Bobby Avey (pno); Miguel Zenón (alt); Ben Monder (gtr); Thomson Kneeland (bs); Jordan Perison (dms).
(Review by Lance).
An hour long suite, composed by Avey who found his inspiration in events surrounding the Haitian Revolution and built his masterpiece around the rhythms found in Haitian Vodou drumming, Such is the complexity of the rhythmic foundation that it seems incredible that only one drummer is behind the wheel. Perison's your man if you get a gig in Port au Prince (or anywhere else come to that!)
Not that this a non stop percussive barrage, no sir. There are reflective passages where Avey lays back to give a master-class in minimalist piano. Suggesting a theme, leaving it to your imagination - perhaps the listener may recall a passage from Graham Greene's Haitian based novel The Comedians: "I suppose those of us who spend a large part of our lives in dissembling, whether to a woman, to a partner, even to ourselves, begin to smell each other out..."
Isn't this what jazz is all about? - the parts are dissembled, the musicians smelled out and, after being well and truly dissembled, the components are put back together (ish) again. Zenón is a master at this, soaring like a 22nd century bird (I use the word intentionally) taking the alto sax to places where many saxophones fear to tread. But we're in Haiti, a land of much mystery. Avey has captured it all and so has Perison. Somebody out there is sticking pins in a drummer doll and it's given our man an extra pair of hands!
Not a CD to play when your dear maiden aunt comes to tea but top of the hit parade when your Mother in Law makes a (guaranteed) brief visit.
Bobby Avey - Authority Melts From Me is released on Monday May 5 (That's next Monday) on Whirlwind Recordings WR 4650.
Lance.
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