases, supported by Taborn’s edgy propulsions and enlivening harmonies, which often slide into motif-rich pianism. Smith’s dynamic drumming is exquisite refinement, punctuated by grand cymbal splashes and fluid brushwork. The track concludes in a dreamy tone, while “Dogs in Orbit” has a positively vibrant opening, with Rasmussen enjoying her fiery saxophonics over explosive drum bursts that only cease when Taborn adds playful prepared piano. The group’s musical unpredictability takes us into a rubato flow that dazzles and transcends.
“Existension” starts conversationally before escalating into a dense, turbulent storm of energy. Jolting with scuffling punk moments, we are thrust into a sonic vortex with growling saxophone shouts over a tense environment of expansive piano chords and zestful percussion. The intensity of this piece contrasts with the slow, meditative “In Search of a Soul Plane”, where vibing prepared piano, resonant saxophone vibrations, and exotic percussion blend into a freewheeling, abstract exploration.
The sprawling “Planisphere” showcases Smith’s broken rhythms and syncopations, building to a ferocious intensity with nearly-mechanical pulsations, but also offering moments of release. Taborn’s pianism moves effortlessly from dreamlike wisps to enveloping grandeur, while the trio nods to hip-hop, making the interplay both danceable and richly textured. The album closes with “Proven Right, Then Left, Then Right”, an exploratory finale that layers drifting melodies over a web of percussive sounds, gradually increasing in textural complexity.
With Rasmussen, Taborn, and Smith at the height of their improvisational prowess, Weird of Mouth’s debut is a formidable addition to the free jazz and avant-garde canon, showcasing their unique ability to traverse soundscapes that are as challenging as they are rewarding.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Wolf Cry ► 02 - Dogs in Orbit ► 05 - Planisphere