52 DOWNBEAT MAY 2017 Matthew Stevens Preverbal ROPEADOPE 339 HHHH Power trios used to be all about brawn—big amps, hyped blues riffs and a bludgeoning drum sound. What guitarist Matthew Stevens attempts on his sophomore effort, Preverbal, has more to do with breadth. He offers a wide- screen, intensely detailed ensemble sound that packs each bar with a maximum of rhythm and texture. Part of that stems from the fact that the gui- tarist, who has largely been known as a side- man with Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott and Linda Oh, tends to avoid bossy single-note lines, oſten opting for finger-picked chordal fig- ures that end up deeply entwined in the drum and bass lines. “Picture Window,” for instance, finds him weaving deſtly harmonized lines that not only play off Vicente Archer’s bass lines the way a pianist’s right hand plays off the leſt, but pro- vide a sturdy framework for Eric Doob’s roil- ing, polyrhythmic drumming, which at times seems to be soloing as much as the guitar. Technology is just as central to Preverbal ’s sound. Both Stevens and Archer carefully sculpt their tone with distortion and other pro- cessing, bringing a broader, more orchestral palette to the trio’s sound, something that adds tension to the moody funk of “Reservoir” and brings a noisy burst of color to the conclusion of “Sparkle And Fade.” But it’s addition of loops, samples and synths that define the album’s soundscape, because as tracks like “Knowhow” make clear, Stevens and company aren’t just using them to set a pulse, as pop artists gener- ally do, but as a basis for rhythmic and textural improvisation. And that’s the sort of power no listener should underestimate. —J.D. Considine Preverbal: Picture Window; Sparkle And Fade; Undertow; Cocoon; Reservoir; Knowhow; Dogeared; Our Reunion. (52:02) Personnel: Matthew Stevens, guitars, sampling synth, bass (2); Eric Doob, drums, sampling, synth, programming Vicente Archer, bass; Esperanza Spalding, vocals (8). Ordering info: ropeadope.com Troy Roberts Tales & Tones INNER CIRCLE MUSIC 066 HHHH½ What a difference a bass player makes. Troy Roberts’ last album, 2015’s Secret Rhymes, made an impressive case for the young Australian tenor player, both in terms of his complete mastery of the instrument and his prowess as an improviser. His rhythmic dyna- mism, particularly when playing with drum- mer Jeff “Tain” Watts, was particularly striking. And yet, Tales & Tones manages to make that achievement seem minor by comparison. For starters, Roberts has expanded his purview, doing more of the writing this time around and adding soprano saxophone to his arsenal. He still continues to excel at finding fresh ways into familiar tunes—his “Take e ‘A’ Train” con- vincingly refreshes one of the most over-roast- ed chestnuts in jazz—but there’s even more pleasure to be had in hearing him work varia- tions on his own themes, from the modal twists in “Pickapoppy” to the post-modern bebop of “Decoration.” But the most significant difference with Tales & Tones is that the energy levels are way, way up. Roberts is working with essentially the same band, with Watts again on drums and longtime collaborator Silvano Monasterios on piano, but instead of Chris Smith, this album has Robert Hurst on bass, and it’s hard not to suspect that’s the key. Anyone who recalls Hurst’s work with Watts in Branford Marsalis’ band will have no trouble recognizing the chemistry here, and the way it energizes Roberts, from the funky swag- ger of “Trams” or the oand virtuosity burn- ing beneath the rhythmic games of “Boozy Bluesy.” —J.D. Considine Tales & Tones: Decoration; Trams; Rivera Mountain; Bernie’s Tune; Cotu Chi Chi Chi; Take The “A” Train; Pickapoppy; Mr. Pinon- onnk; Boozy Bluesy. (62:35) Personnel: Troy Roberts, tenor, soprano saxophone; Silvano Monasterios, piano; Robert Hurst, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums. Ordering info: troyroberts.com Joris Teepe and Don Braden Conversations CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE MUSIC HHHH Dutch bassist Joris Teepe and American saxo- phonist Don Braden have been having a musi- cal conversation for the past two-and-a-half decades. Conversations celebrates their 25 years of collaboration, which began in 1992 during a routine recording session in New York, where they both now live. It has blossomed into a part- nership rich in dynamic interplay, spit-fire bop locutions and endless groove. e album treads mostly in waters of post- bop, a subgenre that both players navigate with ease. Elvin Jones’ “ree Card Molly” is a prime example: Braden’s muscular tenor tone carves out the zig-zagging melody in high relief, while Teepe drives a strong current through the cen- ter. Drummer Gene Jackson adds rhythmic force to this and two additional tunes, and Matt Wilson engages in fiery cymbal work on four others. e group seems liberated by the lack of a chordal instrument. “Stolen Time,” penned by Wilson and articulated with deep feeling by Braden on flute, features a relentless ride siz- zle that ignites the song from within, and the group’s cover of “Footprints” is an ode to frag- mentation and suspense. But perhaps the loveliest takes on this album are Charles Mingus’ “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” Gershwin and Weil’s “is Is New” and Teepe’s “We Take No Prisoners,” all of which are performed as duets. e pared-down set- ting permits listeners to focus on the tightly woven interplay between the two co-leaders, from which countless musical gems are uncov- ered like old memories between good friends. —Brian Zimmerman Conversations: Humpty Dumpty; Three Card Molly; Goodbye Porkpie Hat; Eddieish; This Is New; Footprints; Stolen Time; It’s You Or No One; Our Love Is Hear To Stay. (60:41) Personnel: Joris Teepe, bass; Don Braden, tenor saxophone, flute; Gene Jackson (2, 4, 6), Matt Wilson (1, 7, 8, 9), drums. Ordering info: donbraden.com
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
52 DOWNBEAT MAY 2017
Matthew StevensPreverbalROPEADOPE 339
HHHH
Power trios used to be all about brawn—big amps, hyped blues riffs and a bludgeoning drum sound. What guitarist Matthew Stevens attempts on his sophomore effort, Preverbal, has more to do with breadth. He offers a wide-screen, intensely detailed ensemble sound that packs each bar with a maximum of rhythm and texture.
Part of that stems from the fact that the gui-tarist, who has largely been known as a side-man with Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott and Linda Oh, tends to avoid bossy single-note lines, often opting for finger-picked chordal fig-ures that end up deeply entwined in the drum and bass lines.
“Picture Window,” for instance, finds him weaving deftly harmonized lines that not only play off Vicente Archer’s bass lines the way a pianist’s right hand plays off the left, but pro-vide a sturdy framework for Eric Doob’s roil-ing, polyrhythmic drumming, which at times seems to be soloing as much as the guitar.
Technology is just as central to Preverbal’s sound. Both Stevens and Archer carefully sculpt their tone with distortion and other pro-cessing, bringing a broader, more orchestral palette to the trio’s sound, something that adds tension to the moody funk of “Reservoir” and brings a noisy burst of color to the conclusion of “Sparkle And Fade.” But it’s addition of loops, samples and synths that define the album’s soundscape, because as tracks like “Knowhow” make clear, Stevens and company aren’t just using them to set a pulse, as pop artists gener-ally do, but as a basis for rhythmic and textural improvisation. And that’s the sort of power no listener should underestimate.
—J.D. ConsidinePreverbal: Picture Window; Sparkle And Fade; Undertow; Cocoon; Reservoir; Knowhow; Dogeared; Our Reunion. (52:02)Personnel: Matthew Stevens, guitars, sampling synth, bass (2); Eric Doob, drums, sampling, synth, programming Vicente Archer, bass; Esperanza Spalding, vocals (8).
Ordering info: ropeadope.com
Troy RobertsTales & TonesINNER CIRCLE MUSIC 066
HHHH½What a difference a bass player makes.
Troy Roberts’ last album, 2015’s Secret Rhymes, made an impressive case for the young Australian tenor player, both in terms of his complete mastery of the instrument and his prowess as an improviser. His rhythmic dyna-mism, particularly when playing with drum-mer Jeff “Tain” Watts, was particularly striking.
And yet, Tales & Tones manages to make that achievement seem minor by comparison.
For starters, Roberts has expanded his purview, doing more of the writing this time around and adding soprano saxophone to his arsenal. He still continues to excel at finding fresh ways into familiar tunes—his “Take The ‘A’ Train” con-vincingly refreshes one of the most over-roast-ed chestnuts in jazz—but there’s even more pleasure to be had in hearing him work varia-tions on his own themes, from the modal twists in “Pickapoppy” to the post-modern bebop of “Decoration.”
But the most significant difference with Tales & Tones is that the energy levels are way, way up. Roberts is working with essentially the same band, with Watts again on drums and longtime collaborator Silvano Monasterios on piano, but instead of Chris Smith, this album has Robert Hurst on bass, and it’s hard not to suspect that’s the key.
Anyone who recalls Hurst’s work with Watts in Branford Marsalis’ band will have no trouble recognizing the chemistry here, and the way it energizes Roberts, from the funky swag-ger of “Trams” or the offhand virtuosity burn-ing beneath the rhythmic games of “Boozy Bluesy.” —J.D. Considine
Tales & Tones: Decoration; Trams; Rivera Mountain; Bernie’s Tune; Cotu Chi Chi Chi; Take The “A” Train; Pickapoppy; Mr. Pinon-onnk; Boozy Bluesy. (62:35)Personnel: Troy Roberts, tenor, soprano saxophone; Silvano Monasterios, piano; Robert Hurst, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums.
Ordering info: troyroberts.com
Joris Teepe and Don BradenConversations CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE MUSIC
HHHH
Dutch bassist Joris Teepe and American saxo-phonist Don Braden have been having a musi-cal conversation for the past two-and-a-half decades. Conversations celebrates their 25 years of collaboration, which began in 1992 during a routine recording session in New York, where they both now live. It has blossomed into a part-nership rich in dynamic interplay, spit-fire bop locutions and endless groove.
The album treads mostly in waters of post-bop, a subgenre that both players navigate with ease. Elvin Jones’ “Three Card Molly” is a prime example: Braden’s muscular tenor tone carves out the zig-zagging melody in high relief, while Teepe drives a strong current through the cen-ter. Drummer Gene Jackson adds rhythmic force to this and two additional tunes, and Matt Wilson engages in fiery cymbal work on four others. The group seems liberated by the lack of a chordal instrument. “Stolen Time,” penned by Wilson and articulated with deep feeling by Braden on flute, features a relentless ride siz-zle that ignites the song from within, and the group’s cover of “Footprints” is an ode to frag-mentation and suspense.
But perhaps the loveliest takes on this album are Charles Mingus’ “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” Gershwin and Weil’s “This Is New” and Teepe’s “We Take No Prisoners,” all of which are performed as duets. The pared-down set-ting permits listeners to focus on the tightly woven interplay between the two co-leaders, from which countless musical gems are uncov-ered like old memories between good friends.
—Brian Zimmerman
Conversations: Humpty Dumpty; Three Card Molly; Goodbye Porkpie Hat; Eddieish; This Is New; Footprints; Stolen Time; It’s You Or No One; Our Love Is Hear To Stay. (60:41)Personnel: Joris Teepe, bass; Don Braden, tenor saxophone, flute; Gene Jackson (2, 4, 6), Matt Wilson (1, 7, 8, 9), drums.
Ordering info: donbraden.com
Related Documents
