Francisco Mela - Shine Hear Vol. 1

August 3, 2023

Label: 577 Records, 2023

Personnel - Daniel Carter: saxophones; Leo Genovese: piano; William Parker: bass, gralla, shakuhachi; Francisco Mela: drums, voice.

This potent quartet composed of two veteran leaders of the downtown free jazz scene - saxophonist Daniel Carter and bassist William Parker (here taking a larger role as he joins the frontline playing woodwind instruments) - and two excellent musicians of a younger generation - Argentine pianist Leo Genovese and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela - deliver a cutting-edge session of free improvisation in which they show not to be afraid of dissonance, atonality, and experiment with sound.

“Intertext Salute” exhibits a moderate yet assured percussive drive at the outset, with irregular piano coiling, fully framed bass work in the forms of sturdy pizzicato and burbling arco, and poised manifestations of saxophone angularity. At some point Parker brings the gralla (a Catalan double reed instrument) into the game. He and Carter burn through simultaneous phrases that, emphasizing accentuation, create a sophisticated and witty musical dialogue. Tonally brilliant, Genovese’s playing feels like a tornado of tremendous force, and the energy peak coincides with when Mela’s Cuban chants start to intensify.

Many will say the intensity wanes on “Shine Hear”, a splendorous modal piece of immense beauty, but moments like this one do make the difference. With big ears and resourceful skills, they express themselves in a prayerful communion where saxophone and shakuhachi interact closely.

The concluding cut, “Glisten Up” goes through a cycle of different moods and textures. Furious gralla lines fly atop the martial snare drum flow; subsequently, we have soaring piano hooks rambling until crashing loudly in the low register; and then a repetitive vocal phrase uttered by Mela while maintaining a steady rhythmic pulse. This becomes the motivic center for what comes next. Carter seems to evoke the black spiritual “When the Saints Are Marching In” at the beginning of his statement; there are reflective phrases over mechanic rat-a-tat-tas and apt chordal work; and everything fades into a dreamy ambience with bowed bass at the fore.

Assembled with structural and sonic invention, this disc is a vast sea of interminable motion and mood. With ensembles like this, one can still find coherent free jazz cooked with taste and passion. With new sounds but also with the intensity of the old times.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Intertext Salute ► 02 - Shine Hear

William Parker - Universal Tonality

November 17, 2022

Label: Centering Records, 2022

Personnel - Rob Brown: alto saxophone; Daniel Carter: reeds, brass; Cale Brandley: tenor saxophone; Grachan Moncur Ill: trombone; Steve Swell: trombone; Matt Lavelle: trumpet; Jin Hi Kim: komungo; Miya Masaoka: koto; Billy Bang: violin; Jason Kao Hwang: violin; Joe Morris: guitar; Dave Burrell: piano; Leena Conquest: voice; Jerome Cooper: balafon, chiramía, keys, drums; Roger Blank: balafon; William Parker: bass, dilruba, shakuhachi, donso’ngoni; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Recorded at NYC’s Roulette on December 2002, Universal Tonality is a double-disc spectacle of enchanting sounds delivered by 16 musicians of different ages, cultures and backgrounds. That night, the bandleader - incredible bassist, composer and activist William Parker - provided an illustrated score that allowed plenty of freedom to the interpreters, in an attempt to make them “breathe together”. The words of protest and unity he wrote are declared with passion by vocalist Leena Conquest, and the performance counted with iconic names of the avant-garde jazz scene, some of them no longer among us like the violinist Billy Bang and trombonist Grachan Moncur III.

Putting a lot of commitment and intention in everything he does, Parker starts off this thematic excursion with “Tails of a Peacock”, where a sturdy bass figure announces the inspiring modal jazz to come. And it brings as much impact as spirituality. Playing concurrently for most of the time, the horn players come and go one after another, creating a spirited improvisational feast that is never static. This creative freedom is suspended for the time that Conquest sings “there’s a way to survive; hope is relentless, it will never die.”

Clocking in at more than half an hour, “Cloud Texture” speaks about vital musicians as well as tumults and injustices in the American history. It’s a smooth procession filled with emotional cries. There are quick stops for the decorous bowed strings of Bang and Jason Kao Hwang, horn-driven detail, and a far-flung finale with shakuhachi flute, koto and balafon.

“Leaves Gathering” sweeps like the wind; with lightness, at first, but then densifying in texture as it moves forward. We can easily discern the funky wah guitar of Joe Morris erupting from the instrumental mesh. This is before a cadenced strut is installed, anchored by an odd bass groove that invites the horns into a polyphonic cacophony. “Silver Sunshine” begins percussively with cymbals, gongs and chiramias, before a relentless melodic motif expressed in parallel gets stuck in your head, under a breezy swing. Moncur III is featured on this track. The opus comes to a conclusion with “Open System One”, offering some ecstatic blowing from the saxophonists Daniel Carter, Rob Brown and Cale Brandley.

William Parker’s albums are never frivolous or gratuitous; his message is always meaningful and incisive. Universal Tonality hands over a nicely-balanced aesthetic construct with enough substance for the excellent cast of musicians sink their teeth into.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tails of a Peacock ► 03 - Leaves Gathering ► 04 - 06 -

Andrew Cyrille / William Parker / Enrico Rava - 2 Blues for Cecil

January 13, 2022

Label: TUM Records, 2022

Personnel - Enrico Rava: flugelhorn; William Parker: double bass; Andrew Cyrille: drums.

I’m a long-time admirer and follower of the music put out by the Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava (here on flugelhorn only), the bassist William Parker, and the drummer Andrew Cyrille, as leaders. These brilliant musicians, who often write with improvisation in mind, are constantly open to ideas, remaining alert and responsive to every sound that surrounds them.

Although appearing together for the first time as a trio on 2 Blues For Cecil , they were all part of the groundbreaking Cecil Taylor Unit in the past, but at different times. Cyrille and Parker played in the cited group for 11 years each, 64-75 and 80-91, respectively; Rava appeared twice alongside the free jazz piano genius in 1984 and 1988. This dedication to the memory of the pianist comprises four collective improvisations, one jazz standard, one original by Parker and two apiece from Rava and Cyrille.

“Improvisation No.2” is way more reflective and sparse than “Improvisation No.1”, which opens the record with singing bass lines and likable figures, ever-sparking drumming filled with multi-timbral discernment, and crystal-clear horn playing that manages to be agile and searing. Also collective improvisations, “Blues For Cecil No. 1” and “Blues For Cecil No. 2” have different feelings. The former starts off slowly and then swings conveniently with Parker mutating rhythmic flows with vision; the latter is a more conventional 12-bar blues limned with expressive melody and groove.

Rava populates his hasty, if carefully calibrated, 1991-penned “Ballerina” with restless trumpet, but it’s his other composition, “Overboard”, that enthralled me the most. This Ornette Coleman-inspired piece was revisited many times before, but is built afresh here with beautiful trumpet lines and an enveloping rhythmic web consisting of sure-footed bass walks and intense tom-tom focus.

Whereas Cyrille’s “Enrava Melody” was written for the trumpeter, who, blowing with ascendant verve, combines sophistication and stamina, Parker’s open piece “Machu Picchu”, grounded on a three-time-feel bass ostinato, is a static yet dazzling showcase for Rava’s melodic impressions. The trio concludes with a brushed, harmonically broken reading of Rodgers/Hart’s “My Funny Valentine”.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Improvisation No. 1 ► 08 - Overboard ► 09 - Machu Picchu

Whit Dickey / William Parker / Matthew Shipp - Village Mothership

November 23, 2021

Label: Tao Forms Records, 2021

Personnel - Whit Dickey: drums; William Parker: bass; Matthew Shipp: piano.

In a tribute to New York City’s Lower East Side and 30 years of musical collaboration and friendship, the trio co-led by drummer Whit Dickey, bassist William Parker and pianist Matthew Shipp puts out Village Mothership, a collection of six improvised pieces that explores many shapes and forms, both abstract and tangible.

The album begins with “A Thing & Nothing”, whose initial reflective mood soon develops and expands. The piano goes from fluidly atmospheric to sparse (with incisive low notes) to pressurized mechanical motions. The bass lines feel like delicate, abstract brushstrokes that trail a path on a colored canvas but are not averse to casual vigorous plucks. The drum playing can shift from understated polishment to a bright swinging pulse. These indefatigable artists work on these fluxes and dynamics with a rapport enhanced by their broad history in the avant-garde and free jazz movements.

“Whirling in the Void” is cosmic jazz that starts almost with no gravity. We are gradually pushed into the earth through a mix of jazz radiance, contemporary classical mesmerism, folksy melodies and a concluding avant-rock pulsation.

“Nothingness” arrives with a sheer melodicism that condone with silences and occasional brisk attacks. It gets playful at times, then serious again, and then reflective before reversing this order. The trio is fond of experimentation in a freewheeling fashion but sometimes we are mislead to think the opposite, such is the cohesiveness and ease they play with each other’s ideas and sounds.

One of my favorite pieces is the title cut, “Village Mothership”, which, introduced by Dickey, soon acquires a bare bass pavement that helps to sustain exhilarating piano rides and chordal explosions. Shortly after Parker's bass walks begin on top of an insistent hi-hat route, it all becomes lushly jazzy and swinging with the return of Shipp. The piece fades with active bass and quiet drums.

The cinematic tension of “Down Void Way” toggles between eerie and dramatic, with Parker employing his bowing attributes, giving the piece its best possible mood.

Shipp, Parker and Dickey are constantly searching. They possess a range of resources in their playing that many musicians would like to have. This also applies to their unblemished teamwork.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - A Thing & Nothing ► 04 - Village Mothership ► 05 - Down Void Way

William Parker - Mayan Space Station

July 16, 2021

Label: AUM Fidelity, 2021

Personnel - William Parker: double bass; Ava Mendoza: electric guitar; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Bassist, composer and bandleader William Parker has been at the forefront of the creative jazz scene for decades. His music and stunning bass playing keep high standards of quality whether he plays in small ensembles or big bands, and he never turns his back to innovation and spontaneous creativity.

One of his latest records, Mayan Space Station, immediately caught my ear. Comprising six improvised numbers that will attract fans of fleshed indie rock, free jazz and groove-centered music alike, the album features a fearless, progressive avant-jazz trio that includes the up-and-coming guitarist Ava Mendoza and the versatile, sought-after drummer Gerald Cleaver.

“Tabasco” opens the record with a lucid, dance-inviting groove containing thrashing bass plucks and occasional tumultuous drum fills. This serves as a sustain for the cathartic post-rock forays of Mendoza. Parker devises a more intricate groove for “Rocas Rojas”, where the anthemic distorted guitar and patterned mosaics of toms and cymbals gradually converge to a final psychedelic haze.

If “Domingo”, which accommodates a fluttery abstraction, goes from an unorthodox walking bass to a more perceptible and rounded groove with slick details and percussive moment, then “The Wall Tumbles Down” swings from the very beginning, paving the ground for a saturated guitar statement delivered with a country-rockish vibe and echoing some of the Led Zeppelin’s charisma. The latter piece evolves into moody territory with siren-laden ostinatos for a broodier sense of danger.

“Mayan Space Station”, whose title is a conduit for peace and inspiration that invites us to space traveling through music, is an absorbing shapeshifter where the excellent team of Parker and Cleaver works the rhythmic flow in many ways while changing directions. Their throbbing propulsion undergirds Mendoza’s electric shrieks, which, later on, wildly contrasts with Parker’s bowed bass. The taut drum chops are intensified and a groove in five takes us to the conclusion.

In comparison, “Canyons of Light” brings more atmospheric awe in its suspended first half, getting piercingly austere as it moves forward.

Parker’s new trio navigates high peaks and deep valleys with a riotously unpredictable temper and exploding energy. Check it out for yourself and feel the groove.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tabasco ► 02 - Rocas Rojas ► 04 - Mayan Space Station

William Parker Quartets - Meditation / Resurection

September 2, 2017

Label/Year: AUM Fidelity, 2017

Lineup – William Parker: bass; Rob Brown: alto saxophone; Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson: trumpet, kalimba; Cooper-Moore: piano; Hamid Drake: drums, percussion.

Exciting, fearless, and deeply resourceful avant-jazz bassist William Parker has been contributing to the enrichment of contemporary jazz in its most diverse forms for nearly four decades.

His followers have another reason to rejoice with the new double-disc album Meditation/Resurrection, released on his own label AUM Fidelity. The album encompasses two sessions, each of them featuring two different quartets that preserve the sax-bass-drums core.

Disc one comprises seven tunes played with his regular quartet whose members are Rob Brown on alto saxophone, the recently added Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson on trumpet (replacing Lewis Barnes), and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion.

The journey begins and ends with elated melodic themes over vigorous, free-flowing grooves. The kickoff is made with the politically charged, calypso-like “Criminals In The White House”, whose title couldn’t be clearer and the musical reciprocation, more robust and adhesive. The improvisations on this tune were held by Brown, a disciple of the inside/outside approach and adept of portentous exclamations, and Nelson, who opted for slightly more loquacious and vehement objections. The closing number, “Give Me Back My Drum”, also strikes with shifting rhythms and rhymes.

Sticking in the middle, we have the piece “Horace Silver” split into two parts – the first transforms abstraction into musical poetry, while the second starts with chimes, gongs, and other percussive embellishments, and spins with Brown’s meandering phraseology steeped in Eastern idioms. Nelson, who initiates this one by playing kalimba, later switches to trumpet, joining the saxophonist to form brief unison lines that evolve into catchy polyphonies.

The light-flowing bass grooves of the bandleader are the cool essence of “Handsome Lake” and “Rodney's Resurrection”, a pair of tunes that thrives with whether brisk, whether moderated improvisations, yet always articulated and motivic.

Disc two features five tracks by Parker put up by his acclaimed quartet In Order to Survive, with pianist Cooper-Moore instead of Nelson. It starts with a sublime spiritual hymn entitled “Sunrise In East Harlem”, whose perpetual vamp driven by the pianist’s silky voicings serves as a vehicle for Parker’s initial chromatic arco movements and Brown’s side-slipping devotional worships.

Ironically, shades of Oliver Lake can be found on “Some Lake Oliver” where Brown's digressions are efficiently backed by Cooper-Moore’s shifting trills and intricate textures, Parker’s bass freedom, and Drake’s combustible drumming.

Both the static “Urban Disruption” and the 18-minute collective ramble “Things Falling Apart” abound with serpentine melodic contortions and astute rhythmic ideas.

Regardless the tempo, languid or swingingly up, there’s always something to discover in Parker’s interesting tunes and immaculate groovy lines. His dedication to and innate passion for creative music is unflinching and an example and inspiration for every aspiring musician.

Favorite Tracks:
01 (CD1) – Criminals in the White House ► 01 (CD2) – Sunrise In East Harlem ► 04 (CD2) – Urban Disruption