zooid — Jazz Album Reviews — JazzTrail | NY Jazz Scene | Album Reviews

Label: Pi Recordings, 2026

Personnel - Henry Threadgill: alto saxophone, flute, bass flute; Liberty Ellman: acoustic guitar; Jose Davila: tuba, trombone; Christopher Hoffmann: cello; Elliott Humberto Kavee: drums.

I dig Henry Threadgill’s type of sound, how he orchestrates modern classical, progressive chamber jazz, and avant-garde opaqueness using layers that unfold with meticulously planned coherence and originality. Threadgill’s prominent presence on the contemporary avant-garde landscape has a strong association with Zooid, a tight quintet that has never felt so loose as in Cut You Where You Was. Threadgill is not heading into a new direction here, but the album has plenty to discover and enjoy.

On “Fluoroscope”, we notice intervallic leaps within a highly contrapuntal environment, which is so characteristic of the saxophonist’s style. With a tight focus on arrangement and composition, the piece also counts on mystifying solos by Threadgill, who uncorks atypical melodies, and guitarist Liberty Ellman, whose acoustic patterns sound just right over the textural oddities generated by cellist Christopher Hoffman, tubist José Davila, and drummer Elliott Humberto Kavee.

The three-movement chamber piece “Bingo” explores a variety of exquisite feels and moods: “Bingo Part 1” sets elated flute flights against tuba wails, low-key guitar specifications, and somber cello; “Bingo Part 2” features Ellman’s bluesy slide technique as flute and trombone contribute to the exotic, picturesque landscape; and “Bingo Part 3” thrives on motivic alto sax and enthralled mallet drumming.

“Red Admiral Red Moon Rising” is the album’s centerpiece, clocking in at more than 12 minutes. What begins as a mournful dirge with plenty of delightful detail quickly evolves into a captivating, quirky groove that has its own imaginative way of swinging. Only Threadgill can come up with these rhythmic jaw-droppers, and his dissonant solo here resonates within that narrative thrust. His ability to go against structural norms and jazz conventions is also mirrored on “Off And On What Happened”, where the inventive, unaccompanied Kavee shines. Counterpoint and fragmented cadences are injected before the skillful drummer finishes what he had started.

“Lightnin’” is another miniature gem, with sax and guitar declaring curious lines in unison and a deliciously offbeat groove underpinning Ellman’s clear yet nonconformist statement. Passion and openness are present throughout the album, and the final result is simultaneously haunting and bewitching.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Bingo Part 3 ► 05 - Red Admiral Red Moon Rising ► 07 - Off And On What Happened ► 08 - Lignin’

Label: Pi Recordings, 2021

Personnel - Henry Threadgill: alto saxophone, flutes; Liberty Ellman: acoustic guitar; Jose Davila: tuba, trombone; Christopher Hoffman: cello; Elliot Humberto Kavee: drums.

The unparalleled saxophonist Henry Threadgill, a primary figure in the modern creative and avant-garde jazz worlds for years, returns with his Zooid project. As per usual, the musical personalities of the musicians involved in Poof - guitarist Liberty Ellman, tubist/trombonist Jose Davila, cellist Christopher Hoffman and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee - contribute plenty of exoticism and lyricism to the uniquely developed compositional forms of the bandleader, in a quirky confluence of sounds that create engrossing paths of inquiry.

Take the example of the opener, “Come and Go”, which assumes the shape of an atypical marching procession embracing hopping tuba groove, quizzical cello melody, folksier guitar pointillism, conversational alto sax fluency, and an unobtrusive rhythmic layout on the drum kit. It might seem disjointed at a first glance, but rest assured that all coheres with gorgeous effulgence.

The title track gets the ball rolling with a busy dialogue, which is put on halt, firstly when Ellman plays unaccompanied, and then when Threadgill’s alto takes the lead with irresistible pathos. Hoffmann then follows them, talking brightly.

“Beneath the Bottom” probes interesting tones with the contrast created by trombone, cello, flute and guitar. It remains within a nebulous sonic cloud until the appearance of an elegant groove. Also interesting is “Happenstance”, which counterpoints calmness and tension through cello shrieks and unflappable acoustic guitar. In the course of his magical solo, Ellman demonstrates why his sound and approach are distinctive, and later on, it’s Kavee who reminds us that he has a beat of his own. The final section brings both in-sync and contrapuntal movements.

Pushing the pulse with wry pleasure, the incisive and sophisticated “Now and Then” wraps up the album with genuine group cooperation and an outstanding multiphonic finale.

This is a great return from Threadgill, who showcases the poetic puzzlement of his compositions and that magical style that leaves us marveled.