Daniel Levin Quartet

Blurry
hatOLOGY 653

Drummer-less chamber-improv without compromise, this CD is more lucid than Blurry. Cellist Daniel Levin, trumpeter Nate Wooley, vibraphonist Matt Moran and bassist Joe Morris clearly and resourcefully demonstrate how extended techniques can be interlaced with shaded pointillism to create a satisfying group effort.

Throughout the cellist’s multi-toned arches and spiccato interjects plus the trumpeter’s smeary growls and plunger excavations are as germane for the evolution of the eight tracks as the bassist’s stolid thumps and the vibist’s shimmering key bounces. Encompassing smooth transitions from one instrument’s contributions to another’s, these mostly Levin-composed lines, feature uncommon exchanges involving say a splintered chromatic aside from Wooley, supported by fundamental connective plucks from Morris. Frequently polyphonic, the tunes are melded and molded using note clusters that move them through quasi-romanticism, stark improvisation and luminescent vibrations.

If Wooley’s muted purring plunger work and Levin’s pizzicato rhythms suggest Cootie Williams and Jimmy Blanton when “Sad Song” begins, then tonal dislocations attain English garden delicacy rather than Ellington’s robust depictions by the finale. Yet Morris’ striated double-stopping halts the slide to gentleness. Crackling brass flanges perform the same function on “Cannery Row” balancing too lustrous reverberations from the vibraphone.

Most distinctive is “209 Willard Street”, a gently shaded piece that could be defined as impressionism with prickly asides. Moderato and andante, the theme is depicted by the cello’s sonorous tones, yet the rubato exposition is cycled through enough excursions in double counterpoint from muted trumpet and staccato vibe smacks that sentimentality is leeched from it.

-- Ken Waxman

-- In MusicWorks Issue #102

November 20, 2008

Joe Giardullo Open Ensemble

Red Morocco
Rogue Art ROG-0012

Highly orchestrated, multi-faceted and engrossing, Red Morocco is a breakthrough large-form suite composed by veteran reed player Joe Giardullo. It rationally illustrates how his notated ideas can be interpreted by a group of 14 American and Canadian improvisers.

Largely self-taught as a composer and instrumentalist, Giardullo’s interest in musical creation was fed by an appreciation for Stockhausen, Berio and Indian music, study of George Russell’s Lydian Theory of Tonal Organization; plus playing situations with Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Lester Lanin (!) Peg Leg Bates (!!) Pauline Oliveros and others. It reaches inventive fruition with this 10-part creation.

Evidently skewed towards New music at first, by the end of the final, and incidentally, title track, the contributions of notable improvisers mean that those tilts towards formalism are surmounted. How else could it be, with sonic interjections from the likes of Joe McPhee on trumpet and trombone, cellist Daniel Levin, violinist David Prentice and Giardullo himself on sopranino saxophone, alto flute and bass clarinet? At the same time there’s no confusing the program with doctrinaire modern jazz, experimental or otherwise. Not only are there microtonal and/or legato undulation from the three fiddlers and two cellists, but the rhythm section lacks a double bassist and a traps drummer. Percussion is the province of Brian Melick using almost any instrument that can be whacked, scraped, scratched, ratcheted and shaken; plus the chiming resonation of David Arner’s xylophone.

Should a variant such as “Q-2G (e)” begin with near-rococo styling from massed strings, pitter-pattering xylophone keys, and curvaceous hide-and-seek saxophone and clarinet lines, then the track’s completion refers to a contrapuntal arrangement advanced on “OPD”, two tracks earlier. On the former, a perfect balance is realized between double and triple pizzicato string stopping and the crunch of reverb and distortion feedback from the dual guitars of Dom Minasi and Rich Rosenthal. Yet negating the rules of standard jazz-rock fusion, the guitar licks aren’t framed in an unvarying drum beat, but by the percussionists’ buzzing timbres, glockenspiel chiming, maracas shaking, plus brass slurs and hocketing from McPhee and trumpeter Gordon Allen.

Elsewhere muted trumpeting is cushioned in overtone layering from massed strings and horns, only to be interrupted by staccato discord from one violinist – plus a contrapuntal counter-line from McPhee’s trombone. Other places the two trumpets circle one another in different guises – one playing smooth connective grace notes and the other triplets in broken octaves – until they link and complement one another. Then there are spots where the two reedists divide their interaction between irregular vibratos, split tones and staccatissico tongue slaps, with this unfolding on top of wooden marimba-like pressures and whining string striations.

Red Morocco, the CD and “Red Morocco”, the composition concludes with xylophone and cello chipping tones at one another, following a moderato trumpet and reeds variation and two intermezzos: one for gentling violin and xylophone, and the other for tough sul tasto cello runs and squeaky violin double stopping.

Confirmation of Giardullo’s compositional skills, the CD is a memorable listening experience.

-- Ken Waxman

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Track Listing: 1. OPB 2. OPG 3. 2T(m) 4. Memory Root 5. OPD 6. NFRTT-1 7. Q-2G(e) 8. Calabar 9. Hikori 10. Red Morocco.

Personnel: Gordon Allen (trumpet); Joe McPhee (pocket trumpet and valve trombone); Joe Giardullo (bass clarinet, sopranino saxophone and alto flute); Lori Freedman (clarinet and bass clarinet); Rosie Hertlein, David Prentice and Michael Snow (violins); Daniel Levin and Martha Colby (celli); Steve Lantner (piano); Dom Minasi and Rich Rosenthal (guitars); David Arner (xylophone) and Brian Melick (percussion)

August 5, 2008

Daniel Levin Quartet

Some Trees
Hatology 632

Near flawless chamber jazz, cellist Daniel Levin’s quartet inhabits eight unforced improvisations without ever turning effete or enervated.

Inspired soloing from all concerned – especially the leader, and trumpeter Nate Wooley – provides some of the session’s impetus, while the remainder comes from the powerful rhythmic thrust of Joe Morris’ bass and Matt Moran’s vibes. Morris – a dual threat, best-known as a guitarist – provides the ostinato underpinning for many tunes; while Moran, a member of the Claudia Quintet, sounds quivering key vibrations as often as accompanying wallops, especially when playing in unison with Morris.

Levin, who also works with drummer Whit Dickey and alto saxophonist Rob Brown, uses this session to showcase his compositions plus pay homage to such jazz elders as Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman and Steve Lacy. Throughout, the delicate balance between formalism and freedom is maintained, without falling definitely either way. New to this band is trumpeter Nate Wooley. But the innovative brassman, who partners trombonist Steve Swell among others, brings memorable flair to the proceedings.

Establishing his presence from the first, Wooley’s slurred half-valve work on the lead-off track “It’s For You”, marks his accommodation to the already existing combo with less experimental playing than his solo sessions. Throughout, however, he easily links Levin’s sawing strokes and Moran’s moderato quivers, while on the atmospheric title tune he adopts sequenced grace notes à la mid-period Miles Davis. Often his chromatic obbligatos are matched in double counterpoint by splayed shuffle bowing from the cellist that’s both lyrical and legato.

Careful linear vibe reverberation adds another facet to the interplay as Moran’s pitter-pattering joins the others in polyphonic expression on Lacy’s “Wickets”. With Morris stroking traffic-directing pulses on the bottom, the brass man and the cellist extend themselves still further. Wooley narrows his exhalation to squeal narrowed timbres and Levin amplifies this outpouring with spiccato patterns. Metaphorically adapt, he skims his strings from sul ponticello to sul tasto tones.

Memorably impressive throughout, the only time Some Trees loses a bit of momentum is when Moran lays out on Coleman’s “Morning Song”, the final tune. Interlocking musical alliances which have worked so well until then suddenly reveal a deficiency with one voice subtracted.

Other than that minor caveat, the CD satisfies on all counts.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. It’s For You 2. Out To Lunch 3. Some Trees 4. Sitting On His Hands 5. Zolowski 6. Wild Palms 7. Wickets 8. Morning Song

Personnel: Nate Wooley (trumpet); Matt Moran (vibes [except 8]); Daniel Levin (cello); Joe Morris (bass)

October 17, 2006

YVES ROBERT

In Touch
ECM 1787

DANIEL LEVIN QUARTET
Don’t Go It Alone
RITI CD009

Brass, percussion and cello are the points of symmetry between these sets of modern, improvised chamber music. Atmospheric IN TOUCH, helmed by veteran French trombonist Yves Robert, features his longtime associate cellist Vincent Courtois as well as drummer Cyril Atef. DON’T GO IT ALONE is an appropriate title for the debut release by young American cellist Daniel Levin, whose brass input comes from cornetist Dave Ballou. Vibraphonist Mat Moran adds subtle percussion, and the session is anchored by Joe Morris, who proves that his convincing guitar techniques can be transmitted to double bass playing.

Replete with suggestive titles, IN TOUCH seems ever so French with Robert’s trio liming what could be the soundtrack for a seduction or perhaps coitus. Not that anything as crude or sweaty as the later is suggested by the disc. Impeccably recorded and abstruse, it’s also in the French tradition of similar recorded exercises in so-called imaginary folklore organized by tubaist Michel Godard -- featuring Courtois -- or clarinetist Louis Sclavis -- with both Courtois and Robert. Vichy native Robert has a solid jazz grounding as well, with stints in Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath and the first edition of the Orchestre National de Jazz.

While many would associate an expression of the commodification of desire with New Orleans bordellos, the three only approximate Dixieland excitement on “L’air d’y toucher”. Atef, who divides his time between work with the trombonist and French funksters Bum Cello, would never be mistaken for George Wettling or Robert for Jack Teagarden. However, the former’s shuffle beat and the latter’s wheezing plunger trombone jabs are approximated in the sound, filtered through the mindset of modern, trained Europeans, that is. Cowbell whacking and tambourine shaking even appears at one point, although Courtois’ cello fantasia is about as far from slap bass as you can imagine. Still the polyrhythmic movement that encompasses consistent string slides and ‘bone yelps recalls that New Orleans had a French history, but one that was truncated. At least it never reached the modernity of the piece’s ending that exhibits pure air being forced through the horn.

By contrast, the other jazz musician’s work which the CD echoes is that of arranger Gil Evans, especially with Robert’s solo showcase on “Let’s lay down” [sic]. With its irregular Afro-Cuban style percussion, suggestion of a ghostly string section from Courtois and tempo-changing, muted ‘bone fantasia, you’re reminded of how Evans framed Jimmy Knepper on OUT OF THE COOL.

Elsewhere, Robert is very much his own man, purring where Knepper and other Americans would have been braying. This is especially apparent on pieces like “Basculement du désir” and “La tendresse”. On the former the trombonist’s command of pedal point makes it sees like his tones are arising at far away on the horizon and gradually coming into focus. Pizzicato, Courtois’ cello reconstitutes itself into an acoustic guitar, speeding up the tempo as Robert majestically maintains his line and Atef accompanies with obtuse cymbal and maracas resonation.

On the later, and very much longest, track, the cellist and trombonist take turns caressing the vaporous theme, while the other plays a counterline. Exceptionally quiet, but doing his job with offbeat and rumbles, plus the hitting of sticks against one another, the drummer gives the others plenty of space to indulge in twisting tones. That involves a muted buzz from the brassman and multi-string, arco double-stopping expanding into power thrusts on all strings simultaneously from the cellist.

More boisterous and more abstract as the CD revolves, DON’T GO IT ALONE also could have an antecedent: trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith’s RASTAFARI session from 1983, with his axe framed by violin, cello or bass and vibes as well as light reed playing. Vibes in a chamber-like setting also bring forth echoes of the Modern Jazz Quartet and Red Norvo’s trios. However some of the lines probably reflect Moran’s background with the New music/improv Claudia Quintet and playing ethic percussion with The Slavic Soul Party.

This reaches a climax on “Bronx No. 2”, the final composition, which highlights polyrhythms going every which way. Over a steady walking pulse form Morris, Levin’s cello lines speedily twist and sprawl, Moran makes leprechaun leaps onto his metallic bars and Ballou produces half-valve, weeping horn flourishes that are strangely legato compared to the full body English the string players are putting into the performance. Eventually the brassman opens up with a heart-felt growl.

Ballou, who has been aptly represented as a mainstreamer on CD, and who produces hushed, Joe Wilder-like peeps at times here, mostly plays more freely than usual. But then again his non-recorded gigs include some with violist Mat Maneri’s quintet and hyperpianist Denman Maroney’s group. He can also morph from one roll to another, as he demonstrates on “Interlude”, where his romantic, but sour-sounding cornet tone faces low-pitched, almost marimba-like slides from Moran and portamento cello loops.

Classically-trained since he was six, Levin has his technique down pat, yet in his compositions and playing is also able to innovate, occasionally plucking the cello guitar-like, as Courtois did on Robert’s CD. Someone who has also performed with Morris associates such as alto saxist Rob Brown and Maneri, the cellist doesn’t play second fiddle to anyone here. There is a time on “Underground”, though, that his sharp, sprayed arco slides and long lined repetitions almost make it sound like he’s playing a fiddle at a hoe-down. But this fits well with the cornetist’s scowling rubato grace notes and Moran’s ringing vibe attack.

What defines the session in toto though, is the tension that exists between the chamber music poses and the jazz/improv impulses. The first work when, say, the vibe motor is slowed down so the peal of the bars melds appropriately with the bass liming of an atmospheric theme, or when shaded cello lines meet plunger expressions and flutter- tongued murmurs from the cornet. But the second is just as prominent on a piece like “In Parts”. Here whizzing, stroking, pizzicato lines from the cello are seconded by a double- stopping bowed triumphant bass line, while speed demon, elemental vibe excursions make time with plunger brass work, modernizing the barnyard sounds that go back to the Original Dixieland Band and the origins of so-called Classic Jazz.

Don’t be frightened by the chamber trappings of these sessions. With dead-on technique and historical allusions, both bands can produce unfettered ferment without raising their collective voices.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Touch: 1. In touch 2. Let’s lay down 3. La tendresse 4. In touch (var. 1) 5. L’air d’y toucher 6. Basculement du désir 7. L’attente reste 8. In touch (var. 2)

Personnel: Touch: Yves Robert (trombone);Vincent Courtois (cello); Cyril Atef (drums)

Track Listing: Don’t: 1. Unfortunate Situation 2. Underground 3. 17th Street 4. In Parts 5. Interlude 6. Non-sense 7. Sad Song 8. Nervous 9. Fleeting 10. Bronx No. 2

Personnel: Don’t: Dave Ballou (cornet); Daniel Levin (cello); Joe Morris (bass); Matt Moran (vibraphone)

December 29, 2003