An artist still worth exploring mark it down as a bad night? Had Halvorson opted on offering tighter charts but more of them rather than stretching fewer to their limits, no doubt the show would have been more interesting.
Some of the playing lacked oomph, particularly Finlayson’s extended trumpet solo which lacked power, the notes wet and unrounded as if he’d completely forgotten the function of his spit valve. The avant-jazz charts lacked depth albeit interesting heads that tended to go in circles rather than offer true launching points for shared exploration most compositions were structured around the statement-solo-restatement development form, and tended to overstate their case. Despite Halvorson’s rapidly-growing reputation in and outside of the New York scene and her undeniably unique tone supplemented by pitch-change effects and a blend of feisty-yet-tender agility on guitar, the concert was a disappointment. Mary Halvorson Quintet Mary Halvorson: electric guitar Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet Stephan Crump: double bass Jon Irabagon: alto sax Ches Smith: drums. Truly astonishing musicians and a well-received success. And Joey Baron well, if you’re unfamiliar with the man’s playing, don’t dare speak of “best drummer” until you’ve listened to him. Wollesen, whom most may know for his drumming, provided deft mallet work and enchanting lyricism on vibes, as Medeski, leaving his Hammond behind, graced, tickled, and slammed the ivories with the usual ease that seems to contradict his skilful mix of speed, accuracy, and opulent tone colour. Seeing Trevor Dunn on double bass in such a context sparked cognitive dissonance for some, but his versatility and skill fit the bill, notwithstanding a slight technical failing that blurred heavy basses rather than helped to define them. The use of vibraphones evoked The Dreamers, but here compositions flowed with more accessible structures that relied on elaborate orchestrations and the sheer virtuosity each player brought to the whole under Zorn’s exacting direction, whilst offering plenty of space for mind-blowing solos. Burroughs-inspired project that departs from Zorn’s abstruse avant-gardism to showcase his jazz flair through an exploration of the manic neurosis that inhabits Burroughs’ novels.
0 kommentar(er)
