The Thompson Fields That Flows Back Complicates and Enriches the Group Dynamic and Incantation Also Show up in This Arch, Unflappable Trio
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CD REVIEWS plants its semi-funky insistent earworm and “Blue world, its effect on the soul. Tale” is a snappy, jaunty narrative. “Zapoteca”, the In one panoramic photo, Schneider walks on a dashing trio-only closer, suggests the tightly coiled sandy gravel road, looking out over the sprawling arabesques of Oaxacan ruins, its spicy mole sauces and native prairie (the “Thompson Fields” of the title) near its textiles’ dazzling indigo and cochineal hues. her hometown of Windom. Her music captures the Domenico Sanna’s trio with bassist Ameen Saleem extraordinary peace but also the volatility of the place. Seldom and drummer Dana Hawkins prances with fluid Steve Wilson’s alto saxophone feature on “Nimbus”, a Alessandro Lanzoni (CAM Jazz) generosity on Brooklyn Beat! in constant ruminative minor-key epic inspired by Schneider’s close encounter Brooklyn Beat! improvisation, balancing piano with Rhodes, with a funnel cloud, brings out some of the band’s Domenico Sanna (Via Veneto Jazz / Jandomusic) sometimes overdubbed, as on the amply adventurous most intense moments. “Walking by Flashlight”, the This Is The Day “Miracle Fishing”. Now 31, Sanna unleashes sidewise, leadoff track, finds Scott Robinson on the surpassingly Giovanni Guidi Trio (ECM) slanting themes (if occasionally tedious vamping) on beautiful alto clarinet, spilling pure melody, evoking by Fred Bouchard the aforementioned “Miracle Fishing” but slyly the poetry of Ted Kooser (“Cloudy, dark and windy. Italian pianists have been branding jazz with strong surreptitious ring-tones on “Cow Bells”. Nodding to Walking by flashlight / at six in the morning…”). national and regional characteristics and singular tradition, the Gaeta native salutes composer Jaki One can only marvel at the intricacy and rigor of stamps of individualistic artistry for decades. Byard’s “DDJL” with bright staccato postbop and Schneider’s orchestrations, the textural blend of the Alessandro Lanzoni, Domenico Sanna and Giovanni effortless lock-hand glides. Tuneful variations on a ensemble, the way it handles dynamics and subtle Guidi bring classical training and technical facility to fluid and nimble “Body and Soul” wax rhapsodic yet fluctuations in tempo (particularly on the closing the keyboard, rootedness in the jazz vernacular, tightly wound. But he most impresses with an edgy “Lembrança”). The soloists give everything they have: conscious inclusion of Italian pop, folksong and opera, yen for experimentation: “A New Joy”, a hymnic piano standouts include guitarist Lage Lund on the title respectful stretching of established repertory and incantation, showcases slowed-down cymbal hits and track; tenor saxophonist Rich Perry on the plaintive distinctive, evolving approaches to composition. a hidden bonus track speeds back to normal with a “Home”; fellow tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin on Lanzoni, a wunderkind mature beyond his 24 peppy, funky Rhodes/cymbal duo and fade, capping a “Arbiters of Evolution”; and accordionist Gary Versace years, debuted sassy and bouncing with a playful taste session that balances subtle wit and whimsy with on “A Potter’s Song” (dedicated, as is the entire album, for Thelonious Monk on Dark Flavour. He showed savvy sophistication. to the late MSO trumpeter Laurie Frink). similar relaxed, witty panache in an outdoor duo Giovanni Guidi, 30, caught the ear of trumpet Schneider’s music has always had a strong tapping all eras from ragtime to postbop with reed guru Enrico Rava, who pressed him for his band. emotional impact, whether it’s introspective or full of whiz Nico Gori at Sardinia’s Time In Jazz last summer. Leading his own quintet at Saalfelden in 2012, he tumult, simple or complex. Beyond the searching solos Seldom evinces more complexity with veteran American showed superb poise and finely wrought, porcelain- and high virtuosity both on and off the paper, it’s the trumpeter Ralph Alessi, whose regal gravitas delicate pieces, whose unison swags of melancholic love poured into The Thompson Fields that flows back complicates and enriches the group dynamic and incantation also show up in this arch, unflappable trio. out of the speakers and makes it such an unusually dimensional intrigue, bassist Matteo Bortone and This Is The Day, Guidi’s second ECM session, sweeps in moving work of art. It captures Schneider’s artistic drummer Enrico Morello. “Wine and Blood” and as an attenuated, swooning sigh, cast vaguely in the vision unlike anything else in her catalogue. “Horizonte” evolve as dramatic narratives while the Keith Jarrett mold of hushed sustains and well-pedaled lengthy “Composition”, with its commanding central ballads (“I’m Through With Love” being a direct For more information, visit artistshare.com. This project is ppp>fff crescendo, leads to an ebullient song. “Yuca” homage). All unfolds in quiet calm, with heady, at Birdland Jun. 2nd-6th. See Calendar. transporting anthems, Guidi rapt in an embrace with the hushed Charlie Haden-deep solemnity of bassist • Ran Blake—Ghost Tones (Portraits of Thomas Morgan and sympathetic rustlings of drummer R George Russell) (A-Side) Academy Records João Lobo. Matters peak towards the middle with Lobo’s restless “Baiiia” [sic] and a jostling, unfolding e • Steve Coleman & The Council of Balance— “Debate”, then subsides into “Where They’d Lived”, Synovial Joints (Pi) & CDs rhapsodic as a Chopin nocturne with a somber trance- c • Alfonso Deidda—Lucky Man (Jando Music) like refrain on the coda, and a poised “Quizas, Quizas, o • Pierre Dørge—Blui (SteepleChase) Quizas”, stately as a preening peacock. • Ghost Train Orchestra— m Hot Town (Accurate) For more information, visit camjazz.com, jandomusic.com • Muriel Grossmann— Cash for new and used and ecmrecords.com. These three pianists are at Roulette m Jun. 1st. See Calendar. Earth Tones (Dreamland) compact discs,vinyl e • Bartłomiej Oleś/Tomasz Dąbrowski— records, blu-rays and n Chapters (Fenom Media) • Mario Pavone—Blue Dialect (Clean Feed) dvds. d • Gary Peacock Trio—Now This (ECM) e • Simon Toldam Trio—Kig Op15 (ILK Music) We buy and sell all d Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor genres of music. n • Paolo Angeli—S’Û (Angeli Manuche Prod.) • Bobby Bradford/John Carter Quintet— All sizes of collections The Thompson Fields Maria Schneider Orchestra (ArtistShare) e NoUTurn (Dark Tree) welcome. by David R. Adler w • John Butcher/Andy Moor— Experiments With A Leaf (Unsounds) he Maria Schneider Orchestra (MSO) has logged a fair T • konstruKt—Live at Tarcento Jazz (Holidays) amount of bandstand time since the release of Sky Blue For large collections, in 2007. Hard to believe, then, that The Thompson Fields r • Jacek Mazurkiewivc—3FoNIA (solo) is the group’s first release since. “Making a recording (Multikulti Project) please call to set up an like this is becoming increasingly difficult,” writes e • Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø/Raymond Strid/ appointment. Schneider in her program notes, thanking nearly two l Nina De Heney—Oslo Wien (Vafangool) dozen ArtistShare fans for their pivotal funding support. • Gary Peacock Trio—Now This (ECM) The effort was clearly monumental: beyond the e • Eric Person—Duoscope (Distinction) eight demanding compositions, there are stunning • Pulverize The Sound—Eponymous photographs and vintage illustrations throughout the a Open 7 days a week 11-7 booklet. There are quotations, poems and paeans to the s (Relative Pitch) beauty of Schneider’s childhood home in southwestern • Eve Risser—Des Pas Sur La Neige 12 W. 18th Street NY, NY 10011 Minnesota. Her background notes to each track move e (Clean Feed) 212-242-3000 effortlessly between personal narrative and deeper Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director reflection on music—its connection to the natural s 14 JUNE 2015 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD.