Listener Reviews & Comments
This group has basically the same line up as Isotope 217. Yes, Jeff Parker (Tortoise guitarist) is now an official fourth member of the trio ?! Wacky. On this album the shorter pieces are like mini-electronic symphonettes and the longer pieces are swingin' jazz quartet numbers. If the up-tempo tunes aren't catchy in a swingin' post-bop vein ("Warm Marsh"), then they are more tumultuous in a VERY Sun Ra-esque way ("Number 19"). Although sans the silly space chants, of course. Nice to hear them playing with their Chicago / AACM jazz heritage. Fans of interesting jazz trumpet playing that were disappointed by the lacking presence of Rob Mazurek's cornet on the recent Isotope 217 album will be delighted with this one. Long drawn out Miles Davis influenced passages are contrasted with his more splintery Don Cherry like playing on the free-er pieces. And Jeff's guitar playing is all over this album too, lots of solo space for him on this one. His transition from melodic post-bop linear soloing to the frenzied textural free playing on the first cut "Quail" is breathtaking. I highly recommended this to jazz fans that are looking for something that?s swinging but still modern and forward thinking.
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