All things being equal, it’s neither six nor two threes but a triple double at play here with the idea being that the baton is passed from one player on an instrument to a colleague playing something similar, so it’s pairings that matter, rather than two trios playing against each other.
There
have been examples of bandleaders putting ‘doubles’ together before (Ornette
Coleman’s Double Quartet on Free Jazz being
the best known) so this isn’t breaking new ground but it is an unusual
instrumental line up nonetheless. Unfortunately, we don’t have the visuals that
a live setting would provide so we can’t see it in action and we can’t be sure who
is playing which part at any particular time. I always think that music like
this is best in the moment of creation on the bandstand and albums are often a
long way behind second best. As this group is unlikely to turn up at the Globe
any time soon we have to draw such pleasures as we can from this recording.
I’m not a huge fan of free jazz, but I like to dip a toe in occasionally and it’s no great hardship when the performers involved are as accomplished as those at work on this album. Looking on Fujiwara’s website (which is available at Tomasfujiwara.com) it is clear that bass players don’t often get a look in. This often gives a sparseness to the music; individual or pairs of instruments play in solitude or duets against the silence. Other times, when all six are playing or during parts of the epic closing drum duet, For Alan II, there is no space, only a wall of sound.
The opener Pack Up,
Coming For You starts softly with the trio of Fujiwara, Halvorson and Bynum
and builds to an early climax where they seem simply to run out of space. They
break down and return to basics before the other three join in. This dynamism
of space and full widescreen technicolour sets the standard for the rest of the
album.
The March of the Storm
Before the Quiet of the Dance is probably the most accessible on the album
as it starts slowly, sparely, in a more conventional form before it breaks up
and away. The title captures the format of the tune as it gives us a march, a
storm and something approximating a dance. Docile
Fury Ballad is another accurately named piece, this time with a call and
response between docility (trumpet) and fury (guitars and drums).
For Alan II, the 17 minute drum duet is wonderful. Not an expression that I thought I would be using. There are a couple of rock bands who have two drummers such as The Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band and, like those bands, Fujiwara and Cleaver swap the roles of lead and rhythm drummer. There are short motifs at various times during the piece that, briefly, anchor the listener, but these pass and are replaced with others or lost and on it flows not, in any way wearing out its welcome. It’s not a furious piece at all, as you might expect from two drummers, as both play delicately for most of the time. March, the album is worth it for this track alone. Dave Sayer
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